Open-Ear Earbuds · Review
Nothing Ear (open) review: a light hook with the right controls and the wrong rating for heavy sweat
8.1 grams, pinch controls that ignore wet fingers, and a hook SoundGuys found stable at the gym and on a bike. IP54 is the caveat, and it's a big one for the buyer this site serves.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-checked, not worn by us
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Reviewed
The pair under review
Stock photoBest for pinch controls
Nothing Ear (open)
Open-ear hook7.7 /108.1 g per side with pinch controls that ignore sweat, IP54 on buds and case, 8 hours per charge. SoundGuys had no issues with them staying in place at the gym or on a bike.
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What this review is based on
Two sources, both fetched September 21, 2026. Nothing's US product page, which when read without scripts shows only “30 hour battery” and a price. And SoundGuys' Nothing Ear (open) review, which publishes the spec sheet (IP54, 8.1 g, Bluetooth 5.3, SBC/AAC, multipoint, two mics per bud, pinch controls) and a tester's fit findings. We haven't worn the pair. SoundGuys' findings are theirs and are labeled as such.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
For: people who found touch panels useless with wet hands; people who want a slim, light hook; anyone who values multipoint and a case that's also rated (IP54 on both, per SoundGuys).
Skip: heavy sweaters, spin and hot-yoga regulars, and anyone who runs in real rain often. IP54 is the floor of the ratings we list. Also skip it if bass matters; SBC and AAC only, single driver.
Fit and retention
An 8.1 g ear-hook is light for the category (the Shokz OpenFit 2 is 9.4 g, the OpenFit Pro 12.3 g). SoundGuys' tester reported “no issues with them staying in place” through gym and cycling sessions. That matches what a hook does on our rubric: 9 of 10 for fit security. One practical note from the same review: the earbuds rattle inside the case when the case is in a pocket. It's cosmetic, but it's the kind of thing a spec sheet won't tell you.
The pinch controls
Instead of a touch panel or a button, you pinch the stem: single, double, triple, and pinch-and-hold, all customizable. Pinching works with sweat on your fingers and with gloves, which is why we treat it as equal to a physical button on the rubric. It's the OpenFit 2's main rival on this one point.
IP54, read literally
Sound, codecs, calls
SBC and AAC, no LDAC, no aptX. Two microphones per earbud with Nothing's voice processing. Nothing doesn't publish a wind rating. On our rubric that's a 7 for sound and a 7 for calls: fine, unremarkable, and behind the dual-driver Shokz OpenFit 2 and the LDAC Soundcore AeroFit 2.
Battery and charging
Nothing claims 8 hours per charge and 30 hours total with the case; SoundGuys had not finished its own battery test at the time of the review. No quick-charge figure is published in either source. Eight hours is average for a hook; the OpenFit 2 does 11 and the AeroFit 2 does 10.
| Evidence | Nothing Ear (open) | Shokz OpenFit Air 2 | Soundcore AeroFit 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP54 | Earbuds IP55; charging case IP54 | IP55 |
| Weight | 8.1 g per earbud | 7.2 g per earbud; case 46.4 g | 10 g per earbud |
| Battery | 8 hours; 30 hours with case (Nothing's claim) | 8 hours; 36 hours with case | 10 hours; 42 hours with case |
| Quick charge | — | 10 min = 3 hours | 10 min = 4 hours |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.4 |
| Controls | Pinch controls on the stem | Pressure-sensitive buttons | Touch control |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | — | LDAC Hi-Res (Android only) |
| Score | 7.7/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.4/10 |
Alternatives
Our picks for this
If the Nothing isn't quite it
- Stock photo
Best lightweight ear-hook
Shokz OpenFit Air 2
Open-ear hook8.4/10Lighter (7.2 g), IP55, pressure buttons, 8 hours with a 10-minute charge worth 3.
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- Stock photo
Best adjustable fit
Soundcore AeroFit 2
Open-ear hook8.4/10An adjustable hinge, 10 hours, LDAC and IP55; touch controls are the trade.
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Stock photoBest clip-on for sweat
Shokz OpenDots 2
Open-ear clip-on8.6/10If you'd rather skip the hook: IP57 clip-on, 10 hours, bone-conduction call mic.
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In detail
The full spec sheet and score
Stock photoBest for pinch controls
Nothing Ear (open)
8.1 g per side with pinch controls that ignore sweat, IP54 on buds and case, 8 hours per charge. SoundGuys had no issues with them staying in place at the gym or on a bike.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Open-ear hook. Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP54 |
| Weight | 8.1 g per earbud |
| Battery | 8 hours; 30 hours with case (Nothing's claim) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | Two per earbud |
| Controls | Pinch controls on the stem |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Extras | Nothing's own page lists a 30-hour battery; specs above are from the SoundGuys review because the product page is script-rendered |
How the 7.7 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 6
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 9
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 7
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 7
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- Pinch controls work with wet fingers where touch panels fail
- 8.1 g and an ergonomic hook that SoundGuys found stable through gym and cycling sessions
- Multipoint on Bluetooth 5.3
Where it falls short
- IP54: splash-rated, the lowest sweat rating in this group
- SBC and AAC only
- SoundGuys noted the buds rattle in the case when it's in a pocket
Skip this if…
…you sweat through IP54 gear; the Shokz OpenFit 2 and Soundcore AeroFit 2 are IP55 for similar money.
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How we scored this
Pairs we claim to have worn: none we haven't
Plenty of sites say they ran a hundred miles in every pair on the list. We don't say that, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: classify the retention system (hook, clip, wing, neckband), record the maker's published IP rating, weight, battery, charging, mic and control type from its own product page, cross-reference at least one independent published review where one exists, and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not lab results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is the Nothing Ear (open) waterproof?
Does the Nothing Ear (open) fall out?
Does the Nothing Ear (open) have multipoint?
Keep reading
Related on Openear Club
Receipts
Sources
- SoundGuys — Nothing Ear (open) review (checked 2026-09-21)
- Nothing — Ear (open) product page (checked 2026-09-21; JS-rendered, shows battery and price only)
- Shokz — official product comparison table (checked 2026-09-21)
- Soundcore — AeroFit 2 product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- IEC 60529 (IP Code) — degree-of-protection definitions, Keystone Compliance summary (checked 2026-09-21)
We haven't worn every pair on this site and we don't pretend to. Specs come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product), independent findings are attributed to whoever published them, and Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.