Shokz OpenRun Pro offers a safe way to listen to music while running or cycling.
My Holy Grail of running headphones would allow me to listen to music while being able to monitor my environment for potential dangers. I’ve tried several solutions: Bose sunglasses, Bose Sportsfree, Apple AirPods Pro, and Sony LinkBuds Open Ring. (I’ve reviewed most of these here on Amazon.) All worked well, but each of these units is very susceptible to wind noise, and here on PEI, it is always windy. So, I tended not to hear what I was listening to, and the wind noise drowned out my environment.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone Conduction Headphones are not as affected by wind as the other open headphones, making them much more useable for me. And because the Shokz OpenRun Pro doesn’t sit in your ear canal, you don’t get that nasty sweat build-up in your ear canals.
From what I had read on bone conduction headphones, I was expecting little acoustically, but the sound was enjoyable. This is not high-fidelity, but I never understood why anyone would want hi-fi sound while pounding the pavement and dodging cars. By their nature, bone-conduction phones do not transmit much bass, but you can hear Bass notes.
These phones do not cut out any outside noise. It is uncanny. You can converse, hear everything around you, and hear the music. It is like the sound is directly piped into your brain, or you grew a second set of ears.
I have a pumpkin head. I wear a size eight hat (when I can find one), and I was concerned that the Shokz OpenRun Pro would not fit my head. They fit and are so comfortable you forget you have them on, with one exception. I wear a tight windproof hat all winter, and the cable interfered with the hat’s fit and pressed the speakers into my head. My wife, who has a typical head size, did not have this issue. They do not interfere with a ball or bucket cap. The Open Runs come in two sizes, so if you have a smaller head, the Min version might work better for you.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro linked to my Mighty player and iPhone seamlessly. They are IP55 waterproof rated (I didn’t test that- there’s a limit to what I’ll do for the team!) Battery life is ranked at eight hours, with fast charge capabilities. I’ve worn them for a four-hour run with no battery issues.
Some races that ban headphones will allow bone-conduction headphones. But don’t be a silly-billy, and wear headphones at a race. Enjoy the crowd vibe that you are probably paying dearly for.
My only quibble is the charging cord is the proprietary cable standard to all Shokz. It’s a USB A-based cable. I prefer a USB C to C cable, which means one more cable to lug around and look after. Replacement chargers are available on Amazon.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro allows runners and cyclists to listen to music while enjoying their sports safely. I will never use in-ear phones while exercising again.
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