By: Tarin O'Donnell

Shokz has paved the way for open-ear technology in the audio world. Last year, they launched a brand new product, the OpenFit which was their first design closest to a true earphone. They upped the game this year with a new & improved version, the OpenFit 2, featuring better fit, extended battery life, and physical buttons! 

If you aren't familiar with Shokz, here is a quick rundown. Their flagship designs have been wireless headsets that use bone conduction and open ear technology. This means they sit outside your ears, not in them, allowing the user to hear what is going on around them. Making them great options for activities in cities and on the trails. 

There are many benefits to open ear technology. One of the major things is safety. Being able to hear your surroundings keeps you aware of any hazards that may come up behind or beside you. Whether you are commuting via foot, bike, in a busy area, or out solo in the woods, having the ability to hear what is happening around you can help prevent big or small accidents.

First Ear Account

I will personally tell you, I am obsessed with these! I have been using them almost daily for the past two months. I work from home, however, I live in a tiny space and don't live alone, so, usually I'm reaching for my OpenFit's before my coffee. Whether I'm heading out for a walk, an XC ski, doing yoga in my "living room", or just sitting straight down to work, I pop them in my ears and get my day going. Let's get into my list of pros and cons. 

The Likes 

Fit

I don't prefer something in my ears constantly nor do I prefer earbuds when talking on the phone or taking zoom meetings (unless I'm actually in a place I need to cancel out noise). The OpenFit has what they call a "dolphin arc ear hook" design. They hook around your ear and sit outside of your ear canal.

OpenFit's are comfortably under my headband!

Battery Life

The OpenFit 2 lasts up to 11 hours on a single charge and with their charging case, you can get up to 48 hours! They also are equipped with a quick charge, meaning 10 minutes on the charger can give you 2 hours of playtime. This is perfect for those times you forget to put them in their case or if you are in a hurry and they are running low. 

MultiPoint Pairing

Another favorite feature of mine! This may not mean much to everyone, but if you #wfh (work from home 😉) this feature is incredibly handy. The OpenFit's seamlessly connect from two different devices, meaning you don't have to disconnect from one and reconnect to another. I can be listening to music or a podcast on my phone, then hop on a zoom call from my computer without having to press a single button. You do have to use the app to do this, but you'll want the app anyway for other personalizations like sound and control preferences (more on that next). 

Sound

I have no complaints here nor anything super technical to say. As I mentioned, with the app you can customize EQ modes, which is great for those who have certain preferences or like to switch modes depending on what they are using their headphones for. If I really wanted to blast my eardrums and rock out, these wouldn't do it, but that's not what they are intended for anyway. So, if you are trying to go ham on a work out and need to shut out the world and possibly go deaf, you may consider a different pair for that mission. Otherwise, music, podcasts, and calls come through great! I've also had no complaints from those on the other side of my calls about the microphone. 

The Dislikes Update!

The Controls

The first version of the OpenFit had touch controls. This was my only dislike of that model because they were very finicky. You couldn't use the touch controls with gloves on and they weren't very easy to activate when you wanted, then too easy when you didn't want to. For instance, when adjusting them while on a call, I'd always hang up on the person, but trying desperately to turn up the volume or press pause on a bike ride, impossible. 

I am so happy that with the new version, they added physical buttons! This was the main reason I wanted to try the new ones. This seemingly minor update is a game changer in my opinion. Similar to the older version, you can adjust the controls through the Shokz app as there is only one button on each earphone. You can customize what a double click, triple click, and long press do on each earphone. There are limitations to these customizations I still think this is a far better option than the solely touch controls of the past. 

Here's a photo comparison of the two versions with OpenFit 1 on the left and OpenFit 2 on the right

Author: Tarin O'Donnell

Tarin considers herself a Jane of all trades, dabbling in a little bit of everything. You can find her outside mountain biking, paddleboarding, snowboarding/splitboarding, snowmobiling, and on her bc nordic skis with her dogs.