Running with both ears sealed means not hearing the car that is about to pass you, or the cyclist calling out from behind. Open-ear headphones exist for that reason, and the newer of Shokz’s two OpenRun Pro models is part of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days offers, where Prime members can get the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 for $124.95 instead of $179.95, a 31% cut. The price covers the orange and blue versions, sold with a reflective strip.
Two Drivers, Ears Left Open
Bone conduction headphones rest on the cheekbones and leave the ear canal free, which has always come with a cost: thin bass. Shokz addresses it on the OpenRun Pro 2 by pairing two drivers, one using bone conduction for the highs and one using air conduction for the low end, a system it calls DualPitch. Through the Shokz app you can pick between EQ modes, including a Classic Mode that reverts to pure bone conduction and a Volume Boost Mode for noisy streets. I’d still set expectations at “good for a run” and keep sealed earbuds for a plane, since nothing here blocks outside noise, and that is the idea.
Fit matters as much as sound on something worn while moving. The frame is a single piece built around a nickel-titanium memory wire, with ear hooks to hold it in place, and it weighs 30.3 grams. Shokz says it stays put during gym sessions and cycling, and the band passes behind the neck, so it can be worn with a bike helmet or a cap. The company also describes the listening as leak-free, a claim I would test at low volume in a quiet office before trusting it completely.
Battery life is 12 hours, enough for a week of training or one very long hike, and charging is through a standard USB-C port. Five minutes on a cable gives two and a half hours of playback. Shokz’s own comparison chart shows what changed from the previous OpenRun Pro: that model lasted 10 hours, used a magnetic charger, gained an hour and a half from the same five minutes and ran on Bluetooth 5.1 against 5.3 here. Losing the special cable is the improvement I would notice most.
For calls, two wind-resistant microphones and a noise reduction algorithm are meant to filter out 96.5% of background noise, according to Shokz, including wind of up to 15 miles per hour. Cyclists who take calls on the move are the obvious audience for that. Protection is rated IP55, which covers sweat and rain but is not a swimming rating. Outside sport, the open design suits anyone who wants a podcast while staying reachable: parents listening for a child in the next room, or people who work from home and need to hear the doorbell. On Amazon, the OpenRun Pro 2 holds a 4.3 out of 5 average across more than 8,700 ratings.
Prime membership is required for this price: the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 costs $124.95 on Amazon against a list price of $179.95, in Orange or Blue and in the Standard size, as a Prime Big Deal. The Rose Gold Gift Edition is listed at $139.95 for members, and returns are free.
