By this point in my career, the number of headphones and earbuds I have tested is probably hovering around 100. Lately, a lot of them that are coming across my desk are clip-style buds, a growing trend for those who don’t like in-ears. They offer the benefits of traditional band and wraparound open ear buds with an even lighter, simpler design, and fashionable design.
How do they work? Like huggie earrings, those earrings that clip around the outer part of your ear, these employ an arc-shaped design. The bud sits atop your ear canal and a piece wraps around the lobe to secure behind your ear. Because of this open design, there’s no noise cancelling so you will hear everything around you. But some models so offer a level of noise reduction for calls via additional mics and other technology.
I have tested pairs from top brands like JBL, Shokz, Sennheiser, and more, each with its own unique features, design proposition, and audio performance. Which is best for you? Here’s my take to help you decide.
Best Overall Clip Buds: JBL Soundgear CLIPS
JBL makes some of my favourite headphones, and the JBL Soundgear CLIPS are a solid entry in this space As I found in my review, they sound great for open ears with easy-to-use touch controls, a secure fit, and one of the coolest charging cases I have seen that stands upright with a flip-top cover. I love the purple finish option of my review sample. They are a good option for casual listening, Zoom calls in the office, and those who are okay without noise cancellation.
Buy the JBL Soundgear CLIPS in Canada for $229.98.
Buy the JBL Soundgear CLIPs in the U.S. for $149.95.
Best for Sound Quality: Sennheiser Accentum Clip
Sennheiser is another favourite of mine for over-ears, so I was excited to try the Accentum Clip. They are comfortable, sound great, and even boast high-res audio support (though it’s tough to get the most out of this feature with an open-ear pair like these). They have easy-to-use touch controls and offer great battery life. While I did have some issues with audio dropping for split seconds at times, or the second bud taking up to 15 seconds to kick in once I put them on (or requiring a reset), they, for the most part, won’t disappoint.
Buy the Sennheiser Accentum Clip in Canada for $269.99.
Best for Cute Design: Shokz OpenDots 2
When it comes to open ear buds overall, my hands-down favourite brand is Shokz, and my all-time favourite in its line-up is the OpenFit Pros ($249.95 in the U.S.) These aren’t clip-style buds, but I have to mention them because they impressively offer noise reduction that works. They use Shokz’s own technology to accomplish this, despite the open ear design. I was blown away by how they silenced the crowd in a busy coffee shop almost as well as a mid-level pair of noise cancelling in-ear buds would.
All that said, if you prefer the clip style, the OpenDots 2 are worth considering. They support Dolby Audio and offer AI-powered noise reduction for calls, even though there’s no active noise cancellation beyond that. I found Dolby Audio offers a nice expansive soundstage, and they’re downright cute, to boot.
Buy the Shokz OpenDots 2 in Canada for $249.95.
Buy the Shokz OpenDots 2 in the U.S. for $199.95.
Best Mid-Priced Option: Shokz OpenDots Air
Introduced at the same time as the Shokz OpenDot 2, the Shokz OpenDot Air are a more affordable option with some concessions. You don’t get Dolby Audio support, and they don’t last quite as long per charge. They’re also not as durable and the design isn’t as nice. But they’re still cute, still sound great, and are a good option if you’re pinching pennies.
Buy the Shokz OpenDots Air in Canada for $169.95.
Buy the Shokz OpenDots Air in the U.S. for $129.95.
Best Cheap Pair: SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro
These are older buds that I reviewed two years ago, long before this style became a massive trend. These aren’t as small, lightweight, or refined in design as the others. Sound is muffled and not very detailed, though you get some improvement using the EQ settings in the app to tailor audio to what you’re listening to. But they do work well for calls. If you’re looking for a decent pair for well under $100 that you can use for casual listening, phone calls, even as a backup pair to keep charged up in your bag in case of emergencies, these will do.
Buy the SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro in Canada for $56.99 in yellow, $79.99 in other colours like white.
Buy the SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro in the U.S. for $49.99.
Should You Buy This Style of Buds?
Get these if: In-ear buds don’t fit right, you don’t like plugging your ears, or you simply don’t like that design. These are good for at-home or office use. Runners will appreciate them to maintain awareness of your surroundings if you’re running in a quiet area like on a trail. If you have small ears, you may appreciate the delicate look and lightweight design.
Don’t get these if: You work in a loud environment like an office, shared workspace, or coffee shop since there’s no noise cancelling. They aren’t great for travel but can work in a pinch, like to listen to music or watch a movie on the train or subway. But surrounding noise will leak in. If you have larger ears, you may have trouble getting them to sit right.