SHOKZ OpenFit 2+ Review: open-ear earbuds that finally don’t wreck your ears

I’ve been using the SHOKZ OpenFit 2+ as my daily headphones for a few weeks now, mostly for work calls, dog walks, and the gym. I bought them because I was fed up with in-ear buds causing irritation and slowly shoving earwax deeper every time I used them. I already knew Shokz from their bone-conduction models, so I was curious about this open-ear style that still looks like regular earbuds but doesn’t go inside the ear canal.

In real life, they sit next to your ear rather than in it, with a soft hook that goes around the back. That’s the main thing to understand: these are not for total isolation or heavy bass in a noisy train. They’re more for people who want to listen to stuff and still hear what’s going on around them: traffic, kids, colleagues, announcements, etc. If you’re expecting the same isolation and punch as something like Sony WF-1000XM5, you’ll be a bit surprised.

Overall, I’d say they’re very practical and well thought out for everyday use. The sound is better than I expected for an open design, the Dolby mode is actually useful, and the battery life is frankly not something you worry about. But they’re not perfect. In loud environments, they struggle. And the price is on the high side for something that doesn’t give you active noise cancelling or huge bass.

If you’re looking for open-ear headphones for running, commuting, or office work where you still need to hear people around you, they make a lot of sense. If you want full immersion on a plane or in a noisy gym class, I’d look at more traditional in-ears or over-ear ANC headphones instead.

Let’s talk price versus what you actually get. The OpenFit 2+ sit in the higher bracket for wireless earbuds, especially considering they don’t have active noise cancelling. On paper, you could say, "For this money I can get ANC in-ears with bigger bass" – and you’d be right. But that’s not really the point of this product. You’re paying for comfort, awareness, and battery life more than raw sound power.

If you’re someone who gets ear infections, irritation, or just hates the feeling of silicone tips jammed in your ears, these start to look a lot more reasonable. Same if you run outside, cycle, walk the dog at night, or need to hear colleagues or kids while still having audio. In those scenarios, cheaper in-ears are technically better on paper, but in practice they end up in a drawer because they’re uncomfortable or unsafe. These, you actually keep using.

Sound quality for the price is good but not mind-blowing. Compared to cheaper open-ear options or older Shokz models like OpenFit Air, you do feel the step up: louder, fuller, and Dolby adds a bit of space and clarity. But if your only goal is the best sound for movies and music in quiet rooms, I’d still point you towards closed in-ears or over-ear headphones at a similar price. Those will give you more bass and isolation for the same or less money.

So is it good value? I’d say: yes, for the right person. If you care most about comfort, long battery, and staying aware of your environment, the price starts to make sense. If you just want cheap wireless buds to use occasionally, this is overkill. And if you want full isolation on planes or in loud gyms, you’re paying for the wrong type of product here. It really comes down to your priorities: ear health and awareness vs. raw isolation and bass.

Design-wise, the OpenFit 2+ sit somewhere between sports headphones and everyday earbuds. They’re black, not flashy, and the hooks are fairly slim. Once they’re on, they don’t stick out much and from a distance they just look like small black loops around your ears. I used them with both normal glasses and sunglasses and they didn’t clash too much. You feel the temple of the glasses resting on top of the hook, but it’s not uncomfortable after a few minutes.

Each earbud has a small physical button plus some touch control options via the app. I really like having real buttons: they don’t trigger by accident when you adjust them or scratch your head, unlike full touch panels. A light press to pause or skip is easy even when running or walking. The app lets you change what a single or double press does, which is handy. I set mine to volume on the left and play/pause/skip on the right and didn’t have to touch my phone much after that.

The case is made of plastic with a matte finish. It doesn’t scream luxury, but it feels decent and doesn’t pick up fingerprints too badly. The hinge feels okay; not fragile, but I wouldn’t abuse it either. There’s a USB‑C port on the back and it also works on a wireless charging pad, which I used on my desk. The LEDs are simple: enough to tell you if it’s charging or low, but not much more. I kind of prefer that over overcomplicated light shows.

One small design downside: because of the ear hook shape, if you pull a hoodie over your head or take off a jacket with a tight hood, there’s a chance you’ll snag them. It happened to me once and one earbud popped off. Not a big drama, but something to keep in mind if you’re used to yanking hoodies on and off. Apart from that, the design feels well thought out: practical, low profile, and clearly aimed at people who move around a lot rather than sit in a studio chair.

Battery is one of those things where Shokz didn’t mess around. On paper, 11 hours per earbud and 48 hours total with the case sounds optimistic, but in real life it’s not far off. I used them about 2–3 hours a day on average, with Dolby on most of the time and volume around 50–70%. After a full charge, it took me more than a week before I even thought about plugging the case in again. One Amazon reviewer said they charge about once a month – I’m not far from that with casual use.

The quick charge is handy. One morning I realised they were almost flat right before a long call. I plugged them in for around 10 minutes, and they easily lasted through a 2-hour meeting and some music after. That lines up with the advertised "10 minutes = 2 hours" pretty well. For travel, this is the type of product you throw in your bag and don’t stress about finding a plug every night.

The case itself charges in about an hour via USB‑C, and I also tried wireless charging on a generic Qi pad. It worked without any drama – just drop it on the pad, LED lights up, and that’s it. No fancy animations, but honestly, that’s fine. I never once managed to drain the case completely; even after two weeks of on-and-off use, I still had juice left according to the LEDs and the app.

So if battery anxiety is something you hate, this is a strong point. The downside, if I have to find one, is that there’s no full percentage display on the case itself, so you rely on the app or the basic LED indication. Not a huge deal, but at this price it would’ve been nice. Still, in daily life, I just don’t think about charging them very often, and that’s kind of the best compliment you can give to a wireless product.

Comfort is honestly the main reason to buy these. Each earbud is around 9.4 g, which is pretty light, and the hooks use a soft silicone over a flexible nickel-titanium frame. In real use, I can keep them on for hours without that pressure feeling you get with in-ear tips. No itch, no heat build-up in the ear canal, and I don’t get that "plugged" sensation at all. For me, that’s the big win compared to classic earbuds.

I’ve used them for full workdays with a mix of calls, music, and podcasts. After a while, I honestly forget they’re there until music stops. The only time I feel them is if I lean my head against something (like a couch or pillow) on the side – then the hook pushes a bit into the skin. Not painful, just noticeable. For glasses wearers, they’re quite friendly: my glasses sit on top of the hooks and after 5–10 minutes my ears get used to the combo. No constant pinching like some over-ear headphones.

Stability is good too. I did some light runs, cycling, and a few gym sessions (rowing machine, treadmill, weights). They stayed in place without any real adjustment needed. One Amazon review mentioned them popping off when taking a hood off, and I can confirm that risk exists. If you’re careful with clothing around your head, you’re fine. But if you yank a tight hoodie up and down all the time, you’ll probably knock them off occasionally.

The only warning I’d add is for people with silicone allergies: there’s silicone in the parts that touch your skin. Shokz does mention this, but if you’re sensitive, it’s something to consider. For everyone else, if you’ve had issues with in-ear buds causing irritation or infections, this open-ear design is a breath of fresh air. They’re not weightless, but for long sessions and daily use, I’d rate the comfort as one of the best parts of the product.

In terms of build, the OpenFit 2+ feels like a well-finished plastic product, not cheap, but also not something you’d want to crush in a back pocket. The hooks are the most important part: they’re flexible thanks to the nickel-titanium core, and I bent them a bit to see how they’d react. They spring back nicely and don’t feel like they’re going to snap with normal use. I wouldn’t twist them like crazy, but for daily on/off, tossing them in the case, and light knocks, they seem fine.

The IP55 rating is good enough for sweat, light rain, and some splashes. I used them for several sweaty workouts and one run in light drizzle. No issues at all, no crackling, and no weird behaviour. I wouldn’t swim with them or stand under a shower, but for sports and outdoor use they feel safe. The case is not waterproof though, so wet earbuds should be wiped before putting them back in, just to avoid moisture building up inside.

The hinge on the case feels decent, but time will tell. It doesn’t wobble, and it closes with a clean snap, but it’s still plastic. If you’re the kind of person who absentmindedly flicks cases open and closed all day, you might wear it out faster. The extra protective sleeve they include helps against scratches in a bag, which is a nice touch. Mine picked up a couple of tiny scuffs after being thrown in a backpack with keys, but nothing dramatic.

Given the price, I’d expect them to last a few years with normal use. The 2-year warranty is reassuring, but like all true wireless earbuds, the real long-term question is battery ageing after 2–3 years. That’s not specific to Shokz, that’s just the reality of small Li-ion cells. For now, everything feels tight, the materials don’t look cheap, and there are no weird creaks or loose parts. I’d call the durability pretty solid for sports and everyday use, as long as you’re not brutal with your gear.

Let’s be clear: these are open-ear headphones. That means you will never get the same isolation or chest-thumping bass as sealed in-ears. With that in mind, the sound is actually pretty solid. With Dolby Audio on in the app, music feels wider and more defined. Vocals are clear, highs are crisp without being harsh, and the bass is present enough for normal use, just not earth-shaking. I listened to a mix of rock, pop, podcasts, and some choral/classical stuff, and I never felt it was flat or tinny for this kind of design.

Where they struggle is in very loud environments. In a quiet office or at home, they’re great. On a normal bus or train, I had to raise the volume, but it was still okay. However, in really noisy situations – like next to a loud road, on the tube, or in a gym class with music cranked up – the outside noise just wins. You can still hear your audio, but a lot of detail is lost, and you’ll be tempted to push the volume close to max. That kind of defeats the purpose of a safer, open-ear design. For heavy commuters in noisy cities, that’s something to think about.

For calls, they do a good job. The four AI-enhanced mics cut a lot of background noise. I asked several people during calls how I sounded, including while walking next to traffic, and they said I sounded like I was indoors most of the time. It’s not studio quality, but for Teams/Zoom/phone calls, no complaints at all. The multipoint also helps a lot: I could be on my laptop in a meeting, then answer a phone call without fiddling with Bluetooth menus.

Latency for video is fine. I watched YouTube and Netflix on my phone and laptop and didn’t notice any real delay between lips and sound. For gaming, if you’re sensitive, you might feel a small delay over Bluetooth, but that’s normal for this category. Overall, for everyday listening, calls, and podcasts, the performance is good. Just don’t expect them to fight off a spin class sound system or an underground train without compromise.

Out of the box, you get the two earbuds, a fairly slim charging case that supports USB‑C and wireless charging, a little protective sleeve for the case, and a short USB‑C cable. Nothing fancy, but everything you need is there. The case is light (around 53 g), the whole set is under 80 g, so you don’t feel like you’re carrying a brick in your pocket or bag. The case is more of an oval box than a pebble, so it fits fine in a jeans pocket but it’s not ultra tiny either.

On the tech side, they run Bluetooth 5.4, support multipoint (phone + laptop at the same time), and have four microphones with AI noise reduction for calls. There’s no active noise cancelling for listening, by design, because they’re open-ear. The drivers are 17.3 mm with a separate tweeter, and Shokz pushes their "DirectPitch 2.0" and "OpenBass 2.0" marketing. In practice, it just means: decent bass for open earbuds, and a sound that’s a bit more focused towards your ears so you don’t leak too much sound.

Battery-wise, on paper you get up to 11 hours per charge and up to 48 hours with the case. There’s a quick charge: 10 minutes for about 2 hours of use, and the case tops up in roughly an hour. There’s also Dolby Audio that you toggle in the Shokz app, plus EQ presets and button customisation. It’s compatible with phones, tablets, laptops – basically anything with Bluetooth.

So in terms of raw features, it’s pretty solid: multipoint, long battery, wireless charging, IP55 sweat and splash resistance, and a companion app that’s actually useful instead of just existing. The catch is the price: you pay a premium for this combo of open-ear design, Dolby, and battery life. If you just want simple cheap Bluetooth buds for casual use, there are more affordable options. Here you’re paying for comfort and awareness more than audiophile-level sound or noise cancelling.