Editor-DN
What you need to know.
- Shokz announced the OpenFit 2 wireless open-air earbuds at CES 2025 on Tuesday.
- The OpenFit 2 has an 11-hour battery per charge, dual low- and high-frequency drivers in each earbud, and IP55 water resistance.
- The new earbuds are 1G heavier but have improved Bluetooth, tweaked ear hooks, and a new physical button for control.
Shookz announced the successor to my favorite wireless earbuds at CES 2025 on Tuesday, but it took me three days to see the news. Even though I’m out of the loop, I decided to cover the announcement late. I’m just so excited about it.
Ever since I reviewed the Shokz OpenFit Wireless Earbuds in late 2023, I’ve ditched my old earbuds and worn them almost exclusively. Over a year of wearing them for training runs, hikes, and races, I’ve come to rely on their open-ear fit to maintain my situational awareness and let my eardrums rest, while Acknowledging some troubling flaws with them in passing.
Now it looks like the Shokz OpenFit 2 will fix most (if not most) of my complaints with the first generation earbuds.
Like the original OpenFit and the cheaper OpenFit Air, the OpenFit 2 has a silicone ear hook that allows the speaker to sit directly over your ear, leaving it open to hear your surroundings and direct sound inside. does If you’re not a fan of those, it’s a good alternative to bone-conduction headphones (like the Shox OpenRun Pro 2).
Unfortunately, the Shokz OpenFit has relatively average battery life, finicky touch controls that often lead to dropped phone calls, and softer sound than these earbuds. They sometimes refuse to charge and stay connected to your phone during the charging case, or they die if the case sits for too long without charging.
I’m waiting to hear back from a Shoez rep if that infamous charging connector issue has been resolved, as the OpenFit 2 charging case has the same look and 48-hour capacity as the first generation. But on every other front, OpenFit 2 should be a big improvement.
It jumps from 7 to 11 hours of streaming per charge, with a standby time of 270 days instead of 10 days. They added a physical button with single, double, and triple-click shortcuts like pausing music or answering phone calls; Now the touchpad only controls volume and your voice assistant, which is a relief.
Most importantly for audiophiles, it adds two drivers instead of one, targeting lows and highs, a larger bass driver and “dynamic” with “Open Bass 2.0″ tech. Amplifies low frequency vibrations directly into your ear.”
I personally found the OpenFit to have pretty good audio quality with the Bass Boost EQ setting, and cared more about eardrum comfort and unobstructed awareness than perfect surround sound. The OpenFit 2 will provide a nice little boost for first-generation fans, but probably won’t satisfy those who prefer exercise earbuds with a proper seal and artificial transparency modes for better sound, like the Jabra. Elite 8 Active Gen 2.
Other new upgrades include a redesigned flexible air hook with new, softer silicone than before to “ensure a secure fit,” as well as IP54 to IP55 water resistance (handling water jets instead of splashes) and triple Adds new Bluetooth 5.4 support for Range away from your phone.
I plan to review the Shokz OpenFit 2 soon and see if they live up to the company’s promised improvements. But consider me quite optimistic, simply because the upgrades directly address the complaints of first-generation users, including mine.
Be aware and stay in the zone
The new version of my favorite wireless workout earbuds features the same DirectPitch Audio design that keeps sound in your ears unobstructed, similar to bone conduction earbuds but with more traditional speaker audio. This version costs the same but lasts longer, hits louder and deeper, and can withstand more water and sweat.
