The Shokz OpenFit Air would’ve been good if not for my glasses

Two years in the past, I assumed my quest for one of the best operating earbuds was over. The Beats Match Professional have been merely good in each means. Then I moved to the suburbs. The Beats’ ambient mode was no match for North Jersey drivers’ blatant disregard for pace limits. Open-ear headphones appeared like the plain reply. However which of them? For just a few weeks, I dabbled with some bone conduction headphones, however I missed my bass drops an excessive amount of. That, in flip, led me to strive the $119.95 Shokz OpenFit Air.

Whereas Shokz is finest recognized for its bone conduction tech, the OpenFit Air makes use of conventional air conduction like some other wi-fi buds. The speaker sits above your ear canal, whereas ear hooks maintain them securely in place. I usually don’t desire ear hooks — consolation tends to be hit and miss. However I’ll give something a go if it means I get to have situational consciousness with out giving up my bass.

The excellent news: the bass is higher. The unhealthy information is, it’s not by a lot. In truth, no open-ear headphones are nice at bass, however these are a minimum of much less muddy than bone conduction. If I’m operating subsequent to a busy road, I truly can hear the rumbly “five-star Michelin” verse in “God’s Menu” by Stray Children. It’s not crystal clear — however I can hear it as an alternative of sighing and wishing I had my Beats Match Professional. (All bets are off if you happen to’re close to a freeway, although.)

Apart from bass, the speaker place means you’ll be able to hear your content material fairly nicely, however open-ear buds all the time have limitations. I wore these on a number of commutes to the workplace. A quiet NJ Transit bus or prepare? No downside. A loud New York Metropolis subway drowned out my audiobooks to the purpose the place I gave up listening to something in any respect. I by no means bought any complaints about sound leakage, however I think about that’s as a result of the NYC subway is just too loud for anybody to listen to something.

As train buds, these are a terrific choice. They’ve about six hours on a single cost, and a 10-minute cost will get you two hours of use, which isn’t too shabby except you’re an ultramarathoner. With IP55, you’ll be able to work up a pleasant sweat or deal with a little bit of rain, although I’d be cautious of a full-on downpour. They’re comfortable and fairly safe — that’s, till you set some glasses on.

Whereas the hooks are pliable and comparatively skinny, they took up lots of area behind my ears. On days after I didn’t put on contacts, the highest of my ears felt crowded and weighed down. That heavy sensation made me paranoid that the Air would fall off, and I’d go to readjust them. Typically, that ended up with me by chance triggering the contact controls. Even after I didn’t put on glasses, I unintentionally dislodged the Air each time I brushed my bangs behind my ears. I don’t love that, as somebody who’s been traumatized one too many occasions by chasing after a bud that fell out of my ear mid-run. To be honest, you could not have these points. A few of that is probably right down to the form of my ears and the very fact my glasses have chunkier arms. However if you happen to actually desire a safe match, a wraparound design is a more sensible choice.

To my shock, I ended up preferring the Air for on a regular basis put on. Perhaps it’s simply me, however bone conduction headphones scream health in a means that feels just a little bizarre after I’m operating errands. These remind me extra of the sleeker, extra discreet Bose Extremely Open Earbuds. My favourite strategy to put on these was after I was cooking or cleansing. I might simply hearken to my audiobooks or podcasts, maintain an ear out for beeping home equipment, and maintain the naughty cat from attempting to eat my dinner straight from the pan.

If I had higher imaginative and prescient, these may’ve ended my quest for a Beats Match Professional different. They’re fairly inexpensive at $120, bass is respectable for a pair of open-ear buds, and so they’re comfortable. I need one thing only a smidge safer for days after I don’t really feel like popping lenses in. Alas, the hunt continues.