Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review: The open ear upgrade I did not realise I needed

I have been a long time in-ear loyalist. There is something reassuring about sealing yourself into your music, zoning out the world, and letting a playlist carry you through a workout. Open ear headphones were always interesting to me in theory, but in practice, they never quite lived up to the promise. Either the bass vanished, or the vibrations made my cheekbones feel like a tuning fork.

Then I tried the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2. And for the first time, I caught myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, the open ear future is finally here.

I have spent the past couple of weeks running, walking, cooking, commuting, and even doom scrolling with these on. What Shokz has done this year is not a small iteration. It is a full rethink of how bone conduction and air conduction can work together, and the result genuinely took me by surprise.

Design and Comfort: Built to Disappear on Your Head

My first impression was that the OpenRun Pro 2 feels impossibly light. The memory wire frame holds its shape without ever feeling tight. Shokz has reduced clamping force by around sixteen percent compared to the earlier model, and it shows. The ear hooks angle gently, hugging the ear without poking or pinching.

During long training sessions, I often forget I am even wearing them. No sweaty earcups, no pressure points, no constant readjusting. They sit there silently doing their job, which is the best compliment I can give any sports headphone.

The open ear design also means your ears stay clean and cool. I realised how much I prefer hearing a bit of the world around me while running outdoors, especially in a crowded city. Awareness is not a bonus. It is safety.

DualPitch Sound: Bone Meets Air, and Something New Happens

Most bone conduction headphones struggle with bass. It is simply hard to move air when nothing is sitting inside your ear. Shokz tackled this flaw head on with DualPitch technology. One driver handles mids and highs through bone conduction. A second air conduction speaker kicks in to fill the lower frequencies.

The result is a kind of hybrid audio that feels more three-dimensional than any open ear headphone I have tried.

Mids sound surprisingly full. Vocals in podcasts carry warmth without the hollow undertone that bone conduction usually creates. Bass is not subwoofer-heavy, but it has enough weight to make playlists feel energetic. You hear the groove rather than just being reminded it exists.

It is not trying to compete with noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. Instead, it presents a clean, dynamic soundstage that feels natural for active use. Even at high volumes, distortion is minimal thanks to Shokz’s DRC tuning.

For the first time, I can say I enjoyed music on an open-ear headphone without constantly wishing for earbuds.

Privacy and Sound Leakage: A Quiet Win

Open headphones always make people nervous about sound leakage. Shokz tackles this with integrated metal compartments around the drivers, a leakage control EQ, and its DirectPitch tech for the air conduction channel.

In practice, leakage is impressively low. At moderate volumes, people around me heard nothing. Even at higher volumes, only very faint traces escaped. For an open ear design, this is an achievement.

It gave me the confidence to take calls in cafés and on the street without worrying about broadcasting my conversation to strangers.

Communication: Surprisingly Clear Calls

I was impressed by how natural the calls sounded. The AI noise reduction tech filters out almost all ambient noise. Shokz claims 96.5 percent noise reduction, and while I did not measure it, conversations stayed clear even when I walked along a busy road.

Wind noise performance is also good, and the dual mic setup captures voice with surprising accuracy.

Stability and Fit: Zero Adjustments Needed

Sports headphones live or die on stability. The OpenRun Pro 2 does not budge. Sprints, burpees, skipping rope, head tilts, twisting movements, the grip holds steady every time. The memory wire frame and lightweight silicone coating offer stability without ever becoming uncomfortable.

If anything, the only issue is remembering they are on when you try to lie on your side.

Battery Life: Reliable for Long Days

Battery life has improved, thanks partly to the new driver efficiency. Shokz promises around twelve hours on a full charge, which aligns with my real world usage. Quick charge support is brilliant. A five-minute top-up gives around two and a half hours of playback, which saved me more than once during rushed morning workouts.

Charging is through USB C, which is exactly what it should be.

App and Connectivity: Simple But Helpful

The Shokz app is not flashy, but it is useful. You get EQ presets, two custom modes, and multipoint pairing support. Switching between my phone and laptop was smooth during workdays.

Bluetooth 5.3 kept the connection stable even when I wandered around the apartment away from my device. Range stayed strong up to ten metres.

Water Resistance and Durability

IP55 water resistance means sweat, rain, and accidental splashes are fine. Just do not shower or swim with them. The build feels sturdy yet flexible enough to survive a rough gym bag or an outdoor run.

If durability matters to you, open ear headphones tend to outlast earbuds automatically because there are fewer delicate ear sealing parts to worry about.

Verdict

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is priced at Rs 17,999 and is easily the most impressive open ear headphone I have used. Shokz has created something that feels genuinely new rather than an iteration on old ideas. DualPitch gives the sound a richness that surprised me. The comfort is exceptional. Stability is flawless. Battery life is reliable. And for workouts, it is hard to imagine anything more practical.

If you want complete music immersion, get earbuds. If you want awareness, comfort, and audio that finally feels enjoyable rather than compromised, the OpenRun Pro 2 is the one to buy.

It is not just a fitness gadget. It is a lifestyle companion that fits into daily movement, work calls, and home chores without ever getting in your way.

For me, it is the first open-ear headphone that truly feels complete.