Headphones for running are one of those little luxuries runners don’t mind splurging on — and I’m no exception. I’ve used AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 ANC, Samsung Buds, and even a $7 pair of earbuds my wife bought off Lazada. Strangely (and frustratingly), they all eventually presented the same issue: one earbud would either stop charging or run out of battery faster than the other.

Fed up with these problems, I decided to take a leap of faith and bought a pair of open-ear headphones — the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2. I even tested them on a marathon.

Design and Controls – Lightweight, Runner-Friendly, and Water-Resistant

Inside the box, you’ll find just two things: a short USB-C charging cable and the headphones. That’s it. To enhance your experience, you should download the Shokz app, which allows you to customise the audio equalisation.

Everything you need is built into the headphones. On the right side, you’ll find the power button (activated by a long press until you hear a beep), which also doubles as the volume-up button. The volume-down button sits right behind it. There’s also a USB-C charging port with a snug rubber flap to protect it from water ingress.

Note: The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is not waterproof but water-resistant, with an IP55 rating. That means it can handle minor splashes, sweat, and even light rain without issue — but don’t wear it in the shower or go swimming.

On the left side, there’s a multi-function button for playback control. A single press plays or pauses music, a double press skips to the next track, and a triple press goes back to the previous one.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Sound Quality – Good for Runners, Not Audiophiles

As an open-ear headphone, the OpenRun Pro 2 lets you remain aware of your surroundings — a huge plus for outdoor safety. You won’t get the same audio isolation as traditional earbuds, but you also won’t need to pull them out every time someone talks to you.

The sound quality is surprisingly decent. The bass is solid, and during my in-store trial, I even thought the headphones weren’t connected — it sounded like the music was playing through external speakers. But nope, it was coming straight from the headphones. A pleasant surprise.

Overall, the audio is well-balanced across lows, mids, and highs. It’s not reference-grade, and audiophiles may find it lacking. But for casual listening while running, it more than holds up.

Real-World Running Test – How the OpenRun Pro 2 Performs on the Road

There’s a noticeable difference between using the headphones indoors versus running on the road. Indoors, the AI-powered noise reduction does a fair job of muting background noise.

Outdoors, especially near busy roads, it’s a different story. The environmental noise easily overpowers the audio. Even with custom EQ settings — such as boosting vocals — the music becomes flat and hard to enjoy. In noisy environments, the OpenRun Pro 2 struggles.

Battery Life – Can Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Last a Full Marathon?

Battery life is where the OpenRun Pro 2 shines. As a long-distance runner, this is a key feature for me.

I fully charged the battery before my marathon, and after more than five hours of running, I still had 70% battery left. That makes Shokz’s claim of 12-hour music playback entirely believable.

Final Verdict – Should Runners Buy the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 in 2025?

I genuinely enjoy using the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2. It’s simple to operate and frees me from worrying about one side dying mid-run — something that’s happened too often with traditional earbuds. The controls are intuitive, and the comfort is excellent.

However, the open-ear design does have its drawbacks — most notably, poor performance in noisy outdoor environments.

That said, if you’re a casual runner, especially one who runs in quiet parks early in the morning or at night, you’ll likely love this. It gives you situational awareness and a hands-free, stress-free audio experience.

At least, that’s how I use it — and for that purpose, it works beautifully.

Want to buy? You can get the Shokz Openrun Pro 2 via Lazada.