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The best open-ear earbuds for most people are the Sony LinkBuds Clip ($229.99 list): light clip-on buds with about 9 hours per charge and plenty of features on both iPhone and Android. For the best sound and features, Bose’s new Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) ($299) arrived on October 1, 2026, and runners should consider the new Bose Sport Open ($199). On a budget, the EarFun Clip 2 ($79.99) last up to 11 hours. SoundGuys’ overall favorite, the Huawei FreeClip 2, is hard to buy in the US (see below).
Check the Sony LinkBuds Clip on Amazon →
How we put this together: this guide is based on manufacturers’ official specifications plus published reviews and measurements, mainly from SoundGuys’ clip-on earbuds tests (linked in each pick). It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. Prices are list prices at the time of writing and change often. See how we choose products.
Best open-ear earbuds compared
| Earbuds | Best for | Style | Battery per charge | Water resistance | List price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony LinkBuds Clip | Best overall | Clip-on | About 9 hr | See Sony specs | $229.99 | Check Price |
| Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) | Best sound and features | Clip-on (cuff) | Up to 9 hr | See Bose specs | $299 | Check Price |
| Bose Sport Open | Best for running | Clip-on (cuff) | Up to 7 hr | IP54 | $199 | Check Price |
| Soundcore AeroClip | Best for workouts | Clip-on | About 8 hr | See Soundcore specs | $169.99 | Check Price |
| Shokz OpenDots 2 | Best battery life | Clip-on | Up to 10 hr (40 hr with case) | IP57 | $199.95 | Check Price |
| EarFun Clip 2 | Best budget | Clip-on | Up to 11 hr | See EarFun specs | $79.99 | Check Price |
| Huawei FreeClip 2 | SoundGuys’ top pick (hard to buy in the US) | Clip-on | About 9 hr | IP57 | $199.99 | Hard to find in the US |
Battery figures are SoundGuys’ measurements where available, otherwise the maker’s rating. Prices and “often” sale prices are from SoundGuys’ and retailers’ listings at the time of writing.
What are open-ear earbuds?
Open-ear earbuds sit on or around your ear instead of sealing inside the ear canal, so you can still hear traffic, colleagues and announcements. Most new models are clip-on (a small cuff that hugs the edge of the ear, like an earring). Others use an ear hook that wraps over the top of the ear, and bone-conduction headphones such as Shokz’s OpenRun send sound through your cheekbones instead.
- Good for: running and cycling near traffic, the office, long wear (nothing presses into the ear canal), and people who find in-ear earbuds uncomfortable.
- Not good for: flights, trains or noisy streets, because they don’t block noise; deep bass, which needs a seal; and quiet rooms, where people next to you may hear your music at high volume.
The best open-ear earbuds in 2026
1. Sony LinkBuds Clip: best overall
SoundGuys’ pick for iPhone users is the Sony LinkBuds Clip, which it describes as having abundant features for both iOS and Android. They’re clip-on, last about 9 hours per charge in its testing, and list at $229.99. That makes them our pick for most people: SoundGuys’ overall favorite, the Huawei FreeClip 2, is hard to buy in the US (see #7), and on sale the LinkBuds Clip cost less than the other main picks.
Good to know: at their $229.99 list price they’re the most expensive pick after the Bose Ultra Open, so buy them on sale; like every open-ear design they can’t block noise.
Check the Sony LinkBuds Clip on Amazon →
2. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen): best sound and features
Bose announced the second-generation Ultra Open on September 17, 2026, and they went on sale on October 1 for $299. They keep the cuff design and add up to 9 hours per charge, lower lag and a redesigned case that charges wirelessly (Bloomberg), plus aptX Adaptive, Bose’s Immersive Audio with head tracking and Cinema Mode, Bluetooth 5.4 multipoint, and Google Fast Pair and Find Hub (Android Authority).
Good to know: they’re the most expensive open earbuds here, and full reviews of the second generation were still arriving at the time of writing. The original Ultra Open, SoundGuys’ “best for Android” pick, are often discounted and are a cheaper way into the same design.
Check the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds on Amazon →
3. Bose Sport Open: best for running
The Bose Sport Open ($199), announced alongside the new Ultra Open, are built for training: a lightweight cuff fit, IP54 sweat and dust resistance, textured physical buttons that are easier to use mid-run than touch controls, and up to 7 hours per charge (Bloomberg). They also have multipoint and Google Fast Pair, and our Bose Sport Open specs page has the full details.
Good to know: battery life is the shortest of the picks, and there’s no Immersive Audio or aptX. If you don’t need sport-specific buttons, the Soundcore AeroClip cost less.
Check the Bose Sport Open on Amazon →
4. Soundcore AeroClip: best for workouts
SoundGuys names the AeroClip its best clip-on earbuds for workouts, with about 8 hours per charge, and Tom’s Guide calls them essential for fitness lovers who value comfort and audio quality. List price is $169.99, and they’re often discounted.
Good to know: like all open earbuds, bass is lighter than sealed sport earbuds such as the Powerbeats Pro 2.
Check the Soundcore AeroClip on Amazon →
5. Shokz OpenDots 2: best battery life
Shokz is best known for bone-conduction headphones, and the OpenDots 2 (June 2026) are its newest clip-on earbuds. Shokz rates them at up to 10 hours per charge and 40 hours with the case, and Tom’s Guide found the battery lived up to those claims; five minutes of charging gives about two hours. The buds are rated IP57, and they cost $199.95, the same as the first-generation model at launch. Like all open-ear earbuds they block little outside noise, which Trusted Reviews noted. Good to know: the original OpenDots One is still sold, usually for less, and is the better buy if you don’t need the newest model.
Good to know: at full price they cost about the same as the Bose Sport Open, so they make the most sense on sale.
Check the Shokz OpenDots 2 on Amazon →
6. EarFun Clip 2: best budget
SoundGuys’ budget pick, the EarFun Clip 2, are a strong value for anyone who wants to try open-ear earbuds without spending much: up to 11 hours per charge, the longest here, plus LDAC hi-res audio on Android. They list for $79.99 and are often discounted.
Good to know: LDAC only helps on Android phones that support it; iPhones use AAC.
Check the EarFun Clip 2 on Amazon →
7. Huawei FreeClip 2: SoundGuys’ favorite, hard to buy in the US
SoundGuys picks the FreeClip 2 as the best clip-on earbuds overall: robust, fashionable and feature-rich, with an IP57 rating against water and dust and about 9 hours per charge in its testing, for $199.99.
Good to know: Amazon US didn’t sell them when we checked on October 15, 2026, and Huawei has little US retail presence. If you find them from another seller, check the return policy and warranty, and which app features work with your phone.
Also worth a look
- Shokz OpenFit Pro ($249.95): ear-hook open earbuds with a first-for-Shokz noise reduction mode. SoundGuys found the sound “really good for open-earbuds” and liked the fit and calls, but measured only about 13 percent noise reduction and found the pressure sensation uncomfortable (6.3/10). Worth it only if you want some dampening without sealing your ears.
- Bone conduction (Shokz OpenRun, OpenRun Pro 2): nothing touches the ear canal at all, which suits runners and people who find every earbud uncomfortable. See our bone conduction picks below.
- Apple AirPods 5: not open-ear, but an open fit with no ear tips, so they seal less than most earbuds while still adding noise cancelling. See our iPhone earbuds guide.
Best bone conduction headphones
Bone-conduction headphones rest on your cheekbones, in front of your ears, and send sound through vibration instead of a speaker aimed at your ear canal. Nothing touches or covers your ears, so you hear traffic and other runners clearly. The trade-off is sound: bass is thinner than from the open-ear earbuds above, and they’re easy to drown out in loud places. These are Tom’s Guide‘s picks (updated July 2026), with Amazon US prices from October 10, 2026:
| Headphones | Best for | Battery | Water resistance | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 | Best overall | 12 hours | IP55 (sweat, rain) | Check price |
| Shokz OpenRun | Running, lower price | 8 hours | IP67 | Check price |
| Shokz OpenSwim Pro | Swimming | 9 hours | IP68, with 32GB for MP3s | Check price |
| Creative Outlier Free Pro | Budget | 10 hours | IPX8 | Check price |
- Shokz OpenRun Pro 2: Tom’s Guide‘s best bone-conduction headphones for most people, for comfort and sound quality. The 12-hour battery is the longest here. Tom’s Guide’s main complaint is that the fit can’t be adjusted.
- Shokz OpenRun: $50 cheaper, lighter (26 g) and more water-resistant (IP67) than the Pro 2, with shorter battery life. A good first pair for runners.
- Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater, so for laps you play music stored on the headphones. Out of the pool they work as regular Bluetooth headphones.
- Creative Outlier Free Pro: the cheapest way to try bone conduction, and also waterproof (IPX8).
Check the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 on Amazon →
Specs from the makers, side by side
Every figure below comes from the manufacturer’s own spec page, taken from our earbuds and headphones spec database. “Not stated” means the maker doesn’t publish it, not that the feature is missing.
| Model | Battery | Weight | Water rating | Connection | Maker doesn’t state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony LinkBuds Clip | 9 h | 6.4 g | IPX4 | Bluetooth 5.3 | latency, total with case |
| Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) | 9 (5 with Immersive Audio) with case: 28.5 (9 + 19.5 from case) | 5.9 (0.013 lb) | IPX4 | Bluetooth 5.4 | codecs, multipoint, latency |
| EarFun Clip 2 | 11 (6 with LDAC) with case: 40 (22 with LDAC) | 5.5 (press release: 5.7) | IP55 | Bluetooth 6.0 | latency |
| Soundcore AeroClip | 8 h with case: 32 h | 6.0 g | IP55 | Bluetooth | Bluetooth version, codecs, latency |
| Shokz OpenDots 2 | 10 h with case: 40 h | 6.4 g | IP57 (earbuds), IP54 (case) | Bluetooth 6.1 | codecs, latency, multipoint |
| Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 | 12 h | 30.3 (Mini 30) | IP55 | Bluetooth 5.3 | multipoint, latency, codecs |
| Shokz OpenRun | 8 h | 26 g | IP67 (not for swimming) | Bluetooth | Bluetooth version, multipoint, latency |
| Shokz OpenSwim Pro | 9 (Bluetooth) / 6 (MP3) | 27.3 g | IP68 (2 m for 2 h) | Bluetooth + 32 GB MP3 player | Bluetooth version, latency |
| Creative Outlier Free Pro | 10 h | 31.5 g | IPX8 (1.5 m fresh water, 40 min) | Bluetooth + 8 GB MP3 player; Bluetooth 5.3 | latency, multipoint |
Our verdict
For most people the Sony LinkBuds Clip are the best open-ear earbuds you can easily buy in the US, with a light clip-on fit, good battery life and features on both iPhone and Android. The new Bose Ultra Open (2nd Gen) bring the most features if you can pay $299. Runners will like the Bose Sport Open or the cheaper Soundcore AeroClip, and the EarFun Clip 2 are the low-cost way to try open-ear listening.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best open-ear earbuds in 2026?
The Sony LinkBuds Clip for most people ($229.99 list): clip-on, about 9 hours per charge, with features on both iPhone and Android. The new Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen, $299) have the most features. SoundGuys’ overall favorite, the Huawei FreeClip 2, is hard to buy in the US.
Are open-ear earbuds good for running?
Yes. They let you hear traffic and other people, and clip-on designs stay put without pressing into your ears. The Bose Sport Open (IP54, physical buttons) and the Soundcore AeroClip (SoundGuys’ workout pick) are made for it.
Do open-ear earbuds leak sound?
Some, yes. Because nothing seals your ear, people close to you can hear your music at higher volumes, especially in quiet rooms. At moderate volume in normal surroundings it’s rarely a problem.
Open-ear earbuds or bone conduction: which is better?
Open-ear clip-on and ear-hook earbuds generally sound fuller and have more bass. Bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun keep both ears completely free and are popular with runners, but sound thinner. Both let you hear your surroundings.
What are the best bone conduction headphones?
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 for most people (12-hour battery). The Shokz OpenRun is a cheaper pick for running, the OpenSwim Pro is for swimming, and the Creative Outlier Free Pro is the budget choice.
Can you use open-ear earbuds on a plane?
You can, but they’re a poor choice: they don’t block engine noise, so you’d have to turn the volume up. For flights, noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones are much better; see our best noise-cancelling earbuds.
