I tested open ear headphones by brand endorsed by top marathon runner to see if it's worth the money

I’m always on the hunt for the best earbuds and top earphones so when I started hearing talk of a new style of open-ear technology I was intrigued. Shokz is one of the earphone producers at the forefront of this with leading marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge its brand ambassador.

After the trend of noise-cancelling earphones has come this new tech that is more of less the opposite. Open-Ear headphones and air buds are all about also being able to stay aware of your surroundings, which is especially important when running or cycling around the roads or I’d say for life in general to be safer.

They’ve also been referred to as bone conductor earphones as they don’t fit inside the ear but fit like an earpiece just on top of it and use “bone conduction” technology to transmit sound into them. I’m one of those people who wants to still know what’s going on around me when commuting on the train or having a walk rather than being oblivious to it all.

So, I gave Shokz Openfit Air a go. I wanted to see if Shokz is worth the price, normally £179 for these OpenFit Airs from stores including John Lewis, Argos and Amazon.

It’s worth noting that prices on a range of Shokz earphones have been slashed in the Amazon Big Deals Days including OpenFit, OpenRun Pro and Mini, OpenSwim and OpenMove bone conducting range.

The Shokz OpenRun Pro and Pro 2, associated most with Kipchoge, can be found from £159.95 for the Pro from SportsShoes here or and at John Lewis here while the Pro 2 is £169 at Tredz here and Amazon.

The OpenMove wireless bone conduction headphones cost £79 at Boots or Amazon, among the cheapest prices.

I’ve often found traditional earbuds end up hurting after a while, stuffed in tightly, or are prone to drop out. The Shokz Open Fit Air has a comfortable flexible loop that fit snugly around the top of my ear with the earphone section nestling close to my ear canal. It was so light that I started to forget it was even there.

Downloading the app and connecting the earphones through bluetooth was easy. It comes in a neat, small charging box that is light and portable for keeping them safe when I’m on the move.

As for the sound, I found it as clear and high quality as traditional earphones. Even better was the level of comfort on my ears compared to when I’ve jammed in older pairs. While able to hear some sounds from the world around me, it didn’t take away from what I was listening to or spoil the intensity of the music.

The Shokz OpenFit seen here gave me a safety cushion when outside of knowing that if a car was approaching or someone was shouting a warning, I’d hear it while still enjoying my own world of sound.

They also work well for anyone who plans to wear earbuds for long periods of the day as the comfort level is superb and they are very light. It’s easy to forget you have them on.

So I’d say, they do seem good value for money and even better with the big moneysaving deals around. Shokz are available in deals from Argos and John Lewis for £119. Plus look out for more offers in the lead up to Black Friday and Christmas.

This article was updated on October 14 to reflect new pricing and product availability.