How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, plug-and-play pair you never have to charge and that stays put through hard workouts, choose ASKUBSKU Open Ear Earbuds; if you need true wireless freedom, all-day battery and real water resistance for outdoor training, choose vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds.
• ASKUBSKU's biggest strength: A wired USB-C connection with an in-line control — no battery to manage, no pairing, just plug into a compatible USB-C device and go.
• ASKUBSKU's biggest trade-off: It's a wired design, so you're tethered to your phone, tablet or laptop, and there's no water-resistance rating listed.
• vnilrgle's biggest strength: Up to 80 hours of total playtime with a charging case, IPX7 waterproofing, and Bluetooth 5.4 for cable-free use.
• vnilrgle's biggest trade-off: It's wireless, so it depends on a charged case and a Bluetooth connection — nothing works if you forget to charge it.
• Pick ASKUBSKU if you want a no-fuss, charge-free wired set for the gym or plugging straight into a tablet.
• Pick vnilrgle if you want freedom of movement, long battery life and sweat/rain protection for running and cycling.
The ASKUBSKU set is built around one idea: keep it simple and keep it on. It's a wired pair with a USB Type C jack, an open-ear fit and a hook-shaped earpiece that loops over your ear. Because the earpieces don't sit inside your ear canal, the design is meant to avoid the ear fatigue that comes with long listening sessions, and the open design keeps you aware of what's going on around you — traffic, gym announcements, a training partner talking to you.
The controls live on an in-line module with push buttons for volume, track changes and answering calls, so you don't have to touch your phone mid-set. The audio side is a dynamic driver with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range and 16 ohm impedance, and there's a built-in mic for calls. The whole thing ships in black with a carrying case.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, this is the set for someone who is tired of charging yet another gadget. If you already carry a USB-C phone, tablet or laptop, you plug in and you're done — no pairing screen, no case to remember, no low-battery beep halfway through a run. It's also handy for people who split audio between a phone and an iPad or MacBook, since it's the same connector across those devices. The listing explicitly points at Samsung Galaxy, iPhone, iPad, Pixel and MacBook families, so check your own port before buying.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to move freely without a cable, or who trains hard enough to soak their gear — there's no waterproof rating in the specs, so I wouldn't treat it as a rain-or-sweat-proof option. And if wireless is non-negotiable for you, this isn't the pick.
The vnilrgle pair goes the opposite direction: it's fully wireless over Bluetooth 5.4, with a 10 meter range, and it comes with a charging case. The headline number is battery — up to 80 hours of total playtime, with the case holding a 500 mAh battery and a 2 hour charge time. There's also an LED digital display on the case so you can see remaining power and charging status at a glance instead of guessing.
On sound, vnilrgle uses larger 18.2 mm dynamic drivers, tuned to reduce distortion, over a 20 Hz – 20 KHz range with 16 ohm impedance. The earpieces are open ear with ABS ear hooks, and the housing is ABS and polycarbonate. The standout spec for outdoor athletes is IPX7 waterproofing — that's sweat and rain territory, which lines up with the running, cycling and fitness use cases the listing leans into. Controls are touch-based, and there's adaptive noise cancellation on board. It ships as a pair of earbuds with the charging box, a cable and a manual.
Who should buy it? If you run, cycle or train outdoors and you hate cables snagging on your arms, this is the more natural fit. The combination of IPX7, an open design that keeps you aware of traffic, and 80 hours of case-backed playtime means you can leave the charger at home for a long stretch. The 18.2 mm drivers also suggest a fuller low end than a smaller driver would give — worth noting if you care about music more than podcasts.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants zero charging maintenance, or who prefers physical buttons over touch controls. Touch controls can be fussy with sweaty or gloved fingers, and a wireless set always carries the small risk of pairing hiccups. It also supports no wired fallback — there's no jack — so if the battery is flat, you're done until it charges.
• Best for battery life → vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds. Up to 80 hours of total playtime with an LED power display beats anything a wired set needs to worry about.
• Best for never charging → ASKUBSKU Open Ear Earbuds. It's powered by the USB-C port it's plugged into, so there's no battery to top up.
• Best for sweaty or rainy outdoor training → vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds. IPX7 is the only water-resistance rating between the two.
• Best for plug-and-play simplicity → ASKUBSKU Open Ear Earbuds. No pairing, no case, no Bluetooth menu — just a USB-C connection.
• Best for bigger-driver sound → vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds. 18.2 mm dynamic drivers versus the smaller driver implied by the ASKUBSKU spec sheet.
• Best for physical buttons → ASKUBSKU Open Ear Earbuds. Push-button in-line control instead of touch.
• Best for cable-free freedom of movement → vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds. Bluetooth 5.4 with a 10 meter range.
• Best for shared devices like a tablet or laptop → ASKUBSKU Open Ear Earbuds. A wired USB-C connection across phones, iPads and MacBooks avoids re-pairing every time.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd take the vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds (B0F8N3KLWW). The reason is simple: for the way most people actually use open-ear headphones — running, cycling, gym sessions — the wireless freedom, IPX7 rating and 80-hour case battery matter more than anything else on the sheet. The ASKUBSKU is genuinely the smarter buy if you hate charging and want a dead-simple wired set, and I'd recommend it without hesitation for desk, tablet and travel use. But for active outdoor training, I'd go vnilrgle.
FAQ
how do non ear headphones work
Open-ear headphones rest outside your ear canal rather than sealing inside it, often on a hook that loops over your ear. The drivers fire sound toward your ear while leaving the canal open, so you hear your audio and your surroundings at the same time. Both the ASKUBSKU and vnilrgle sets use this approach.
That's about traditional in-ear models, which push a tip into the canal for a seal. Open-ear sets like these two are different: the hook-shaped earpiece hangs over the ear and the driver sits outside the canal. You position the hook so it's snug and the driver points at your ear opening.
what are non in ear headphones called
They're generally called open-ear headphones, or sometimes open-back or bone-conduction depending on the design. The ASKUBSKU and vnilrgle models are both listed as open-ear, with hook-shaped earpieces that avoid inserting anything into the ear canal. The term "non in-ear" is just a plain-English way of describing that fit.
what are the best open ear headphones
There's no single answer — it depends on whether you want wired or wireless. If you want no charging and a USB-C plug, the ASKUBSKU set fits that. If you want IPX7 waterproofing and up to 80 hours of case battery, the vnilrgle set fits that. Check the current price on Amazon for each before deciding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Generic TZX 7.1 vs Bloody G600i, JBL Tune 500BT vs ONANOFF Made: Best Selling Headphones, Koss 154336 vs AOC Headphones: Large Over Ear Headphones, blueear Headphones vs Vostarx Open Ear Clip-On