Shokz Review 2026: Which Headphones Are Worth the Money
The $129.95 OpenRun Air 2 is the Shokz to buy: more battery than the OpenRun at the same price. Here is when the Pro 2 is worth $50 more, and why refurbished is a quiet bargain.
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- Skip the upgrade
- Skip the OpenRun Pro 2 unless sound quality matters more than toughness. It costs $50 more than the Air 2 but is rated only IP55, against IP67.
- Best time to buy
- Any time on shokz.com, since a 45-day price match refunds later price drops. Certified refurbished models, such as the OpenRun Pro 2 at $135.95, are the real discount.
Shokz makes open-ear headphones, most of them bone conduction: the sound reaches you through your cheekbones, leaving your ears open to traffic. That is the whole appeal for runners and cyclists, and also the main limit, because open ears let noise in.
On shokz.com the range runs from the $79.95 OpenMove to the $229.95 OpenSwim Pro, with the core OpenRun models at $129.95 to $179.95. Buying direct is the smart route here: returns are free for 45 days, Shokz refunds the difference if it cuts the price within 45 days, and new headphones get a two-year warranty. The newest budget model, the OpenRun Air 2, is the one to pick, and the refurbished section is worth a look before paying full price for a Pro 2.
The lineup, model by model
OpenRun Air 2
$129.95 Standard or Mini size, black or ice blue, all $129.95 in October.
The newest entry-level OpenRun, with longer battery and USB-C charging for the same price as the old one.
The OpenRun Air 2 is Shokz’s new budget sports model. It uses the PremiumPitch 3.0 audio tuning, is rated IP67 for sweat, dust and rain (not swimming), and runs 10 hours, with five minutes of charging adding two hours. It charges by USB-C, weighs 26.4 grams in the Standard size and comes in a Mini for smaller heads.
It is the clear pick over the original OpenRun, which costs the same and gets less battery. The product page had only 61 reviews when we read it, all four or five stars, so there is little long-term evidence yet. The four-star reviews mention fit: one Mini owner still found it a little big, and another found it less comfortable than a 2023 pair.
Good
- IP67, the toughest rating in the OpenRun line
- 10-hour battery and fast USB-C charging
- Standard and Mini sizes at the same price
Not so good
- Too new for a long-term reliability record
- Bone conduction volume struggles in loud places
From the product page
- Battery 10 hours; 5 minutes adds 2 hours
- Water and dust IP67, not for swimming
- Weight 26.4 g Standard, 25.9 g Mini
- Charging USB-C
OpenRun Pro 2
$179.95 Standard colors. The NYC Marathon edition listed at $199.95 and was sold out.
The flagship sports model, pairing bone conduction with air conduction for fuller bass, at a $50 premium.
The Pro 2 uses what Shokz calls DualPitch, its tenth-generation design that adds air-conduction drivers to bone conduction for more bass. It runs 12 hours, recharges in an hour, charges by USB-C and weighs 30.3 grams, with a titanium band. Its page showed 2,095 reviews averaging 4.7.
The catches are in the spec table and the two-star reviews. It is rated only IP55, splash and sweat resistance, while the cheaper Air 2 and OpenRun are IP67. And the most common complaint is volume: owners say traffic, a fan or a lawnmower drowns it out even at maximum, and one found it pressing on the sides of the ears. A Trustpilot reviewer described a sticking button on a second replacement pair.
Good
- Fullest sound in the OpenRun range
- 12-hour battery with one-hour charging
Not so good
- Only IP55, below the cheaper models
- Volume complaints in noisy settings
From the product page
- Battery 12 hours; 1-hour charge
- Water and dust IP55
- Weight 30.3 g
- Tech DualPitch bone plus air conduction
OpenRun Pro 2 (Refurbished)
$135.95 Against $179.95 new, a saving of $44, with a one-year warranty instead of two.
A certified refurbished Pro 2 for about the price of a new OpenRun, with half the warranty.
Shokz describes its certified refurbished products as returned units that are inspected, tested and cleaned before resale, and this one ships with a USB-C cable and warranty card. The headphones are otherwise the Pro 2 described above: DualPitch sound, 12 hours of battery and the IP55 rating.
The trade is the warranty. Shokz’s service policy gives refurbished products 12 months, against 24 for new ones, and that matters on a model where Trustpilot reviewers describe failures just after a year. The refurbished page had only 12 reviews, almost all five stars, though one owner called the sound merely fine and another found calls weak. If you want the Pro 2’s sound, this is the way to buy it.
Good
- Saves $44 on the Pro 2
- Ships with a USB-C cable and warranty card
Not so good
- One-year warranty instead of two
- Still IP55 and still modest in volume
From the product page
- Warranty 12 months
- Battery up to 12 hours
- Condition inspected, tested and cleaned
OpenMove
$79.95 Grey, blue, white or pink. The cheapest Shokz headphone on the site in October.
Shokz’s entry ticket, fine for walking and yardwork, light on battery and weatherproofing.
OpenMove is the budget bone conduction model, aimed at everyday listening rather than training. It weighs 29 grams, charges by USB-C and is rated IP55 for sweat and splashes, with 6 hours of listening. It averaged 4.5 across 1,352 reviews on its page.
The low reviews explain the price gap. Several owners say the battery fades within months or lasts about four hours, others find the band hard and uncomfortable with glasses, and a few mention tinny sound or a buzz in one side. One reviewer noted there is no case and no good way to pocket them. For $50 more, the Air 2 adds battery, IP67 and a better driver.
Good
- Lowest price in the Shokz range
- Same 45-day returns and two-year warranty
Not so good
- Six-hour rated battery, shorter for some owners
- Hard band bothers glasses wearers
From the product page
- Battery 6 hours
- Water and dust IP55
- Weight 29 g
OpenSwim Pro
$229.95 A refurbished unit was listed at $169.95 in October.
The swimming model, fully waterproof with 32 GB of storage, because Bluetooth does not travel through water.
OpenSwim Pro is rated IP68 for continuous immersion and carries 32 GB of storage for MP3 files, which is what you listen to in the pool, plus Bluetooth for runs and rides. Battery is 9 hours on Bluetooth or 6 hours on MP3, and it weighs 27.3 grams.
It is the only Shokz model built for the pool, so swimmers have no cheaper choice in the current range. The two-star reviews are about the dry-land half: Bluetooth dropping out, weak microphone pickup on calls, battery well short of the claim for one owner, and trouble getting transferred MP3 files to play. One longtime user preferred the older OpenSwim’s sound. Load your music and test the MP3 mode inside the 45-day window.
Good
- IP68 with 32 GB of onboard music
- Works with Bluetooth out of the water
Not so good
- MP3 transfer and Bluetooth glitches in low reviews
- Most expensive Shokz sports model
From the product page
- Water and dust IP68
- Storage 32 GB
- Battery 9 hours Bluetooth, 6 hours MP3
- Weight 27.3 g
OpenRun
$129.95 Same price as the newer OpenRun Air 2. Refurbished units were $97.50.
The long-running classic, now outdone by its own successor at the same price.
OpenRun is the model that made Shokz popular with runners: IP67, 26.4 grams, 8 hours of battery and a choice of magnetic or USB-C charging. It has the most reviews of any Shokz here, 3,546 at a 4.7 average.
We pass only because of the price. The OpenRun Air 2 costs the same $129.95 and adds two hours of battery, a one-hour charge instead of an hour and a half, and Shokz’s newer audio tuning. Low reviews of the OpenRun also mention fading battery, weak volume, crackly call audio and a back button that redials the last caller. If you want one, the $97.50 refurbished listing makes more sense than paying new-model money.
Good
- Proven design with thousands of reviews
- IP67 and a Mini size
Not so good
- Same price as the better OpenRun Air 2
- Shorter 8-hour battery
From the product page
- Battery 8 hours
- Water and dust IP67
- Weight 26.4 g
- Charging magnetic or USB-C version
Side by side
| Product | Call | Best for | Price | Key spec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRun Air 2 | Smart buy | Runners and cyclists | $129.95 | Battery: 10 hours; 5 minutes adds 2 hours |
| OpenRun Pro 2 | Wait for a sale | Sound-first runners | $179.95 | Battery: 12 hours; 1-hour charge |
| OpenRun Pro 2 (Refurbished) | Good buy | Pro 2 sound for less | $135.95 | Warranty: 12 months |
| OpenMove | Good buy | Walks, chores and calls | $79.95 | Battery: 6 hours |
| OpenSwim Pro | Good buy | Lap swimmers | $229.95 | Water and dust: IP68 |
| OpenRun | Pass | Nobody buying new | $129.95 | Battery: 8 hours |
Find your model fast
- If you want one pair for running and ridingGet the OpenRun Air 2IP67 and 10 hours at $129.95, the best balance in the range.
- If sound quality matters more than weatherproofingGet the OpenRun Pro 2 (Refurbished)Pro 2 sound for $44 less, if a one-year warranty is acceptable.
- If you swim lapsGet the OpenSwim ProThe only current Shokz rated IP68 with onboard MP3 storage.
- If you mainly walk the dog and take callsGet the OpenMoveThe cheapest way to open-ear listening, if six hours is enough.
Trial, returns and the fine print
- Trial
- 45-day money-back guarantee on shokz.com orders
- Returns
- Free prepaid USPS label; refund within 2 business days of receipt; no refunds for other retailers
- Warranty
- Two years on new headphones, one year on refurbished; replacements may be refurbished
- Shipping
- Free standard shipping, 4-7 business days; express 2-3 days at extra cost
- Support
- Phone and email, 9am-9pm ET weekdays and 9am-5pm Saturday
- Financing
- Afterpay and Shop Pay offered on product pages
Read on Shokz's US site in October 2026.
Reading the one-star reviews
Trustpilot rates Shokz 4.5 out of 5 across 4,779 reviews when we read it. The praise is for comfort and for hearing traffic while running.
The one-star reviews from September and October are mostly about what happens after something breaks. Owners describe pairs failing around the one-year mark, a Pro 2 with a sticking button on its second replacement, volume cutting out in rain or sweat, and warranty emails that went unanswered or closed the case. One buyer whose parcel was signed for at the wrong address was offered a 50% refund.
Shokz’s own product pages read differently, and with good reason to be careful: none of the pages we checked showed a single one-star review, even the OpenRun with 3,546 reviews, while each had dozens of two-star ones. Read those two-star reviews; they carry the real complaints, chiefly low volume in noisy places and fading batteries.
Where the 3.9 comes from
| Part | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Product | 4.0 | 35% |
| Value | 3.8 | 30% |
| Policies | 4.3 | 20% |
| Buying experience | 3.6 | 15% |
| Smart Score | 3.9/5 | |
Generous direct-buyer terms, with 45-day free returns, a 45-day price match and a two-year warranty, held back by modest volume, uneven warranty service and on-site ratings that look filtered.
Rivals worth a look
- JBL. Choose it instead if you want sealed earbuds or noise cancelling and do not need to hear traffic.
- Sony. Choose it instead if you would rather have conventional earbuds that seal out noise than keep your ears open.
FAQ
Can I swim with Shokz headphones?
Only with the OpenSwim models. Shokz’s spec tables mark the OpenRun and OpenRun Air 2 as IP67 and not for swimming, and the OpenRun Pro 2 and OpenMove as IP55, sweat and splash resistance. The OpenSwim Pro is IP68 for continuous immersion and stores music on board, because Bluetooth does not carry through water.
What is the Shokz price match promise?
On the product pages Shokz promises that if it drops the price of an item within 45 days of your order, it refunds the difference when you contact customer service. It applies to Shokz’s own price on shokz.com. Combined with 45-day free returns, it removes most of the risk of buying before a sale.
Is a refurbished Shokz worth it?
Often. Shokz says certified refurbished units were returned, then inspected, tested and cleaned. In October a refurbished OpenRun Pro 2 was $135.95 against $179.95 new, and a refurbished OpenRun was $97.50. The catch is a 12-month warranty instead of 24, so it suits buyers who would not have relied on the second year.
Where this comes from
- Shokz US product pages for the OpenRun Air 2, OpenRun Pro 2, refurbished OpenRun Pro 2, OpenMove, OpenSwim Pro and OpenRun, including spec comparison tables, read October 2026.
- Shokz service policy covering returns and warranty, plus its shipping policy, read October 2026.
- Customer reviews on Shokz product pages, lowest-rated first, October 2026.
- Trustpilot reviews of shokz.com, including the one-star filter, October 2026.