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The Biggest Challenges of Working in an Open Office
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What Makes the Best Earbuds for Phone Calls in an Office?
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Common Situations Where the Best Earbuds for Phone Calls Make a Difference
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Final Thoughts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Open-plan offices allow colleagues to talk, bond, and spark more collaboration, all of which are great for team building. But if you've spent more than a week in one, you already know the flip side. It's loud and distracting. And trying to take a serious call while three conversations are happening around you is nobody's idea of a productive day.
If you're looking for the best earbuds for phone calls at open-plan workspaces, your focus shouldn’t only be on sound quality. You should consider microphone performance, comfort across long shifts, and a design that actually suits an open office environment.
The Biggest Challenges of Working in an Open Office
Here are some of the problems consistent across almost every open-plan space:
Lack of Privacy for Calls and Meetings
Taking a client call in a shared space means everyone nearby can hear what you're saying. For sensitive conversations, a sales pitch, a performance review, or a customer complaint, that lack of privacy is uncomfortable and unprofessional. Many people try to lower their voices, which makes it harder for the other person to hear them clearly.
Constant Background Noise
Open offices are inherently noisy. There are keyboards clicking, ringing phones, side conversations, and all sorts of background noise that all add up. This can reduce concentration and increase the time it takes to complete even simple tasks, especially for anyone taking calls and meetings.
Frequent Interruptions and Distractions
In an open office, you're always visible and always accessible. Colleagues stop by to ask questions or start conversations, and your train of thought gets broken, sometimes every few minutes. Over the course of a day, those interruptions add up to significant lost time.
What Makes the Best Earbuds for Phone Calls in an Office?
You might already own a pair of earbuds or over-ear headphones. So why not just use those at your desk? Here are the features that make earbuds built for calls stand out:
Built-In Microphones for Clear Communication
The best earbuds for phone calls are purposely built for two-way communication. The microphones are engineered to pick up your voice clearly, even in noisy surroundings. That means the person on the other end of the call can hear you without asking you to repeat yourself every other sentence.
Noise-Cancelling Technology
This refers to microphone-side noise cancellation, the technology that filters background sounds before they reach the other caller. It's different from ANC, which blocks noise for the listener. An earbud with good microphone noise cancellation picks up your voice and filters out the rest, so a bustling office sounds much quieter to whoever you're speaking with.
Comfort for All-Day Wear
If you're on calls throughout the day, your earbuds need to be comfortable for hours at a stretch. That means lightweight materials, ear hooks or earbuds that don't press uncomfortably, and designs that won't leave your ears sore by lunchtime. Open-ear clip-on earbud designs, such as the Shokz OpenDots ONE, excel in this aspect. There is no discomfort in your ear canals as the earphones sit outside them.
Optimised for Voice and Collaboration Tools
The best call earbuds work smoothly with platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. Call controls, mute functions, and volume adjustments often work directly from the earbud, so you're not constantly reaching for your screen mid-conversation.
Wireless vs Wired Connectivity
Wireless clip-on earbuds like the OpenDots ONE give you the freedom to move. In open office layouts where you're often not anchored to a single spot, that matters. You can step away from your desk, grab a drink, or move to a quieter area mid-call without dealing with tangled cables. Wired options tend to offer a more stable connection and never need charging, but they do tie you to your workstation. For most office workers, wireless is the more practical choice.
Multi-Device Pairing
Many professionals juggle a work laptop, a personal phone, and sometimes a tablet every workday. Multipoint pairing, the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously, means you can take a call on your phone without disconnecting from your laptop. The OpenDots ONE supports this, so switching between devices during the day is straightforward and doesn't interrupt your workflow.
Long Battery Life for Full Workdays
Your earbuds need to last at least as long as your shift. The OpenDots ONE offers up to 10 hours of playback on a single charge, with a charging case that extends total playtime up to 40 hours. It also supports both wired and wireless charging, so getting a top-up mid-day takes no effort at all.
Common Situations Where the Best Earbuds for Phone Calls Make a Difference
The right pair of earbuds earns its place in different ways depending on what your role actually looks like day to day. Here are a few examples:
Virtual Meetings and Video Conferences
Video calls are now a core part of how most teams operate. Bad audio, choppy sound, background noise bleeding through, your voice cutting in and out, affect how you come across professionally. A quality earbud keeps your audio clean and consistent throughout the meeting.
Client and Sales Calls
When you're speaking to a client or prospect, the quality of your voice matters. Muffled audio or ambient background noise sends the wrong message. The best earbuds for phone calls give you a professional-sounding setup that lets you focus entirely on the conversation rather than worrying about being heard.
Customer Support and Service Roles
For people in support roles who spend the bulk of their day handling calls, a good earbud designed for calls is non-negotiable. You need hands-free operation, reliable microphone performance, and all-day comfort. The best earbuds for telephone calls in this context combine mic clarity with a design you can genuinely wear across a full shift without discomfort.
Collaborative Team Discussions
Open-ear clip-on earbud designs, like the OpenDots ONE, are particularly well-suited for teams that need to stay connected to their surroundings. The clip-on design means you can hear a colleague approach or join a discussion without pulling anything out of your ear. You stay looped into the room while still having audio access when you need it.
Deep Focus Work in Noisy Environments
Some tasks just need sustained concentration, writing, analysis, coding, or anything that requires holding a thread of thought. Earbuds with good passive isolation or active noise cancellation help you carve out that mental space even when the room around you is anything but quiet.
Final Thoughts
A good pair of office earbuds for phone calls is one of the most practical investments you can make for your comfort and productivity if you work in an open-plan office.
For something that fits seamlessly into daily office life, consider the Shokz OpenDots ONE. The clip-on earbud design is low-profile, the mic quality handles calls well, and the open-ear setup keeps you connected to your environment rather than cutting you off from it.
If your work takes you between the office and home, the Shokz OpenFit Pro is another strong option, flagship-level audio, a secure all-day fit, and AI-enhanced call clarity that works just as well on a home desk as in a busy office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an office earbud better than regular headphones for work?
For anything involving calls and meetings, yes. Office earbuds come with microphones designed for a clear voice, making them a better fit for any role that involves frequent phone or video calls.
Do earbuds help reduce office noise while on call?
They help on two levels. A noise-cancelling microphone reduces the ambient noise that other callers hear from your end, which is helpful in noisy environments. Earbuds with ANC or passive isolation reduce the noise you hear yourself, which helps with focus.
How comfortable are earbuds for phone calls for all-day use?
It varies by model. The best earbuds for office calls, including open-ear options like the Shokz OpenDots ONE, are designed for all-day wear. Lightweight builds, soft silicone tips, and ergonomic fits make a significant difference over the course of a full working day compared to bulkier over-ear alternatives. If you've struggled with ear fatigue from traditional earbuds, an open-ear clip-on design is worth trying.
