Hi everyone, and welcome! I might be slightly biased, but I think I may have found my best headphones for running, just because of the color. 🙂 If you’re into running or even just into headphones at all, you may have heard of bone conduction headphones. So, meet the brand-new Shokz OpenRun Pro 2s. Obviously, they are the second generation, and like I said, they come in my favorite colorway of orange, as well as black.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 – best headphones for running!
I actually have the first gen of these, which I’ve had for a couple of years already. They have a very similar design, but there are some minor differences, which we’re about to get to.
The key thing about bone conduction, if you haven’t heard of it before, is that it essentially vibrates along your ear, and these don’t go into your actual ear. So they kind of fit over your ear loop and sit right next to the little bone near your ear canal. As they vibrate, that’s what delivers the sound.
If you look at the difference, the Pro 2s have an air conduction speaker – essentially just an extra speaker to help with sound delivery. I found with the first gens, no matter how loud you got them, the sound was never, I guess, loud enough. The main innovation of the Pro 2s headphones is DirectPitch technology, which combines the advantages of bone conduction and air conduction. This allows you to keep all the benefits of an open-ear design while still getting significantly louder sound and boosted quality. With the extra speakers, it really helps with bass delivery, and you actually get some decent sound.
I run quite often around the city, and I work out a lot. It’s always so weird to me when I see people running with headphones in, especially with so many cars around. I find that quite dangerous, especially with active noise canceling – you can’t hear what’s around you. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 delivers great sound but still allows you to hear your surroundings, which I think is important. It’s not only useful for running but for everyday use in general.
Why the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are the best headphones for running
Since the Pro 2s now technically have two drivers, as I mentioned, the bone conduction is really suited for treble, while the air conduction handles the bass. The sound quality is noticeably deeper and better than the first-gen models. Even during my test runs, they performed great. They also feature AI noise-canceling and a wind-resistant microphone, so if you’re someone who makes calls while running – if you’re that extreme (I’m not) – the mic quality holds up, even at speeds of up to 25 kilometers an hour. This makes the Pro 2s one of the best headphones for running, offering both safety and excellent sound.
Battery, charging, water resistance
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones offer 12 hours of battery life, which is a significant improvement over the first generation. They now feature a USB-C port for charging, while the 1st gen model had a magnetic proprietary charger. I charged them for about 15 minutes and got around 50 percent, which is good for another running session or workout.
The Pro 2s are IP55 water-resistant, so no matter how much you sweat, they hold up. I’ve even rinsed them underwater quickly to clean them, and they’ve been totally fine.
Summary
Overall, I think the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are a very solid pair of running headphones. I don’t think I’ve seen such an improvement between the first and second generations. The sound quality has gotten significantly better and much louder. While I find they’re a bit on the pricier end, they are quite use-case specific. For someone who is really into working out and running and wants bone conduction headphones, the Pro 2s are probably the best on the market.
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