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The Shokz OpenFit Air and the OpenFit are currently the two options you have to pick from if you’re sold on Shokz headphones, but prefer earbuds to its neckband-style headphones like the OpenRun.

If you’re currently casting your eye over both buds and trying to work out which will be a better fit for running, Testers Nick, Kieran and Mike share their running experiences with the OpenFit Air and the OpenFit to help make that decision an easier one.

Hit that play button to find out how the Shokz OpenFit compares to the new OpenFit Air.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro, price and key stats
01:14 – Design, fit and controls
06:04 – Sound quality
09:34 – Battery life
12:31 – Verdict

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Hey this is Mike for the run test and in This video we're going to talk about how The shocks open Fit air compares to the Shocks open fit so these are shock's two Open air truly Wireless air conduction Style airbuds that they have now Launched now if you haven't had a chance To have a look at our multitester Running review of the open Fit air that Is now up on the channel we stick a link Up and likewise we tested the open fit When those launched as well too we'll Stick a link up to that in the video as Well now if you are coming to this video Trying to get a sense of how these two Airbuds compare which of the ones going To be the better fit for you we're going To take you through our running Experiences that being myself Nick and Kieran what we're going to do is kind of Kind of quickly flash up on paper what The key differences are how these two Airbuds match up and as I said you can Go in deeper on those kind of individual Reviews what we really want to do here Is kind of give you our experiences of Running with these two airbuds and give You a sense of should you go for the Open Fit air the new ones or should you The open fit which have been around for A little bit longer not much longer but A little bit longer than the open Fit Air so as I said let's get into our Running experiences with the shocks open

Fit air and the open fits and let you Know which ones you should Buy looking at the design of the open Fit and the open Fit air I think they Are pretty similar all around I know You' got the slightly different ear hook On the open Fit air but all around I've Had a really good fit with both of these Sets of headphones both of them stayed In place very reliably for me on the run And they're really comfortable for me to Wear for long periods sometimes have Comfort issue within a headphones so I Do like a set of open headphones to use For work alongside running and both of These have a really secure fit that's All good on both buds I'd say the Controls are very slightly better on the Shocks open fit I found they were just a Lot more reliable in registering my Touches than the open Fit air which I Nearly always had to tap a couple of Times just to wake it up before it's Actually started to register the Taps I Was trying to do with regards to Skipping music or pausing music so I Think you get slightly better controls On the open fit and the design is a Little bit nicer on the open fit like a Tiny bit smaller tiny bit lighter the Ear hook is slightly different on the Most important issue of fit I found it Was very similar across the two open fit Headphones very secure for me on the run

So let's start with design then looks Wise I think I prefer the more subtle or Black finish on the open fit than the Silver touches that you get on the open Fit air but both of these headphones are Well put together with neat looking Finishes and that lovely soft silicone Feel the speaker units on the open fit Are notably more compact but the larger Open Fit air speakers have a new Ergo Shaping that's designed to fit your ears Better and that's where you get most of The major changes here actually some Changes to improve the fit and comfort For example you've got this thinner Cutout ear hook as well and I think These tweaks on the whole work on fit For me the open Fit air sit marginally More comfortably on the ear and despite Being a shade heavier I'd say they Actually feel slightly lighter I Wouldn't say they're any more secure Though I've got two different sort of Shaped ears here I've got one that's Sort slightly bigger than the other and Both of these flap about a bit on the Right ear when I'm moving at PACE Generally speaking the fit is okay on Both they're largely comy to wear Particularly on lung runs but I don't Find them fully secure now the Capacitive controls are virtually the Same and on the whole there's still a Mix between being quite easy to trigger

But not also always reliable so you can Brush against them pause while adjusting Your hat glasses and all that kind of Stuff but then on the run I didn't Always find it easy to hit The Sweet Spot when moving at PACE they're equally Trigger happy but if anything I found The open fit a touch more reliable one Final note on design the open Fit air Case is ever so slightly larger but Flatter with a more rounded more Ergo Design despite that it's actually Marginally lighter but overall they've Got the same running belt stash ability Something I always consider for Ultra so Terms of design now obviously we are Looking at two truly wise airbuds that Are designed with a kind of an ear hook Style uh look so that is typically the Preference for me I would say in terms Of Tre wiress airbuds and in terms of Getting something that you know it's Going to be secure and reliable and it's Going to stay put because with truly Wild as a bus that kind of sit more Invasively then you know there is maybe More of a tendency or susceptibility That they may get knocked around or Maybe fall out Now in terms of the approaches they are Slightly different now the weights are Slightly different but not in the grand SCH things not a massive amount this is Slightly heavier the open Fit air but

It's there's not much in it I don't Think it really Alters The Experience Same level of um durability and Protection against uh moisture and water Um it really boils down to the design And the look of those air Hooks and for Me in my experience the air hooks on the Open Fit air fit more reliably more Securely than they do on the open fit And I really think it's to do with the Balance of the weight in the airbuds and I think what I found the open fit is That while they're super light and Really comfortable to wear all day when I've run with them I've just felt that They don't kind of wrap in the same way That the open fit do the open Fit air do I should say um from that point of view From running perspective I'd feel I feel More confident maybe if I had to race or Do a long run where I didn't want to be Worrying about kind of playing around Things it would be the open Fit air that I would feel more comfortable and more Confident kind of wearing Other things worth talking about here Are the controls both of these airbuds Have touch controls I don't love touch Controls I prefer physical controls on Running airbuds in general Sports Focused airbuds now the touch controls Aren't fantastic on both of them but I Would say they are better on the um open Fit I think in terms of the area the

Very clearly defined area to use when You are using interact touch controls it Makes them a lot nicer to use when You're running I think with the open Fit Air I think they really kind of poorly Integrated I found them very difficult To use throughout on my running and even When I wasn't running so if you care About controls touch controls I think The open fit I've got the upper hand but In terms of that overall fit and I think That's a key thing for me in terms of That air hook design for me the open Fit Air felt more reliable when I've been Running and I haven't felt like maybe There might be a concern that these the Open fit are maybe going to play around And kind of move about a little bit so Yeah key things for me in the design Front is that better touch controls Better hook design and fit for running Overall with the open Fit when it comes to sound there's also Not a huge difference overall at least To my non audio fault is the audio Quality on both is good for open ears if Anything I'd say the open fit is maybe a Little Fuller and richer and more Rounded in the standard base boost Settings but it's subtle both work best In quor environments the sound on both Can be drowned out when things get Really loud noisy races the London Underground that kind of thing but

That's the open ear design for you one Bigger mission on the open Fit air for Me is not having the EQ customization Options that let you create and save Your own sound profiles I thought this Was pretty handy for tweaking the sound To my liking on the original open fit Sound quality I found it pretty much Comparable between these two headphones I think it's pretty good sound quality For open headphones they are very Enjoyable to listen to if you're in Quiet environments music sounds really Good on them it's nice and clear and Loud and you get enough power from the Base you got those EQ settings you can Tweak to add a bit more bass if you want To and then out on the run you can hear Music and podcast even in very busy Environments and I say that's true of Both sets of headphones I've been going Back and forth between them today Listening to music lots of Pop today Billy eyh and Dua and I can't say I know It's a big difference between them so Obviously there's a big price difference Here but I don't think there's a big Leap in sound quality at all to the open Fit I'd say they're very much comparable And it's enjoyable sound for both with Its drawbacks if you're in very busy Environments your sound is going to get Drowned out with both of these Headphones because of the open design

Get better sound quality from inar Headphones that are a bit cheaper but The com combination of the awareness and The sound quality you get with both of These is pretty good so so in terms of Sound quality now we're talking about What things are kind of powering that Performance it's all very similar across The board on these two airbuds and they Are both open air airbuds that use air Conduction as opposed to bone conduction Which is something that is associated With shocks is kind of open run range Now with air conduction it's about Putting kind of speakers near your ears And kind of delivering that sound that Way compared to bone conduction where It's about using transducers to kind of Deliver sound who vibrations up your Cheekbone up towards your airs now in Terms of what's driving that it's the Same drivers in there as the um that You're getting on the open fit and the Open air in terms of the kind of Base Algorithms it's slightly different or Supposedly slightly different in terms Of that I think you're getting the kind Of Base air kind of algorithm for the Open Fit air it's just the base one for The open fit you're getting the same EQ Mod available in the companion app which Works for both of these airbuds now for Me you know I've used these two um Airbuds long term and I think for me I

Haven't seen a massive amount of Difference even though they're using Slightly different base algorithms I Think ultimately the drivers that are You know kind of delivering that Performance deliver similar level of Sound you know and that open air Sound Performance and experience overall I Think it's they're versatile you've got That kind of level of customization I Think they're are you know when you talk About top open air sounding airbuds Le Are definitely up there and near the top In terms of what I've experienced and What I've tested so they're pretty level Pegged I can't say there's a massive Discernable difference between the Sound Performance in terms of what I Experienced on both of these airbuds so I think if you are worrying about sound Quality I think the open Fit air sound Very similar to the open fit and I think It's a similar story about things like Using it for calls you know using it for Podcasts audio books if you want a bit More bass then you know you're getting a Similar level of Bass Performance in Here um for both of these airbuds yeah For me sound quality isn't really an Area to kind of separate these two Airbuds because I think in terms of What's powering that sound and what You're getting in terms of that sound It's very much little difference based

On what I've Seen comes to battery life I haven't Really noticed any big practical Difference between these two sets of Headphones in terms of the battery life If you're going to take them use them For one two three hours pop them back in The case they'll charge up again and You'll use them again I don't really Think there's a big difference here you Do have slightly more battery life in The open fit looking on paper in terms Of the headphones themselves but I think It's be a rare scenario where that's Really going to come into play so I'd Pretty much call it quite par when it Comes to battery life both of them I Think slightly under perform the battery Stats you are given by shocks if you're Going to listen to music High volumes And use any of the EQ settings I did Then find they drained a bit quicker Than the stats suggested by shocks but If you're listening to things like Podcasts or listen to music in the Standard setting at a pretty medium Volume you will get pretty much the Battery life suggested by shocks so yeah No big difference between them on Battery life I'd say now when it comes To battery life though the official Runtime battery life on the open fit Airs dropped by an hour versus the open Fit from 7 to 6 on paper you're still

Getting the same total 28 hours with the Case and the reality is that in real World use in Practical terms how often You're going to charge the case and the Buds you don't really notice that much Difference when you're running for an Hour and sticking in back in the case It's pretty much the same what I will Say is that both drained faster than the Shocks listed staying power perhaps cuz I'm always pumping them up top whack Often with the base boost on I found the Open Fit air battery drained a little Bit slower for me on average 1 hour run Burn 10% a 90 minute half marathon Race Burn 20% for comparison on the open fit An average 1 hour run burn 20% and a 90-minute run burn 40% that's with Battery life in normal audio mode but Overall I wouldn't recommend one over The other based on the staying power so In terms of battery life the RW numbers Tell us that the shocks open fit are Going to last longer off a single charge Compared to the open Fit air so it's up To 7 hours here on the open fit up to 6 Hours on the open Fit air now in terms Of when you do need to charge them Similar size charging case similar level In terms of that kind of charging rate Having that kind of fast charge feet There as well too if you forget to Charge them now what I would say is that Based on my experience I would say you

Know the level of volume that you're Going to listen to really dictates what You're going to get from these Headphones in terms of battery life and What I found is it's generally been an Hour less than quoted by shocks on the Open fit and the open air so I found That with the open fit it's been more Like 6 hours and on the open Fit air It's been more like 5 hours so you are Going to get more on the open fit based On my experience but it's going to be by About an hour when you Consider that you are getting the same Level of charging uh kind of rates the Fast charge modes then you know an hour Doesn't feel like a huge difference for Me in terms of that experience I think You know using them over week they're Both going to offer a similar level of Battery life and how long they're going To kind of last you know before you Actually have to end up charging that Charging case so for me yeah absolutely The open fit is going to get you a Little bit longer but I think in terms Of you know you look it across the board It's not a huge amount of difference in Terms of that level of battery Performance [Music] So verdict for me is a pretty simple one I would get the shocks open for air for Sure because they're much cheaper and

When I was testing both these sets of Headphones I really enjoyed using both They were very good options for running I found but I did not notice any major Step up with the shocks open fit I think They basically came out last year shocks Released a new product at quite a high Price point it's a good product all Around but I think the shocks open for Air is much more sensibly priced for a Product of this nature do think open Headphones are still a little bit Niche If you are someone who really values Sound quality you are going to want in a Headphones either as well or instead of These headphones but they are great for Sports and especially for running I find To get that extra sound quality you get With open headphones compared to bone Conduction headphones while still having Some of that awareness both of these Headphones offer that the shocks open Fit do it at a much lower price and in My testing I didn't notice any kind of Tangible upgrade with the open fit so Yeah I'd get the open Fit air so my Votes on whether you should go the Shocks open Fit air or the open fit now I'll start by saying that these are two Very comfortable lightweight great Sounding truly white airbuds that Deliver that really kind of strong open Air experience but if I had to pick one For a running perspective it would

Absolutely be the shocks open Fit air Now the first reason I put that down to Is I just think that the fit is more Reliable that air hook design is better Tailed for when you're running and for Having something that's going to stay Put ultimately or feel fills me with More confidence that it's going to stay Put and securely and then you look at The price and in terms of what you're Getting in terms of performance the Sound quality is pretty much on par the Battery life is not that far off what You're getting on the open fit compared To the open Fit air and you're getting All the same kind of level of features As well here too so for me it's a bit of A no-brainer I think if you are looking For the best option from a running Perspective one that's going to feel Secure and reliable in terms that fit Sound great offer good battery life and Offer better value for money I would be Going for the shocks open Fit air where I think but ultimately I've had problems With the shocks open fit not only with The fit perspective but also actually Operating charging properly it's a No-brainer for me i' be going for the Open Fit air verdict then and these are Both good quality open air options I Still prefer in ear buds for the sound Quality and the kick in the pants Loudness but if you're looking for that

Mix of awareness with encompassing sound That you get from bone conductors these Both do a good job but in terms of which Is the best to buy this is a really kind Of easy one for me the open Fit air Offers more comfortable fit the battery Life performance was on par if not Better the sound is perhaps not quite as Good but it's very subtle and I missed The ability to create custom EQ profiles But the overall experience is very Similar to the open fit which were Probably priced a little steep at launch Shocks told us that the open Fit air Were deliberately aimed at making this Format more accessible on price and for £60 Less I think you're largely getting The same performance from the open Fit Air so that would be my recommendation Oh and if you already own the open fit There's very little reason to switch Either okay so there you have it that is Our multitester take on how the shocks Open Fit air compares to the shocks open Fit hopefully you found that video Useful if you got any questions about Either of these headphones do let us Know in the comments as always like And Subscribe hit that little bell to find Out about our latest videos and yeah we See you next R Test's video [Music]