Shokz OpenComm Opencomm2

The Shokz OpenComm2 UC scores a 31.5 out of 100 overall, with comfort and build quality as its bright spots. The battery life is a serious weak point, ranking in the 5th percentile. It's a niche tool for call-heavy professionals who need open ears, not a general-purpose earbud.

Let's talk about what this thing does well first. The bone conduction driver keeps your ears completely open, which is fantastic for situational awareness. You can hear your coffee shop order being called while you're on a Zoom call. The boom mic is the star here, with noise canceling tech built in, though our mic score lands at the 40th percentile, so it's not exactly crushing the competition. The audio range is 20Hz to 20kHz with a 32Ω impedance, which is standard fare for bone conduction. Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.0, which is fine but not cutting edge. The 35g weight is light enough that you'll forget it's on your head, which helps that comfort score.

Stack this against the Technics EAH-AZ100, Sony WF-1000XM6, or Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation and the OpenComm2 UC looks like a specialist in a room full of generalists. Those competitors crush it on sound quality, ANC, and battery life. The Sony and Apple options are in-ear with excellent noise cancellation, while the Shokz leaves your ears open by design. The Soundcore P31i and EarFun Air Pro 4+ are budget-friendly alternatives that still beat the Shokz on most audio metrics. But none of them have a boom mic, and none of them let you hear your environment naturally. If call clarity in noisy environments is your top priority, the Shokz has a niche. If you want music and podcasts to sound great, look elsewhere.

At $158 USD, the OpenComm2 UC is priced like a premium accessory but delivers a very specific experience. You're paying for the bone conduction tech and the boom mic, not for stellar audio or battery life. For a professional who spends six hours a day on calls and needs to hear their kids in the next room, that price might be justified. But if you want a do-everything earbud, you're overpaying for features you won't use. The MXN 4,000 listing in Mexico is a different market entirely, so don't try to compare those numbers directly.

The Shokz OpenComm2 UC is a bone conduction headset aimed squarely at professionals who live on calls. It scores a 31.5 out of 100 in our total ranking, which sounds rough until you realize this thing isn't trying to be a music earbud. It's a communication tool, and for that specific job, the open-ear design and boom mic are the whole point. The comfort score sits at the 72nd percentile and build quality at the 71st, so it's not a flimsy toy. But the battery ranking is a brutal 5th percentile, and that's a real problem for an all-day work headset.

Skip this if battery life matters to you. The 5th percentile battery ranking is a dealbreaker for anyone who doesn't want to charge their headset multiple times a day. Also skip it if you care about sound quality or noise cancellation. The 56th percentile sound score and 31st percentile ANC score mean you'll get better audio from almost any decent pair of earbuds. And if you commute regularly, the 19.5 out of 100 commute score tells you everything you need to know. This is not a travel companion.

The Shokz OpenComm2 UC is a one-trick pony, but it's a pretty good trick. The open-ear bone conduction design is genuinely useful for professionals who need situational awareness during calls. The boom mic is a nice touch, though our data shows it's not class-leading. The battery life is the dealbreaker for many, ranking in the bottom 5 percent of all products we've tested. If you're a remote worker who takes calls all day and wants to stay aware of your surroundings, this is worth a look. If you want great sound or long battery life, you'll be disappointed.