I was privileged to attend a media briefing in November 2025 for the launch of the Shokz OpenFit Pro, and DRN have been road testing this since.
DRN readers would know, we take our reviews seriously and our aim is to test products in real life. Recently my runner brother was heading over to Hong Kong, so the OpenFit Pro got to collect some frequent flyer points. He did also do a runner with them … with my blessing.
Premium Design: Aluminium Unibody and Silicone 2.0
The overall design of the OpenFit Pro remains true to the product line, as an hook over the ear style unit. However even at first blush, you can see a significant change in how the unit is put together.
Compared to the OpenFit 2+ which I have on hand, the new OpenFit Pro is just step more premium in everything.
The charging case is wider, more square, but flatter. It is easy to see why once you open the case. The two buds are now lying side by side, with no overlap.
Both sides of the buds are dominated by meshed unibody crafted from aluminium in a nine-stage molding process.
At the tip of this cap is Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone 2.0 offering gentle, skin-friendly touch designed for long term wear comfort.
The ear hook is engineered with ultra-thin nickel-titanium alloy that flexes to match the contour of your specific ear shape.
In person, the OpenFit Pro really looks the goods. They look like they mean business, and Shokz has good reason for it. The OpenFit Pro is the first Shokz headphone to feature Open-Ear Noise Reduction.
The marketing blurb says, “Through advanced acoustic modelling, OpenFit Pro delivers reliable noise reduction across different ear shapes and fits. A triple-mic system combined with our ear-adaptive algorithm predicts in-ear noise levels with precision, delivering noise reduction that’s finely tuned to you.”
And this is why I jumped at the opportunity to put the OpenFit Pro through it’s paces in one of the busiest, sustained noisiest environments I could access – the hustle and bustle of my home city Hong Kong.
The below hands on review is conducted by my brother under my guidance. He’s done a few reviews ad-hoc for DRN and is no stranger to testing gear the DRN way.
The Use Case: Running and Traveling in Hong Kong
I took the Shokz OpenFit with me on a recent trip to Hong Kong for a wedding. While I didn’t expect to rely on them much for phone calls, I specifically planned to use them for a few early-morning runs along Victoria Harbour, as a replacement for my usual clip-on headphones. During this trip I was also wearing glasses while running, as I couldn’t use contact lenses for several days – so comfort and compatibility mattered, a lot.
Comfort and Fit: Testing Stability with Glasses
Comfort is the OpenFit’s strongest first impression. Once on, they’re barely noticeable, even with glasses, and you genuinely forget you’re wearing them after a few minutes. There’s no pressure in or on the ear, no interference with frames, and no sense of ear fatigue during longer sessions.
Audio Performance: Sound Quality and Volume Limits
Sound quality was better than expected for an open-ear design. Volume can be pushed surprisingly high if needed, without obvious distortion. Music and podcasts remained clear and intelligible, even in noisy environments, provided expectations are set appropriately for open-ear audio.
Situational Awareness: Navigating Busy City Streets
My hotel was about 2.5 km from the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, so runs involved travelling along Nathan Road at around 6:30 am. Even at that hour, traffic is constant and unpredictable.
This is the scenario where the OpenFit Pro excels. I could clearly hear my surroundings – traffic, pedestrians, and the general city soundscape – while still enjoying audio. This mattered more than usual after a quick reminder that Hong Kong taxi drivers take corners faster than Oscar Piastri, never give way, and rarely indicate. Thankfully, they’re not EVs, so they make plenty of noise – and the OpenFit Pro kept me aware of it all.
Call Quality: Testing Microphones in Crowded MTR Stations
Although phone calls weren’t my primary use case, I ended up making numerous calls while walking through MTR stations. Call clarity was excellent. I could hear the person on the other end clearly, without being distracted by surrounding noise, which was effectively suppressed.
More critically, the experience worked both ways. Despite very crowded MTR stations and substantial background noise, the person I was speaking with had no trouble hearing me clearly. Voice pickup remained consistent and natural.
The same held true outdoors. Even with traffic noise and light wind, call quality stayed solid, with no need to raise my voice or repeat myself. For an open-ear design, call performance in busy environments was far better than expected.
How Shokz Open-Ear Noise Reduction Works in Practice
Later in the day, walking through busy streets and shopping centres, the OpenFit continued to impress. While it absolutely does not block the world out, it does a very good job of filtering out unimportant background noise.
On Nathan Road and inside Mong Kok shopping centres, the sound felt cleaner than expected – general hum and clutter were softened, while voices and environmental cues remained clear. It’s less about cancellation and more about intelligent prioritisation of sound.
Commuting Performance: Testing on Buses and Trains
On the bus to Sai Kung, the OpenFit Pro was less convincing. While some white noise was reduced, most sounds still came through—bumps, rattles, and squeaks from the double-decker bus. Interestingly, the one thing it did suppress very effectively was the bus driver’s announcements, which was mildly amusing but not especially useful.
Travel Comfort: Flights and Hotel Room Noise
Back in the hotel room, the OpenFit completely removed low-level air-conditioning noise. While the AC wasn’t intrusive without earphones, once audio was playing the difference was noticeable and welcome.
The experience was similar on the flight back from Hong Kong to Melbourne. Cabin noise was softened enough to make listening more pleasant, but it will never replace proper over-ear noise-cancelling headphones for flying, but that’s not really what it’s designed to do.
Shokz OpenFit Pro Battery Life and Charging Speed
My brother measures earbuds battery life with a single metric – will it last a full marathon for him?
The short answer here is yes.
On a single charge with noise reduction on, it is rated for up to 6 hours. With noise reduction turned off? Double that to 12 hours.
With the charging case, it is rated for up to 50 hours. A 10 minutes quick charge will give four hours of playtime.
It is also wireless charging compatible. The media kit I was provided came with a pretty nice looking wireless charger. Actually it also came with a gorgeous card holder but I kept that for myself. Don’t tell my brother.
Considerations: Tuning the Noise Reduction Levels
There is little to complain about, the OpenFit Pro truly delivers what is promised.
However, it is worth noting that the default noise reduction level is where you really want to leave the setting.
You can bump it highter, but you will result in unnaturally flat audio all round.
And to dial it down lower, well you might as well cancel NC altogether.
Final Verdict: The Best Open-Ear Headphones for Active Travel?
The Shokz OpenFit Pro shines in environments where awareness matters as much as audio – running in cities, walking through busy streets, or moving through unfamiliar places. Comfort, especially with glasses, is outstanding. Sound quality is better than expected, and its ability to subtly filter background noise without disconnecting you from your surroundings is genuinely useful.
It is not a replacement for over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, nor is it ideal for very noisy public transport. But as a daily, active, real-world companion, it delivers exactly what an open-ear design should.
If you are a frequent flyer, these take up a lot less room than over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones, and absolutely eats the awful headphones you get in economy class. You do need something like a Twelve South AirFly so you can hear the inflight entertainment.
Honestly when I tested them myself after they came back into town, I was staggered at how good the noise cancelling is. Funny enough, I was listening with my eyes closed to John Dunbar’s theme and had absolutely no idea anyone was trying to talk to me. At least three people was trying to get my attention.
The Shokz OpenFit Pro have a RRP A$399 and have just been announced at CES 2026. You can pre-order it here and between 6 and 21 Jan 2026 it comes with extra perks:
- additional 360 days warranty extension
- wireless charger
- delivered to you on launch day
DRN would like to thank Shokz for providing the review unit, particularly ahead of the formal launch.
