Roll up to the start coral of any major city marathon or half marathon, and dotted in the crowd you’ll see loads of runners wearing Shokz headphones. The open-ear, bone conduction style headphones have become hugely popular as the perfect way to soundtrack your runs while staying safely connected to the world and still able to soak up the atmosphere from the runners and the crowds around you.
But Shokz is no longer just known for the best bone conduction headphones in the business. Since the original Shokz landed, it has added new open-ear styles that crossover from everyday use like commuting and jumping on Zoom calls, to your daily miles. These include the ear-hook design of the OpenFit range and the ear clip set up of the OpenDots. And they’re now some of the best running headphones in any category.
Here at The Run Testers, we’ve tested virtually every Shokz model since the very first pairs of bone conduction headphones hit the shelves. That includes the most recent models, the OpenFit Air 2, the OpenFit 2+ and the OpenDots 2.
We’ve got dozens of detailed reviews on The Run Testers’ Youtube channel. But we’ve gathered them here, too, to help you find the best Shokz for you.
Read on for our pick of the best Shozk headphones you can buy right now.
Looking for running headphones? Check our pick of the best running heapdhones in 2026
Best Shokz Bone Conduction Headphones for Runners
There are three main Shokz bone conduction models that will appeal most to runners. The OpenRun Pro, the OpenRun Air 2 and its older predecessor, the OpenRun.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
Price: £169 / $179.95 | Battery Life: 12 hours | Water Resistance: IP55
When it comes to bone conduction, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are the best in class. They actually use both bone conduction and air conduction to play audio, delivering better and louder sound than rival bone conduction headphones while still leaving your ears clear to hear your surroundings.
They can still be drowned out in very loud areas and obviously the OpenRun Pro 2 are not as useful in day-to-day situations when you’re not running. But for runners chasing that balance of awareness and audio, with a banded design, they’re a great pick, especially as bone conduction headphones are the only type allowed in some races.
Read our OpenRun Pro 2 review
Shokz OpenRun Air 2
Price: £129.95 / $129.95 | Battery Life: 10 hours | Water Resistance: IP67
Another brand new model for 2026, we’re still busy testing the Shokz OpenRun Air 2 for our full review. But this successor to the OpenRun (and a more affordable alternative to the OpenRun Pro 2) promises better open-ear sound, more sound customisation and battery life to cover more of your running time.
Shokz OpenRun
Price: £129.95 / $129.95 | Battery Life: 8 hours | Water Resistance: IP67
An older model originally launched back in 2019, the Shokz OpenRun still offers a more affordable bone conduction option that can do a solid job of soundtracking your runs.
You’ll make some sacrifices on audio quality, a shorter battery life and slower rapid charge. But they’re lighter, better protect against water and still a strong option if you’re after bone conduction on a smaller budget.
Best Shokz Open Ear / Ear Hook
Shokz ear-hook-style headphones offer a more rounded appeal for strolling seamlessly from the office and your commute onto the run. The hook guarantees a stay-put fit, the speakers-by-the-ears design delivers more punch-packing audio but you still get to hear the world around. Plus there’s a charging case to boost the runtime battery life.
Shokz OpenFit Air 2
Price: £129 / $129.95 | Battery life: 8 hours (buds) / 36 hours (case) | Water resistance: IP55
The new kid on the ear-hook block – and replacing the Shokz OpenFit Air below – the Shokz OpenFit Air 2 is the latest update to Shokz most affordable, workout-friendly, truly wireless earbuds.
We’re still testing for our full review but so far we’re fans of the 7.2g per bud lighter design, new and improved pressure sensitive button controls, and a longer runtime battery life on the buds and in the case. The OpeFit Air 2 also adds sound features from the OpenDots to deliver a better overall audio performance that’s got great top volume.
Shokz OpenFit 2 / Shokz OpenFit 2+
Price: £169-£179 / $179.95-$199.95 | Battery life: 11 hours (buds) / 48 hours (case) | Water resistance: IP55
The next step up the food chain, the Shokz OpenFit 2 and OpenFit 2+ open-ear wireless earbuds are designed to tread the line between general use and fitness activities – especially when you need situational awareness.
The updated designs see a number of improvements on the original OpenFit, including better sound, an improved fit, battery life and, most importantly, a physical button to control the music and calls.
They’re comfortable on the run and don’t fully block ambient noise. For runners who prioritise spoken-word clarity and situational awareness, they strike a strong balance. Oh and the difference between the OpenFit 2+ and the OpenFit 2? The 2+ also offers Dolby sound and wireless charging.
Shokz OpenFit Pro
Price: £219 / $249 | Battery life: 12 hours (buds) / 50 hours (case) | Water resistance: IP55
The top-end Shokz OpenFit Pro deliver impressive sound for an open-ear design, along with that guaranteed stay-put fit that you don’t get from regular in-ear buds. They also offer noise cancellation which is rarely found on open headphones. Just don’t expect miracles. It won’t fully block noisy environments and on your travels and commutes, you might need an alternative set of headphones.
On the run, they deliver clear, powerful sound with decent bass for open headphones. The reliable fit works well even with glasses and that ear hook guarantees you won’t be rescuing buds from the floor mid-race.
The 12-hour battery (50 with the case) is excellent and we found the button controls work well with gloves.
At £219/$249, the Shokz OpenFit Pro are pricey and we’d probably choose cheaper Shokz models like the OpenFit 2/2+ given they sound similarly good when you’re plodding the pavements.
Read our full Shokz OpenFit Pro review
Shokz OpenFit Air
Price: £94/ $119.95 | Battery Life: 6 hours buds / 28 hours case | Water Resistance: IP54
The OpenFit Air arrived back in 2024 with a cheaper price tag than the OpenFit and the promise of customisable sound, a new ear hook design and up to 28 hours of battery life (when including the charging case). They’ve been superseded by the Shokz OpenFit Air 3 but with a £94/$120 RRP – and cheaper deals available – they’re still one of the most affordable Shokz you can buy.
Best Shokz Open Ear / Ear Clip Headphones
The newest style to join the Shokz ranks, the ear-clip is for those who don’t get on with the ear hooks, want something a bit more minimal but still kicking out solid sound and a reliable fit that won’t drop to the floor. The cases boost battery life but tend to be more running belt friendly than the larger ear-hook headphones and though they can look like you’re wearing slightly strange earrings, they’re also a bit more subtle than the larger ear hook headphones.
Shokz OpenDots 2
Price: £179 / $199 | Battery Life: 10 hours buds / 30 hours case | Water Resistance: IP57
The update to Shokz’ debut clip-on style open-ear earbuds, the Shokz OpenDots 2 are the best clip-on open headphones we’ve tested, offering a reliable, comfortable fit that sits easily on the ear alongside sunglasses and running hats, good sound quality and long battery life.
The notable upgrades from the OpenDots One includes a boost in sound and call quality as well as offering a more fitness-friendly design. They also offer an upgrade in sound quality compared to bone conduction headphones while still allowing for better awareness than your regular in-ear headphones. We also find them more convenient than earhook buds.
If you want a similar style, clip-on fit on a budget, check out the Shokz OpenDots Air or the NANK Ultra headphones. They don’t match the sound quality of the OpenDots 2 but they still impressed.
Shokz OpenDots Air
Price: £129 / $129.95 | Battery Life: 9 hours buds / 36 hours case | Water Resistance: IP55
The Shokz OpenDots Air launched alongside the OpenDots 2. They’re primarily designed for day-to-day use but we think they’ve got the chops to cope with running and sports, too.
We’ve tested lots of these clip on open ear style headphones, including the Huawei Freeclip 2, the Amazfit Up and JLAB Flex Open and the OpenDots Air more than hold their own for the all-round package of design, comfort, fit security, and battery life.
The sound isn’t as good as the OpenDots 2 or the Huawei Freelclip and there is a bit of a plastic edge to these. They lack some of the finesse of their pricier stablemates. But the Air is a good option as a more affordable partner to your in-ear or over ears.
For pure audio they’re not good enough to replace my in-ears for everything. And if you were looking for one headphone that was better for doing it all, it’s definitely worth the extra for the OpenDots 2.
Shokz vs the rivals…
Shokz OpenDots One vs Bose Ultra Open
The Shokz OpenDots One and the Bose Ultra Open are part of a new category of open-ear earbuds. Ones that clip onto your ears and deliver that safer sound from a small form factor.
After launching in the US earlier this year, Shokz’ debut clip-on earbuds emerge to offer an alternative to the impressive Ultra Open. While Shokz isn’t pitching the OpenDots One as fit for running, Tester Mike put them to the test against the very similar-looking and running-friendly Ultra Open to see if it could appeal to runners.