Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review: These headphones help you listen without tuning out

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Traditional in-ear and over-ear headphones are built to create an immersive bubble, but in many contexts, immersion is a liability. It makes us unsafe on the street and anti-social in the office.

This is the problem that bone conduction technology aims to solve with tech that allows you to hear two worlds at once. Of course, bone conduction headphones are not sold on their audio fidelity. The primary pitch of these headphones is situational awareness.

For runners, cyclists, and urban pedestrians, the ability to hear ambient sounds like traffic, horns, approaching vehicles, or other people is a life-saving feature. In fact, some athletic events and marathons now prohibit traditional in-ear headphones, making bone conduction models a regulation-compliant alternative for athletes who want to listen to music while they compete. When I reviewed the new OpenRun Pro 2 from Shokz ( ₹17,999), I did intend to wear it for my squash games or the occasional run, but my primary use case is nothing like a professional athlete’s.

I’m an all-day-at-desk person. In a modern, collaborative workplace, being completely bubbled off is impractical. These headphones allow a user to be on a call or listen to audio while remaining perfectly accessible to colleagues, a family member at home (important for a work-from-home father like me), or the sound of a doorbell.

This underlines the fundamental value proposition. A traditional headphone competes with other headphones. But the true competitor for a pair of Shokz is not wearing headphones at all.