Shokz OpenFit Pro earphones review: I tried open-ear headphones with active noise cancellation - and they finally make commuting in London bearable

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Open-ear headphones are a lifesaver for anyone who wants to listen to music while cycling or running, and remain aware of their surroundings.

The great downfall of a deliberately open design is that you miss out on the immersive experience of noise-cancelling headphones - until now. 

The OpenFit Pro are the latest flagship headphones from Shokz, and feature active-noise cancellation (ANC) without blocking or covering your ear. We also previously tested the Shokz Opendots ONE - another solid open ear offering from the brand. 

While the sound cancellation on the OpenFit Pro isn't on par with the more expensive Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, it is just enough to make commuting in London bearable again.

Here, I put the Shokz OpenFit Pro through their paces to see if these innovative headphones live up to the promise. 

Shokz OpenFit Pro open-ear headphones

The Shokz OpenFit Pro are the first flagship headphones from Shokz to feature active noise cancellation features 

OpenFit Pro

★★★★★

Product Specs

• Corded option?No
• Transparency mode?Yes
• Touch controls?Yes
• Price£219
• Active noise cancellation?Yes

What we love

• Just enough noise reductionThe ANC is just about strong enough to mute annoying noises
• Great battery lifeYou can get up to 50 hours of playtime with the case
• Fantastic soundMusic sounds exceptionally clear with great bass for an open headphone

What could be better

• Noise-cancellation sensationThe feeling of noise reduction is a bit like having cotton wool in your ears
• ExpensiveThe addition of ANC makes these more expensive than other options
• Not noise-cancelling enoughThe ANC is good but not nearly enough to block out background noise

Our Verdict  

The Shokz OpenFit Pro attempt to solve one of the biggest problems for open-ear headphones, and the results are a bit mixed.

As a cyclist in London, I loved the choice to remain fully aware of my surroundings or take the edge off loud traffic using noise reduction mode.

However, the open design means that no amount of ANC will ever really block out the background in the way a true noise-cancelling headphone would.

That might be a problem if you spend a lot of time in planes, trains, buses or anywhere else with a lot of annoying noise.

Although the OpenFit Pro's flagship feature is the noise-cancellation, this isn't really what makes them such great headphones.

Compared to other open-ear headphones, like the Shokz OpenFit 2 or the Nothing Ear (Open), the OpenFit Pro have incredible sound quality.

The bass has genuine punch and richness, while the high end avoids any of the tinny sibilance that plagued the OpenFit 2.

Music and podcasts are delivered with a truly surprising level of clarity and separation, without muddiness even at high volumes. 

And, with up to 50 hours of battery life from the case if you don't use ANC, these are a great pair of headphones to chuck in your bag and forget about.

But, at £219, you have to ask yourself whether a best-of-both-worlds approach to noise cancellation is worth the extra cost.  

How we test 

When testing headphones, earbuds and earphones, we make sure to put them through the full range of challenges they might face on a day-to-day basis.

That means testing how they sound in a range of environments, from busy streets to quiet offices, and seeing how comfortable they are for all-day wear.

The OpenFit Pro offer a very comfortable fit that wraps snugly around the back of the ear. It wasn't so comfy that you could forget they were there, but it was never disturbing 

As well as assessing sound quality and comfort, we consider key factors like how water-resistant they are, how well they stay on, and how easy they are to keep clean.

Our team of reviewers take all of this into consideration alongside other headphones, to ensure you are getting true value for money. 

Shokz OpenFit Pro Review 

Performance

The OpenFit Pro are a noticeable step up in performance in almost every way from Shokz's other recent offerings.

However, the biggest and most obvious new feature is the 'Noise Reduction Mode'.

Instead of covering or plugging your ear like most headphones, the OpenFit Pro use active noise cancellation (ANC) to automatically filter out background noise. 

The Shokz app offers options to control the headphones' settings, fine-tune your audio with a 10-band equaliser, and even 'ping' the headphones if you lose them 

If you're considering the OpenFit Pro over another pair of open-ear headphones, this is probably the one feature that might sway you.

However, I have to say that this noise reduction feature won't be for everyone. 

When I first turned this feature on in the busy Daily Mail offices, it almost sounded like my head had been plunged underwater.

Almost all of the mid-tones, like the hum of air conditioning or the murmur of quiet chatter, had been muted - leaving just the high and low tones.

The noise reduction is not hugely pronounced, as it would be for a closed-ear headphone, but it is just enough to turn down the volume of the world

With music turned on, even at a low volume, the only noises that really remain are the clacking of keyboards on neighbouring desks and the occasional cough.

In the gym, I found that it was enough to block the sound of a treadmill or whir of a rowing machine and tone down the blaring music coming from the radio. 

However, when I took the headphones for a cycle along a busy road, I could still hear the engine of every passing car.

If you want to completely shut out the world, you don't want these headphones; but, then again, you probably don't want a pair of open-ear headphones at all.

If you just want to turn down the world a bit while commuting, on the other hand, I think these are just about perfect.

I loved being able to flick noise reduction on while cycling and turn down the roar of traffic, while still being able to hear the rumble of a bus or a pedestrian chatting on the pavement. 

For me, the only real downside of the ANC was that it was accompanied by a slight feeling of pressure in your ears, a little like blocked sinuses or having cotton wool pushed into your ear.

Shokz claims these headphones offer 14dB of volume reduction without the need to cover your ear 

I found that the feeling abated when music was playing or when there was a lot of background noise, but you definitely feel the ANC working in a way that isn't always pleasant.  

Sound quality 

While the noise reduction is certainly cool, the real standout feature of the Shokz OpenFit Pro is the sound quality.

With an open-ear design, you will never get the same pressure that a closed headphone offers, so I was extremely impressed with the OpenFit Pro.

Bass is exceptionally good, offering a dense, clear punch on drum-forward tracks like the Talking Heads' 'Swamp'.

Vocals and high tones came through with impressive clarity without any shrillness on Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side', although there was a bit of harshness at high volume.

Thanks to their design, the music sounds like it's coming from around you, rather than in your head, which gave a wonderful open soundstage for more complex arrangements like 'Glassworks' by Phillip Glass. 

Calls were also extremely clear, and the OpenFit Pro do a fantastic job of tuning out background noise like traffic and construction from your side. 

Design

The Shoks OpenFit Pro wrap around the back of your ear with a titanium and silicon hook, placing the drivers right next to the opening of your ear.

Although it isn't the 'forget it's there' comfort of the bone-conducting OpenRun Pro 2, it never got uncomfortable throughout a whole day of wear.

More importantly, they never budged once; even after cycling, running, and some quite intense HIIT training.

The headphones have a water resistance rating of IP55, which means you don't need to worry about sweat or rain, but you should take them swimming.

Even with a helmet and glass, the sleek design has plenty of room and didn't fall off at any point during testing 

Each headphone has a small physical button on the side, which can be used to control playback, volume, and toggle noise reduction

For controls, Shokz have made the great decision to stick with purely physical buttons - placing one multi-purpose button on each headphone.

This controls playback, switching between normal and noise reduction modes, and volume controls, but can also be reprogrammed in the app for custom controls.

Even though the buttons are quite small, once I got used to the design, I had no trouble using them even with sweaty hands or while wearing thick gloves.

They come with a sleek aluminium case that doubles as a portable charger for the headphones.

On their own, I found that the OpenFit Pro would generally offer about 10 to 12 hours of charge, but this is halved if you're using noise reduction.

Shokz says that they will last 50 hours of playback while using the case, reduced to 24 hours with noise reduction.

The case also has great fast charging, giving four hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charge. 

OpenFit Pro

How does it compare to other products?

The OpenFit Pro are a big upgrade in pretty much every way from the other products in the Shokz lineup.

Compared to the £169 OpenFit 2 and the £199 OpenFit 2 +, they have better battery life, sound quality, and the addition of noise reduction.

They are, however, significantly more expensive than options like the £179 Opendots ONE, which were commended for their comfort by our reviewers.

Alternatively, for about £80 more, you could opt for the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which have great spatial audio and fantastic sound quality, but no noise reduction. 

How does it rate online?

Other reviewers also praised the great sound quality, design, and battery life of the OpenFit Pro.

Tech reviewers at Tom's Guide, for example, gave the headphones 3.5 stars and noted the 'fantastic' sound and secure fit.

However, reviewers have also expressed some doubts over the value of the noise reduction feature. With audio specialists The Sound Guys suggesting that it wasn't worth the extra cost above other Shokz items.

Why trust us?

Wiliam Hunter is senior science and technology reporter for the Daily Mail, and has spent the last two years writing about the latest and greatest tech innovations.

He has tested everything from the very best headphones to classic family board games to find the best deals for everyone.

His reviews are always honest, impartial, and based on weeks of real-world testing. He takes into consideration all budgets and lifestyles when reviewing products to ensure you have all the information you need to make an informed buying decision.

FAQs

Are the Shokz OpenFit headphones noise-cancelling?

The Shokz OpenFit Pro offers 'noise reduction' rather than full noise cancelling.

The headphones use the same active noise cancellation technology found in other headphones, but leave your ear open.

That means you will still be able to hear a fair amount of background noise even with noise reduction turned on.

Are the Shokz OpenFit Pro good for running? 

If you're looking for a pair of headphones for running or cycling, these are an excellent choice.

Their open design means you can hear your music or podcast without blocking out the world around you.

During our testing, these headphones never fell off, even during intense running or cycling workouts in the rain and wind.  

Are Shokz OpenFit bone conduction headphones? 

Unlike some other headphones made by Shokz, the OpenFit Pro are not bone conduction headphones.

The OpenFit Pro simply place the speaker near your ear, rather than transmitting the vibrations through your cheekbones.

That means their position on your head isn't quite so important, and they don't need to have a 'headband-style' design.