Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 stays put on runs and outlasts its 12-hour rating in one test

At a glance

Best for: trails, riverside runs and solo rides.

Skip it if: you want isolation; GearBrain points to noise-cancelling earbuds or over-ear headphones.

Reviewers agree: they're comfortable and let you hear what's around you.

They split on: sound, wind and busy roads.

Price: $179.95 on Shokz's US store, checked 13 October 2026.

For Tom's Guide, Nick Harris-Fry ran with the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 every day for two weeks and found them secure and comfortable with glasses and a hat, with little sound leakage indoors at full volume. Max Nurnus, who bought a pair and has used them for months in Seoul, says they don't bounce or slide on trails or when he sweats. GearBrain wore them through two months of workouts and train commutes. Shokz lists them at $179.95 on its US store, checked 13 October 2026.[1] [2] [3] [4]

Awareness is why runners and cyclists pick an open-ear pair, which leaves the ear canal uncovered. Nurnus can often hear bicycles approaching from behind by the sound of their wheels, and says they're the only earphones he'd wear in trail races. Elio Struyf, a solo cyclist whose older Shokz pair had stopped working, hears approaching cars and fellow riders while his music or podcasts play. GSMArena's Prasad advises 40-50% volume or lower outdoors because open ears can still miss things.[2] [5] [6]

Sound is where testers split, and the yardsticks differ: Harris-Fry compared them with bone-conduction headphones, which carry sound through the cheekbones, and called them the best he had tested, with better bass than the rest, while What Hi-Fi? compared them with in-ear rivals such as the Beats Fit Pro and heard a lack of punch and body. Prasad liked the natural tone and strong mid-range, though bass is gently audible and short on thump, and Nurnus finds music hollow though podcasts sound as good as on his usual earphones.[1] [6] [7] [2]

Battery gives the clearest numbers. Prasad's pair ran 12 hours 17 minutes against Shokz's 12-hour rating, and a five-minute charge gave 3 hours 6 minutes against a claimed 2.5. Harris-Fry saw more like 10-11 hours because outdoor running kept the volume high, and Struyf rode 4 hours one day and 3 hours the next on one charge with some left over.[6] [1] [5]

Wind divides testers, and busy roads trouble two of them. In two months GearBrain noticed very little wind interference, a plus for podcasts, while Struyf finds podcasts harder to follow in a headwind and Nurnus says wind can drown the audio, which frustrated him when cycling. Nurnus keeps the Shokz for runs along the river and in the hills and wears noise-cancelling earphones to commute through noisy Seoul, and Harris-Fry likewise found they can be hard to hear by busy roads.[3] [5] [2] [1]

The deciding question is how loud your route is. Trails, riverside runs and solo rides match what these testers describe: a comfortable pair that keeps traffic audible. For a loud commute, try the pair on that exact route before you commit to it, and if what you want is isolation, GearBrain points you to noise-cancelling earbuds or over-ear headphones.[3] [2] [5]