Best Open Earbuds (2026): Bose, Soundcore, and More

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about These wireless earbuds with an “open” design let you zone out to your music while also keeping aware of your surroundings.

Ryan Waniata Gear Jan 29, 2026 7:00 AM The Best Open Earbuds for Everyone These wireless earbuds with an “open” design let you zone out to your music while staying aware of your surroundings. Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Featured in this article Best Open Earbuds for Most Soundcore $170 $110 (35% off) Amazon Best Premium Open Earbuds Bose Ultra Open Earbuds $299 Amazon Best Earhooks on a Budget Acefast Acefit Air $30 $29 (3% off) Amazon Best Cheap Clip-Ons Soundpeats PearlClip Pro $60 $50 (17% off) Amazon Open earbuds (AKA open-ear buds) are the hottest trend in audio right now. (yes, really)

Thanks to a novel design that keeps your ear canals clear in any scenario, the best open earbuds let you enjoy your favorite music or media while staying naturally aware of the world.

The Details

There are a ton of options out there, so we set ourselves to task, testing every new pair we can get our hands on. Without any way to block ambient sounds, these probably cant be your everything buds, but they will let you hear everything.

From affordable clip-ons to funky bone conductors, these are our favorite open earbuds for every fit and budget. For more options, check out our extensive guides to the Best Wireless Earbuds , the Best Workout Headphones , and the Best Wireless Headphones .

Why This Matters

Updated January 2026: Weve added the Soundpeats Clip1 and Shokz OpenFit Pro. What Exactly Are Open Earbuds and How Do They Sound? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Open earbuds are similar to regular wireless earbuds, but instead of plugging your ear canals for a good seal, they leave them open to exterior sounds for enhanced situational awareness.

This is part of the broader shift happening across the tech industry right now.

The Bottom Line

This means their audio performance clutched’t be as intimate or full-sounding as regular earbuds, particularly in the bass. Theyre also less versatile than buds with ambient audio features like noise canceling and transparency mode that can suppress or let in exterior sounds on demand.

What do you think about all this?