The Shokz OpenDots 2 is one of the best running headphones to buy if you’re looking for open-ear earbuds with a lightweight and comfortable fit that also delivers great sound.
Like the original OpenDots One, they do come at a premium price. Shokz also launched the OpenDots Air, which are cheaper and offer the same clip-on design. While it doesn’t match the OpenDots 2 in all departments, they still deliver great open-ear sound for less.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £179/$199
- Water resistance: IP57 (earbuds)
- ANC? No
- Transparency mode? Full awareness
- Battery life (buds): 10 hours
Shokz OpenDots 2 Review
The Run Test: Likes
Testers Mike, Nick and Kieran all agreed that the OpenDots 2 produce some of the best sound you’ll find on a set of open-ear earbuds. From the EQ modes available in the Shokz app to the enhanced Dolby Audio and bass modes, you can get a sound that should work for most audio. Whether that’s music or podcasts.
The clip-on design was also praised for offering a lightweight yet surprisingly secure fit for a range of running paces and distances. The upgrade in durability for the earbuds and added protection for the charging case also makes them better suited to running than the first OpenDots.
Battery life remains the same, which is up to 10 hours. The battery performance in our testing showed that 10 hours was pretty much on the money. It’s also great that you have a fast charge feature with the wireless charging-friendly case able to give you up to 40 hours of listening time.
The Run Test: Dislikes
The first big dislike is the price. While it sticks to the same price as the OpenDots One, these are expensive buds to clip onto your ears. There’s a significant jump in price from the OpenDots Air, which were announced alongside the OpenDots 2.
It was a mixed experience with the onboard controls, which are a combination of touch and pinch-style ones. Tester Mike found them fiddly to run on some runs, while Nick found them easy to use during his testing time.
The call quality is just fine based on our testing. Shokz has introduced a bone conduction microphone to join dual air conduction ones to boost call quality. We still felt calls didn’t come out super clear.
An obvious disadvantage of open-ear earbuds is that they’re not going to perform great in louder, busier environments. While the OpenDots 2 performed better in this scenario than most other clip-on buds we’ve tested, that is something to keep in mind.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are the best open-ear, clip-on earbuds we’ve tested for running. As mentioned, they’re not cheap.
Fortunately, Shokz does have a cheaper alternative in the form of the Shokz OpenDots Air. While the Air misses out on features like the stronger level of protection against dust and water, Dolby Audio mode and has one hour shorter battery, Despite those omissions, it still offers the same lightweight and secure design along with a open-ear sound performance that’s still a great fit for running.
If you’re looking for alternatives outside of the Shokz range, you will also find great cheaper options like the Soundcore AeroClip and the Baseus Bowie MC2, which also offer great open-ear sound, a comfortable and secure fit and EQ modes to further customise your sounds.