The Best Open Earbuds for Everyone

These earhook-style buds from Acefast (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a triple threat with great sound, slick design, and responsive controls. Their clamshell case looks bulky from the top, but its ultra-thin frame makes it brilliantly compact for throwing in a jeans or jacket pocket. The buds provide a flash of style and a comfy fit, though their dangling design can take some fiddling to get properly situated. They don’t pack too many features outside a multiband EQ and dual-device connectivity, but their breezy usability and crisp yet full sound signature make them the perfect pair for those on a tight budget who value performance first.

These affordable buds from Soundpeats have served me well over many miles of ebike testing, bike rides, and even the occasional boat ride. They are a simple, nondescript pair that cling easily to your ears without a pinching feeling, and they offer shockingly good sound for the price. Sure, you're not getting full fidelity like you would with closed buds, but these have a lot of bass for open-ears, and they do particularly well with the human voices on podcasts or phone calls. They are IPX5 rated for occasional dips (and frequent sweat), and six hours of battery life between trips to the charger means they're ready for a meandering marathon. — Parker Hall

These are WIRED Editor Adrienne So's favorite buds to work out in, and that means a lot: She spends the majority of her time outside, chasing her family and pets around the Pacific Northwest. She likes that they are slim and comfortable—only 19 mm wide. Unlike most open-ear buds that are round or stick out, these have a tiny directional driver that fits nicely inside your ear, and they fit easily under a hat or a helmet, which makes them a true go-anywhere pair.

These sound pretty excellent, with enough bass to satisfy her bass test, Beyoncé’s “Partition.” In two weeks of testing, they didn't have to recharge—you'll get about 30 hours of total playback time. They're protected against dust and water spray, if not direct immersion. Like other Nothing earbuds, there are very thoughtful design choices like a red dot on the right bud so you're not constantly puzzling over where the manufacturer has written the tiny R or L. Her only concern? The case doesn't clamp shut quite as firmly as she'd like, so you'll want to be careful before throwing them around your bag.

The original Sony Linkbuds were just the second open earbuds I reviewed, and they’re still among the most distinctive. Their claim to fame is a ring-shaped driver with a center hole to let in the world, deviating from most clip-on or wrap-around buds, which no other buds we've tried have mastered. The Linkbuds Open (7/10, WIRED Recommends) build off the original with an attachable fin for a more secure fit and updated sound for more bass. I felt the need to adjust their EQ for better treble clarity, and their novel touch controls—which let you tap either the buds or the side of your face—aren’t the most responsive. Otherwise, these are a solid option if you'd rather insert your buds than wrap or clip them on.

(Note: Sony recently raised the price from the original $200 launch price to $230 nearly a year later. We'd wait for a sale or grab something else on this list before paying over $200.)

Halo-style headphones from Shokz (formerly Aftershokz) aren’t technically open earbuds, but like all models on our list, they keep your ears naturally open for workouts and other activities. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are bone conduction headphones, which use vibrating pads to send sound through your cheekbones rather than your ears. Shokz has perfected the technique to provide a richer and more balanced sound by adding “air conduction” that pairs directional drivers with the pads. WIRED contributor Michael Sawh enjoyed the Pro 2's boosted bass, even if they lost some clarity over the original Open Run Pro. Their design is IP55 dust- and water-resistant in a light and durable circlet to help you push your body while busting your jams.

The Baseus Inspire XC1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a cool collaboration between audio upstart Baseus and definite non-upstart Bose. These are clip-style buds that wrap around your ear and provide a surprising amount of low end for open buds—the biggest audio complaint from hip-hop and pop fans during workouts. Reviewer Simon Cohen liked how comfortable they were, and how easy to use the controls were. The only issue is that battery life is a bit strained when hi-res LDAC is turned on. That's probably not an issue for most listeners of open buds, as these sound fine on non-LDAC-enabled devices like iPhones. App-based controls are simple and easy to use, and these also do Bluetooth multipoint, so you can pair them to your phone and computer at the same time and swap between.