How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want the more feature-dense, situational-awareness-first headphone with active noise cancellation and a newer Bluetooth spec, choose AYI Open Ear Air; if you need marathon battery life, a secure ear-hook fit and a bundled charging case for all-day movement, choose Raycon Essential Open Ear.
• AYI Open Ear Air — biggest strength: A genuinely stacked spec list for an open-ear model — active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.4, IPX4 sweat/splash protection and a bone-conduction driver in an open-ear frame.
• AYI Open Ear Air — biggest trade-off: Battery life is listed at 10 hours, so long days and multi-day trips away from a charger are not its strong suit.
• Raycon Essential Open Ear — biggest strength: 36 hours of stated battery life plus a charging case, in a featherlight ear-hook design built for constant movement.
• Raycon Essential Open Ear — biggest trade-off: No noise control at all and an older-generation Bluetooth version, so it leans entirely on the open-ear concept rather than on isolation or advanced connectivity.
• Who each is for: AYI suits the office-to-outdoors listener who wants extra tech in the earpiece; Raycon suits the runner, cyclist or gym-goer who wants to forget they're wearing anything.
The AYI Open Ear Air is the more ambitious of the two on paper. It uses an open-ear air conduction design, which means the sound is delivered without sealing off your ear canal — you keep your awareness of traffic, colleagues and doorbells while music or a podcast plays. That's the core promise of the category, and AYI pairs it with an audio driver type listed as bone conduction, so the design language here mixes open-ear placement with conduction-style delivery.
What separates it from the Raycon is the extras. Active noise cancellation is listed among the noise-control features, which is unusual on an open-ear headphone — normally ANC and open-ear awareness pull in opposite directions. In my opinion, the practical read is that you get some control over low-frequency background noise without fully closing yourself off, which suits commutes, shared offices and noisy streets. Bluetooth 5.4 is the newer wireless version of the two, and newer Bluetooth generations typically mean faster pairing, steadier connections and lower power draw — useful if you hop between a laptop and a phone all day. IPX4 covers sweat and light splashes, so running, lifting and drizzly walks are all fine.
Battery is where you need to be honest with yourself. The stated average life is 10 hours. That's a full workday plus a workout, but it's not a weekend. If you're someone who charges on a nightstand anyway, that's fine; if you're someone who resents carrying a cable, it isn't.
Buy it if: you want an open-ear headphone with the most features per earpiece — ANC, newer Bluetooth, splash resistance — and you're mostly listening in one-day chunks around work, commuting and outdoor activity.
Skip it if: you need days of runtime, want a charging case to top up on the move, or you simply prefer the feel of an ear-hook design over an open-ear earpiece.
The Raycon Essential Open Ear is built around a different idea: get out of the way. It's an open-ear earbud with a hook-shaped earpiece, so it hangs behind your ear rather than sitting in it, and the enclosure mixes plastic and silicone — the combination you want when something has to stay put while you sweat. The stated item weight is 0.13 kg for the set, and the whole pitch is a featherlight, ear-hugging fit that you stop noticing.
The headline number is battery: 36 hours of stated average life, with a charging case included. That's the single biggest practical difference between these two products. Thirty-six hours means you can genuinely leave the charger at home for a long weekend, or go a week of one-hour workouts without thinking about it. The case is listed with its own dimensions and weight, so it's a real, pocketable part of the package rather than an afterthought.
Where Raycon holds back is on the tech side. Noise control is listed as none — there is no ANC here, which is entirely consistent with the open-ear philosophy of hearing your surroundings. Bluetooth is listed as version 6, and the wireless range is stated at 10 meters. Audio is handled by a balanced armature driver with a stated frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz and 100 dB sensitivity, which is a full-range tuning rather than a bass-heavy one. Controls are touch-based, and there's no headphone jack — wireless only. A one-year warranty is listed.
Buy it if: you're a runner, cyclist, gym regular or commuter who wants maximum runtime, a secure hook fit and a case you can pocket, and you actively don't want noise cancellation shutting the world out.
Skip it if: you want noise control, the newest Bluetooth generation, or a more conventional earpiece shape rather than a hook.
• Best for battery life → Raycon Essential Open Ear. 36 hours with a charging case versus 10 hours on the AYI.
• Best for noise control → AYI Open Ear Air. It lists active noise cancellation; Raycon lists none.
• Best for connectivity future-proofing → AYI Open Ear Air. Bluetooth 5.4 is the newer wireless version of the two.
• Best for fit security during hard movement → Raycon Essential Open Ear. The hook-shaped, silicone-and-plastic earpiece is designed to stay put through intense motion.
• Best for sweat and light rain → either, with a caveat. AYI lists an IPX4 waterproof rating; Raycon describes its earbuds as sweat- and water-resistant. Both are aimed at workouts, but neither is a swim or shower product.
• Best for long trips away from a charger → Raycon Essential Open Ear. The included case and longer runtime are the deciding factor.
• Best for all-day desk use with occasional calls and outdoor breaks → AYI Open Ear Air. Newer Bluetooth and ANC make it the more versatile office-to-street pick, as long as you charge nightly.
• Best for touch controls → Raycon Essential Open Ear. It explicitly lists touch control; AYI's sheet doesn't detail its control method.
If I were buying for myself and my routine was gym, running and long days out of the house, I'd take the Raycon Essential Open Ear — the 36-hour battery, the charging case and the secure hook fit solve the problems that actually annoy me day to day, and I don't personally want noise cancellation in an open-ear bud. If your listening happens around a desk, calls and errands, and you'd rather have ANC plus the newer Bluetooth generation in the earpiece, I'd point you to the AYI Open Ear Air and accept charging it every night. In my opinion, the Raycon is the more practical everyday companion; the AYI is the more feature-rich one. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since that's the one variable that can flip either call.
FAQ
Active noise cancellation is listed in its noise-control features, so yes, that's part of the spec. Keep expectations realistic for an open-ear design — the point of open-ear is that you still hear your surroundings, so ANC here is a supplement, not full isolation.
The Raycon, clearly: 36 hours stated average life with a charging case, against 10 hours on the AYI. If runtime is your priority, that's the deciding spec.
Yes — a charging case is part of the package, and it's described as small enough to fit in a hand or pocket. The AYI's data sheet doesn't list a case, so plan on charging it directly.
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: Molufeibe Open Ear Earbuds vs eleror Invisible Mini Earbuds, MIPOW x Miffy Miffy vs Vikye Open Ear: Sweatproof Earbuds, FREEZE2TRIM Inductivv Bone Conduction vs Boytond Open Ear Earbuds