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

Two years in the past, I assumed my quest for the perfect working earbuds was over. The Beats Fit Pro had been merely excellent in each manner. 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. But 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 attempt the $119.95 Shokz OpenFit Air.

While Shokz is finest identified for its bone conduction tech, the OpenFit Air makes use of conventional air conduction like every 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. But 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. Truthfully, no open-ear headphones are nice at bass, however these are no less than much less muddy than bone conduction. If I’m working subsequent to a busy road, I really can hear the rumbly “five-star Michelin” verse in “God’s Menu” by Stray Kids. It’s not crystal clear — however I can hear it as a substitute of sighing and wishing I had my Beats Fit Pro. (All bets are off for those who’re close to a freeway, although.)

Aside from bass, the speaker place means you’ll be able to hear your content material fairly properly, 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 practice? No downside. A loud New York City subway drowned out my audiobooks to the purpose the place I gave up listening to something in any respect. I by no means obtained any complaints about sound leakage, however I think about that’s as a result of the NYC subway is simply too loud for anybody to listen to something.

As train buds, these are an incredible possibility. They have 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.

While the hooks are pliable and comparatively skinny, they took up quite a lot of area behind my ears. On days once 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. Often, that ended up with me unintentionally triggering the contact controls. Even once I didn’t put on glasses, I unintentionally dislodged the Air at any time when I brushed my bangs behind my ears. I don’t love that, as somebody who’s been traumatized one too many instances by chasing after a bud that fell out of my ear mid-run. To be honest, you might not have these points. Some of that is seemingly all the way down to the form of my ears and the very fact my glasses have chunkier arms. But for those who actually desire a safe match, a wraparound design is a better option.

To my shock, I ended up preferring the Air for on a regular basis put on. Maybe it’s simply me, however bone conduction headphones scream health in a manner that feels just a little bizarre once I’m working errands. These remind me extra of the sleeker, extra discreet Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. My favourite method to put on these was once 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 Fit Pro different. They’re fairly reasonably priced at $120, bass is first rate for a pair of open-ear buds, they usually’re comfortable. I would like one thing only a smidge safer for days once I don’t really feel like popping lenses in. Alas, the hunt continues.