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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a single-ear, featherweight clip-on for sweating through runs and taking calls with one ear free, choose ciciglow Headphones Clip; if you need a true pair of open-ear earbuds with newer Bluetooth, a battery display and a charging case, choose Quiksilver Open Ear.
• ciciglow Headphones Clip — biggest strength: a 13 mm dynamic driver in a clip-style open-ear hook that weighs almost nothing (0.02 kg) and is rated IPX4, so sweat and light rain are a non-issue.
• ciciglow Headphones Clip — biggest trade-off: it is a single earpiece with a moderate 7-hour working time, so stereo listening and long sessions are not really what it is built for.
• Quiksilver Open Ear — biggest strength: Bluetooth 5.4 with auto pairing, an LED battery display, touch controls and a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, plus a 3-year manufacturer warranty.
• Quiksilver Open Ear — biggest trade-off: the listed specs do not state an IP rating, so "sweat resistant" is the claim you get, not a number you can compare against the ciciglow's IPX4.
• Who each pick is for: ciciglow for one-ear, minimal-carry use (running, cycling, calls on the move); Quiksilver for people who want a normal two-earbud setup with modern Bluetooth and a visible battery readout.
The ciciglow Headphones Clip is a single Bluetooth 5.3 earpiece that hangs on an ear hook instead of sitting inside your ear canal. The "not in the ear" design is the whole point: nothing presses into the canal, so there's no swelling or soreness to build up over a long wear. If you've ever pulled an earbud out after an hour and felt relief, this is the category of product built for you.
What it does best is stay out of the way. The 50mAh built-in battery is quoted at about 800 hours of standby and 7 hours of working time, with roughly an hour to charge — enough for a run, a ride, or a commute without thinking about it. It's IPX4, so sweat and rain won't be the thing that kills it mid-workout. And the 13 mm dynamic driver with a copper ring is paired with a micro air hole for noise reduction, plus a leak-proof earhole so the people next to you aren't hearing your podcast.
The controls are where this one stands out for a single piece. One multifunction button does everything: short press for play/pause, long press to reject a call, double click for the next track, triple click to redial. No app, no screen, no fuss. Bluetooth range is listed at 15 meters, and the whole thing weighs 0.02 kg — you'll forget it's there.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants music in both ears, a charging case, a battery readout, or volume control from the earpiece itself. This is a one-ear, one-button device, and that's the deal.
The Quiksilver Open Ear is the more conventional modern product of the two. It's an open-ear earbud pair with ergonomic secure-fit ear hooks, designed so you keep awareness of traffic, training partners and your surroundings while music plays. The hooks are the retention mechanism — the kind of thing that matters on a run or a bike where a normal bud works its way loose.
The connectivity story is the headline: Bluetooth 5.4 with auto pairing when you open the case, which generally means faster reconnection and lower latency than older versions. The frequency range is specified at 20Hz–20,000Hz, the full audible span. There's no noise cancellation listed, which is consistent with the open-ear concept — you're deliberately not sealed off from the world.
Controls are touch-based, and the spec sheet claims music control, volume adjustment, track skipping, call answering and voice-assistant activation without touching your phone. The smart LED battery display on the case is a genuinely useful detail: you can see remaining power at a glance instead of guessing. Sweat and water resistance is claimed for gym sessions and long runs, and there's a 3-year manufacturer warranty on top — that's a longer coverage window than most earbuds in this class offer.
Who should skip it: if you specifically want a single earpiece, if you need a stated IP rating rather than a general sweat-resistance claim, or if you prefer a physical button over touch gestures (touch can misfire in rain or with gloves).
• Best for battery visibility → Quiksilver Open Ear. The LED display tells you the charge level; the ciciglow gives you no readout at all.
• Best for a stated water-resistance spec → ciciglow Headphones Clip. IPX4 is a defined rating. Quiksilver says sweat and water resistant but doesn't publish an IP number in the listed specs.
• Best for the newest Bluetooth → Quiksilver Open Ear. Bluetooth 5.4 versus 5.3 — a small but real generational step, plus auto pairing from the case.
• Best for one-ear use and calls on the go → ciciglow Headphones Clip. A single earpiece with a dedicated button for play/pause, call reject and redial is exactly the right tool for that job.
• Best for stereo music listening → Quiksilver Open Ear. Two earbuds, full 20Hz–20,000Hz range, volume control on the bud. The ciciglow is one ear only.
• Best for weight and minimal carry → ciciglow Headphones Clip. At 0.02 kg with no case required, it's the lighter, simpler thing to pocket.
• Best for fit security during hard activity → Quiksilver Open Ear. Ergonomic secure-fit hooks are the design's core claim for running, cycling and workouts.
• Best for long-term coverage → Quiksilver Open Ear. A 3-year manufacturer warranty is listed; the ciciglow sheet lists no warranty term.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Quiksilver Open Ear. Stereo sound, Bluetooth 5.4 with auto pairing, touch controls, a battery display and a 3-year warranty make it the more complete everyday product, and the open-ear hooks suit the running and gym use both of these are aimed at. I'd only steer you to the ciciglow Headphones Clip if you specifically want a single earpiece — for calls, for cycling, or because you hate anything entering your ear canal. That's a real use case, and the ciciglow does it with IPX4 and a genuinely clever one-button control scheme. But as a single purchase for music, workouts and travel, Quiksilver is the one I'd take. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable that can flip this call.
It's rated IPX4, which means it resists sweat and rain spray. That's protection against splashes and perspiration, not submersion — don't swim or shower with it.
Yes. The listed features include hands-free calling and voice-assistant activation through the touch controls, so you can answer and talk without pulling out your phone.
The ciciglow lists about 7 hours of working time and roughly 800 hours of standby on a 50mAh battery. Quiksilver doesn't publish hour figures in the listed specs — it advertises "all-day performance" and relies on the LED display to show remaining charge, so the ciciglow is the one with a hard number you can plan around.
The ciciglow explicitly addresses this with a leak-proof earhole design meant to keep your audio private. Quiksilver doesn't make a sound-leakage claim, and open-ear designs in general let more ambient sound in and out by nature.
The ciciglow has a defined IPX4 rating, so it's the safer bet against moisture on paper. Quiksilver claims sweat and water resistance for active use but doesn't list an IP number, so the ciciglow is the more predictable choice in wet conditions.
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