These $25 open-ear headphones beat every pair of earbuds I’ve tried

The convenience of earbuds is something that I’ve known and appreciated for years, but I can also speak to the pure fatigue that my ears scream about after wearing them for far too long. Whether it’s using the included Apple headphones that came with an iPod as a status symbol or upgrading to a set of true wireless buds, having something I can just slap into my ears and forget about is great. But after a while, my ears begged me to try something different.

Funnily enough, I stumbled upon the Miniso MS185 open-ear headphones on my TikTok feed, which is far from the place I was expecting to find a new pair of buds. The Miniso MS185 were cheap enough for me to be curious about, and even if they weren’t great, it wasn’t like I was out a ton of money like with other earbuds I’ve tried in the past. After using these for about eight months as my daily driver at this point, though? I’ll never go back to regular earbuds.

Great audio quality and excellent comfort

I genuinely forget I have these on more often than not

My quest for a nice set of headphones actually started because my wife wanted something discreet and easy to wear without breaking the bank, and these fit the bill quite well in that regard. Earbuds have been a perpetual pain point for her, as she has rather small auricles, making most earbuds impossible to fit without falling out. Even after trying something like AirPod Pros with memory foam tips in the smallest size, she still struggled to find headphones that she could carry around without issue.

On a whim, I ordered two sets of the Miniso MS185, as I was curious about them, too. What I discovered after using them for this long is that I’ve been torturing myself with earbuds for far too long. Earbuds may work for some folks, but for those who have smaller ear-holes, this could be the future you never knew existed.

The charging case looks great and works even better

The liquid sand design is very eye-catching and stands out from other brands

First impressions are always important, and I’m a sucker for a gimmick. While I do worry about the potential of the liquid in the exterior casing leaking out from a harsh drop, it looks incredibly nice sitting on my desk. As with any other true-wireless headphones, the Miniso MS185 rest inside to charge while they’re not being used, and a 500mAh battery ensures that we always have a charge when we need it.

The earbuds themselves have a roughly 30mAh battery housed within their small frame, and a roughly 40-hour battery life between charges makes them something I can use all week without needing to plug in. But even when I do, I’ve got the perfect little fidget gadget resting on my desk while I wait to toss these back on my ears again.

No ANC makes it easy to hear the world

I love ANC, but sometimes, ANC doesn’t love me

Anyone with pets, children, or anything in between knows that while it’s great to shut out the world with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), it’s not always the best option. While I do have a pair of over-ear headphones that I can use to shut out the world while playing games or listening to music on my PC, I sometimes need to be much more alert to what’s happening outside. That’s where these come into perfect play.

Since the Miniso MS185 rests directly on top of the ears, there would be no practical way to implement ANC. But when my cats start meowing at me for lunch, or my wife needs my help with something, and I’m just listening to a podcast or music, I can actually hear what they’re asking.

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Touch controls are more cumbersome than good

I still have yet to encounter touch controls on headphones or earbuds that I like

The Miniso MS185 sitting in the charging case, showing the small touch control button

If there is one thing that I can’t stand about modern electronics, it would have to be touch controls. At least for me, they’re cumbersome and intrusive, especially if you accidentally brush against them while trying to adjust earbuds or headphones, which can cause the audio to skip or pause. The Miniso MS185 is no different, and I wish there were a way to potentially disable the touch controls completely. That would take these sub-$25 headphones to a whole new level.

The touch navigation on these headphones, admittedly, could be useful to some. But for me, it was just clunky and cumbersome, and added no real value overall. If anything, it’s the one major flaw with an otherwise outstanding pair of cheap open-ear earphones.

A great option for earbud converts

Try open-ear earbuds once, and it’ll be hard to go back

If you’re anything like me and struggle to find a pair of earbuds that properly fit your ears, or you struggle with wax buildup, I strongly suggest trying open-ear earbuds. They’re incredibly comfortable, alleviate the pain and fitment issues, and still offer a discreet way to listen to your favorite music or podcasts without busting out a pair of overhead headphones.

While I’m curious about bone-conduction headphones or even smart glasses replacing these in the future, I’ll happily keep using my Miniso MS185 until it gives up the ghost. As my daily driver for single-player gaming, music, and nearly everything in between, I’m all in on the open-ear revolution.