Runners, These Open Air Headphones Are The Best Ones I’ve Tried

Whether it's running on the treadmill, along the beach or on the sidewalk, I've always flirted with long-distance running. And while it's a good stress release for me, sometimes I struggle to get out of my head while I'm running.

So, more often than not, I listen to podcasts, playlists, meditations and guided runs. Naturally, I've tried a bunch of different running headphones to try and find a pair that I love — and I think I may have stumbled upon the perfect pair. Meet Shokz OpenRun Pro Open-Ear Headphones.

I've never actually seen a pair of open-ear headphones like this before. They don't go in or over your ears like regular wireless headphones, they use bone conduction tech that transmits sound vibrations along your cheekbones instead of through the air.

This means that the style of the headphones uses a wraparound titanium frame ensuring a secure fit that will stay in place during any workout. The headphones also come in black, beige, blue and pink, so you can pick a colour that suits your vibe.

The sound quality is crisp, clear and I can still hear my surroundings. It's the safest I've felt running in headphones in a long time. If you like to know the fancy info, the frequency response is between 20Hz~20KHz, so the quality of sounds is as good as it gets.

The battery life has lasted really well so far (and I've been using these for about two months). According to the brand, you get up to 10 hours of music and calls, and a five-minute quick charge gives you one and a half hours of listening time so you can still exercise even if you've forgotten to charge your headphones overnight. Outside of that quick charge time, it apparently takes a 20-minutes to get 60% charge, 30-minutes for a 90% charge, and an hour for a full charge.

I used to think my old running headphones were the most comfortable pair I owned, but these have proven to be 10 times comfier. The design is what makes it. The fact that they don't have an in-ear design that makes your ears hurt, or adds to an already sweaty occasion like the over-ear pairs do. They're super easy to wear while you're running because they wrap around your head and loop over your ear. The speaker sits just in front of your ear for open-air listening. This feature also allows for situational awareness so you feel safe while you run.

The sound quality is excellent. The look and feel of these bone-constructed headphones are super luxurious. And the comfort level is second to none. While the $269 price point might seem expensive, it's a pretty average price point to those of the same quality on the market.

I genuinely mean it when I say these are the most comfortable running headphones I've ever used. I love that I can wear them on long runs and they don't make my ears hurt. I've also been known to lose a headphone or two occasionally, so the fact that they've got the wrap-around boning at the back was a huge selling point for me.

If you ask this runner, they're worth every dollar.