7 Of The Best Open Ear Headphones You Can Buy In 2026, Ranked By Price

darksoul72/Shutterstock Add SlashGear on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you’re in the market for a good pair of headphones, your have lots of options. Oper-ear headphones, for example, sit outside your ear rather than on it. This way, you can still hear what’s going on around you while listening to your music, podcast, or conference call. Your ear stays open so you can stay aware.

For people who listen to audio while they’re running, cycling, or multitasking at work, this headphone style is one of the best options. These are also comfortable for longer sessions since nothing is plugging the inside of your ear closed. There are tradeoffs, like not having total immersion and not getting the full bass effect. But if whatever you’re doing involves movement and awareness of your surroundings, open ear headphones might be a good fit.

Shokz Starting with the most expensive option, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ combine two distinct styles: the top-of-the-ear setup and the earbud look without the earbud feel. The result is actually neither style, but rather one that’s all its own. The headphones stay in place by looping over the top of the ear only. The speaker rests against the ear rather than inside the ear canal, using directional sound to reduce how much audio leaks. Since it doesn’t block out all ambient sounds, it’s easier to stay aware of your surroundings.

These headphones allow you to connect to two devices at once, which makes it easier to switch between two sound sources. However, it doesn’t support simultaneous streaming from more than one source. The ear hooks adapt to your ear shape, which might make them more comfortable to wear. Similar to wireless earbuds, these come with a pocket-sized charging case that will juice up your headphones even when you don’t have a charging cable. Amazon customers have consistently mentioned the long battery life, as well as the quality of the sound and overall comfort. The Shokz OpenFit 2+ have earned an average of 4.4 stars across more than 2,300 reviews. You can get the Shokz OpenFit 2+ on Amazon for $199.95.

Shokz The Shokz Open Run Pro 2 headphones use a combination of bone conduction and air conduction technology. They connect wirelessly to your phone or other device and give you up to 12 hours of ongoing listening. Unlike pod-style headphones, where you have to keep up with two different pieces, these headphones come in a unibody design that wraps around the back of your head. They stay in place by looping over the top of each ear. You can choose from two different band sizes, based on the size of your head.

One Amazon customer mentioned the design is lightweight and stays in place without creating any pressure points. And despite the open ear (and open air) technology, the brand promotes leak-free audio that keeps it in your ears for privacy. There’s also an option to turn off air conduction altogether and enjoy pure bone conduction. Take your pick of multiple color options, including black, silver, rose gold, orange, and more. You can get the Shokz Open Run Pro 2 headphones on Amazon starting at $179.95.

Anker The single body design isn’t the only option for open ear headphones. Soundcore AeroFit 2+ by Anker separates the set of headphones into two functional pieces, using more of an earbud style combined with the top-of-the-ear design like you see with the Shokz Open Run Pro 2. Rather than sitting in the ear canal, these headphones rest just on top of the ear. Since each piece works independently, you can adjust the hook on each headphone to listen comfortably. Aside from typical headphone uses, these also have a built-in AI assistant that you can use to translate languages in real time. And unlike single body headphones, these come with their own small charging case.

The Soundcore AeroFit 2+ by Anker have earned an average of 4.2 stars on Amazon across more than 3,500 reviews. Amazon customers have consistently mentioned how comfortable these headphones feel and how well they stay in place, even when they’re exercising or on the move. Battery life is another talking point, with customers saying they appreciate the long battery life and the ability to charge the headphones quickly. You can choose from cool colors like mint green, abyss blue, black, brown, and white. They’re available on Amazon for $129.99.

Baseus The Baseus Inspire XC1 Open Ear Clip-On Earbuds have a look and feel all their own. They’re the smallest headphones on this list, closer to the size of traditional wireless earbuds. The most obvious difference is how you wear them. Rather than looping them over your ear, they clip on to the top of your ear for a snug fit. The non-speaker side rests against the back side of the ear. The speaker side lines up with the ear canal but stays outside.

These clip-on earbuds use Sound by Bose technology, and Amazon customers have consistently commented on the sound quality. The ear clips are adjustable to make them more comfortable to wear for longer periods. One potential downside is that while they should stay in place by conforming to your ear, they’re so small that they could be easy to lose. Like most audio devices of this size, these come with a pocket charging case and can give the headphones up to two and a half hours of charge in about ten minutes. You can find the Baseus Inspire XC1 Open Ear Clip-On Earbuds on Amazon for $129.99.

Nothing/YouTube Nothing Ear Open Ear Headphones offers a good value option at just under $100. Like many of the other open ear headphones on this list, these use the top-of-the-ear design with adjustable ear hooks to make them more comfortable to wear long-term. Like other headphones in this class, the Nothing Ear Open Ear Headphones are lightweight and ergonomic. They also include AI technology to help reduce background noise for whoever you’re talking to. Customer reviews on Amazon mention the headphones live up to their name: they feel like they’re wearing nothing, or close to it.

You won’t find as many color options with these like you do with the Soundcore AeroFit 2+ or the Shokz OpenFit 2+. One of the main tradeoffs compared to these two options is the lower price, which might make more sense if you’re not picky about color. One other consideration is its larger, longer charging case. While other similar headphones keep a compact design, this case is noticeably longer and therefore not as pocket friendly. You can find these on Amazon for $99.99.

Raycon If you’re looking for a good middle ground — not the cheapest but also not premium — the Raycon Open Ear Running Headphones checks a lot of boxes. The body is similar in size and style to the Shokz Open Run Pro 2, using a single band to connect the two earpieces that fit on top of the ear. These headphones only use bone conduction. And since there’s nothing that goes into your ear, this style is more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. They’re also made to resist rain, sweat, and wind, so you can use them in nearly any conditions.

One potential downside is the charger. Instead of using a standard USB-C charger (like the Shokz Open Run Pro 2), the Raycon Open Ear Running Headphones use a specially designed magnetic charger. That’s another cable to keep up with and doesn’t make for easy recharging if you’re on the go and forgot to grab that one unique cable. Many customers on Amazon say it’s still a good set of headphones for the money, and if you don’t mind having a unique charger, the savings make sense. You can get the Raycon Open Ear Running Headphones on Amazon for $99.98.

Anker The Soundcore C50i by Anker Open Ear Earbuds have earned Amazon’s Choice for open ear earbuds, and they’re also one of the least expensive ones you can get. With an average of 4.2 stars and more than 2,700 customer reviews, these audio devices are consistently mentioned for their sound quality and the ability to stay in place while you’re working out or moving around. They’re similar in size and style to the Baseus Inspire XC1 Open Ear Clip-On Earbuds, using the clip-on design along the edge of the ear rather than simply looping over the top.

These open ear earbuds use AI technology to filter out background noise, which whoever you’re talking to might appreciate. This helps to minimize the noise the other person hears on their end if you’re on a call. You can get up to eight hours of use on a single charge and up to 28 hours with a fully charged case. The app lets you customize your experience even more with various EQ modes and other features. These audio devices are available on Amazon for $69.99.

Anker We’ve done roundups of open ear headphones in the past, and we wanted this list to be different. While some of the brands have remained the same, the models and styles have not. We looked at a mix of styles, including single piece headphones, devices that loop over the ear, and clip-on earbuds. Narrowing the list, we wanted options that had solid reputations on Amazon. An average four-star rating and at least 100 reviews are the bare minimum.

The final ranking you see is the list of open ear headphones that made the cut, ranked by price. One is not necessarily better than the other. The best ultimately depends on your budget and what you plan to do when wearing the headphones.