The Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction are the next generation of the AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction. Unlike most traditional sports-oriented headphones, they produce sound by sending vibrations from your cheekbones to your inner ear instead of directly playing audio from speakers. As a result, they don't enter your ear at all, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings, which is handy if you're running outdoors. Their IP67 rating also means they're fully dust, sweat, and waterproof, making them suitable for even the most intense workouts.
Our Verdict
The Shokz OpenRun are disappointing for neutral sound. Our testing rig can't adequately measure their performance because they use vibrations to reproduce audio. In real-life use, they struggle to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which results in a somewhat flat sound. They have very smooth and accurate mids, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear, present, and detailed. Sibilants like cymbals are also bright but not piercing. However, their bass and treble delivery vary, so it's important to take the time to adjust their fit and positioning to ensure a more consistent sound. Wearing earplugs will greatly increase their sound quality but won't let you hear around you as well. That said, these headphones weren't designed with neutral sound in mind and will be adequate for soundtracking daily activities.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Really lack bass.
- Audio delivery depends on the headphones' fit and positioning.
The Shokz OpenRun are sub-par for commute and travel. By design, they don't enter or cover your ears, so you hear all the noise from bus engines and commuter chit-chat. They also leak audio at high volumes. However, if you don't mind this, they have a comfortable fit and are well-built. They also have 13 hours of continuous battery life, which will last through long days on the go. Their low latency on iOS and Android devices makes them a suitable choice if you like streaming videos during your trip.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- 13-hour continuous battery life.
- Leak a lot of audio at high volumes.
- Audio delivery depends on the headphones' fit and positioning.
The Shokz OpenRun are decent for sports and fitness. Since they don't cover your ears, you can listen to your favorite audio while still hearing sounds around you, which is ideal if you're running outdoors. They have a comfortable and stable fit, are well-built, and are rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. Their neckband won't fit into your pockets, but you can wear them on your head or around your neck when you're not using them.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Well-built and rated IP67 for dust and water resistance.
- 13-hour continuous battery life.
- Audio delivery depends on the headphones' fit and positioning.
The Shokz OpenRun can be a suitable choice at the office if you want to listen to audio while still monitoring what's going on around you. Due to their bone conduction design, their transducers sit on your cheekbones rather than in your ears. As a result, they won't block out any sounds around you. They also leak a lot of audio at high volumes. They have a comfortable design, roughly 13 hours of continuous playback time, and are well-built. They also support multi-device pairing, meaning you can simultaneously stay connected to your laptop and smartphone.
- Supports multi-device pairing.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- 13-hour continuous battery life.
- Leak a lot of audio at high volumes.
The Shokz OpenRun are Bluetooth-only headphones. They're compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, but their latency is too high for gaming.
The Shokz OpenRun are Bluetooth-only headphones; you can't use them wired.
The Shokz OpenRun are sub-par for phone calls. They have an integrated mic that does a decent job recording your voice, ensuring it sounds clear and natural. However, the mic has some trouble separating your voice from moderate ambient noise, so if you're taking a call from a busy street, your voice can be drowned out. Since these headphones don't go into or sit around the ear, they also don't block out ambient sound. If you're taking a call from a noisy office, you can have a hard time hearing your call well.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Decent recording quality.
Changelog
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Updated Feb 20, 2026:
We've updated the Recording Quality section to mention the Shokz OpenMeet UC.
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Updated Nov 27, 2025:
We've updated the review to mention the Suunto Wing in the Battery box.
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Updated Aug 26, 2025:
We've added a link to our article about bone conduction headphones in Popular Headphones Comparisons.
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Updated Mar 26, 2025:
The Stability section compares the fit to the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Shokz OpenRun come in four color variants: 'Black,' 'Blue,' 'Grey,' and 'Red.' There's also a variant sold through Costco, marketed as the Shokz OpenRun SE. It's available in 'Dark Gray' but seems to have identical specifications to other variants. We tested the 'Grey' variant; you can see our model's label here. Older models of these headphones might come bearing the "AfterShokz" name and logo, but the company has since changed its name to Shokz.
These headphones also come in a mini size, with a neckband about one inch smaller than the original standard model. However, the mini variant is only available in 'Black.' We expect the mini version to perform similarly to the regular-size variant we tested. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Shokz OpenRun are bone conduction headphones replacing the AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction. Unlike traditional sports earbuds like the Jaybird Vista 2 Truly Wireless, their design doesn't block out any background noise, allowing you to hear ambient sounds around you, whether you're running outdoors or working in a collaborative office. In this sense, they're similar to open-back sports headphones like the Bose Sport Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit True Wireless, which differ in that they reproduce sound through speakers that sit outside of your ear canal.
Check out our recommendations for the best headphones for running and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds. If you're curious about how bone conduction headphones work, we have an article on the topic, too.
Depending on your needs, you may prefer the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction or the Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. The OpenRun Pro 2 has improvements like fewer vibrations from the bone conduction drivers and a USB-C charging port instead of the proprietary battery charger with the OpenRun. The OpenRun Pro 2's app lets you change the EQ, and its mic performance is improved. Folks can get it in a smaller size if needed, which makes a difference in sound and comfort. However, the standard OpenRun has a higher IP67 rating, which might override other considerations for the truly outdoorsy.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone Conduction are the upgraded variant of the Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. While both headphones are comfortable, the Pro come with a better hard case to protect the headphones when you're not using them. They also reproduce a bit more bass, though it's likely not enough if you like thumpy genres like EDM and hip-hop. That said, their companion app offers a couple of EQ presets to help you adjust their sound. The original OpenRun have a higher IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
The Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction are the next generation of the AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction. While both are otherwise the same in terms of build quality, comfort, and sound quality, the OpenRun have a quick charge feature, and they support Bluetooth 5.1. The Aeropex come with two charging cables instead of one, and their soft case is better than the OpenRun's drawstring pouch.
The Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction are better headphones than the Sony Float Run Wireless. The Shokz are more comfortable, better built, and have longer continuous battery life. Both headphones are matched in stability performance and have very similar sound profiles. That said, both of these sports headphones do a terrible job delivering any bass-range audio and sound very thin.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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