The Shokz OpenFit Air are the second set of open earbuds launched by Shokz, following the launch of the Shokz OpenFit last year.
They offer better value for money than the OpenFit and are among the best running headphones thanks to their open design, which allows for additional awareness without compromising sound quality as much as with bone conduction headphones.
Shokz OpenFit Air: price and availability
The Shokz OpenFit Air launched in June 2024 and costs $119/£119 in the Shokz store, considerably cheaper than the Shokz OpenFit, which costs $179/£179. The OpenFit Air are also more affordable than other high-end open earbuds like the Bose Ultra Open and Cleer Arc II.
Shokz OpenFit Air review: design and comfort
The Shokz OpenFit Air are independent, over-the-ear headphones with a driver that sits close to the ear canal without blocking it. This means you’re always aware of your surroundings when listening to audio, and the fit is very comfortable, with no pressure points.
Compared to the OpenFit, the OpenFit Air are a little larger and have a different earhook, which has a cavity to reduce pressure on the back of the ear. The earbuds have a silicone finish and the earhook is flexible with a 0.75mm flexible nickel-titanium alloy wire running through it.
Weighing just 0.3 oz, it’s sometimes easy to forget you’re wearing the headphones. I completed various workouts with the Shokz OpenFit Air, including numerous runs as well as cycling, yoga, and strength training sessions, and they stayed in place reliably throughout.
The fit is also comfortable when using the headphones for hours, more so than some over-ear headphones like the Cleer Arc II that hug the ear more tightly. The headphones have an IP54 rating, which means they are sweat and water resistant and great for workouts, but they are not fully waterproof.
They easily connected to my phone and laptop via Bluetooth 5.4 and offer multi-point pairing for two devices. Three colors are available at launch: white, black and pink, all of which feature metallic silver elements.
The headphones charge in their case, which itself is charged via a USB-C port, so you can use other charging cables with it.
@tomsguide ♬ original sound – Tom’s Guide
Shokz OpenFit Air review: controls
Each of the OpenFit Air earbuds has a touch panel on the outside that you can use to control playback via two gestures: a double tap and a long press.
You can customize the controls to include options like activating your phone’s voice assistant and increasing/decreasing the volume, as well as playing/pausing and skipping. I didn’t find the controls to be particularly reliable for me, especially during workouts where it was difficult to register my taps.
I could still eventually get the controls to work, but especially when running, I often found that my first two attempts were ignored by the heads. The touchscreen doesn’t feel as sensitive as the Shokz OpenFit’s, and I’d prefer to have physical buttons on the earbuds for more reliable controls during workouts.
Shokz OpenFit Air review: sound quality
Compared to the bone conduction headphones that Shokz is best known for, the OpenFit Air are an upgrade in audio quality, delivering fuller, more powerful sound and a much more immersive experience.
The open design means they offer no passive noise cancellation and the sound is still thinner than in-ear and over-ear headphones, but I enjoyed listening to music during and outside of workouts with the OpenFit Air, although the sound may be drowned out if you use it while traveling.
When I listen to pop music like Dua Lipa’s “Illusion” and Billie Eilish’s “CHIHIRO,” the full range of instruments and vocals comes through clearly, and when I use my running playlist to propel myself up ‘at the end of difficult songs like Grimes’. “Kill v. Maim” hit with all the motivational excitement I needed.
You can also choose between four EQ presets in the partner app: standard, vocal, bass boost, and treble boost. I prefer to use in-ear headphones when sound quality is my main concern, and the lack of active or passive noise cancellation means the OpenFit Airs are less suitable for noisy environments.
But, for the most part, they impressed with sound and matched what I experienced with the more expensive Shokz OpenFit. The only open earbuds I’ve tested that sound significantly better are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which are much more expensive.
Shokz OpenFit Air review: battery life
The Shokz OpenFit Air earbuds last six hours on a charge, with an additional 22 hours of battery in the case. A quick charge feature gives you two hours of playback from 10 minutes of charging the earbuds in the case. That’s the same 28-hour overall battery life as the OpenFit, but the more expensive earbuds last seven hours on a charge.
In my testing, when I listened primarily to podcasts, the OpenFit Air hit Shokz’s suggested battery life numbers, but if I listened to music at high volume using the boost EQ bass, the battery was draining at a rate that would rather suggest five hours of playback. than six.
The case isn’t particularly small, but you can put it in a running belt or backpack, or in the pocket of a cycling jersey if you’re going for very long activities and want to be able to charge the earbuds along the way.
Should you buy the Shokz OpenFit Air?
The Shokz OpenFit Air are excellent open-back headphones and offer better value than most alternatives in their class, including the Shokz OpenFit, which I wouldn’t say are a worthwhile upgrade over the ‘OpenFit given the similarity of the two headphones.
One possible upgrade worth making is the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which offer better sound quality and an incredibly comfortable design, but the Bose Earbuds are much more expensive.
Those looking for even better value might find it with the 1MORE Fit SE S30 open-back headphones, which cost just $70 and offer a comfortable, secure fit for sports, although I preferred the fit and sound quality of the OpenFit Air during my tests.