5 Of The Best Open-Ear Headphones Available In 2024

Finding quality headphones that fit your budget and requirements in terms of audio quality and added functionality shouldn't be too hard since there's a huge market. There are different types of headphones to choose from, whether you prefer them in headband form or you'd rather have something you can easily pop in and out of your ears.

If you're not a fan of stuffing your ear canal with earbuds or sporting bulky headband-type headphones, a middle-ground pick are open-ear headphones. They don't completely seal off your canals the way in-ear earbuds would to ensure clear audio delivery. Instead, they are designed to hang near the ear opening through a hook design that lets them cling around the edges of your outer ear.

How they hover over your ear openings brings two benefits with these headphones. They are arguably more comfortable to wear and are better suited for listeners who wear them for hours at a time. Open-ear headphones can provide more situational awareness without losing too much of the audio quality. They're useful for people who need to use headphones and still pay attention to what's going on around them.

There are two ways open-ear headphones can deliver clear sound without sacrificing quality. One is through bone conduction technology, wherein sound vibrations are sent through your head and jaw bones and right into your inner ear while skipping your eardrums entirely. On the other hand, some open-ear headphones work a bit more traditionally by transmitting audio via air conduction and passing right into your ears.

Here are some of the best open-ear headphones. Explanation for why these heaphones were selected is at the end of this article.

It's perfectly natural not to want to invest a lot of money when you're unsure about a product. Considering their high placement in Amazon's bestseller list of open-ear headphones, Tozo's OpenEgo true wireless open-ear headphones are a good start. They're equipped with ear hooks that allow them to securely hang directly over your ear openings without completely blocking the canals. They come in a compact charging case that promises up to 80 hours of playback and have a useful LED display that lets you know your headphones' battery and charging status. They also work in tandem with a companion app that lets you further customize your sonic preferences and choose your desired equalizer preset.

Some of the things that online buyers loved about the Tozo OpenEgo is how easy it was to pair to their mobile device and how impressive the actual audio quality was despite having some space in the canal for air and some environmental sound to circulate. They also have a sweat resistance level of IPX5, making them suitable to use for workouts. They feature a 4.3 out of five rating on Amazon.

The Tozo OpenEgo open-ear headphones are listed for $49.99 on Amazon as of this writing.

Another affordable pair worth considering are the SoundCore V20i open-ear headphones by Anker, a brand likely familiar to people who've bought a power bank, portable speaker or charger that bears the same name. These ones also sport convenient ear hooks, but lack the stabilizers that the Tozo OpenEgo pair have resting behind the ears. The earpiece itself that goes over the ear hole is adjustable, so you can find an angle that works best for your preferences or ear shape.

In terms of battery, you can get eight hours out of a single charge and up to 36 hours with the slim charging case. When it comes to audio quality, recent reviews from satisfied customers have a consensus that for the price of $49.99 on Amazon and the occasional 20% coupon, these made for some decent first open-earphones to own. The built-in mics produce clear-sounding calls and the fact that they're water, dust, and sweat-resistant make them great all-around devices. Users can also use the Soundcore app to personalize settings.

Open-ear headphones that come highly recommended by several reputable tech publications are the Oladance OWS2. You get multipoint connectivity so you can simultaneously listen from any Bluetooth-enabled device. They're equipped with bigger drivers that produce concert-esque audio, ear hooks for a more secure fit, and stabilizers that rest behind the ears so the overall weight of the device is evenly distributed.

Their biggest selling point is battery capacity. When playing audio at 100% volume, the earphones can provide up to 16 hours of playback or 8.5 hours of calls. At 50% volume, you can get as many as 19 hours of playback or 10 hours of calls from a single charge. Of course, all this will depend on how the headphones are used, but if you're looking for a pair of open-ear headphones to use for long listening sessions, the Oladance OWS2 — currently priced at $149.99 on Amazon with an option to get a discount via coupon — may be a good option to try.

If you run or train in areas that have foot and vehicular traffic, you may not want to completely remove environmental sound, if only for safety purposes. This is where open-ear headphones may be useful — you can keep the pace and listen to uptempo tunes while also retaining alertness for your surroundings.

Shokz' OpenRun Pro is a brand of open-ear headphones popular among runners that actually uses bone conduction to transmit sound. The headphones have a couple of bass enhancers that intensify the sound quality, which are then delivered through your cheekbones. They have dual noise-canceling microphones that facilitate crystal-clear calls.

The wraparound design is more workout-friendly as the earphones stay more in place despite semi-vigorous movement. They also have an IP55 water resistance rating that can endure light rain and sweat. The promised battery life is slated at 10 hours of continuous playback, with a five-minute quick charge via the charging case that can gain you back up to 1.5 hours, which should be enough for decent length runs.

Although the OpenRun Pro headphones are a bit expensive at a listed price of $179.95 on Amazon, and the audio transmission style of bone conduction may feel weird for first timers, they're currently the top-selling open-ear headphones on the platform, if that's any indication of the number of people who vouch for the product's overall quality.

Bose is a tried-and-true brand of speakers and headphones that has yielded some of our favorite listening devices — it produced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, recently our top pick for best noise canceling earbuds worth checking out. In the same vein, they have released their own open-ear headphones earlier this year: the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.

Instead of ear hooks, these earphones sport a cuff-like design that attach to the ears in the same way an earring would, so if you wear any, these may be a more comfortable option. They come with Bose's patent immersive sound that you can turn on or off as needed. They also have an IPX4 water resistance level and moisture and debris blocking acoustic mesh that let you wear them in a variety of situations. The battery life is listed at up to seven hours of playback or four hours with immersive audio enabled. You can gain an extra 2.5 full charges of power through the charging case.

Apart from the excellent quality sound Bose is associated with, you also get all the cool features most premium earphone brands have these days, such as multipoint connectivity, simple touch controls, and the ability to further tweak audio settings through a companion app. Having said that, these earbuds are a splurge at $299 on Amazon. Given that the brand has consistently launched top-tier products over the last few years, Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds may be worth every penny.

If you're new to the concept of open-ear headphones, these are a few of the best models to consider. Recommendations in this roundup were based on the products' online popularity among gadget reviewers and regular users alike who've had positive things to say about their recent purchases. 

These open-ear headphones serve different purposes and suit various needs. They are also all relatively budget-friendly.