Pros

• Slightly improved design and comfort
• Impressive sound for open earbuds
• Improved battery life
• New physical control button

Why I like them

The AirPods 4 are, unsurprisingly, the fourth generation of Apple's original true-wireless earbuds that feature an open design, which means they don't have silicone ear tips like the AirPods Pro 3. Not only do they feature a slightly smaller design and better sound than their predecessor, but they're equipped with Apple's H2 chip that improves overall performance and powers Apple's ever expanding AirPods features, though they don't have the AirPods Pro 2's Hearing Aid mode. Read my Apple AirPods 4 review.

The AirPods 4 comes in two versions: a $129 entry-level model and a $179 step-up model with active noise canceling. ANC is a rare feature for open earbuds because it typically doesn't work with an open design, but these are the first open buds I've tried to have active noise canceling that actually works (it's about half as strong as the AirPods Pro 2's noise canceling and 25% as strong as the AirPods Pro's 3). That's pretty cool and worth the extra $50 if you can afford it.

Reasons to buy

A lot of people don't like having ear tips jammed in their ears and find open earbuds more comfortable (plus, you can hear the the outside world for safety reasons), and the AirPods 4 are made for those Apple users. They also sound very good for open earbuds and feature excellent voice-calling performance along with Apple's spatial audio and likable pinch controls. The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling are more special simply because they feature noise canceling. No, the AirPods 4 with ANC's noise muffling capabilities aren't that great compared with what you get with the AirPods Pro 3 and top noise-canceling earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) or the Sony WF-1000XM5. But that it works at all and is reasonably effective is kind of wild because, as I said, noise canceling and open earbuds usually aren't a good mix.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

While their slightly smaller, updated design fits a wider range of ears more securely, some folks may not get a secure fit. The AirPods Pro 3 offer a more flexible fit because they include five different sizes of ear tips. They also deliver better sound with more bass in a noise-isolating design (the AirPods Pro 3's excellent noise canceling is significantly better than that of the AirPods 4 with ANC).

Why I like them

Shokz wanted to equip its new flagship OpenFit Pro open earbuds with active noise cancellation, but that's not easy with open earbuds. Instead, it ended up dialing back expectations and calling the tech inside these new ear-hook style buds, "OpenEar Noise Reduction." It's a good thing it did because, during time testing the OpenFit Pro, they didn't reduce ambient sound nearly as well as the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. But they sound impressive for open earbuds, are comfortable to wear and have the premium build quality you'd expect from a set of earbuds that cost $250. Read review.

Reasons to buy

The OpenFit Pro are well-designed and among the best-sounding open earbuds.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

There are more affordable open buds with ear-hook designs that may not sound quite as good but do cost $50 to $100 less.

Why I like them

Like Baseus' noise-isolating Inspire XP1 earbuds that I rated highly, the Inspire XC1 feature "Sound by Bose" and a more premium design than earlier Baseus earbuds. The XC1 don't sound as good as the XP1, but they sound very good for open earbuds and are equipped with dual drivers, one of which is a Knowles balanced-armature driver that helps improve treble performance. While they don't produce as much bass as noise-isolating earbuds like the Inspire XP1, their bass performance is better than I expected. The buds' sound is pretty full, especially in quieter environments, though they do better with less bass-heavy material (I did notice a bit of distortion at higher volumes with certain tracks with harder driving bass).

While I slightly prefer the design and fit of Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds (as well as the design of their case) and think the Bose buds sound more natural and a tad better overall, the much more affordable Inspire XC1 fit comfortably and offer top-tier sound for clip-on open earbuds (and they play louder than the Bose), as well as decent voice-calling performance with good background noise reduction. They also have an IP66 water-resistance rating, which means they're fully waterproof and dust-resistant. I also appreciated that they have a programmable physical button on each earbud to control playback, multipoint Bluetooth (so you can connect two devices to the buds simultaneously) and a low-latency mode for video gaming and video watching.

The buds have been tuned by Bose engineers and their default EQ setting in the app is "Sound by Bose," but you can also tweak the sound a bit with six additional presets, including a bass boost mode and a custom EQ setting. The buds support the SBC and AAC codecs along with LDAC for Android users (it has to be turned on in the app). Battery life is solid at around 8 hours on a single charge with volume set at 50%.

Reasons to buy

The Inspire XC1 stack up well against the more expensive Shokz' Open Dots clip-on earbuds and while they're not quite as good overall as Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, they cost less than half the price and sound nearly as good.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

If you can't afford this model, Baseus also makes the MC1 Pro, which sometimes gets discounted to around $50. The Inspire XC1 look very similar but have a more premium design and upgraded sound.

Pros

• Slightly improved design and comfort
• Impressive sound for open earbuds
• Improved battery life
• New physical control button

Why I like them

Shokz has released the newer OpenFit 2 Plus, which adds wireless charging and a Dolby Atmos sound mode for $20 more. The buds are otherwise the same, so you can decide whether it's worth the extra dough (I'm not sure it is). Both are comfortable to wear, sound excellent for open earbuds, at least in quieter environments and offer good voice-calling performance. I also like that each bud has a programmable physical control button to control playback. Read my Shokz OpenFit 2 review.

Reasons to buy

While the Shokz OpenFit 2 are a little pricey, they're among the best open earbuds with ear hooks and feature a comfortable, durable design, strong sound quality (for open earbuds), good voice-calling performance and improved controls. Because of these traits, I have them near the top of my list of best headphones and earbuds for runners. They also work well for bikers and anyone who doesn't like having eartips jammed in their ears.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

You can find cheaper open earbuds with ear hooks that may not sound quite as good, but they're pretty close and are a better overall value.

Why I like them

The well-designed OpenDots One are among the best open earbuds out there right now. While they don't sound quite as good as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, they're pretty close and fit my ears slightly better and have better battery life. Read review. 

Reasons to buy

Like the Ultra Open Earbuds, which sell for $299, they're a bit overpriced, but at least they cost less than the Bose and their case has wireless charging.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The Shokz OpenDots One may cost less than the Bose but they're still pretty pricey.

Why I like them

New for 2026, Baseus' affordable Bowie MC2 clip-on buds improve upon the earlier MC1 with superior sound and a design that's a little less generic. (Yhey shouldn't be confused with the $10 cheaper MC2 Air buds, which have slightly worse sound and build quality.).They're also a bit more comfortable, thanks to an upgraded "slim wave C-ring" and "air cushions" that come in three sizes. They offer slightly better performance to the Bowie MC1 Pro -- I felt they sounded a little cleaner with slightly bigger sound overall and less distortion at higher volumes. (The MC2 has a shade larger 11mm driver instead of the 10.8mm driver found in the MC1 Pro.) Like the MC1 Pro, these have support for the LDAC audio codec (along with AAC and SBC) for Android devices and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. A low-latency gaming mode is also available.

While not quite in the same league as Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, Shokz' Open Dots or Baseus' own Inspire XC1 clip-on buds, they're only a very small step down for sound quality but cost a lot less. Equipped with Bluetooth 6.0, they have an IP67 certification, which means the buds are fully waterproof and dustproof, making them suitable for runners and bikers. Voice-calling capabilities are also good -- like the MC1 Pro, they have two microphones per bud. Callers told me they heard only minimal background noise while my voice sounded acceptably clear when I spoke to them from the noisy streets of New York. As for battery life, the buds are rated for up to 11.5 hours with bass boost engaged (which Baseus markets as Super Bass 3.0). I kept the bass boost on when I was listening to music.

Reasons to buy

The Bowie MC2 offer a comfortable fit and are among the best budget clip-on earbuds. They sound quite decent for open buds.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The step-up Bose-infused Baseus Inspire XC1 offer a little more premium look and slightly better sound quality.

Why I like them

They weren't the first clip-on earbuds, but Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds really kickstarted this sub-genre of true-wireless earbuds. They literally clip onto the side of your ears, kind of like earrings, and their open design has micro speakers that fire sound into your ears while still being able to hear what's happening around you. They're somewhat overpriced, but otherwise, there's a lot to like about them, including a surprisingly comfortable, secure fit and very good sound quality for open buds. Initially, the buds didn't feature multipoint Bluetooth pairing, but the feature was added in July of 2024. Read my Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review.

Reasons to buy

If you're looking for open ear buds that allow you to hear the outside world, Bose's Ultra Earbuds are among the best out there, featuring a very comfortable, secure fit with strong sound quality for open earbuds in a premium design.

Reason to skip/keep looking

They're a little overpriced. I'd like to see these closer to $200 (they do often go on sale for $250).

Why I like them

Cleer's Arc earbuds have been among the best-sounding open wireless earbuds with an ear-hook design, and the company's current flagship model, the Arc 5, continues this tradition. The spiritual successor to the Arc 3, the Arc 5 retains that model's robust feature set while offering a lighter and more refined design, even better battery life (up to 12 hours) and slightly improved sound. As with the Arc 3, the Arc 5 have something that other buds of this ilk don't have: a touchscreen LCD built into their charging case. The touchscreen allows you to control playback and access the buds' features, including EQ settings, and even use the case as a remote to snap a photo on your smartphone.

Fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating, the Arc 5 have built-in voice controls to raise and lower volume and skip tracks forward and backward, as well as Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking. Additionally, you can nod your head twice to take a call or shake your head back and forth to reject it. (This feature is referred to as gesture controls.) And finally, they have an ultraviolet light that sterilizes the buds when they're in the case and a step counter.

The buds' bass, however, lacks a little punch compared to what you get with a good set of noise-isolating buds in this price range, and they produce a bit of sibilance in the treble. But they offer relatively full sound with good clarity that holds together better at higher volumes (though they can distort at higher volumes with some tracks). They also offered solid voice-calling performance.

Reasons to buy

You're looking for a top-performing set of open buds with ear hooks that are loaded with features, including a case with a touchscreen LCD.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The buds are now seeing some discounts, but when they aren't on sale, they are fairly pricey. Also, while the design has been refined and is more comfortable, they may not fit all ears equally well.

Why I like them

Anker's Soundcore V20i earbuds aren't going to win any awards for their design or sound quality -- there's a bit of distortion at higher volumes and they only output so much bass. But they look and sound decent enough for open buds, and they fit my ears comfortably. While their performance can't match what you get from more premium earbuds with ear hooks (that includes voice-calling performance), the key here is that they only cost around $30.

Reasons to buy them

If you're just looking for a pair of open sports buds that work acceptably well for not much money, the Soundcore V20i fit the bill. The step-up V30i buds are also just fine for about $10 more (there's also a V40I that's under $50), but I have no problem recommending the V20i so long as you don't have the highest expectations in the world.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

As far as ear-hook style earbuds go, the V20i are pretty basic. If you're looking for more slickly designed and better performing open earbuds, you'll need to pay more.

When Sony launched its original stem-free, donut-shaped LinkBuds in 2022, I lauded them for being an innovative take on open earbuds after Apple had dominated the open earbuds genre with its AirPods for several years. The second-gen LinkBuds Open were released in 2024, and now Sony's added the donut-shaped LinkBuds, its take on the increasingly popular clip-on genre of open buds. While there isn't anything terribly innovative about them, especially given their high list price of $230, they're nicely designed, fit my ears well, sound good (for clip-on buds, anyway), have strong battery life and have excellent voice-calling performance. Read full review.

Reasons to buy

The LinkBuds Clip may not sound great compared with noise-isolating earbuds in the same price range, but they measure up quite well to other top clip-on buds, none of which feature fantastic sound and aren't really designed for critical listening. Where they do seem to have a real competitive advantage is with their voice-calling performance, which is great if you like to chat when you go for a run or do other activities.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The LinkBuds Clip seem a little overpriced at $230, which is why I have them rated just below four stars. Should they end up on sale on Amazon for $50 less, you can add a quarter star to my rating.

Anker's Soundcore AeroFit 2 open earbuds have been completely redesigned and look quite different from the original AeroFit buds. The second-gen Aerofit are not only more comfortable but look sleeker, sound significantly better and offer all-around improvements. The buds aren't as light as the Shokz OpenFit 2 buds and don't sound quite as good, but they cost less and offer good all-around performance with augmented bass response. Available in multiple colors, they're a good option for those looking for ear-hook style open earbuds with a fairly premium design and good sound quality without the high price tag of top-end models.

The Nothing Ear (Open) buds may not sound quite as good as Shokz' OpenFit 2 buds, but they do offer very respectable sound for open earbuds and I found them lightweight and comfortable to wear (the overall fit and where the buds end up sitting on your ears will impact sound quality, particularly when it comes to bass performance). Overall, the buds are well-designed and feature Nothing's signature translucent plastic on the exterior of the bud. They're IP54 certified, which means they're splash-proof and dust-resistant.

Aside from their design, I liked their pinch controls and slim, elongated case. Voice-calling performance was also good, though it can be a little harder to hear callers in noisy environments because these are open earbuds. Battery life is rated at 8 hours at moderate volume levels with an additional 22 hours in the charging case. While there's a bass boost mode as part of the equalizer settings in Nothing's companion app for iOS and Android (there's also a "low-lag gaming mode), the buds can deliver only so much bass. But I was happy wearing them nevertheless.