Open-Ear Earbuds · The rankings
Best open-ear earbuds under $100: the ones with a real sweat rating
Cheap open-ears are everywhere. Cheap open-ears with a published IP rating from a maker you can name are not. These seven are, at list prices under $100 on the maker's own store when we checked.
By Mike M.Updated Researched · every spec sourced
#adReader-supported: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never decides a ranking. How we rank · Disclosure
Top pick
Best Open-Ear Under $100
Baseus Bowie MC2
IP67, 5.1 g, 11.5 to 13 hours per charge and 55 to 60 with the case, Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint and LDAC. On paper the best-rated budget clip-on by a distance.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Baseus Bowie MC2
Jump to the full write-up or read the whole ranking below.
Quick picks
The rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseus Bowie MC2 IP67, 5.1 g, 11.5 to 13 hours per charge and 55 to 60 with the case, Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint and LDAC. On paper the best-rated budget clip-on by a distance. | Best overall under $100Open-ear clip-on | 9.6 /10 | $59.98Bowie MC2 |
| 2 |  Soundcore V20i The cheapest open-ear hook worth naming: IP55, four adjustable positions, 8 hours per charge, 16 mm drivers, multipoint. It's a budget set with a real sweat rating. | Best ear-hook under $100Open-ear hook | 9.0 /10 | $24.99V20i |
| 3 |  Soundcore V30i 12 hours per charge from a sub-$50 hook, with 14.2 mm drivers and four mics. The trade is IPX5 rather than IP55 and no multipoint, so it is the battery pick rather than the all-rounder. | Longest battery under $50Open-ear hook | 8.9 /10 | $39.99V30i |
| 4 |  Creative Outlier Free Pro IPX8, 10 hours, 8 GB of onboard MP3 storage and Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint for well under $100. The budget bone conduction set that can also swim. | Best bone conduction under $100Bone conduction (neckband) | 9.4 /10 | Check price · Outlier Free Pro |
| 5 |  Mojawa Run Plus IP68, 29.6 g, 32 GB of storage and a 5-minute quick charge in the under-$100 band. A swim-capable neckband that undercuts Shokz on paper. | Best swim-capableBone conduction (neckband) | 9.3 /10 | $89.99Run Plus |
| 6 |  Shokz OpenMove The cheapest way into Shokz: IP55, 29 g, 6 hours, USB-C. You give up quick charge and two generations of driver, but the neckband fit is the same idea. | Cheapest ShokzBone conduction (neckband) | 8.8 /10 | Check price at ShokzAlso on Amazon — $79.95 |
| 7 |  JLab Flex Open Earbuds A clip-on cuff with IP55, multipoint and 21-plus hours total for the price of a takeout order. The budget answer if you want the cuff style without the Bose bill. | Cheapest clip-onOpen-ear clip-on | 8.6 /10 | $39.99Flex Open Earbuds |
#ad · Prices come live from Amazon, last checked November 13, 2026. Scores are ours, built from published specs and cited independent reviews, with every figure linked to its source. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
The one rule for cheap open-ears
Below $100 the open-ear category fills up with pairs that have no maker website, no published IP rating and a name that changes every season. We didn't list any of them. Every pick here has a product page on its maker's own site with an IP rating on it, and that page is linked from every spec. That rule alone removed most of what Amazon shows for this search.
Every buy button carries Amazon's live price, so the number you see is the number you pay today. “Under $100” here means the maker's own list price was under $100 when we read it on September 21, 2026; on Amazon it is often lower.
The table
| Evidence | Baseus Bowie MC2 | Soundcore V20i | Soundcore V30i | Creative Outlier Free Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fit system | Open-ear clip-on | Open-ear hook | Open-ear hook | Bone conduction (neckband) |
| Water & sweat rating | IP67 | IP55 | IPX5 with SweatGuard | IPX8 (Creative: run, cycle and even swim) |
| Weight | About 5.1 g per earbud; about 52 g with case | — | 9.3 g | 31.5 g / 1.11 oz |
| Battery | About 11.5 h (bass boost on) or 13 h (off) per charge; 55 to 60 h with case | 8 hours; 36 hours with case | 12 hours; 36 hours with case | Up to 10 hours per charge |
| Bluetooth | 6.0; 38 ms low-latency mode | — | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | Yes | Yes | Not supported | Yes |
| Score | 9.6/10 | 9.0/10 | 8.9/10 | 9.4/10 |
| Evidence | Mojawa Run Plus | Shokz OpenMove | JLab Flex Open Earbuds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband) | Bone conduction (neckband) | Open-ear clip-on |
| Water & sweat rating | IP68 (fully submersible) | IP55 | IP55 |
| Weight | 29.6 g | 29 g | 12 g for the pair (about 6 g per earbud); case 36.8 g |
| Battery | 8 hours; standby up to 10 days | 6 hours listening | 21+ hours total with case |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| Score | 9.3/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.6/10 |
What you give up under $100
- Buttons. Every hook and clip on this list is touch-controlled. Wet fingers will misfire them. The two bone conduction picks and the OpenMove use buttons.
- Dual drivers. Budget open-ears are single-driver, and open-ear bass is thin to begin with. The Baseus and V20i have larger drivers (11 and 16 mm); the Baseus adds LDAC.
- Published detail. Soundcore doesn't list the V20i's weight or Bluetooth version, and it publishes no multipoint for the V30i because the V30i doesn't have it. A dash in our table means exactly that.
- Track record. Baseus and Mojawa have fewer independent reviews than Shokz. We only cite their own spec pages for them, and say so.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 1
Best overall under $100
Baseus Bowie MC2
IP67, 5.1 g, 11.5 to 13 hours per charge and 55 to 60 with the case, Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint and LDAC. On paper the best-rated budget clip-on by a distance.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Open-ear clip-on. Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP67 |
| Weight | About 5.1 g per earbud; about 52 g with case |
| Battery | About 11.5 h (bass boost on) or 13 h (off) per charge; 55 to 60 h with case |
| Bluetooth | 6.0; 38 ms low-latency mode |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | 4-mic AI call clarity |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Driver / tech | 11 mm dynamic, 20 Hz to 40 kHz |
| Extras | Detachable air cushions in M/L/XL |
How the 9.6 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 8
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 9
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 7
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 7
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 10
- Value (5%)
- 10
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- IP67 at a budget price: the best water rating of any clip-on here
- Lightest clip-on at 5.1 g
- Battery figures nobody else in the category matches
- Three cushion sizes for fit
Trade-offs worth knowing
- Less brand track record and fewer independent reviews than Bose, Shokz or Soundcore
- Baseus's battery figures are at 50% volume
Good to know
Not the one for you if you want a known name with a long warranty history; Shokz and Bose cost more for that reason.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Baseus Bowie MC2
Rank 2
Best ear-hook under $100
Soundcore V20i
The cheapest open-ear hook worth naming: IP55, four adjustable positions, 8 hours per charge, 16 mm drivers, multipoint. It's a budget set with a real sweat rating.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Open-ear hook. Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP55 |
| Battery | 8 hours; 36 hours with case |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 1 hour |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | 4 mics with AI algorithm |
| Controls | Touch control |
| Driver / tech | 16 mm drivers with titanium-coated domes |
| Extras | Four adjustable hook positions |
How the 9.0 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 8
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 8
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 9
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 6
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 7
- Value (5%)
- 10
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- IP55 at a fraction of the Shokz price
- Adjustable hook, the same idea as the AeroFit 2
- Multipoint and four mics at this price is unusual
Trade-offs worth knowing
- Soundcore doesn't publish weight or Bluetooth version on the product page
- 10-minute charge only buys an hour
- Touch controls
Good to know
Not the one for you if sound matters; single-driver budget open-ears are thin, and the JLab Epic Open Sport adds LDAC for a bit more.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Soundcore V20i
Rank 3
Longest battery under $50
Soundcore V30i
12 hours per charge from a sub-$50 hook, with 14.2 mm drivers and four mics. The trade is IPX5 rather than IP55 and no multipoint, so it is the battery pick rather than the all-rounder.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Open-ear hook. Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IPX5 with SweatGuard |
| Weight | 9.3 g |
| Battery | 12 hours; 36 hours with case |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 3 hours |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | Not supported |
| Microphones | 4 mics with AI |
| Controls | Touch control |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Driver / tech | 14.2 mm bio-material diaphragm |
| Extras | Soft flexible ear hooks; Soundcore app |
How the 8.9 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 8
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 7
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 9
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 6
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 9
- Value (5%)
- 9
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- 12 hours per charge, four more than the V20i and the longest of the budget hooks here
- A 10-minute charge is worth three hours
- Four mics with AI processing, unusual at this price
Trade-offs worth knowing
- IPX5 carries no dust rating, where the V20i's IP55 does
- No multipoint, so a phone-to-laptop handover means re-pairing
- SBC and AAC only, and touch controls rather than buttons
Good to know
Not the one for you if you want the dust half of the rating or a laptop handover; the V20i is IP55 with multipoint for less.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Soundcore V30i
Rank 4
Best bone conduction under $100
Creative Outlier Free Pro
IPX8, 10 hours, 8 GB of onboard MP3 storage and Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint for well under $100. The budget bone conduction set that can also swim.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IPX8 (Creative: run, cycle and even swim) |
| Weight | 31.5 g / 1.11 oz |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours per charge |
| Charging | Magnetic charging cable |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Codecs | AAC, SBC; supports a low latency mode for movies and games |
| Storage | 8 GB built-in memory |
| Extras | Silicone and titanium memory alloy frame; plug-in microphone for underwater use |
How the 9.4 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 4
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 10
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- IPX8 at a budget price: the cheapest set here you can take in the pool
- 10 hours beats the Shokz OpenMove by four
- 8 GB MP3 player for swimming or phone-free runs
Trade-offs worth knowing
- Heavier than the Shokz OpenRun models at 31.5 g
- No dust rating (the X in IPX8 means dust wasn't tested)
- Magnetic charging cable rather than USB-C
Good to know
Not the one for you if you want the best sound at this price; bone conduction bass is thin across the board and the sealed JLab Go Sport+ sounds fuller for less.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Creative Outlier Free Pro
Rank 5
Best swim-capable
Mojawa Run Plus
IP68, 29.6 g, 32 GB of storage and a 5-minute quick charge in the under-$100 band. A swim-capable neckband that undercuts Shokz on paper.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP68 (fully submersible) |
| Weight | 29.6 g |
| Battery | 8 hours; standby up to 10 days |
| Quick charge | 5 min = 90 min |
| Charging | Magnetic induction, 1 hour to full |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Storage | 32 GB built-in |
| Extras | Full titanium construction |
How the 9.3 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 4
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 9
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- IP68 and 32 GB at a price the Shokz OpenSwim Pro doesn't approach
- Lighter than the Creative and close to the Shokz OpenRun
- Quick charge, which the Shokz OpenMove lacks
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 8 hours is two short of the Creative Outlier Free Pro
- Magnetic charging cable
- Fewer independent reviews than Shokz; we cite only Mojawa's own specs
Good to know
Not the one for you if you want the brand with the deepest review record and the widest accessory support; Shokz has both.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Mojawa Run Plus
Rank 6
Cheapest Shokz
Shokz OpenMove
The cheapest way into Shokz: IP55, 29 g, 6 hours, USB-C. You give up quick charge and two generations of driver, but the neckband fit is the same idea.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP55 |
| Weight | 29 g |
| Battery | 6 hours listening |
| Quick charge | None |
| Charging | USB-C, 2 hours to full |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | Dual noise-canceling |
| Controls | Physical buttons |
| Driver / tech | 7th-gen bone conduction (PremiumPitch 2.0) |
| Launched | September 2020 |
How the 8.8 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 8
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 4
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 4
- Value (5%)
- 8
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- Under $100 at Shokz's own list price, so the cheapest entry to the brand
- IP55 covers sweat and rain
- USB-C charging, no proprietary cable
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 6 hours of battery and no quick charge
- Older 7th-gen driver: the thinnest sound of the Shokz neckbands
- Heavier than the OpenRun models despite the lower price
Good to know
Not the one for you if you run long or forget to charge: six hours with no quick charge is the deal-breaker. The Creative Outlier Free Pro costs less and lasts longer.
Shokz list price $79.95 as of November 13, 2026
Also on Amazon — $79.95#ad · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenMove
Rank 7
Cheapest clip-on
JLab Flex Open Earbuds
A clip-on cuff with IP55, multipoint and 21-plus hours total for the price of a takeout order. The budget answer if you want the cuff style without the Bose bill.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Open-ear clip-on. Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP55 |
| Weight | 12 g for the pair (about 6 g per earbud); case 36.8 g |
| Battery | 21+ hours total with case |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | 2-mic ENC |
| Controls | Touch |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Driver / tech | 12 mm dynamic driver |
How the 8.6 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 7
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 8
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 9
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 6
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 5
- Value (5%)
- 10
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- IP55 on a budget cuff
- Multipoint and Google Fast Pair
- About 6 g per side
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 21 hours total is the lowest here
- JLab doesn't publish per-earbud playtime for this model
- SBC/AAC only
Good to know
Not the one for you if you need all-day battery; the Baseus Bowie MC2 more than doubles it for a little more.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to JLab Flex Open Earbuds
Buyer's guide: spending under $100 well
Clip or hook or neckband?
Clip (Baseus, JLab Flex) if you wear glasses or want the lightest thing possible. Hook (V20i, V30i) if you jump and land. Neckband (Creative, Mojawa, OpenMove) if you want the most secure fit and the highest water ratings, and can live with bone-conduction sound. The decision page is open-ear vs bone conduction.
Battery per charge, not total
Makers headline the total with the case (45 hours! 60 hours!). The number that matters is per charge, because you won't stop mid-run to re-case them. Baseus (11.5 to 13 h), Soundcore (12 h on the V30i), Creative (10 h) and Mojawa (8 h) all publish it.
When to spend more
If you want buttons, a wind rating for calls, or a brand with a deep review record, the step up is the Shokz OpenFit Air 2 or Soundcore AeroFit 2 in the main list.
In one line
Our recommendation
Top pick
Baseus Bowie MC2
IP67, 5.1 g, 11.5 to 13 hours per charge and 55 to 60 with the case, Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint and LDAC. On paper the best-rated budget clip-on by a distance.
Good to know: not the one for you if you want a known name with a long warranty history; Shokz and Bose cost more for that reason.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Baseus Bowie MC2
Runner-up
Soundcore V20i
The cheapest open-ear hook worth naming: IP55, four adjustable positions, 8 hours per charge, 16 mm drivers, multipoint. It's a budget set with a real sweat rating.
Good to know: not the one for you if sound matters; single-driver budget open-ears are thin, and the JLab Epic Open Sport adds LDAC for a bit more.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Soundcore V20i
How we scored this
The research behind every pick
Each pair on this page is researched and compared the same way: we classify the retention system that holds it on (hook, clip, wing, neckband), read the maker's published IP rating, weight, battery, charging, mic and control type straight off its own product page and manual, check the sweat and water rating against the IEC 60529 standard, cross-reference independent published reviews, and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to the document it came from, so you can check any number in one click.
Prices come live from Amazon, so what you see is what you pay today. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Corrections & updates
- First edition.
Questions
Frequently asked
Are cheap open-ear earbuds any good?
What is the best open-ear earbud under $50?
Is the Shokz OpenMove worth it?
Keep reading
Related on Openear Club
- Best open-ear earbuds under $50The tier below, and how short the shelf is.
- Best open-ear earbuds under $150The tier above, where IP67 and a rated case appear.
- Best open-ear earbudsThe full-price ranking.
- Best bone conduction under $100The neckband budget list in full.
- Best workout earbuds under $100Sealed buds included.
- Can sweat damage earbuds?Why the rating matters more at this price.
Receipts
Sources
- Baseus — Bowie MC2 product page, specifications (checked 2026-09-21)
- Soundcore — V20i product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Soundcore — V30i product page, specifications (checked 2026-10-03)
- Creative — Outlier Free Pro product page, specifications (checked 2026-09-21)
- Mojawa — Run Plus product page, specifications (checked 2026-09-21)
- Shokz — official product comparison table (checked 2026-09-21)
- JLab — Flex Open Earbuds product page, tech specs (checked 2026-09-21)
Every spec here is traceable: figures come from the maker's own product pages and are linked on each product, independent findings are attributed to whoever published them, and prices come live from Amazon so the number you see is the number you pay today. Read the full method.