Shokz OpenFit Headphone Review

I was excited to try the Shokz Openfit headphones. Unlike previous Shokz headphones, the OpenFit are the first Shokz headphone that is an earbud and doesn’t have a back piece that does behind your ear. I was excited to try them but I wondered: do the Shokz OpenFit fall out of your ear? Will I be able to run fast with them? I don’t generally use earbuds just because I’m worried they’ll fall out. Plus, they are a lot easier to lose.

I’ve reviewed several Shokz products, including:

Shokz Aeropex
Shokz Xtrainerz (made for swimming!)
Shokz Air

About the brand: Shokz:

First, is it Aftershokz or Shokz? It’s now “Shokz.” Shokz went through a name change a few years ago where they dropped the After. What is Shokz? They are bone-conduction headphones. Instead of buds entering your ear, they conduct sound waves through your skill. This lets you hear outside things such as traffic (or, wildlife). But you can also hear your music.

About the Shokz Openfit Headphones:

The Shokz Openfit headphones come in a small case about the size of your palm. Like many other brands, this case is designed for charging and uses a USB-C charging port. The case acts to charge the headphones as well. Each headphone has a slight ear hook and is covered with silicone. The weight of the Shokz Openfit headphones is about 8.3 grams which isn’t too heavy.

Fitting the Shokz Openfit headphones onto your ear: There are instructions for working the Shokz Openfit headphones on your ear. You slide the headphone back and tuck it behind the tragus on your ear. It doesn’t exactly feel super secure. But it works, and you don’t have to worry about them sliding off. I have had them slide off when putting on a jacket or adjusting my hair.

Connecting the Shokz Openfit headphones to your phone is the easiest of the Shokz family to join. You go to your phone Bluetooth and press join. No pressing a bunch of buttons.

The Shokz OpenFit headphones are slightly larger than the average earbud at 18X11 mm. They are made of carbon fiber (LOL, carbon fiber is everything for all runners), making them lighter. Even compared to the OpenRun Pro, the sound quality is slightly fuzzy at the higher ranges. But is the sound quantity “bad”? No, and in most music, it’s unnoticeable. I haven’t ever noticed anything different in podcasts.

The Shokz OpenFit headphones have an IP54 rating, protecting against dust and occasionally water splashing. I wouldn’t wear them in the torrential downpour and don’t wear them swimming.

Battery Life: The Shokz OpenFit headphones have a 10-hour battery life. They also have a 28 battery life when using the charging case. This makes them excellent for on-the-go and not having to worry about charging them every day or keeping the headphones plugged in when you aren’t using them.

My experience with the Shokz Openfit headphones:

I was excited they were pretty much good to go out of the box. I connected them to my phone, and off I went. I can wear a ton of “stuff” on my head (sunglasses, visor) without interfering with them. Now that it’s summer in the Mojave Desert, I need a hat and sunglasses for most runs. Even with both, I don’t worry about the Shokz Openfit headphones falling off.

My only “big” complaint, and I’ve found the same issue with every wireless bud headphone is I’ll occasionally hit the headphone and pause the song. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen. Then I’ll have to figure out how to unpause it or take my phone out to unpause the music. Many people have complained there are no volume buttons to adjust, but you can hold the left side to lower the volume and the right side to raise the volume. It takes a couple of tries to get used to, but it’s not too difficult.

Like the other models, you can still hear outside sounds with the Shokz Openfit headphones. The sound quality is excellent. It won’t be as great as noise-canceling headphones, but that isn’t the purpose of the Shokz Openfit headphones. The goal is to be able to hear other sounds.

I wish the Shokz Openfit headphones fit more securely on the back of your ear. Occasionally while running, I feel like they might slide off or fly off. They haven’t done either, but I get nervous about it! Or I notice them while I’m running. Like my running shoes, I want my headphones to become invisible while running. But I can occasionally feel them moving around. This wasn’t unsimilar to the first versions of other Shokz products, and Shokz has become the master of upgrading and evolving their models to perfection.

Price: $180

At $180, these are one of the more expensive headphones. Are Shokz Openfit headphones worth it? It depends on what you want in a headphone. If you want an earbud that you can hear outside sounds and stay put when working out, they probably are.

Shokz Openfit headphones Conclusion:

In all, I am a big fan of the Shokz Openfit headphones. You can hear outside sounds as well as your music. Also important to me is they are comfortable. They are high-quality headphones that are great for workouts or cleaning your house. I do hope in the following versions; they make them more secure on your head.

Who should buy the Shokz Openfit headphones? If you are looking for headphones, you can hear outside sounds such as traffic, wildlife, or while working in the home.

Who should not buy the Shokz Openfit headphones? If you want noise-canceling headphones or the highest quality sound and music.