Have you ever thought of listening to music from the air so you don’t have to insert wireless earbuds in the ear canal or put over-ear headphones on because they make the ears sweat and hot while running, hiking, or cycling? So today, we are reviewing the five best open ear bluetooth earbuds that use air conduction technology, so you don’t need to put them in your ear canal or over the ear.
These are also the best open ear earbuds for small ears. So, whether you’ve large or small ears, you’ll love them. In this post, we covered all the topics related to open-ear earbuds or air-conduction earbuds. Firstly, let’s discuss how open ear earbuds work.
Note: Remember that there are two types of Open ear wireless earbuds. Most popular Open ear earbuds or headphones use Bone conduction technology, and other uses Air conduction technology. Check out this article for a detailed comparison of Bone conduction and Air conduction.
How do Open ear earbuds work?
Open ear wireless earbuds use air conduction technology. In this technology, open ear earbuds generate sound waves that travel through the air into your ears in the form of waves that cause earbones to vibrate and then convert those sound waves into audible sounds.
Are Open ear earbuds safe?
Yes, Open ear earbuds are safe to use. Firstly, they offer environmental awareness that helps you to hear traffic and remain aware of your surroundings. This feature is also best for hiking, jogging, or cycling. Although they’re comfortable and lightweight. Still, you can take short breaks to prevent fatigue.
Can other people hear through Air conduction earbuds?
Yes, this earbud has a sound leakage problem, so the person sitting next to you in the library can hear the music. However, you can adjust the volume to enjoy music without disturbing anyone. If you don’t want anyone else to listen to the music from your air conduction earbuds, you can consider over-ear headphones or in-ear earbuds for better sound leakage performance.
Advantages of Air Conduction earbuds:
- Comfortable with open-ear design
- Situational Awareness
- No earwax buildup
- Impressive sound quality
- Few earbuds offer fashionable design
- Lightweight and don’t put pressure
- Best for various tasks
Disadvantages of Air Conduction earbuds:
- Sound leakage at higher volumes
- Lack of Noise cancellation
- Less Bass
- Limited Privacy
- Decent immersive experience
- Less secure fit
Difference between In-ear earbuds and Open ear earbuds:
In-ear earbuds offer excellent sound quality, comfort, minimal sound leakage, better noise cancellation, better bass, and a secure fit. Whereas, open ear earbuds don’t go inside the ear canal, have minimal noise isolation, are comfortable, have more sound leakage with limited bass, and are less portable.
Sound Quality: In-ear earbuds offer better audio quality than Air conduction earbuds. However, air conduction earbuds do have excellent sound quality. However, few people prefer in-ear earbuds because of noise cancellation, minimal sound leakage, and deep bass. On the other hand, Open ear earbuds allow you to hear your surroundings without removing them. Their leak sounds at max volume, so consider using them at lower volumes according to your surroundings.
Comfort: Both the earbuds are comfortable and lightweight. Yet, short breaks are necessary while using them because in-ear earbuds may cause pain in the ear canal in excessive use, and open ear earbuds don’t put the same pressure as in-ear. Still, consider short breaks to prevent ear fatigue.
Which is Best? If you’re bored with in-ear earbuds and wanna try something new go with the open-ear earbuds because they’re more comfortable than in-ear earbuds. However, in-ear earbuds have better sound quality, secure fit, and features. In the end, whichever earbud you like the most, you should go for it.
Here are the Best open ear earbuds for small ears:
5. Soundcore by Anker V30i
This air conduction wireless earbud is ultra-light and offers a snug fit. The Soundcore lineup has a few more open ear earbuds for small ears with different features and functions. It offers ear-hook design for comfort, secure fit, and environmental awareness. This air conduction earbuds use 14.2mm bio-material drivers, which produce a bright sound profile with better bass than bone-conduction headphones.
You can also customize different presets EQ and more customizations according to your taste. The Anker V30i supports Bluetooth 5.3 and is compatible with AAC and SBC codecs. Their Phone call quality is decent not the best. However, you can adjust volume levels or wear the earbuds correctly to improve call quality. They are not noise-canceling, so you can hear your surroundings without removing them.
They don’t leak much sound, but the person standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you can hear the audio. The Anker V30i offers 12 hours of battery life on a single charge and stores 36 hours of juice in the charging case. Its 10 minutes of rapid charging is enough for 3 hours of non-stop playtime. They are IPX5 water-resistant and sweatproof, so you can use them for light workouts. You can wear them all day because they’re ultra comfortable and lightweight. After a while, you won’t feel like you’re wearing earbuds.
Specifications:
- Type: Open-ear
- Mics: N/A
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- IP Rating: IPX5
- Driver size: 14.2mm
- Design: Open-back
- Battery life: 12+36 hours
Pros:
Lightweight design
Comfortable and secure fit
Situational Awareness
Good sound quality
Longer battery life
Minimal audio leakage
Cons:
- Decent Bass
- Connectivity issues
- Call quality could be better
4. Shokz OpenFit Air
This is one of the best open ear earbuds for small ears. The Shokz Opefit Air Bluetooth earbuds use 18mm custom dynamic drivers, which produce a well-balanced sound profile with detailed vocals and instruments. You can also customize graphics EQ for a more personalized sound.
They use Bluetooth 5.2 and support AAC and SBC codecs. They do support multipoint connectivity, so you can pair 2 devices simultaneously. These air conduction earbuds offer noise cancelling mics that cancel out most of the background noise during a phone call. They’ll also leak at higher volumes, but it only matters when you’re in a quiet area. People won’t hear from your earbuds when you use them in public.
The Shokz Openfit Air offers 7 hours of battery life in a single and around 28 hours of juice in the charging case. These earbuds don’t support wireless charging. They are IP54 sweat and dust-resistant. These air conduction earbuds are extremely comfortable for long sessions.
You can use them with sunglasses while hiking, riding, or jogging, and they won’t get in the way. These earbuds weigh only 8.3g which is much lighter than any wireless in-earbud. Their ergonomic ear hook design offers a secure fit. In the companion app, you can customize controls. Overall, if you’re looking for the best open ear earbuds for small ears with ear hook design this is the perfect option, and they won’t let you down.
Specifications:
- Type: Open-ear
- Mics: 4
- Bluetooth: 5.2
- IP Rating: IP54
- Driver size: 18mm
- Design: Open-back
- Battery life: 7+28 hours
Pros:
- Good sound quality
- Comfortable and Secure fit
- Noise Cancelling Mics
- Lightweight with ear-hooks
- Longer battery life
- Situational awareness
Cons:
- Touch control issues
- No Wireless charging
- Audio leakage at Max volume
3. TOZO O2
The Tozo O2 open ear wireless earbuds are lightweight with ear hook design. If you’re looking for an affordable air conduction earbud with excellent audio quality, consider the TOZO O2. This open ear Bluetooth earbud is available on Amazon for $69. The TOZO O2 uses 14.2mm dynamic driver, which produces a good sound profile with clear vocals and instruments.
You can also change the sound profile with presets EQ for a personalized sound. They have Bluetooth 5.3 and support AAC and SBC codecs. With the help of DSP call noise cancellation, they accurately capture and separate ambient noise from your voice during phone calls.
They use directional sound technology that helps audio to remain private. They are IPX6 water-resistance, so you can use these air conduction earbuds for running, traveling, movies, office, or cycling. The TOZO O2 offers 12 hours of battery life on single charge and holds around 30 hours of backup in the charging case. These earbuds are also comfortable for driving and provide environmental awareness. They do support multipoint connectivity.
Specifications:
- Type: Open-ear
- Mics: 4
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- IP Rating: IPX6
- Driver size: 14.2mm
- Design: Open-back
- Battery life: 12+30 hours
Pros:
- Affordable & Versatile
- Great build quality
- Impressive sound quality
- Comfortable and Secure Fit
- Multipoint Connectivity
- DSP call noise cancellation
- Longer battery life
- Immersive Stereo Sound Effects
Cons:
- Sound could be better
- Mic quality could be better
2. Soundcore by Anker C30i
All the above-mentioned earbuds offer an ear-hook design, and Anker C30i has a clip-on design. The Bose ultra-open earbuds do have a similar design with different features. These air conduction earbuds use 12mm x 17mm racetrack drivers, which produce clear and vibrant sound quality with a decent amount of bass.
If you want a more immersive audio experience, you can turn on 3D sound from the companion app. Their audio leakage performance is good. The Anker C30i offers 10 hours of battery life on single charge and around 30 hours of juice in the case. Its 10 minutes of instant charging is enough for 3 hours of playback.
They’re IPX4 water and sweat-resistant, so you can use them for workouts and other outdoor activities. The Anker C30i also offers multipoint connectivity and wireless charging. These open-ear wireless earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 and support codecs like AAC and SBC. Its 2 built-in mics provide clear phone calls in busy areas.
These are some of the most comfortable open ear earbuds with clip-on designs after Bose Ultra. For a more comfortable fit, you’ll get 2x ear grips that you can remove or attach whenever you want. Ear grips are best for those who have small ears. If you’re looking for all-rounder open ear earbuds for clear phone calls, podcasts, movies, or audiobooks, the Anker C30i is a great option to consider. In the companion app, you’ll get many controls and customizations.
Specifications:
- Type: Open-ear
- Mics: 2
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- IP Rating: IPX6
- Driver size: 12mm x 17mm
- Design: Ear-cuff/ Clip-On
- Battery life: 10+30 hours
Pros:
- Versatile
- Innovative Design
- Excellent sound quality
- Multipoint Connectivity
- Wireless Charging
- Lightweight and Comfortable
- Ear grips for a more secure fit
Cons:
- Not comfortable for a few people
- Poor touch controls
- Few connectivity issues
1. Bose Ultra Open earbuds
These are one of the most expensive air conduction earbuds available in the marketplace. These Bose wireless earbuds offer ear-cuff design, the same as the Anker C30i. The Bose Ultra Open earbuds use 12mm drivers, which produce a well-balanced sound profile with detailed vocals and instruments. You’ll get immersive, stereo, and custom EQ modes.
You can also customize the sound profile according to your taste. The battery life may vary while using the immersive mode. These air conduction earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 and support codecs like AAC, SBC, and aptX adaptive. They don’t leak volume and have excellent audio leakage performance.
It has 30 feet range excluding physical barriers. They don’t have a Multipoint Connectivity feature, but Bose states that they will provide it through software updates. These air conduction earbuds offer 7.5 hours of battery life without Immersive audio and 4.5 hours with Immersive audio. Its charging case provides an additional 27 hours of battery backup.
These are IPX4 Water-resistant and Sweat-resistant, so you can consider them for heavy workouts and other physical activities. The design may be uncomfortable for some people. These earbuds are extremely comfortable and soft, you can use them all day. Bose Ultra open ear earbuds have 2 in-built mics, one in each earbud which provide clear phone calls. It doesn’t have any touch controls, but 2 dedicated touch buttons are present in the barrel-shaped part.
Specifications:
- Type: Open-ear
- Mics: 2
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- IP Rating: IPX4
- Driver size: 12mm
- Design: Ear-cuff/ Clip-On
- Battery life: 7+27 hours
Pros:
- Lightweight and Comfortable
- Secure fit and Versatile
- Excellent sound quality
- Immersive audio modes
- Clear Phone calls
- Support high-quality codecs
Cons:
- Expensive
- No audio leakage
- No touch controls
- No Multipoint Connectivity
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Are open ear earbuds as good as in-ear earbuds?
Open ear earbuds are best for those people who don’t like in-ear earbuds because using in-ear earbuds for a longer time can cause hearing loss. But, open ear earbuds are best in terms of comfort, everyday use, and environmental awareness.
Can other people hear open ear earbuds?
Generally, open ear earbuds don’t leak much volume. If you are in the subway and listening to music, people won’t hear the music. However, if you are using them with near to the max volume in a quiet place like a library, people may hear from the earbuds.
Are open ear earbuds worth it?
Yes, Open ear earbuds are worth it in 2024. You’ll get a wide range of open ear earbuds from affordable to expensive ones. All of them work best with air conduction technology. The sound quality, battery life, and build may vary with the brand.
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