The Shokz OpenDots 2 are open earbuds that use a clip design, similar to the popular Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. The Shokz have a dual opposing dynamic driver setup in each earbud, advertised to 'perform like a single 16 mm driver.' And they feature a silicone finish in sections in contact with your skin for maximum comfort and an IP57 rating against the elements.
Our Verdict
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are great for sports and fitness. Their clip design is stable during movements like interval sprints, and they have a comfortable silicone finish on sections of the earbud that contact your skin. There's also an IP57 rating that indicates resistance to dust and water exposure, meaning you can take the buds out in the rain or on dusty trails. The battery also lasts for over eight hours, with another three charges in the case.
Stable and comfortable fit.
IP57 rating against water and dust exposure.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are bad for travel. Their open design means they don't isolate you from noise, which is bad news if you're looking to mitigate airplane engine rumble and the cacophony of noises in a busy airport. That said, they'll do in a pinch if you have nothing else to listen to audio with, and last for most shorter flights thanks to their over eight-hour battery life. Plus, they're comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Stable and comfortable fit.
No noise isolation.
Tap controls inconsistent.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are bad for work if you care about noise isolation. If you can control your work environment or prioritize frequent collaboration with peers in person, the earbuds' open design isn't much of a downside. You can take calls with the earbuds, and the microphone will prevent most office noise, like HVAC or keyboard clacks, from distracting colleagues in a Teams meeting. And the over eight-hour battery life should last you most work days (though there's always the three additional charges provided by the carrying case). However, if you work in a busy office or prefer to lock in distraction-free, the earbuds will offer you no reprieve from outside noise; you'll bear the full brunt of water-cooler chatter or screaming children (if you work from home).
Stable and comfortable fit.
No noise isolation.
Tap controls inconsistent.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 earbuds aren't suitable for wireless gaming as they don't support a low-latency wireless connection to avoid audio-visual desync in most games.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 clip-on don't support wired connections.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 have decent audio reproduction accuracy. Since they're open earbuds, there's not much bass reproduction, giving the buds a bright sound signature due to the relative treble emphasis. And for the most part, the frequency response follows the earbuds' sound profile, with minor fluctuations in the treble, causing some sibilants ('S' and 'T' sounds) to stand out as harsher than others, depending on their pitch. Still, there's no audible harmonic distortion, and our unit's stereo matching is amazing, with no bias to the left or right of the image.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are open earbuds that aren't meant to isolate you from noise. Since they don't block your ear canals at all and have no active noise cancelling, you'll hear background noise like rumbly plane engines, talkative colleagues, and pneumatic brakes on busy streets as though you aren't wearing any earbuds.
The Shokz OpenDots 2's microphone system performs better than the score indicates. Its noise reduction behavior interacts with our recording quality measurements, pulling their score down. In practice, your voice is intelligible, but bright when using the mic system. On the plus side, it mitigates consistent background hiss from HVAC systems. However, loud noise like a train pulling into the station will mask your speech entirely.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 have acceptable frequency response consistency. You might notice some differences in high-treble output between wears, but mid-range audio delivery stays consistent, so speech in podcasts and vocals in music sound the same between reseats.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Shokz OpenDots 2 come in 'Pearl White,' 'Grey,' and 'Black.' We tested the 'Pearl White' colorway (and took a photo of the label), though we don't expect any performance differences between the versions. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update the review.
Popular Headphone Comparisons
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are the follow-up to the Shokz OpenDots One and have a very similar spec sheet and design, with one notable improvement: their IP rating is upgraded to IP57 from IP54, making them one of the most dust and water-resistant clip earbuds we've tested. Compared to the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, SoundPeats PearClip Pro, and Anker Soundcore C30i, the Shokz are tied for most durable and stable, with their superior IP57 rating edging them out for people who like to run in the rain or hike on dusty trails. They also incorporate silicone on parts of the earbud in contact with your skin, though we found the Bose the most comfortable to wear. And while the Shokz heavily advertise their bass output, supported by their 'BassSphere 2.0' dual opposing driver system, they don't output much more bass than the competing cuff earbuds. If the low-end is something you can't accept losing, check out in-ears with other stabilizing features like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, which feature ear hooks.
Check out our recommendations for the best bone conduction and open-ear headphones, the best headphones and earbuds for running and working out, and the best over-ear headphones for working out.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenDots 2 are both clip/cuff earbuds that don't block your ear canals. Both are solid for sports and fitness, though there are some differences that may pull you in either direction. The Shokz supports multi-device pairing, which can be convenient if you're using them outside the gym for work, but they have a shorter battery life (8 hours vs the Bose's 9) and don't support aptX-Adaptive, a codec that allows the Bose to hit sub-100 ms latencies, making them better for mobile gaming on your commute home from the gym. That said, the Shokz have an IP57 rating compared to the Bose's IPX4, so they're more resistant to the elements.
The Shokz OpenFit Pro and Shokz OpenDots 2 are both open earbuds with differing designs. The OpenDots have a cuff design that clips to the side of your ear while the OpenFit use ear hooks and orient their drivers at the entrance of your ear canal. Neither have a deep in-ear fit and provide similar comfort and stability. However, the OpenFit have a sturdier-feeling case, though the earbuds themselves only have an IP55 rating compared to the OpenDots IP57 (which indicates better water resistance). Still, if you care about bass output, the OpenFit have much more low-end despite their open design.
The Anker Soundcore C30i and Shokz OpenDots 2 are both cuff-style open earbuds. The Anker targets a much lower price tier, but they're still decently comfortable and similarly stable. That said, the Shokz have better comfort overall and a better-performing microphone system if you care about taking calls. They're also IP57-rated, meaning the Shokz have dust and better water resistance than the IPX4-rated Anker.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are better cuff earbuds than the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro. The Shokz have an IP57 rating which indicates better water and dust resistance compared to the SoundPeats. They're also more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. The Shokz app is also more polished and isn't prone to the sub-par user experience of the PeatsAudio app, which was riddled with freezes and crashes. The Shokz also have over double the SoundPeats' battery life, clocking in at 8.3 hours compared to 3.25 hours.
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