This post is about reviewing headphones — actually, two different types of headphones — because I use both of them regularly.
I don’t love the idea of owning multiple products that serve the same purpose. That probably comes from a mix of minimalistic tendencies and a desire to avoid decision fatigue. In an ideal world, I’d have one set of earphones that does everything well. In reality, different training conditions call for different solutions, and over time I’ve landed on a setup that works extremely well for me.
This review isn’t intended to be a technical deep dive into specs or sound profiles. Instead, it’s a personal and practical account of products I genuinely use, why I use them, and where they fit into my training and everyday life.
OpenRun Pro by Shokz
I very much like the idea of open-ear (or bone-conducting) headphones, particularly for running. A big part of my training involves listening to podcasts rather than music, and open-ear headphones are almost perfect for that use case.
About once a week I incorporate barefoot running on a grass field into my training. I really enjoy these sessions, but I’ll be honest — running loops on a grass oval for close to an hour can get mentally dull. Being able to listen to a podcast during these sessions has been a game changer, and the OpenRun Pro headphones have been a bit of a lifesaver in this regard.
Because they don’t sit in your ear, they’re extremely comfortable over longer periods, and there’s no sense of pressure or isolation. You can simply forget you’re wearing them.
One of the biggest advantages of open-ear headphones is that you’re still exposed to the normal sounds around you. That’s nice from an enjoyment perspective, but also genuinely useful. You can hear cars approaching, cyclists coming up behind you, or — very importantly — a dog owner yelling at a dog with a slobbering mouth sprinting towards you at full speed.
In perfect conditions, I would use these every single day.
Quality and battery life
Shokz products are not cheap, but the quality difference compared to cheaper alternatives is noticeable. The build quality feels solid, the connection is reliable, and they’ve held up well to sweat, rain, and regular use.
I bought mine in Japan where they were slightly cheaper than in Australia, but I’d still recommend them locally — especially if you can pick them up during a promotion or with a discount.
Battery life has been excellent. You also get clear voice prompts when connecting, letting you know whether the battery is high, medium, or low. When it says “battery low,” I’ve consistently found there’s still enough charge to comfortably finish my run and recharge once I’m home. When it says “battery medium,” you know you’re completely safe to head out.
Why I Also Use In-Ear Headphones
Which brings me to the second set of earphones I use.
I live near the coast, and windy conditions are very common. While open-ear headphones are fantastic in calm conditions, wind noise can reach a point where it becomes genuinely difficult to hear what you’re listening to. This is especially true while cycling, where wind noise ramps up another level again.
For those situations, I prefer an in-ear earbud style headphone, which blocks out at least some of the external noise.
Soundcore Sport X10
Before buying the Soundcore Sport X10, I’d owned several cheaper in-ear options, usually picked up on Amazon. Without exception, they all developed issues after a relatively short period of time. Sometimes they wouldn’t connect properly, sometimes they wouldn’t charge, sometimes one earbud would stop working entirely.
Eventually, I decided to look for something that was clearly a step up in quality, but without completely breaking the bank. The Soundcore Sport X10 turned out to be exactly that.
Comfort, security, and battery life
Battery life on these has been excellent as well, and the charging case gives a simple but effective indication of remaining charge via three LED dots.
One feature I really appreciate is the small hook that flips out and wraps over the top of your ear. It’s very comfortable and gives you total confidence that the earbuds aren’t going anywhere. Even riding fairly rough gravel roads, I’ve never had an issue with them feeling loose or unstable.
They’re now my go-to option for windy runs, rides, or any situation where I want a bit more isolation from the environment.
A Small but Important Detail: Real Buttons
One detail that both of these headphones share — and something I care more about than I expected — is that they use physical buttons.
I strongly prefer this over touch-based controls. Touch buttons sound nice in theory, but in practice they’re frustrating when you’re running or riding. Trying to execute a subtle double-tap on a tiny surface, while bouncing along with a finger covered in sweat, is far from ideal.
Physical buttons are simple, reliable, and easy to use mid-workout. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference.
A note on newer versions
Both of the headphones I’ve mentioned here have newer versions available — the OpenRun Pro 2 from Shokz and the Soundcore Sport X20. These updated models may offer improvements in areas like battery life, sound quality, or fit. However, I haven’t personally used either of these newer versions, so everything in this post is based solely on my experience with the OpenRun Pro and Soundcore Sport X10, which I’ve used regularly in training and day-to-day life.
Final Thoughts
If I trained exclusively in calm conditions, I’d probably use the OpenRun Pro every day. But real life isn’t always calm, and having a second option that handles wind and noise better has made training more enjoyable and less frustrating.
Between the OpenRun Pro by Shokz and the Soundcore Sport X10, I feel well covered for almost every scenario — running, cycling, podcasts, music, and everyday use.
They’re not the cheapest options available, but both have proven reliable, comfortable, and well worth the investment.
Get out there more.
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