Shokz OpenDots 2 review: The most comfortable open-ears ever

If you've been pondering buying a pair of the best earbuds, but hate that 'pressurised' feeling of something in your ear canal, or dislike the inevitable heightened lack of awareness, then Shokz is here to solve your issues.

The long-established brand's latest open-ear flagship, the OpenDots 2, are air-conduction headphones designed to deliver earbud-like sound quality – but without blocking your ear canals, thus ensuring you maintain awareness of your surroundings.

It's this design fundamental that's made the brand a mainstay for runners – initially with its bone-conduction headphones, which function in an altogether different way – but after wearing the OpenDots 2 for the past two weeks for this review, I think there's much wider cross-over appeal here beyond just sports and exercise enthusiasts.

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Other brands have clearly noticed increased interest, too, with more lifestyle-oriented brands such as Bose recently entering the space, or Huawei establishing a more budget take to attract interest. While both of those deliver value in their own right, neither is anywhere nearly as comfortable as Shokz's latest – which is what makes the OpenDots 2 the 5-star option.

Price & Availability

The Shokz OpenDots 2 are on sale right now, priced at £179 in the UK and $199.95 in the USA (I'm currently awaiting Australian pricing – the 4 June on-sale date may slip in that region).

That's the same price equivalent at the original OpenDots product, so there's no year-on-year increase of concern – although the originals are now reduced in price (as you can see in the shopping widget above).

What's New?

So why buy the newer OpenDots 2 over the original product? I think it's worth spending that bit extra for the increased protection alone – it's now IP57 (up from IP54), that '7' meaning full submersion in a metre of water for half an hour is no bother.

Note, of course, that the OpenDots 2 aren't designed for swimming (there's the OpenSwim Pro for that). Simply that they'll be able to take all manner of sweat-dunking use from you, safe in the knowledge that they'll be protected and ready to roll for your next workout or general listening session.

Furthermore, the OpenDots 2 adds a bone-conduction microphone for use with calls, adding greater clarity – a feature that was lacking on the original product. This isn't for music playback, mind, so don't confuse these open-ears' core functionality.

The other key upgrade comes in sound quality, with the latest 'Bassphere 2.0 technology' designed to deliver even deeper low-end with minimal distortion. As these are open-ears, the low-end floor isn't as far down the frequency range as many earbuds – but Shokz has taken on feedback and recognised the importance of bass.

Design & Fit

The fundamental design point of the Shokz OpenDots 2 is that the open-ear nature means there's no actual earbud to wedge into your ear canal. Instead, the air-conduction output sits suspended in front of your ear.

To make this feasible, the earbud has to 'clip' onto your ear. Which is where things get really interesting. Having worn the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds extensively, the Shokz knock those out of the park in terms of comfort – by and large thanks to a patented silicone (Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 2.0) that's incredibly soft.

It's not only this factor, however, it's the beautifully judged pressure – or more the complete lack thereof – that Shokz has elected to use in the OpenDots 2. The (also patented) JointArc is made of a flexible nickel titanium plate, so it's super-light yet flexible – as a result, given the absence of any 'pinch' sensation, I largely forgot I was wearing these open-ears in little time.

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People's ears do differ vastly, of course, so your mileage may vary – but Shokz has measured a wide demographic of users to generate a best-case for the majority in this product. How you wear them is another clear area Shokz is keen to highlight, with the associated app keenly telling you all the wrong ways not to put them onto your ears.

The app also educates you on the touch controls available. Pinching the battery 'barrel' that sits behind your ear can raise/lower the volume, while a tap will play/pause. There's also wear detection for auto-off when removing the open-ears from your lobes. The pinch control works very well, the tap control can be hit-and-miss given the flexible nature of one's ears.

Sporting Use

A massive appeal of the OpenDots 2 is that they don't block out ambient sound around you, so using them when running, cycling, or any other multitude of outdoor exercise makes them a good bet if you don't want to lose sense of your surroundings.

Impressively, despite the light touch of the fit, these open-ears stay in place when you're bouncing around on foot, too. They can marginally move, which can affect the sound profile, but will then settle into a natural position and not move unduly.

While Shokz does make other products specifically aimed at runners, the OpenDots 2 are perfectly suited to the task too. And that IP57 rating is particularly important for environmental factors, such as rain, sweat, mud – you name it.

However, while the open-ear nature is a key benefit of this product, it also presents an unavoidable natural ceiling. I've used the OpenDots 2 when cycling and the high speed of travel means an inevitable wind factor – which creates such a rush of sound of its own accord that hearing music from these open-ears becomes limited.

That said, I personally can't stand the 'passthrough' nature of active noise-cancelling earbuds, as it sounds too fake and processed. Besides, I wouldn't wear in-ear earbuds when cycling for safety reasons. That the OpenDots 2 present any kind of option is a step above – and could be ideal for spoken word podcasts and suchlike.

Sound Quality

Just to spell it out clearly: if you're looking for a pair of earbuds that isolate you from the world and offer active noise-cancelling (ANC) then you're very much in the wrong place – and the OpenDots 2 will not be for you.

However, if you're seeking an open-ear experience, where your external surroundings are always audible, then the OpenDots 2 are precisely what you seek. And while you might assume this 'open' nature means sound leakage and poor sound delivery, Shokz proves itself very capable of solid sound indeed.

Now, I'm not pretending that the quality of audio will rival the best earbuds. But in the context of this open-ear market, the OpenDots 2 are as good as it gets – it's only the OpenFit Pro able to offer more sound isolation (plus a higher price, larger and more obtrusive fit, and cold-feel metal that's less comfortable in my experience).

The low-end floor of the OpenDots 2 is 100Hz, so nowhere near the sub levels that you'll find in some other product types. But the Bassphere 2.0 tech does give an emphasis of bass with real throng – more than I'd expected, especially when surrounding ambient sound is minimal.

There are a variety of equalisation (EQ) settings within the app, including the option to personalise, or you can bypass for Dolby Audio at the flick of a switch (which bypasses your EQ selection). Personally I don't care for the Dolby option, I think it over-exerts the mid-section to give an overly 'metallic' presentation.

As said previously, the position of the OpenDots 2 in your ears is integral to how it'll sound, so subtle shifts can change the soundstage considerably. When this happens, the high-end might sound a bit too 'sparkly', for example, such is the nature of this product design.

Overall, I think the OpenDots 2 present a solid sound delivery that's actually exceeded my expectations. There are notable trade-offs with any open-ear design, but the ability to offset some of these with capable volume levels and an emphasis on bass impresses.

Battery life, meanwhile, is much the same as the original product – at 10 hours per charge. That's no surprise, given the space limitations and lightweight nature of this design (each bud is a mere 6.4g).

However, the provided case can charge a further three times, so you can net 40 hours in total. And the case is even Qi wireless charging compatible for easy top-ups. Using the USB-C is quicker, mind, noting that only the charging cable is included (not the wall plug).

Shokz OpenDots 2 review: Verdict

The Shokz OpenDots 2 certainly aren't going to be for everyone. But for the specific user base that these open-ears are aimed at, they're a total knockout.

Active people and runners in particular will no doubt appreciate the design's open nature, allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings at all times, plus the IP57 rating for assurance of wear and tear.

But the sheer degree of comfort in this fit means earbud-despisers may also prefer this option for everyday use, too. The overall sound quality also exceeded my expectations.

No, it's not going to rival an active noise-cancelling earbud. But that's not the point. In the context of this product category, the Shokz deliver solid sound – including a surprising amount of bass – that doesn't feel like a universal compromise.

As someone who dislikes the passthrough option of active noise-cancelling, the OpenDots 2 are a versatile alternative. So whether you're looking for less conventional active earbuds for running, or an earbud-adjacent option to wear all day, every day, Shokz's latest is a 5-star sensation.

Also Consider

If you want nothing in your ear canals at all, then the OpenRun Pro 2 bone-conduction headphones steer clear for even better audio. The fit is with a headband design for rigid placement – making these less versatile than the OpenDots 2.

It's worth mentioning the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, too, as their more 'lifestyle' design might be initially appealing – but the higher price and less comfortable fit are marks against this option.

Huawei's FreeClips 2 are a near-priced option too. However, their material finish isn't as comfortable, though, so you may instead want to consider Shokz's also-new OpenDots Air – which offer much of the OpenDots 2 with reductions in the build, battery life and IP rating.