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Shokz OpenDots One: Two minute review
Shokz is one of the best-known names in the fitness headphone space and finally it has turned its attention to a burgeoning new market and thus challenge a big rival: clip-on open earbuds (and Bose).
Clip-ons are a kind of the best open earbuds that don’t loop all the best way round your ear, however ‘clip’ onto your auricle to take up much less house and maintain the sound drivers additional into your ear itself. Companies haven’t taken to the design fairly as readily because the now-standard sports activities loop open-ears (manufacturing of that design is thru the roof in 2025), however maybe Shokz’ consideration is about to alter that.
So meet the Shokz OpenDots One, new clip-style (cuff style?) headphones which are here to challenge the big name on the market, the Bose Ultra Open. They’re Shokz’ first readily-available bud on this type issue, not counting a limited-run beta product. And due to a couple good choices, they’re a giant success.
The OpenDots aren’t low cost headphones however they do undercut the Bose by a major margin, releasing at a aggressive value level that sees them match Shokz’ sports-loop and bone conduction choices. In truth in addition they beat the current Shokz OpenFit 2+ which can push some potential consumers of these open-ears into the clip as an alternative.
Shokz has given the OpenDots a extra pure curved, ergonomic look than sure rivals, each guaranteeing that they give the impression of being a bit extra understated and stylish, and serving to them match the form of an ear for a dependable hook and comfy match. And it completely works, with these Shokz among the most nice open-ears I’ve ever used. I may simply neglect I used to be carrying them after I wasn’t listening to music.
The sound profile is enjoyable too, which can sound like a muted phrase if not for a way low expectations for open earbuds could be. Shokz has fine-tuned the sound to make sure there’s hearty however well-defined bass, which sits in concord with treble as an alternative of blowing it out. Audiophiles who want open-ears will discover these among the greatest picks in the marketplace.
Even if you’re not utilizing the Shokz OpenDots One, you’ll discover them simple to tote round with a tiny carry case that absolutely disappears in pockets. Banish the considered the large carry circumstances sports-loop open-ears are available.
I’ve averted prolific comparisons to the Bose on this intro as a result of chances are you’ll come to the Shokz with out having ever heard of their competitors; and the OpenDots One stand aside for being considerably cheaper than the Ultra Open. They ask you why it is advisable pay additional, even when Bose provides some superior audio modes.
The OpenDots One is likely to be a more durable promote for individuals who’ve not used a clip-on earbud earlier than, particularly with many different choices in the marketplace which are a less expensive choice to experiment with. But in case you’re going to attempt a brand new type issue, why not purchase an choice that nails it?
Shokz OpenDots One review: Specifications
|
Component |
Value |
|
Water resistant |
IP54 |
|
Battery life |
10 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total) |
|
Bluetooth type |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Weight |
5.6g / Charging case: 52g |
|
Driver |
2x 11.8mm |
Shokz OpenDots One review: Price and availability
- Announced in May 2025 (available in many markets August 2025)
- Priced at $199 / £179 / AU$339
- Undercuts Bose, but pricier than many other rivals
The Shokz OpenDots One were announced in May 2025 and went on sale in the US immediately, though they took a few months to release globally (the UK is only just seeing them now, at the time of writing: August 21, 2025).
You can pick up the OpenDots for $199 / £179 / AU$339. While they’re more expensive than many other types of clip-on earbud like the Huawei FreeClip, JLab Flex Open or Soundcore C40i, they undercut their large rivals.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds promote for $299 / £299 / AU$449 so the Shokz aren’t only a hair cheaper, however a good far more inexpensive.
Shokz OpenDots One review: Design
- Small charging case which is easy to use
- Lightweight buds that cling to the ear well
- Handy touch controls
The Shokz OpenDots One come in two color options: Black or the curiously-named Gray, which is actually beige with silver highlights. The latter is what my tester units were.
The case is pretty small and lightweight, as you’d imagine for micro-headphones like these, tipping the scales to 52g. It’s rather featureless, bearing only a small pairing button and USB-C charging port, but there’s elegance in simplicity. It opens with a horizontal divide; in a neat twist you can put either earbud in either gap, cutting down on all the faff headphone users can face (or, at least, I can face) when trying to work out which bud to put on which side.
Now onto the buds. They consist of a cylindrical counterweight and spherical bud which sits in your ear, all joined by a band made of titanium alloy according to Shokz. This middle is lovely and flexible and I never felt at risk of accidentally snapping it or bending it too far.
It’s hard to believe for any open earbuds, especially clip-style ones, but the OpenDots fit like a dream. I barely felt them during many hours of testing and, although I ran, cycled, rowed and did various gym workouts with them in, they never fell out or moved around enough to affect my listening experience.
Another benefit over Bose’s alternatives is that they don’t look like a cyborg accoutrement, with the nice flowing design making them appear more like jewelry than a piece of robotic equipment.
Following on from my praise about the versatile any-bud-in-any-case-side compliment, you can actually also put either bud in either ear with no issue. The Shokz will automatically detect which ear they’re in to deliver music.
Like most earbuds, the OpenDots One have touch controls: you can double- or triple-tap the connective band, double-pinch the spherical counterweight or pinch and hold, for four triggers in all (it doesn’t matter which side you use, both do the same). You can customize what each control does and I found each relatively easy to trigger (which isn’t saying much compared to the competition) though I did take a while to remember that single-tapping or single-pressing didn’t do anything: double or nothing!
Shokz has certified the OpenDots One at an IP54 rating, which means the buds are protected from dust and limited water splashes but not full immersion or even beams of water. Basically, don’t take them swimming.
Shokz OpenDots One review: Features
- Battery life is 10 hours, 40 hours with case
- App brings EQ but not that much else
- No connectivity problems in testing
If you thought it was time to start finding something to criticize the Shokz OpenDots One about, it’s not yet. The battery life is above average and you can even charge the case via wireless powering.
According to Shokz, the OpenDots last for 10 hours of listening on a single charge, and while I didn’t listen for that long in one burst, the power drain for the periods I did listen for suggests it’d hit that figure almost dead on. The charging case brings three extra charges, for a full listening total of 40 hours, which is better than lots of open-ear options on the market.
You won’t get noise cancelling here, though surprisingly some open earbuds do offer that (see the Honor Earbuds Open, though granted, they are not the cuff-style sort). Throughout my testing interval I had no connectivity points to talk of.
As with any good headphone, there’s an app you possibly can obtain to get additional options. In this case it’s simply known as Shokz, with the corporate utilizing one platform for all its earbuds.
Perhaps the primary purpose to obtain the Shokz app, past customizing the contact controls, is for the equalizer it gives entry to. There are 4 modes: Standard, Vocal, Bass and Private (designed to cut back audio bleed, though that principally simply muffles your music), however you may also create a customized mode by way of a five-band equalizer.
A number of different options accessible by way of the app embody the power to toggle put on detection, discover your misplaced earbuds, customise multipoint pairing and allow Dolby Atmos (although toggling this simply appeared to spice up the treble when enjoying music). It’s not the most important feature-set I’ve ever seen at earbuds at this value, but it surely provides all the pieces you want or would count on.
Shokz OpenDots One review: Sound performance
- Two 11.8mm drivers per bud
- Decent sound, though lack of spacing
- Lots of bass
You’re totally right to assume that an open-ear headphone would sound poor, because that’s generally the case, but the Shokz OpenDots One buck the trend: they’re the rare case that sound good.
A highlight of the buds, which Shokz leans into in its marketing and promotion, is the bass. This is something oft lost by open-ears, but the OpenDots enjoy a well-defined lower-register, giving your music a meaty tone but without ever blowing it out with overwrought thumping or booming. I opted to listen in the bass enhancement mode when working out for that little extra kick, but you’ll enjoy loads of bass even if you don’t.
Unlike some super-bass earbuds, the treble still holds its head high, offering crisp and clear vocal lines and letting you hear the spacing between instruments a little. As sound gets towards the mids they do lose some detail and clarity, but you can still enjoy tunes beyond their bassline.
Fixing another open-ear problem, the OpenDots have a nice high max volume so they can fight against noisy traffic if you want to hear your tunes.
Shokz uses a lot of home-brewed tech in the OpenDots One. Highlights include Bassphere, which has the effect we’ve already discussed, and DirectPitch designed to stop sound leaking from the buds and everyone around you having to hear your embarrassing music choice.
These are some of the better open earbuds I’ve used for audio quality, and they compare to your average in-ear headphone, but it’s important to be clear: audiophile-grade favorites shouldn’t feel any heat from the Shokz.
- Sound performance score: 4.5/5
Shokz OpenDots One review: Value
Despite not being that expensive in the grand scheme of things (and in a crowded market), it’s still worth considering the Shokz OpenDots One are some of the more premium open or clip-on earbuds out there, simply due to how cheap the rivals are.
With that in mind, the OpenDots have a lot to prove – but they largely succeed. They provide great sound and a flawless design and cost a hearty amount less than their big-name rivals.
Of course you’re paying for their quality with many other similar-form-factor options available for a fraction of the price, so if you want clip-ons and quality doesn’t matter, you can get better value for money with cheaper options. It’s just a question of whether you should.
Shokz OpenDots One review: scorecard
|
Category |
Comment |
Score |
|
Value |
They’re solid earbuds which give you decent value for money, but you’re paying for what you get. |
4/5 |
|
Design |
Lightweight, a reliable fit and a slender carry case: what’s not to love? |
4.5/5 |
|
Features |
The battery life is good and the existing features are useful, though rivals offer more. |
4/5 |
|
Sound |
The sound may fall short of truly great, but it’s very good, especially compared to other open earbuds. |
4.5/5 |
Shokz OpenDots One: Should I buy?
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Also consider
|
Component |
Shokz OpenDots One |
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds |
Huawei FreeClip |
|
Water resistant |
IP54 |
IPX4 |
IP54 |
|
Battery life |
10 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total) |
7.5 hours (earbuds), 27 hours (total) |
8 hours (earbuds), 36 hours (total) |
|
Bluetooth type |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Weight |
5.6g / Charging case: 52g |
6g / Charging case: 43g |
5.6g / Charging case: 44.5g |
|
Driver |
2x 11.8mm |
12mm |
10.8mm |
How I tested
My testing period for the Shokz OpenDots One cover just over two weeks of use, which is our standard review period for headphones.
The buds were paired to an Android phone for the entirety of the testing. I used them at home at work and also on runs, at the gym and while cycling, and I also tried to use them while playing tennis like promotional images show but this felt incredibly rude to my fellow players.
I’ve been testing products for TechSwitch since 2019 and this has included plenty of other workout headphones.
- First reviewed: August 2025