Review: Shokz OpenFit earbuds are for those who want to hear everything

Do you love listening to music but hate not being able to hear what’s going on around you? These might be for you.

Shokz new OPENFIT earphones.

An earphone company that made a name for itself for developing innovative bone conduction technology that sat outside the ear and could still deliver sound has finally entered the ear.

Shokz rose to fame for developing earphones that could transmit music and sound vibrations along cheekbones rather than transmit music via the air.

Their earphones have become popular among athletes including swimmers, who can listen to music underwater with their technology.

However, in a twist to what Shokz is known for, it has finally entered the ear, but not as a bud.

The company founded in Shenzhen, China has developed over-ear buds that sit just outside the canal, allowing users to listen to music or podcasts and watch movies while remaining completely aware of their surroundings.

While it’s a step away from the exciting technology the company first came out with, The Australian is quite a fan of the new OpenFit model, which retails for $289.

Shokz new OPENFIT earphones are built for those who don't want to miss the noises around them.

Shokz claims the earphones are designed for a sporty crowd and, while we had no issues with them at the gym, we did have some issues when running.

For the most part, they will suit the average person, sitting quite securely when walking or stationary, but they did tend to move when we were on the run.

During a recent trip to Southeast Asia, The Australian was able to test the earphones on a plane and while riding a moped around urban areas.

On the flight, they did not perform so well, with noise from the plane and nearby passengers quite distracting.

But we found them to be quite good under a motorcycle helmet, loud enough that we could listen to directions from Google Maps to navigate tight streets while enjoying some music and still being able to hear the traffic.

Shokz OPENFIT earphones in their case, which can provide up to 28 hours of playtime before needing to be plugged in.

The battery is pretty good for those who like to travel, with seven hours of playtime on a single charge. Five minutes in the case can get a user an hour of playtime, while the batteries in the case and earbuds alone can last for a total of 28 hours before being plugged in again.

One issue we had, which we find to be the same with AirPods, was that the earphones fell out ­almost every time we removed our helmet. The same happened when riding a bicycle andremoving a bicycle helmet.

The earphones themselves are comfortable to wear, so much so we forget we were wearing them when we had paused the music.

The earphones are designed for sport, looping around the users ear.

Like most, we’ve been spoiled with the seamless connection of AirPods to iPhones, Galaxy Buds to Samsung’s S range, and Pixel Buds to Pixels.

When testing a third-party, one comes to expect that instant connectivity. For the most part it was there, but on occasion we found ourselves having to go into our mobile’s settings, go to bluetooth and click to connect.

There’s an app for those who would like to adjust the equalisation of their music or adjust the earbud controls.

Shokz new OPENFIT earphones.

That actually takes us to the next point: given the design of the buds, they tend to move quite a lot when they double tap a bud to change songs or press on them for a couple of seconds to change the song, restart it or return to the previous song.

The verdict? What is a luxury for some can be the primary issue for others: the luxury of being able to hear what’s going on around you can limit your ability to listen to music in the case of flying or high-noise areas.

If you For those who mightstruggle with noise cancellation or like to be able to hear what’s going on around them, the Shokz OpenFit could be for you.