Best open-ear headphones of 2026: Top picks from Bose, Shokz and Apple

Clear Arc 3: Cleer’s Arc 2 earbuds were among the best-sounding open wireless earbuds with an ear-hook design. The newer Arc 3 buds are still near the top in terms of sound, but other companies like Shokz and Bose have caught up and arguably sound a little better. But the Cleer Arc 3 buds have something other buds of this type don’t: a touchscreen LCD display built into their charging case. It allows you to control playback, access the speaker’s features, including EQ settings, and even use the case as a remote to take a photo on your smartphone. Since they have been on the market for a while, Cleer has released the newest version Arc 4 Plus scan Without a smart case, the Arc 3 is discounted.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip: Soundcore by AeroClip are Anker’s current flagship earbuds. Not only do I like their design – they have a premium look and feel – but they are comfortable to wear and have very good sound for clip-on buds. Equipped with 12mm drivers, it delivers ample bass with good volume and decent clarity. The headphones sound fuller and more open than many cheap headphones, and are among the best open-ear headphones I’ve tried (Android users should note that they have support for Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec). I also thought they worked well making calls. For the most part, callers said they could hear me clearly — even in noisier environments like New York City streets (Anker says they have four beamforming microphones, wind-canceling grilles, and advanced AI). Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels, and the buds are IPX4 sweat and water resistant (they are splash proof). Although the menu prices are somewhat high, they are currently discounted, making them good value.

Bassus Bowie MC1Baseus is known for its value earbuds, power banks, and charging products. Although the Bowie MC1 ($43) aren’t in the same league as Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds, they cost about one-sixth the price and seem pretty decent for this style of clip-on earbuds, especially with less demanding tracks that don’t have heavy bass and multiple instruments playing at the same time. Note that the latest MC1 Pro They have improved sound and don’t cost much more.

Edifier lolly clip: Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds may be the best-sounding and most comfortable earbuds out there. But they are offering $300. In contrast, Edifier’s new LolliClip headphones cost $130 and sound very close to what you get with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds—and they’re almost as comfortable to wear while fitting securely to my ears. They also have some features that the Bose headphones don’t have, including active noise cancellation (it’s not quite as effective but you feel like it blocks out some noise in the lower frequencies), a heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen sensor, and spatial audio with head tracking. There is also a low latency mode for gaming and supports LDAC audio codec for Android users.

Sony LinkBuds unlocked: While the LinkBuds Open retains the open, ring-shaped driver of the original LinkBuds, it’s slightly smaller than the original (11mm vs. 12mm). Also, the Air Fitting supports are an improvement over the original Arc supports, which were very thin and don’t conform to the shape of your ear as well as these new ones do. The combination of the slightly smaller driver design and new supports should allow the headphones to fit more ears more comfortably and securely. However, those with small ears may have some problems with them.

Amazon echo buds: Amazon’s 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a number of ways I didn’t expect. For starters, they sound pretty good for inexpensive open-ear headphones, providing decent clarity and ample bass. But they also have a solid feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear detection sensors that pause sound when you remove one or both buds from your ears. They’re less loud than Apple’s AirPods 4, which offer better bass performance and a fuller, cleaner sound overall (they’re better at handling more complex pieces of music with a lot of instruments playing at the same time). But the AirPods 4, even the entry-level model ($129), cost much more.

Beyerdynamic Amiron 200: Beyerdynamic is known for its sound quality, so it’s no surprise that the Verio 200, the first open-ear headphones with earhooks, delivers top-notch sound with outstanding depth and richness. They have very good clarity and bass performance for this type of open earbuds and match the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit 2 in terms of sound quality, and may even sound a little better than those models depending on the fit you get. Unfortunately, how well they fit in your ears is the big caveat about these buds. While they fit my ears comfortably and securely, I bent the top of my ears back a bit so they looked a little funny when I wore them. However, they fit my wife’s smaller ears perfectly.

1 More Fit SE S30: 1More makes a few open-ear sports headphones with ear hooks, including the latest Fits SE S31 ($50). the Fit S50 The Fit SE S30 ($100) sounds slightly better than the Fit SE S30, has a more premium design, and is completely waterproof (IPX7 rating). But I like the fit a little better on the recessed S30 model, which is IPX5 splash-resistant (it can withstand splashes of water) and costs less than $40, making it a better value.

Soundcore by Anker AeroFit Pro: The AeroFit Pro are among the best open-ear “air conduction” headphones, have a premium look and feel, and are comfortable to wear. (I had no problem keeping them on my ears while running or exercising.) On the downside, they’re expensive, but they have solid sound quality for these types of earbuds, with ample bass and volume, as well as decent clarity. It’s good for taking calls (it does a pretty good job of reducing background noise reduction) and also offers a solid 14 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels.

Sony Link Buds: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple Standard AirPods. Although they don’t sound as good as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-isolating earbuds, they offer a conservative, innovative design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as good sound and very good voice calling performance.

ClearAudio Arc 2 Sport: Cleer’s original Arc earbuds were solid sports earbuds that featured decent sound for open-style headphones that sit over your ears and blast sound into them. This new model for 2023 improves sound quality and offers additional improvements and feature upgrades, including a new “improved” charging case with UV sterilization and multi-point Bluetooth connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3), all of which makes for a greatly improved product.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: Samsung’s bean-shaped earbuds were a hit when they launched in 2020, but they’ve become outdated. Like standard AirPods, they have an open design, so you don’t put the ear tip in your ear. They’re comfortable to wear and fit my ears more securely than the AirPods. These wireless headphones are discreet and sit flush with your ear, reducing wind noise while cycling. I use them regularly for running and cycling, and they’re great for sports activities if they fit well in your ears. But there’s one caveat: Some people won’t get a secure fit, so buy them from a retailer with a good return policy.