Shokz OpenFit Air review: Weaker little brother

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I was quite impressed by the Shokz OpenFit when I reviewed it a few months ago. The OpenFit Air, which launched in June, promises to deliver the same type of performance, but cheaper.

I like cheaper. And I liked the OpenFit. So this was a bit of a no-brainer, right?

Well, partially. Obviously, Shokz has made some sacrifices with the earbuds when it comes to getting the price under $200. 

Comfort is the big one. These are larger than the original OpenFit, and while they use the same wraparound ear hooks and DirectPitch technology to pump sound into your ear canals, you can feel these sitting on your ears.

It’s not a terrible experience, but it’s definitely noticeable. And given the $80 price difference, I think I’d go for comfort every day of the week.

What is the Shokz OpenFit Air offering?

Like the Shokz Openfit, the big selling point for the OpenFit Air is the ability to hear your surroundings while also listening to music.

It accomplishes this by sitting the speaker outside your ear, then directs the sound pressure into your ear canal. Unlike traditional earbuds, it doesn’t block outside noise, so you can still hear the sounds of traffic, or your co-workers, while you wear them.

But it’s more than just transparently hearing the outside world. The entire design of the Shokz OpenFit Air is built around fitness. The wraparound earhook design locks around your ear, refusing to move, no matter how active you are.

The earbuds are also rated IP54, which means they can survive your copies sweating while you run or row or mountain climb for the six hours of battery life these earbuds offer (with an additional 22 hours in the case).

What does the Shokz OpenFit Air do well?

You would think that earbuds that don’t go into your ears and allow external sounds to get mixed up with your audio stream might sound a bit rubbish.

The Shokz OpenFit Air proves that thought wrong. There is a superb balance as well, with bass coming through remarkably well for an earphone that sits on the outside of your ear. 

Obviously, the quieter the surroundings, the better the sound quality. But even with two kids talking to me simultaneously, the TV blaring and music being played in a far off bedroom, I could still enjoy the chill of Crowded House’s Gravity Stairs album.

I don’t think the sound quality is as good as the OpenFit, and when you compare to a premium set of headphones like the Sonos Ace, it falls well behind.

I also want to flag that in really loud environments, like walking next to a main road during peak hour, you need to crank the volume up to be able to hear it. 

What could the Shokz OpenFit Air improve?

Despite being a bit lighter than the OpenFit, I actually found these less comfortable. 

Each earbud is a tiny bit heavier — 8.7 grams vs the 8.3 grams of the OpenFit. But I don’t think it’s the weight. 

It’s more that the design presses in on your ear a bit more so that you can feel them more.

Over time, that means they are noticeably less comfortable than the more expensive version. I’d argue they are still easier to wear for a long period of time than in-ear buds, though.

Another issue is noise leakage. Because these don’t sit in your ears, at louder volumes the sound leaks out so people around you can hear the music.

It’s not too bad at lower volumes, and sop it probably won’t be an issue in office-environments where the ambient noise level isn’t too high. 

But it also means these aren’t great options for commuting on public transport. 

And finally, the on-ear controls are difficult to use. Most of the time I ended up just rubbing my finger around the earbud hoping for the best.

The lack of physical controls is really disappointing here, particular for fitness users who need the tactile experience to get what they want while being active.

Verdict

These are a decent enough pair of wireless earbuds, though don’t do enough to crack our list of the best pairs out there. 

For runners who need to be able to hear their surrounds while exercising, they do a solid job, delivering good quality sound while letting ambient sound in as well. 

But in my mind, there’s not enough to differentiate the OpenFit Air from the OpenFit, which, I feel, are a much better pair of earbuds.

The OpenFit Air has an RRP of $199, vs the OpenFit’s $289. Because the more premium earbuds have been around longer, they also get discounted more often – as I write this Shokz themselves are selling the OpenFit for $249.

But regardless of discounts, I feel the extra $80 is worth it for a more comfortable fit with better battery life and slightly better sound. 

So these are fine if you can’t justify more than $200. But if you can, spring the extra $80 and get the original OpenFit. It’s worth it.

Buy the Shokz OpenFit Air online

Shokz OpenFit Air

The OpenFit Air has plenty to like, but compared to the original OpenFit, which is only $80 more (at RRP), it doesn’t offer enough to stand apart.

Check price @ Amazon