The Shokz OpenDots One are premium-grade clip-on earbuds built for highly active lifestyles. These ultra-light, high-performance earbuds are priced to compete in the top end of the clip-on earbud market. While the Shokz OpenDots One isn’t the most expensive open-ear option, their punchy bass, exceptional battery life, and unrivalled comfort make them the most interesting.
Even when done well, high-end clip-on earbuds are a tough sell. Luxury earbuds are usually judged by their sound quality, style, and comfort. Open-ear designs, however, come with hard limits on fidelity, requiring brands to put more emphasis on style and comfort to justify the added cost. It’s a delicate balancing act that begins with a steep trade-off, but it’s one that Shokz has absolutely nailed with the OpenDots One.
That trade-off starts with placement. Open-ear designs seat the speaker outside the ear canal, directing sound in from a distance. The lack of an airtight seal means that not every vibration will reach the interior of your skull. The first casualties are the bass-heavy low-end frequencies. The loss is so pronounced that even premium brands like Shokz and Bose skip high-res Bluetooth codecs such as LDAC or LHDC, opting instead for more standard, lossy options like AAC and SBC.
Even at $199.95, the Shokz OpenDots One are no exception. The sound reproduction is as good as it gets for an open-ear design, but it still isn’t comparable to similarly priced traditional earbuds. And despite moderate improvements in bass performance and sound leakage, the audio is only marginally better than that of mid-range clip-on earbuds.
However, marginal improvement is still an improvement, and the difference is noticeable, especially in the low end. Traditional headphone technology is straightforward: drivers push air into the ears through circular or planar drivers aimed directly into them. It’s simple and efficient but requires an airtight seal for optimal results. Shokz has upended this convention with its Bassphere technology, which compensates for the lack of a seal.
“While the Shokz OpenDots One isn’t the most expensive open-ear option, their punchy bass, exceptional battery life, and unrivalled comfort make them the most interesting.”
The Bassphere features two circular drivers positioned on their sides and facing each other, funnelling their combined air pressure through a rectangular opening aimed into the ear canal. This directed airflow minimizes falloff, ensuring each beat reaches its destination.
The Shokz OpenDots One also offers impressive volume potential, with a driver sensitivity of 97.5 dB. However, not all of that volume is usable. I need loud earbuds—decades of live shows and ignoring my phone’s high-volume warnings have left me with a constant ringing in my ears (on a piano, it’s a D6). The only way to drown it out is with louder music, a task earbuds are increasingly struggling to manage. Even so, the OpenDots One gets uncomfortably loud at around 75% volume. That said, distortion starts to creep in just above that, around 80%.
So, overall, the sound quality is decent. But “good for what it is” isn’t enough to justify a premium price tag. To bridge that value gap, Shokz put considerable thought into the physical design and feature set of the buds. While the Shokz OpenDots One earbuds are among the best-sounding open-ear designs, they are the most comfortable earbuds I’ve ever worn. Period.
What makes these buds so comfortable is their weight and the materials. They’re not small by any measure, but they’re deceptively light, with each bud weighing just 6.5 grams. Considering the bulky look of the battery compartment and the speaker assembly, the feather-light feel was a pleasant surprise.
More impressive, though, was how well they stayed in place. I wore them for hours at a time, usually while meandering around a workshop or hiking forest trails, and only occasionally had to give them a slight nudge to realign with my earholes. Even then, the adjustment was only needed because I was trying to use the touch controls (more on that later).
“While the Shokz OpenDots One earbuds are among the best-sounding open-ear designs, they are the most comfortable earbuds I’ve ever worn. Period.”
Each earbud features a durable, soft silicone coating that is both silky to the touch and oil-resistant. The lightweight build, combined with the skin-friendly finish, results in an earbud that feels almost invisible when worn. I often forgot I was even wearing them, sometimes only realizing they were still on hours after my music had stopped.
When the music did stop, it was always by choice. The Shokz OpenDots One offers 10 hours of battery life per charge. While all-day battery life has become common in modern peripherals, this still exceeds the norm by a significant margin. And if you forget to give the buds a full recharge at the end of the day, a quick 10-minute charge in the carrying case delivers up to 2 hours of listening time. For a full recharge, the buds need only 60 minutes in the case.
The carrying case perfectly complements the earbuds with its lightweight design and impressive battery capacity. With both earbuds magnetically secured inside, the case weighs a paltry 52g. It also features a 590mAh battery that can store up to 40 hours of backup power, which can be recharged via USB-C in 120 minutes, or 240 minutes via a QI wireless charger.
The closest comparison to the OpenDots One is the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. Both share similar audio characteristics and a high price. But when it comes to specs, the Shokz comes out ahead. They’re lighter—both in the earbuds and the case—and offer 2.5 more hours of playtime per charge.
Another key difference lies in environmental protection. The Shokz are rated IP54, while the Bose carries an IPX4 rating. In both cases, the “4” means protection against splashing water. The difference is in the first digit: the “5” in the Shokz rating indicates moderate dust resistance, while the “X” in the Bose rating signifies no dust protection at all. These differences may seem minor, but considering the $100 premium placed on the Bose, the Shokz OpenDots One becomes an even more compelling option.
As far as connection goes, the OpenDots One is pretty standard. They offer fast, multipoint Bluetooth pairing that lets users switch between two devices. There’s also an optional app with four preset EQ modes, Dolby Audio options, and customizable sound profiles. However, what was uncommon was a feature called Interchangeable Connection, which turned out to be my favourite aspect of these earbuds. Interchangeable Connection means that there is no fixed left or right earbud. Instead, the buds detect which ear they are in and adjust accordingly, shifting not just the audio channels but also the touch controls.
Which brings me to my least favourite aspect of the OpenDots One: the touch controls. They’re awful. Not only are the controls limited in what they can do, but they’re also awkward to use and only occasionally work as intended. Tapping the joint arc to play, pause, or answer calls was inconsistently responsive, and the pinch-and-hold gesture used to adjust the volume was absolutely maddening.
In practice, using the volume controls meant either pinching too long and blowing out my eardrums or not long enough and accidentally pausing the audio. To passersby at the park, the sight must have been alarming: an intensely focused man clutching his ear in the middle of a field, shouting frustrated curses at no one. It even startled the ducks. I can never go back.
Controls and public disturbances aside, the Shokz OpenDots One are a remarkable pair of earbuds. The clip-on earbud market has grown rapidly, with great options emerging in a short time. Due to the design’s limitations, any new pair must offer something special to stand out and even more to justify a premium price tag. Shokz has managed to do just that.
The Shokz OpenDots One delivers class-leading battery life and world-class comfort. For audiophiles or those who need active noise cancellation, a traditional true wireless design remains the better choice. However, for athletic users seeking a top-tier open-ear option that stays in place and sounds great, the Shokz OpenDots One is the clear choice.
- Personalized Clip-On Fit – The flexible nickel-titanium plate and soft silicone grip conform to your ear for security and comfort. At just 6.5g, each earbud is virtually unnoticeable through all-day wear.
- Rich, Open-Ear Audio – Shokz signature open-ear design keeps you connected to the world while you experience the pocket-sized power of OpenDots ONE’s premium Dolby Audio and Bassphere Technology.
