SHOKZOpenRun Pro, [England Athletics Recommended] Bone Conduction Headphones, Open-Ear Sports Earphones with Mic, IP55 Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Headset for Running Workout Driving (Blue)

Having worked though Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds Live and most recently Jabra Elite 7 Activ's i have recently purchased and tried out the new Shocks OpenRun Pro Mini.My biggest issue with all previous headphones was moving around when running, falling out, noise isolation from danger, call quality (and for the times I tried over ear headphones comfort).After some recommendations to try Shocks and seeing a lot or Pro runners wearing the brand I opted for the new OpenRun Pro mini with a significant discount for black Friday. Initial impressions were amazing around the house, and indoor workouts all sounded great (not as good as dedicated over ears or premium in-ears) but not perfect - more than sufficient for running music motivation or podcasts.Where these really shine however is in comfort, safety, call quality, battery life and sturdiness.Comfort: wear them for a feew minutes and you will forget you have them on, super lightweight and the fact that they're not in your ears blocking external noise means you can easily wear all day (with the excellent battery life) and have zero issuesSafety: as mentioned they do no block out external noise, so expect no noise cancelling here. What they do allow yoy to do is hear your surroundings perfectly. Out running you will hear people, bikes and cars coming up behind you. And in the gym or running with friends you can have a quiet conversation with the ambience of good music in the background.Call quality: as the microphones are not sitted in the ear like my previous earphones the mic are much closer to the source of my voice, and for me because of the bone conductivity I could hear others even when it was incredibly windy... not something I can say for other headphones I've tried before.Battery life: these should last 12-14 hours on a single charge which should get me through most of my weeks training with few issues, when the season allow for ultra running, Marathons and endurance events I'll never have to worry about battery life impacting my daySturdiness: you will forget your wearing these headphones and they will stay in place just as yoy left them regardless of the activity intensity or duration.I'm super happy with these headphones as you can see and will keep them with me for all workouts in future.

Bought for running. They are loud enough when near traffic, light, comfortable and stay in place well. Being able to hear what's going on around you crossing roads etc. feels safer. Conveniently you can pair them to more than one device at once (i.e. phone and laptop) - they're great for taking calls since you can hear yourself speaking.Sound quality is pretty good - I wouldn't listen to music on them at home, but it's more than good enough for the intended use. I took a chance on these and was surprised how much I liked them - would not go back to regular earbuds.

In summary, if you’re wanting the best bone conducting headphones for all the positive advantages of not sticking things into your ear canals, these headphones are the best on the market for sound clarity, comfort, practicality, and even indoor phone use. There is nothing that comes close to these gen 9 Shokz. For reference, I bought four other bone conducting pairs two years ago and sent each back as they were awful. The Shokz were the only pair that were usable.Having owned the previous model for 2 years I am hoping that a bit of a comparison is of use to those considering purchasing them. I should stress that I was very happy indeed with my previous pair and my review below is a critical comparison of the two pairs and why I feel the extra cost is worth it if you can run to the new pro pair.Having left my 2 year old ‘Aftershokz’ in Portugal, I immediately bought these. I had misgiving about reports of the buzzing sensation and was anxious for their arrival. This was due to the ‘buzzing’ of the original pair which was uncomfortable at high volume. I had no need at all to be concerned. The vibrations of these ‘pro’ headphones is very subtle and not at all like the older model. The improvement is such I am so chuffed I opted for these and not the cheaper model.In use, the audio is of a far greater, and noticeable, fidelity compared with the non-pro headphones. There is more bass and it really adds that dimension needed for music listening. The ‘buzz’ is also far more subtle. It is only my opinion based on my experience of the previous model but I think I know why these are so much better. To start, the engineering improvements to the bass response means I can listen at a lower volume level than I ordinarily would have done; effectively, these are far more efficient. Then there is the headband and position of the speakers on my head. I think the band is shorter, as far less sticks out at the back. This in turn makes wearing them whilst lying more comfortable too. Lastly, either they have slightly tweaked the speaker angles or it is the shorter headband (or both) which means there is a more positive bone conductive transmission. Whatever it is, it is working for me fantastically well.Along with the upgraded headphones comes an elastic head band. I was initially confused as to what this did but quickly worked out that it goes over the head and over the back of the headband. There is a silicone bead on the inside to ensure it remains in place. Whilst this is laughably simple, it just works to not only hold them in place when exercising but ensures an even greater contact with the transmitters.The noise cancelling mics work very well indeed when in teams meetings or on the phone. I was told I sounded very clear even when workers from two doors down were drilling and I had patio doors open! I’ve not tested them outside in wind yet but I would never be chatting on the phone in such circumstances so don’t think it’s relevant.Having misplaced my last pair, it was nice that I could choose a lighter colour. Hopefully these will not be as easy to lose as a black pair on a dark coach - where I last had them.Aside from some minor, but really well thought out improvements to design and fit, the announcement voice too has been updated and is much clearer.Lastly, there is a much improved hard case which offers real protection when travelling although I am usually wearing them so I may not be getting much use out of this.