Open-ear earbuds are growing. Should you switch from ANC?

A tiny pair of earbuds now has two possible personalities: “please leave me alone” or “yes, I can hear you asking where the oat milk went.” Open-ear models are making a convincing pitch for the second. The appeal is music that fits around your day, rather than making every interruption a small excavation mission.

There is a real growth signal behind the cute shapes. In research published September 17, Omdia estimated that open wireless stereo shipments rose 12% year on year to 11.1 million in Q2 2026, while conventional in-ear and semi-in-ear shipments fell 2%. Clip-on designs accounted for 61% of the open-ear segment. Those are dated shipment estimates, not today’s search rankings or a guarantee that one particular pair is a bestseller.

First, decide what you want to hear

The useful question is not whether open-ear is the fashionable answer. It is whether you want your surroundings to remain part of the soundtrack. Think quiet chores, a conversation-friendly desk or a short walk. If your priority is retreating from a loud commute, put sealed ANC earbuds on the shortlist instead. The playlist can be sociable; your train carriage does not always deserve an invitation.

Be precise about the product, too. Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) FAQ explicitly says they have no active noise cancellation and do not use bone conduction. Bose also acknowledges that nearby people may notice sound at maximum volume in very quiet settings. “Open” does not mean a private bubble, and hearing outside sounds is never a promise of road safety.

The trend is not a shopping instruction

Here is where a little restraint earns its keep. Bose announced its Sport Open and Ultra Open second-generation models on September 17, with US availability from October 1 at US$199 and US$299 respectively. Those are existing product examples, not launches happening today. Their announcement shows where manufacturers are investing; it does not settle which model fits your ear, wardrobe or budget.

Make your shortlist around the awkward bits. Can you reach the controls without rearranging your hair? Does the shape share space nicely with glasses and earrings? Can you hear a podcast comfortably at an ordinary level in the places you actually use it? A return policy matters more than a product page’s extremely confident model looking delighted beside a window.

Choose the routine before the aesthetic

Before buying, write down your three most common listening situations. If two involve quiet rooms and easy conversation, an open-ear trial makes sense. If two involve engines, crowds or wanting silence, start with your isolation needs. Do not turn the volume up to bully your surroundings into submission. The bus will not negotiate.

Our audio buying guide offers product choices across listening styles. If you are comparing a sealed alternative, our OPPO Enco X4 explainer also unpacks why phone compatibility deserves attention.

The takeaway: open-ear is a worthwhile option, not a compulsory upgrade. Buy the kind of listening your life needs. Matching your earrings can be a lovely bonus; it should not have to carry the entire business case.

Hero image: Bose. Official manufacturer image source. This October 25 trend explainer uses published information; DeviceCritique has not tested the pictured products.