Shokz’s €139 OpenFit Air 2 refine the company’s open-ear formula with a lighter fit, improved controls and strong battery life, while retaining the category’s limits on bass and noise isolation.
Shokz’s OpenFit Air 2 sit squarely in the growing open-ear category, aimed at people who want audio without sealing off the ear canal. That makes them a practical option for runners, cyclists and everyday users who prefer to stay aware of traffic, pedestrians and other activity around them. At €139, they are positioned as a mid-priced alternative in a part of the market where comfort and situational awareness matter as much as sound quality.
The latest model refines the original OpenFit Air rather than rethinking it. Shokz has made the charging case smaller and lighter, and the earbuds themselves now weigh just 7.2g each. The company has also moved to a redesigned nickel-titanium frame with softer contact materials, which should reduce pressure during longer wear. SpecPair and other reviewers note that the result is an unusually light product for this type of sports earbud, while the case remains compact enough to travel well, even if the arched design prevents it from becoming truly tiny.
Practical changes are more significant in daily use. The OpenFit Air 2 use pressure-sensitive controls instead of touch panels, which Tom’s Guide and RunMorph both highlight as a welcome fix for one of the original model’s weaker points. The controls are placed on the body of each earbud and handle playback, calls and volume. The Shokz app also allows users to adjust commands, tune the equaliser, manage multipoint pairing and install firmware updates. That software layer is useful, though the hardware itself is designed to stay straightforward.
Fit is the area in which these earbuds make their strongest argument. The over-ear hook keeps them stable during movement, and reviewers across Tom’s Guide, iTechGuides and Computer Bild describe the fit as secure and comfortable, including for exercise and prolonged wear. The open design means there is no passive isolation, but it also means the earbuds do not press into the ear canal. For many users, that trade-off is the point: less isolation, but more comfort and better awareness of surroundings.
Sound quality is respectable for an open-ear design, but the limits of the format remain clear. Reviewers broadly agree that the OpenFit Air 2 sound enjoyable for the category, with decent clarity, usable mids and a pleasing presentation for podcasts and voice-led content. Bass is improved over the earlier model, helped by Shokz’s dual-driver Bassphere design and OpenBass processing, but it still cannot match the depth or impact of closed in-ear headphones. In noisy outdoor settings, volume often needs to be raised, and there is a ceiling beyond which distortion becomes more noticeable.
For calls, the OpenFit Air 2 appear competent rather than exceptional. The earbuds use four microphones in total and apply noise reduction to the transmitted voice, which helps speech remain intelligible in quieter environments. In heavier background noise, the voice can sound slightly processed, but reviewers note that conversations remain usable. Importantly, there is no active noise cancellation for the listener, which is consistent with the open-ear design and the product’s focus on environmental awareness.
Battery life is another clear strength. Shokz says the earbuds last up to eight hours on a charge and up to 36 hours with the case, and reviewers from Tom’s Guide and RunMorph report that real-world endurance is at least in that range, sometimes better. A fast-charge function delivers several hours of playback after a short top-up, which is particularly useful for training sessions and commuting. Wireless charging is not included, but the overall battery performance helps offset that omission. Taken as a whole, the OpenFit Air 2 look like a well-judged update: not revolutionary, but lighter, more reliable and better balanced than the first generation.
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