fair point on the A30 but if you're a side sleeper who also needs awareness during the day, AeroFit 2 pro's open-ear fit is lowkey underrated for all-day comfort beyond just sleep ngl
AeroFit 2 Pro is lowkey great for running calls, wind noise handling is solid and the 5-gear hook keeps them from moving around mid-run, your daughter would probably love it honestly
Here are the ones I’ve tried.
Shokz- great headphones. It sits next to your ear rather than over. Forever tethered and that can get annoying, especially if you’re wearing a high collared shirt. Shokz now has a non tethered version - I always see them returned at REI so do with that information what you will.
Beats headphones - the ones that have an arm that go around your ear. I put the clip over my ear then let it dangle in front of my canal. If I want total block of ambient, I put them in like they’re intended.
Three different soundcore - all very affordable especially if you get them refurbished on eBay. All controllable sound quality and controls through their app. Super super long battery life. I think I’m a soundcore person now, the ROI is just much higher with these considering their price, the way I use them, and my perceived sound quality.
1. Soundcore c30i (there are upgraded versions of it) - I really liked these they rest on the flappy part of your ear and project the sound towards the ear canal. Great sound and control. less than $50 cheap.
2. Soundcore v30i. Love these, they’re the older model but I like these because they adjust on the arm itself so you can make it more or less ambient to outside sound. Sits on top of the ear. Also less than $50 if you get them refurbished. I use these at home.
3. Soundcore Aerofit pro. I use these for work - people say I sounds great on calls and don’t hear my coworkers (I work in pretty busy and noisy office. Great sound - dare I say too great, I get overwhelmed sometimes. It sits on top of the canal so you can hear if you need to (not adjustable). These ran closer to $100 - even refurbished. They come with a strap if you want to tether them. The battery life on these are crazy - I charge once a week and I’m on those all day 5 days a week between calls and music.
Not OP but I'd be curious what you think about the ear-hook category right now. I've been using an Oladance OWS Pro for a while and the sound is still really solid, but it's a 2023 model so I'm wondering if anything newer has actually topped it in that style. Picked mine up for like $90 recently since they're clearing out stock — at that price it felt like a steal but I'm always open to trying something better if the tech has moved on.
What's been your favorite ear-hook so far from everything you've tested?
The ear wax thing is literally why I switched to open ear so I feel you on that. Nothing going inside your ear canal = nothing to get gunked up. So much nicer.
I've tried a few, here's my honest take:
Shokz OpenFit — comfortable and lightweight, stays put all day. But the bass is weak if I'm being real. Fine for podcasts and calls, not great if you care about how your music sounds. Since you want punchy bass like your Sennheisers, these probably won't cut it.
Oladance OWS Pro — so this is technically a 2023 model, but hear me out. It was their $229 flagship and the sound still holds up against anything in the category right now, especially the bass. The reason I'm bringing it up is the price has absolutely cratered — I got mine for under $90 recently since Oladance went through some corporate restructuring and there's a ton of new old stock floating around. At $90 it's honestly kind of stupid good value. Comfortable for long sessions, battery lasts forever, mic is solid for calls. Downsides: the case is chunky and they're not exactly discreet on your ears.
Bose Ultra Open — best sounding open ear I've tried, period. But at $299 it's a tough sell when the competition has gotten so much cheaper.
Soundcore AeroFit Pro — decent mid-range option, lighter and more compact than the Oladance. Sound is fine but the bass doesn't hit as hard.
For your use case (house, errands, long work sessions, calls) I'd honestly check if you can still find the OWS Pro at that clearance price. At full retail I'd say look elsewhere in 2026, but at $90ish it punches way above its weight.
BlueDolphinCute
