The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 one of the best running headphones you can buy. Especially if you’re looking for running headphones that are suitable for everyday runs and races and will still let you hear what’s happening around you.
They’re the best-sounding, open-ear headphones we’ve tested and match that solid sound performance with a design that offers a secure fit, easy to access controls and strong battery life. The OpenRun Pro 2 aren’t cheap, so if your’e looking for an affordable alternative, the OpenRun is worth checking out. It mainly misses out having the latest version of Shokz’ bone conduction technology, greater sound customisation and shorter battery life
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £179/$179.95
- Water resistance: IP55
- ANC? No
- Transparency mode? Full awareness
- Battery life (buds): 12 hours
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Review
The Run Test: Likes
All three Testers were in agreement that the OpenRun Pro 2 offers a very secure fit for runs across a range of paces. At just over 30g (1oz), they’re light to wear too and come in two different sizes. If you prefer headphones with a more hugging fit, it’s worth looking at the OpenRun 2 mini, which costs the same as the standard OpenRun Pro 2.
We also liked the controls, which are the physical kind that are ideal to use on the run when you need to skip a music track or intercept a phone call.
The sound quality on the OpenRun Pro 2 is pretty great for open-ear headphones. Unlike previous headphones, Shokz uses both bone conduction and air conduction open-ear technologies. This helps the headphones to deliver more bass with additional EQ modes available in the Shokz app to make that sound more suitable to a range of music or listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
The OpenRun Pro 2 battery life is strong, promising up to 12 hours, which is up from 10 hours on the first OpenRun Pro. You can get up towards that number, as long as you’re listening at more moderate volumes. A big win is the fact they use USB-C-style charging, which means you can power them up with the same USB-C charging cable most smartphones now use.
The Run Test: Dislikes
While we’re largely a fan of the sound quality, the OpenRun Pro 2 aren’t the clearest-sounding open-ear headphones we’ve tested. That does have an impact on using them for phone calls.
Using them in louder environments does require more volume, which does have a notable impact on battery life. You will fall short of that promised 12 hours.
While they do carry an IP55 to make them capable of withstanding sweat and heavy rain, you can find other headphones (including from Shokz) that offer stronger protection against moisture. The cheaper OpenRun for example carries an IP67 waterproof rating and can withstand being submerged in water up to one metre for 30 minutes.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are open-ear running headphones that are hard to beat. They fit well, feel comfortable to wear for longer runs and deliver really impressive open-ear sound. Add in solid battery life and USB-C charging, and there’s plenty to like.
They’re not cheap though. There are other open-ear headphones with a similar neckband-style design you can pick up for less and will still give you a solid performance. Like the Shokz OpenRun, which offers a similar design, along with good sound and battery life.
There’s also the likes of the Suunto Wing 2. The Wing 2 offers a near identical design to the OpenRun Pro 2, with sound quality almost on par with Shokz. It has similarly strong battery life and offers additional features like customisable LED lights to improve visibility during nighttime runs.
You can also look at the likes of the Nank Runner Diver2 Pro, which gives you both Bluetooth and MP3 player streaming. There’s also the cheaper H2O Audio Tri Run, while Shokz’ own OpenSwim Pro promise two streaming modes and is also a great fit for runners too.