The Soundcore AeroFit 2 by Anker is a pair of open-ear wireless headphones that hook over your ears rather than seal inside the ear canal. The open design keeps you aware of your surroundings while listening, which works for running, cycling, hiking, working from home, or any other situation where you want to hear traffic, a kid calling from another room, or a conversation in the office. The 4-level adjustable ear hooks also fit over 99% of ear shapes and sizes, including over glasses.
Open-ear headphones that enhance your favorite music and podcasts
Open-ear earbuds work differently from regular wireless buds. Instead of plugging into your ear canal, the speaker hangs just outside your ear, so sound reaches you while you can still hear what’s happening around you. That’s the appeal for runners, cyclists, and parents who need to keep one ear on traffic or a kid in the next room. The AeroFit 2’s 4-level hooks let you adjust the speaker’s angle, so the buds don’t shift around when you turn your head or break into a jog.
Bass response is usually a weakness in open-ear earbuds, since they can’t seal sound waves inside the ear. The AeroFit 2 addresses this with 20mm x 11.5mm racetrack drivers (much larger than typical open-ear drivers) and Soundcore’s BassTurbo acoustic tuning. The result is roughly 2x deeper bass than other open-ear earbuds, with the adjustable hooks letting you position the driver closer to your ear canal for an additional 7.5dB of bass boost over fixed-hook designs.
You’ll get about 10 hours out of the AeroFit 2 on a single charge, which is more than enough for a full day of work, a long run, or a flight. The case adds another 32 hours, and a 10-minute top-up is enough for 4 hours of playback if you’re rushing out the door with dead buds. Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC handles the connection, and the case charges wirelessly on any Qi pad.
An IP55 rating protects against sweat, light rain, and dust during outdoor workouts. The downward-tilting ear hooks also stay out of the way of glasses temples, which is one of the main complaints about competing open-ear designs. Plus, the Soundcore app includes Free AI Translation in 100+ languages for travel, multipoint Bluetooth for connecting a phone and a laptop, and a customizable EQ for adjusting the sound to your preference.
If you’ve found in-ear earbuds uncomfortable for long sessions, or you want to hear traffic while running on a busy road, the AeroFit 2 hits both points without sacrificing battery life or sound quality. At $80, down from $130, the AeroFit 2 falls in the same price range as basic in-ear wireless earbuds, with the trade-off of less noise isolation but better situational awareness.
