Anker Soundcore Aerofit Pro: The Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro have come down in price since they were released in late 2023 and now cost around $100 instead of $180. They remain among the better open-ear “air conduction” earbuds, with a premium look and feel, comfortable fit and fairly strong audio quality for these types of earbuds, with ample bass and volume, plus decent clarity. The AeroFit 2 Pro will be released in May of 2026.
1More Fit SE S30: 1More makes the newer S50 and S51 ear-hook models (around $80), which feature more premium designs and slightly better sound, but the the Fit SE S30 is decent enough for under $30 for those on a tight budget.
Skullcandy Push Active: With so many new wireless earbuds and headphones being released on what seems likely a weekly basis, it’s not easy for companies to differentiate their products in the marketplace. Back in 2021, Skullcandy hoped its new voice-driven platform, Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology, would do just that. Similar to the Apple AirPods’ “Hey Siri” feature, Skullcandy’s version allows you to say “Hey, Skullcandy” to issue hands-free voice commands without touching a button. The buds are still available, but there’s the newer Push Active ANC ($80).
JBL Endurance Peak 3: JBL is released a new Endurance Peak model in the spring of 2026. These 3rd-gen ear-hook style sport earbuds were released in 2023 and should be available at a decent discount. Available in black or white, the Endurance Peak 3 buds offer better battery life (up to 10 hours with four extra charges in their case), improved voice-calling performance and an IP68 rating that makes them fully water- and dust-proof. They also have an Ambient Aware transparency mode and Talk Thru mode that can automatically lower your music’s volume level and open up the buds to the outside world. That means you can have a conversation with someone without removing the buds from your ears.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 200: Beyerdynamic is known for its sound quality, so it’s not surprising the Amiron 200, its first open earbuds with ear hooks, deliver top-notch sound with nice depth and richness. They have very good clarity and bass performance for this type of open earbuds and match the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit 2 for sound quality, and they may sound slightly better than those models depending on the fit you get. Unfortunately, how they fit your ears is the one big caveat about these buds. While they fit my ears comfortably and securely, they bent the top of my ears back a little so I looked a little funny wearing them. That said, they fit my wife’s smaller ears perfectly.
Baseus Eli Sport 1: The Eli Sport 1 can be had for around $80 (currently $49 on a discount). While they may not sound quite as good as some of the premium open earbuds out there — there can be a touch of distortion at higher volumes with bass-heavy tracks — they sound quite decent for their modest price and I found them comfortable to wear. They look more premium than their price would indicate. They have 16.2mm drivers, are IPX4 splash-proof and are rated for up to 7.5 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels.
