I tested the best open-ear headphones for 2024, and I'm genuinely surprised
They sound much better than bone-conduction headphones.
You have ears, right? If you're not a fan of sticking things in them, you're probably not shopping for Apple AirPods or the like. Good news: You can enjoy your favorite music, podcasts and more without going poking around inside your ear canals. Just pick one of the best open-ear headphones, which reside on the outside. (Cartilage for the win!) That also allows ambient sound to pass through, which is important for safety. Plus, they afford much better audio quality than their bone-conduction counterparts of years past. The only question that remains: Which open-ear headphones (aka earphones) are best?)
Table of contents:
To find out, I gathered, tested and reviewed the latest products from Baseus, Bose, Oladance, Shokz and Soundpeats. Spoiler alert: I was surprised and impressed by most of them. If you want something that's comfortable enough to wear all day and doesn't need to be removed every time you want to have a conversation, I'd consider any of these earbuds. (Headphones, earbuds — I'm using the terms interchangeably because the designs borrow a bit from both.)
Read more: The best wireless headphones for 2024
Remember, however, these things don't do active noise-canceling. If you want that capability, be sure to check our roundup of the best wireless earbuds. Also, the nature of open-ear technology means you're going to sacrifice a bit of sound quality; these don't compete with premium ANC earbuds or over-the-ear headphones.
To learn more about open-ear headphones, including frequently asked questions, factors to consider when shopping and how we tested our samples, read on past the reviews.
The best overall open-ear headphones
Other open-ear headphones we liked
Other open-ear headphones we tested
As more of these products come to market, we'll continue to look for ones that merit a spot on our best-list. But there will be some that miss the cut, starting with the Soundpeats GoFree2.
Factors to consider when shopping for open-ear headphones
Bluetooth: All of the headphones here — except the Shokz OpenFits — support Bluetooth 5.3. With Bluetooth 5.3, you get lower latency, which is why we experienced lag issues with the OpenFits but no other headphones on this list. Take note of the Bluetooth supported by the headphones you’re considering and note that older Bluetooth-supported devices might experience this as well.
Ear detection: At some point, you'll want to pop the headphones off so you can hear what someone is saying or have a quick chat. If the headphones have ear detection, your music, video or whatever will automatically pause, then resume when you put the headphones back on. It's a feature I really love, though harder to come by in open-ear headphones. In fact, none of the models I tested here came with the feature.
Spatial audio: The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are the only ones in this list that support spatial audio — that immersive feeling of being surrounded by 360 degrees of sound. Bose achieves this with what it’s dubbed “Immersive Audio,” but take note: spatial audio features like this can take a major toll on battery life.
Multipoint connectivity: This increasingly common feature lets you pair your headphones with more than one device and easily switch between them. It’s a great feature if you typically connect to your phone but also want to use your headphones on, say, your laptop.
Case charging: Some headphone cases have wireless charging capabilities, meaning they can charge on the go without needing to be wired in. This is an excellent feature for extending the battery of your headphones between full charges. Whether or not you need in-ear headphones with wireless charging capabilities depends on your preferences. For some, juicing up your headphones quickly when you’re out and about is essential. For others, it’s no big deal to remember to plug them in for a full charge.
Battery life: There's the battery life of the in-ear headphones themselves and the battery life of the charging case, if applicable. The former can vary dramatically depending on volume level, spatial audio usage and so on. The "max battery life" referred to above reflects the company's estimate, and it's based on potentially battery-draining features being off. Thus, in-ear headphones with a max battery life of, say, six hours might last only four hours under some circumstances.
Water resistance: Good headphones should be water-resistant enough to survive a sweat session at the gym. Thankfully, all the products here have an IPX rating of 4 or better, which means they can withstand exactly those kinds of watery encounters. Only the Shokz OpenFit Open-Ear Headphones had an IP54 rating, meaning they’re both water- and dust-proof.
How we tested
Determining the best open-ear headphones is a bit subjective. After all, what works for me might not necessarily work for you. That’s why, during my testing, I judged all of the headphones on this list according to three relatively objective metrics: audio quality, call quality and fit.
Audio quality: A good listening experience is paramount. While this can be very subjective, it does vary from one open-ear headphone to another. As mentioned earlier, these products simply can't match in-ear or over-the-ear headphones — but they're pretty good overall, and definitely better than bone-conduction headphones. I tested them by listening to lots of Spotify playlists, as well as podcasts, Netflix videos and the like.
Call quality: Because open-ear headphones don't provide any kind of active noise cancelation for what you hear, they're not great for calls in noisy environments. However, many of them employ ANC for their microphones, meaning the person you're speaking with should be spared the sounds of wind, traffic, machinery and whatnot. As part of a simple microphone test, I called my daughter and talked to her while in my relatively quiet office, then went and stood next to a loud fan. Amazingly, she couldn't detect any fan noise except with the Bose Ultras, which don't have ANC microphones.
Fit: Ideally, any headphones you buy will have a secure fit and a comfortable fit. I wore these earbuds for hours at a time to see if I noticed any discomfort. I also went for walks and short runs to see if physical activity would cause additional discomfort or dislodge the earbuds. (Thankfully, they all stayed put no matter what.)
FAQs
What are open-ear headphones?
Traditional headphones cover your ear. Traditional earbuds nestle inside your ear canals. Open-ear headphones (aka open-ear earbuds) rest just outside, meaning your hearing isn't obstructed; you can still hear a bike or car approaching, for example, or a gate announcement at the airport. If that sounds familiar, you may be thinking of bone-conduction headphones, which offer the same benefits. However, this newer "air conduction" technology transmits sound vibrations to the eardrum via the outer parts of the ear, instead of through vibrations of your skull (seriously).
If you're looking for a more traditional pair, be sure to check our list of the best wireless earbuds for 2024, as well as the best noise-canceling headphones for 2024.
What is situational awareness?
Exactly what it sounds like: being able to hear what's going on around you while still listening to music or other audio. The open-ear design allows for situational awareness.
Can others hear what I'm listening to?
If these headphones rest outside your ears, won't others be able to hear your audio? That's not only a privacy concern (like if you're on a phone call) but also a potential annoyance to the people around you. Thankfully, because open-ear headphones point their tiny speakers inward, there's very little "bleed" to the outside. Someone would need to stand fairly close to hear what you're hearing, and even then it would be fairly muffled.
Are open-ear headphones good for phone calls?
It all depends on the quality of the microphone, which varies from product to product — same as with traditional headphones and earbuds. In my tests, all the open-ear headphones worked reasonably well for calls, provided I was in a quiet environment.
Because there's typically no noise canceling, however, either for the headphones themselves or their microphones, outdoor calls were less reliable, owing to wind and other noises. Same for calls while driving.
What features are missing from open-ear headphones?
The big one is active noise canceling (ANC), which helps block outside sound. That's by design, of course, but these definitely aren't the earbuds you want to bring on an airplane. And if you're looking for a charging case that can be charged wirelessly, look elsewhere. Not one product here, not even the pricey Bose, offers that feature.
Do open-ear headphones need cleaning?
Much less often than in-ear earbuds do, because there's no contact with the inside of your ear, and therefore no icky wax buildup.
