Methodology
How we rank
The rubric, the weights, what each score is built from, and the claims we withhold. Every product card on the site links here.
By Mike M. · Updated September 2026
What we rank on
Two things decide whether you keep wearing a pair of workout earbuds: whether they stay in, and whether they survive sweat. Together those are 45% of every score on this site, on purpose. A pair that sounds wonderful and relies on canal friction ranks below a plainer pair with a hook; a pair with a splash rating ranks below a pair rated for water jets. After that come the things the buyer this site serves cares about next: awareness of the room or road (for open designs) or isolation (for sealed ones), sound, calls in wind, battery, and value.
The rubrics and their weights
Each product is scored 0 to 10 on each metric; the overall score is the weighted mean, computed by the same code that renders the card, so a page can never show an overall that disagrees with its parts. Open-ear and sealed designs get different third metrics, because they do different jobs:
Open-ear designs (bone conduction, ear-hook, clip-on)
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Fit security | 25% |
| Sweat & water resistance | 20% |
| Awareness (open canal) | 15% |
| Sound & leakage | 15% |
| Calls & wind | 10% |
| Battery & charging | 10% |
| Value | 5% |
Sealed in-ear sport earbuds (ear hook or wingtip)
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Fit security | 25% |
| Sweat & water resistance | 20% |
| Noise control & transparency | 15% |
| Sound quality | 15% |
| Calls & wind | 10% |
| Battery & charging | 10% |
| Value | 5% |
What each score is built from
- Fit security is judged by the retention system, not by feel: a neckband scores 10, a sealed ear-hook 9 to 10, an open ear-hook 9, a clip-on 8, a wingtip 8. Adjustable hooks and multiple cushion sizes don't raise the ceiling but do make the score reachable on more ears. A plain in-ear tip with no hook or wing is not listed on this site.
- Sweat and water resistance is the maker's IP rating, read literally from its page: IPX4 or IP54 scores 5 to 6, IP55 scores 8, IP66 scores 9, immersion ratings (IP57, IPX7, IP67, IP68, IPX8) score 10. A rated case adds nothing to the score but is noted on the card. Where a maker publishes two ratings on one page, we score the lower.
- Awareness (open designs) credits a completely unobstructed canal (neckbands, 10) slightly above a speaker sitting in front of it (hooks and clips, 9). Noise control and transparency (sealed designs) credits ANC plus a transparency mode (9) above transparency alone (6).
- Sound and leakage credits dual or large drivers and high-bitrate codecs, docks single-driver budget designs, and scores bone conduction at 4 to 6 because the category has little bass; SoundGuys' published finding on that is cited on every relevant page. We haven't listened to these pairs, and the sound score is a reading of the design and of cited reviews, labeled as such.
- Calls and wind credits a published wind rating (Shokz 25 km/h, Suunto 30 km/h), a bone-conduction voice mic, or a boom, above an unrated array; mic count matters less than a stated wind strategy.
- Battery and charging is the per-charge figure, then quick charge, then the port (USB-C over a proprietary cable).
- Value is our reading of the maker's list price against the spec, on the day checked. Prices themselves are never printed.
Where the figures come from
The maker's own product page, read on the date shown on each card, and linked from every value. Shokz publishes a single comparison table for its lineup; that table is the source for every Shokz figure on the site. Where a maker's page can't be read without scripts (Nothing) or blocks automated fetches (Sony), we cite a named independent review and say so on the card. Where a figure isn't published, the table shows a dash. The full fetch log is kept in the site's repository. Standards (IEC 60529) and health sources (NIDCD, WHO) are cited on the guides that use them.
What we do and do not claim
We do not run a testing lab and we do not claim to have worn every pair. Every page carries the label “spec-checked, not worn by us.” We don't invent a credential the author doesn't hold, don't quote Amazon ratings or review counts, don't print prices, and don't make medical claims. Independent findings are attributed to whoever made them (“SoundGuys measured 7 hours 10 minutes,” never “it lasts 7 hours”). Every pick carries a “skip this if” line naming a reason not to buy it.
How a product gets removed
When the maker's page disappears or the product is discontinued, it comes off the site rather than staying with a dead link. Flagship roundups are rechecked every 60 days, other roundups and comparisons every 90, guides every 180 or when a standard changes. Corrections are logged on the page they touch.
Commissions and rankings
Openear Club earns affiliate commissions, mostly as an Amazon Associate. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick, and no brand pays for placement. Every outbound money link is marked and disclosed. Details in the affiliate disclosure and the editorial policy.