Having been a previous long time user of Shokz bone conduction headphones (going back to old Aftershokz Trekz headphones), I was very excited when I saw the announcement of the Shokz Openfit headphones with their new design and changes compared to the bone conduction headphones.

It has been over a year since I purchased my Shokz Openfit headphones, and I can say that these are the best headphones for my personal use case, which funnily enough is actually 95% casual usage, with the odd spout of physical exercise in-between (Please don’t murder me for this).

When I’m working in the office, or when I’m out and about, you’ll oftentimes find me wearing these headphones, as I can listen to music whilst also maintaining full awareness of my surroundings, which is a massive thing for me. The sound quality is really good as well, with much more bass, depth and an overall fully sound compared to the bone conduction headphones I used before. Do they provide audiophile grade audio? Of course not, but the sound quality is very good, especially considering the package that it’s being presented in.

I remember the 1st time I put these headphones on, the experience felt alien to me. The headphones are so light that it felt like I was not wearing any headphones, and the sound and music felt like they were seemingly coming out of nowhere, like some kind of magic trick was being played with my ears. I have got used to the feeling of these headphones with time, but for it is a different experience, for sure.

Whilst wearing these headphones, even if you are not playing any music or media, they come in handy. If you receive any incoming notifications, you will be alerted of this, which can be useful in a more crowded area. If you have an inbound phone call, you can simply double-tap either of the headphones to pick up calls, and you can use the same gesture for hanging up calls, as well as playing and pausing your music. Pressing and holding the right and left headphones will skip to next track and go back to previous track respectively.

Another great thing about these headphones is that the battery life is very good, especially given how small and light the headphones are. When combined with the included charging case, you can go a few days without having to charge the case, though I have a habit of charging it regularly because I can.

I have got a pair of each colour, and they both look really good in my opinion. They are fairly minimalistic in their design and non-intrusive, though I got a pair for a friend who mentioned that certain ear piercings can make the fit awkward and sometimes cause the headphones to fall off with some movement. As somebody without any ear piercings, I haven’t experienced such issues myself.

Will these headphones be replacing the headphones of people who like to isolate themselves from the world around them? Certainly not. However, they are still worth a try for people like that, cos you never know… You might enjoy experiencing the outside world a bit more.

Having had in ear buds for years, and DAILY complaining about the fact that they fall out when running, I have been using an over ear version recently when running. However, combine soft over ear pads with the British weather and I was left with a crumbly black residue on my ears after each trail.

Determined to find a solution, I was put on to Shokz open ear and I bit the bullet in the sales. Let me tell you, I am obsessed. Gone are the years of rubbing ears and losing falling ear buds. Plus, the huge win is being able to completely immerse in music whilst also being aware of traffic and those around me. I haven’t stopped telling people how insane these are, everyone needs a pair. Weightless when out on the road, but also no fear about them moving.

This is a well used purchase as I prepare for the Hackney half marathon in April, training alongside my current chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Strong people can do hard things - but make your life easier and safer and invest in the gear that will make it a whole lot more fun! 12/10 :)

For the last 5+ years, I’ve used the same brand and make of EarPod/headphones which I never had any issues with. So I took a risk buying the shokz, as it’s important to hear my surroundings as a runner & even when I’m in the office. I was not disappointed. The sound quality is amazing, it feels like I’m in a room playing loud music- but I’m still able to hear everything else too! They fit super comfortably in my ear, and I just feel like they are more hygienic too as it doesn’t actually go inside your ear. Excellent value for money & I’m really happy I took the risk to go with Shokz. My running experience has been elevated, but so has my safety.

I ordered these after trialling an Amazon brand pair of ear conducting headphones. I have been following the brand for a few years and after seeing recommendations on social media, my research told me these were the best in bone conducting technology. I have a history of ear perforation in both ears so in ear headphones are not an option and I find over ear headphones can be quite uncomfortable worn often.

I ordered my headphones directly from the shokx website in their boxing day sale, getting a good price deal. I chose the shokx open fit as I felt they were the best quality and more versatile than the all in 1 headphones. My other pair (other brand ) have the back bar and although this is not an impairment I was very excited to see it was an option.

The shokx openfit came in a charging case. I chose the beige colour as I like that it will go with more outfits. I was pleased to see they came charged right out of the box so I could test them right away. Connecting then via Bluetooth to My phone couldn't have been easier, paired with my phone in just a few clicks.

What I am most impressed with is the sound quality. Bone conducting headphones are sometimes quiet but these can he turned up and I have no issues hearing music on these as opposed to my old ones where outside noise was often much louder. I can use these easily in a gym with loud background noise/music and hear my music clearly but also others around me, and have tested them on runs and walks in very windy countryside and am very impressed with the audio volume and quality. I have worn then for 1-2 hours with no issues of charge, but it's also comforting that they can be recharged within 5 minutes in their charging case. The charging case shows a red light when it needs to be charged too and can be charged off a USB c charger which matches my phone, making this much easier as I already have this cable and don't have to carry/store more! Music can be paused by tapping twice on either earphone, and same again to replay, making it easy to drop in and out of listening. They turn on automatically when put on your ears and off again to charge when put back into the case. A long hold/press goes to the next track. You can also adjust the volume on this by touch but i tend to use my phone as it's closer in my pocket.

Overall 10/10 would recommend these headphones to anyone with similar needs. I look forwards to many more years enjoying these headphones.

Staying aware of what’s going on around you but with the focus on the beat makes the open fit headphones the perfect training partner for all your fitness needs.