Summary
- The Shokz OpenFit Pro brings active noise reduction to open-ear headphones for the first time.
- Three mics plus an intelligent algorithm let you tune noise reduction or switch to full open-ear mode.
- The OpenFit Pro also featured improved sound quality and wear detection, something other OpenFit models lack.
Shokz has been my go-to headphone brand for several years now. I originally bought my Shokz so that I could better hear traffic when running. However, they’re so comfortable that it didn’t take long before I was wearing them all day.
The one downside, of course, is that they let a lot of noise in. This is a good thing when exercising outdoors, but not always the best when you’re trying to focus and get work done. Shokz may just have an answer for that problem in the OpenFit Pro, announced at CES 2026. These are the first Shokz headphones to feature active noise reduction, a feature I never expected to see on open-ear headphones.
How active noise reduction works on the Shokz OpenFit Pro
Surprisingly smart
Open-ear headphones and noise cancellation seem like two things that shouldn’t go together, but here we are. Shokz is employing three microphones to power the feature: one to listen to surroundings, one to enhance noise reduction performance, and one to predict in-ear noise.
The earbuds then use what Shokz is calling an “intelligent noise reduction algorithm” to adapt performance to your environment. You can turn off the noise reduction completely or make manual adjustments to fine-tune the level of reduction.
The OpenFit Pros allow you to tune out some background noise at work, then get the full open-ear experience when you go for a run — the best of both worlds.
Now, one could make an argument that noise cancellation defeats the purpose of open-ear headphones. However, many people (myself included) wear these things all day. Sometimes, you don’t want the background noise, but buying multiple pairs of headphones for different use cases can get expensive quickly.
The OpenFit Pros allow you to tune out some background noise at work, then get the full open-ear experience when you go for a run — the best of both worlds. Granted, they may never top the list of best ANC headphones, especially given the open-ear design. However, if they get most of the way there, that’s good enough for me.
Other upgrades
Shokz has improved the existing OpenFit in several ways
The OpenFit Pros have a lot of key headphone features to offer beyond the noise cancellation. They feature solid battery life: up to 12 hours of listening, or 6 hours with noise reduction active. This is extended to 50 hours if you count the charging case, which can give you four hours of use out of a 10-minute charge (an improvement over the OpenFit 2).
The OpenFit Pros also feature impressive sound, with the Shokz SuperBoost technology and Dolby Atmos. They’ll automatically pause when you remove them, thanks to wear detection — another new feature. Finally, they’re IP55-rated for water, sweat, and dust resistance.
All that tech comes at a price, of course — the OpenFit Pros will set you back $250. If you need something more affordable, we really liked these $40 wireless earbuds from Belkin, though you’ll lose the open-ear design, of course.
The Shokz OpenFit Pros are available for pre-order now, with orders shipping later in January.
