Shokz OpenDots ONE Review | I Discovered the Comfort of Ear-Cuff Style Earphones

Hello, good evening, this is Harushika.

I wanted earphones for running that would let me hear my surroundings clearly while also staying securely in place, so I bought the Shokz OpenDots ONE.

OpenDots ONE are "ear-cuff" style earphones that you clip onto your ears like an accessory, which is a type of "open-ear" design that allows you to hear ambient sounds while listening to music. I've been using them for a little over a week now, or about 30 hours in total.

Since there are already plenty of detailed reviews out there, I won't be going through the specs one by one in this article. Instead, I'd like to focus my review on the points that really stuck with me, for better or worse, based on my actual experience using them.

Based on my personal impressions, my conclusion at this point is that they are "earphones that excel in the comfort of not sealing off your ears."

The comfort of not sealing off your ears

The thing I felt most strongly after using these earphones was the comfort of not having my ears sealed. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it naturalness rather than comfort.

I've been a fan of canal-type earphones for over 10 years, so sealing my ears to listen to music was just the norm. But I think blocking your ears is actually an unnatural state. Unless there's a special reason, you don't usually block your ears in daily life.

Thinking about it again, I realize that the sensation of wearing canal-type earphones was never really pleasant. There is always some degree of pressure, isn't there?

In contrast, ear-cuff style earphones don't feel like they are putting pressure on you because there is a gap between them and your ear canal. Precisely because I've been using canal-type earphones for so long, the comfort of the ear-cuff style really hit home for me. Not sealing the ears and being able to hear surrounding sounds—that naturalness is the best part of the OpenDots ONE in my opinion.

Of course, the high level of sound isolation from sealing your ears is the advantage of canal-type earphones, so it's best to use them differently depending on the situation!

Fit and Comfort

Lightweight feel

At just 6.5g per ear, you don't even notice the weight when wearing them. I imagined they would be heavier based on their shape, but they pleasantly surprised me. Also, there is no stuffy feeling, making them comfortable even in humid seasons.

Stability that doesn't fall out during exercise

At first, I was skeptical about whether they would fall out, so I tried running with them, but it was no problem at all. Even with vigorous head movement, there was no sign of them shifting, so I feel confident using them for sports.

No left or right distinction

This is a small but convenient feature. You can wear them on either ear, and you can put them back on either side of the case. You are freed from that minor stress of having to worry about the orientation of the earphones every time.

When wearing them for a long time...

After wearing them continuously for about 6 hours, the part of my ear being pinched did start to hurt a little. Also, I felt a slight sense of neck stiffness. This might be due to the shape of my ears or simply because I'm not used to them yet.

→Update:
It was just a matter of getting used to them. Before I knew it, the pain was gone.

Sound Quality

Deep, Resonant Bass

I had an image that open-ear headphones often lose the impact of bass, but I was surprised to find that the bass reaches my ears quite clearly. Furthermore, perhaps because they don't block the ear, I can feel not only the three-dimensional quality of the sound but also its spaciousness. For someone like me who isn't particularly picky about sound quality, this was a very satisfying sound, including the mid and high ranges.

What about sound leakage?

First of all, sound does leak. Since they don't block your ears, that's physically expected. The question is how much it leaks. I had my wife wear them at home to test, and up to about 30% on the iPhone volume gauge, it couldn't be heard unless you were listening very closely right next to her. In environments with ambient noise like a cafe, it's unlikely others would hear it even at around 50%.

Functionality

Wireless Charging (Qi) Support

I bought them without checking if they were supported, but when I tried placing them on a wireless charging pad, they charged. It was a pleasant surprise, but thinking about it calmly, considering this price range, it's a feature that should naturally be there. Being able to charge just by placing them down is very convenient.

Water Resistance

In terms of specs, they have an IP54 water-resistant rating. It's fine for sweating during exercise. I feel it's a bit risky to take a shower while wearing them.

Multipoint Connection

You can connect to two devices simultaneously. There's no need to manually switch the connection; it seamlessly switches to the device that is playing audio. Personally, I would have been happy if I could pair up to three devices at once, since I frequently use my iPhone, iPad mini, and Mac.

Disappointing Operability Improved via Update

The low customizability of touch controls was a drawback, but it was improved in the firmware update on July 16, 2025. In addition to double-tap and double-tap-and-hold, a triple-tap has been added, and by setting it up in the app, you can now have both "volume up/down" and "track skip/back" functions. Yay!

Touch Control Sensitivity

I suspect that the sensitivity for single-finger taps is intentionally set low, so they don't react to gentle taps. You have to tap with a certain amount of firmness. It's not a problem once you get used to it, but at first, I thought it was a defective unit. You can select "High Sensitivity Mode" from the app, but I didn't feel much of a difference... However, increasing the sensitivity can also cause unintended accidental operations, so it must be a difficult balance for the developers to strike.

Suitable and Unsuitable Scenes

Scenarios where I felt they were suitable

Outdoor running / Gym workouts
Because you can hear ambient sounds, you can stay safe while boosting your motivation with music. In environments like a gym where treadmill noise echoes, you don't have to worry about sound leakage.

Housework / Working from home
It's convenient to be able to have a conversation without stopping the music, such as when washing dishes. However, be careful, as it's hard to notice if someone talks to you if the volume is too high. I think it's better to keep it at about 30% on the iPhone volume gauge. That volume is plenty for inside the house.

Scenarios where I felt they were not suitable

Trains / Buses
As expected, in places with loud ambient noise, the music gets drowned out quite a bit. This is the fate of open-ear types that lack sound isolation. That said, if you turn up the volume, there is a high possibility of sound leakage to the point where the person next to you can hear it.

When you want to concentrate
The benefit is being able to hear surrounding sounds, but on the flip side, when you want to block out the surroundings to immerse yourself in work, you might find yourself bothered by people talking or everyday noises.

Places where background music is playing
If you use them in a place like a cafe where background music is already playing, the shop's music and the music from your earphones will mix together.

Summary

After using Shokz's OpenDots ONE for a week, I felt that the comfort brought by 'not sealing the ears' is a major appeal.

I originally bought them for running while listening to music, but I think they will see more use in various scenes, such as during walks or while doing housework.

Due to the nature of the open-ear type, the low sound isolation is both a merit and a demerit. I feel that the best approach is to use them selectively alongside earphones with high sound isolation and noise-canceling features, like the AirPods Pro, depending on the situation.

If you are looking for earphones for running like I was, or if you are interested in open-ear or ear-cuff types, please give them a try. See you later. This was Harushika.

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