This probably says something about my attention span, but I cannot run without headphones or earphones. But these days, I’m exceptionally picky. Headphones make me sweaty and I hate not hearing my surroundings. Earphones annoy my ears, especially if they wrap around to avoid falling off as I run. So when bone conduction clip-on earphones entered the scene a few years ago, I was an instant convert.

Unsurprisingly, Shokz have led the charge in this arena. Their bone conduction headphones have an almost cult status in the running world, thanks to their comfort and open-ear design. They turned their hand to clip-ons a couple of years ago, and have now released two brand new options: the Shokz OpenDots 2 and the Shokz OpenDots Air. The former is the new and upgraded version of their flagship design, with all the bells and whistles. The latter offers the bone conduction clip-on experience at a more budget price.

I was lucky enough to test them both, so that we could compare and contrast. Here are my thoughts, and my recommendation on which model is best for runners…

Shokz OpenDots 2 & OpenDots Air review

Shokz OpenDots 2 details

• RRP: £179
• Battery life: up to 10 hours of music time per charge
• Case battery life: up to 40 hours
• Water resistance: Earbuds IP57 | Case IP54
• Weight: 6.4g per earbud

Shokz OpenDots Air details

• RRP: £129
• Battery life: up to 9 hours of music time per charge
• Case battery life: up to 36 hours per charge
• Water resistance: Earbuds IP55 | Case not waterproof
• Weight: 6.3g per earbud

Who and what are the Shokz Opendots 2 & OpenDots Air for?

Both of these earphones are designed with everyday life in mind, including exercise. Their open-ear design I think is honestly revolutionary: both designs are so light and comfortable because of this. The fact that they don’t go inside my ears or over my ears means that they don’t irritate me in any way. I can wear them all day, through any activity, without even noticing they’re there.

How do they fit?

Very well. They curl around the middle of your outer ear – a bit higher than you’d wear a clip-on earring! The earphone itself sits just inside your outer ear, allowing that bone conduction magic to happen. The back of the earbud sits just behind your outer ear, but doesn’t reach so far as to bother the bony bits at the back. I will say that they’re a little larger than some other open-ear earphones I’ve tried, so slightly more noticeable when you’re wearing them. That being said, they’re still a very comfy fit.

Do they stay in place?

Yes – both designs didn’t budge at all on my runs. If you’re wearing sunglasses you do need to be a little bit careful not to catch them as you put the arms behind your ears, but the fit is adjustable enough that you can find space for both sunglasses and the earphones around your ear.

Do the OpenDots 2 and OpenDots Air offer good sound quality?

So far, both designs have been pretty similar. This is where the difference between them was the most noticeable for me. The OpenDots 2 have some extra sound-tech additions: Bassphere™ 2.0 and MirrorPitch™, to be exact. This compares to just Bassphere™ in the OpenDots Air. This does have a big impact. My music sounded better through the OpenDots 2, thanks to deeper, richer bass. When I listened to podcasts, they sounded much more echoey on the OpenDots Air, which did reduce my listening enjoyment a bit.

What’s the battery life like?

If you looked at the details above, you’ll know that the OpenDots 2 offers longer battery life both per charge, and in its case. To be honest, I didn’t really notice this difference. I’m not an ultra runner, natch, but they both could easily handle my listening needs on a daily basis.

OpenDots 2 vs OpenDots Air – which is better for runners?

If I’m being totally honest, I’d say that it’s worth spending the extra £50 and getting the OpenDots 2. The extra sound quality was a big one for me as someone who loves listening to podcasts on the run. The extra waterproof rating for the earbuds and the case was also appreciated, both for sweaty runs and wet ones.

That being said, they’re both an excellent choice for runners generally due to Shokz’ excellent combination of features and ergonomics in an open-ear design. If your budget will only stretch to the OpenDots Air, then I’d still recommend investing in those over normal headphones or earphones.