If you want open-ear comfort and awareness for jogging, choose CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro; if you need active noise cancellation and a more immersive in-ear fit, choose Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling. The main difference is how each handles the world around you: CMF leaves your ears uncovered, while Nothing Ear (3a) can reduce surrounding noise or let it through in Transparency Mode.
CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro vs Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling at a Glance
• CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro: Open-ear clip design, a 5.92 g weight per earbud, and up to 10 hours of playback per charge; its open fit does not provide active noise cancellation.
• Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling: Up to 45 dB of hybrid active noise cancellation, Transparency Mode, and up to 42 hours with the case; its in-ear tips block more of the ear canal.
• CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro: The more natural fit for jogging if you want to keep your ears uncovered and hear more of your surroundings.
• Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling: The stronger choice for noisy commutes, travel, or listening where reducing outside sound is a priority.
• Choose CMF for an open-ear design, lightweight clip fit, and up to 32.5 hours of total playback. Choose Nothing Ear (3a) for adjustable noise control, more immersive in-ear listening, and a longer stated total listening time.
The Clip Pro’s defining feature is its open-ear clip shape. Rather than sitting inside the ear canal, each earbud clips onto the ear, with a three-point design intended to spread contact across the ear. Each bud weighs 5.92 g. That combination makes it a sensible option to consider for jogging or workouts when you want a listening device that leaves your ears uncovered.
Its 10.8 mm dynamic drivers, Hi-Res Audio support, and LDAC support point to a focus on detailed music without switching to a sealed in-ear fit. The Nothing X app adds custom EQ and Anti-Leakage Mode, while a Smart Dial offers another way to control playback. Dual-device connectivity is useful if you move between a phone and laptop, and Bluetooth 5.4 provides its wireless connection.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
I’d choose CMF if openness, a light clip-on design, and calls are higher priorities than blocking the world out. The four-microphone system and voice pickup unit are designed to make speech clearer amid environmental noise, including wind. The trade-off is straightforward: it does not offer active noise cancellation. If your main goal is quiet listening on a loud train, or a seal that helps isolate your music, the open-ear design is the wrong fit.
Nothing Ear (3a) takes the opposite approach. Its silicone ear tips sit in the ears, with four tip sizes—XS, S, M, and L—so you can choose the fit that suits you. The sealed in-ear design works with hybrid active noise cancellation rated up to 45 dB. When you want to hear more around you, switch to Transparency Mode; three ANC strength modes let you adjust how much outside noise to reduce.
The audio setup includes 12 mm dynamic drivers, Hi-Res Audio, and an eight-band EQ in the Nothing X app. Nothing also specifies static spatial audio for a wider virtual sound field. Bluetooth 6.0 and dual-device connections suit someone who alternates between devices, while the six-microphone setup supports calls and recording features. Audio Snapshot can save up to a minute of media; call recording can save up to two hours of calls and meetings, with availability subject to local regulations.
I’d consider Ear (3a) for commuting, travel, or focused listening where noise control is part of the point. Its case provides up to 42 hours of listening, while each earbud is specified for up to 10 hours with ANC off and six hours with ANC on. The trade-off is the in-ear fit: it may not suit someone who dislikes silicone tips or wants an open-ear feel while jogging. Transparency Mode helps you hear your surroundings, but it is not the same as leaving your ears uncovered.
• Best for an open-ear jogging fit → CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro. Its clip-on design leaves the ear canal open, which better matches a preference for hearing your surroundings while moving.
• Best for reducing background noise → Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling. Its hybrid ANC is rated up to 45 dB, and you can choose among three strength modes.
• Best when you want awareness without removing the earbuds → Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling. Transparency Mode is designed to let outside sound through; CMF’s open-ear construction provides a different kind of openness.
• Best for long total listening time on the case → Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling. It is specified for up to 42 hours with the case, compared with up to 32.5 hours total for CMF.
• Best for a lightweight clip-style design → CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro. Each earbud weighs 5.92 g and uses a three-point clip design rather than an in-ear tip.
• Best for choosing between a phone and computer → Either. Both support dual-device connectivity, so this feature alone does not settle the decision.
• Best for tuning ANC and EQ → Nothing Ear Noise Cancelling. Its app offers three ANC strength modes and an eight-band EQ; CMF offers custom EQ and Anti-Leakage Mode but not ANC.
• Best for calls in noisy or windy surroundings → CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro, on the stated call features. Its four-microphone system and voice pickup unit are specifically described as separating voice from environmental noise. Nothing also has six microphones and Clear Voice Technology, but the feature descriptions emphasize different strengths.
The search for the best noise cancelling headphones for jogging points toward a compromise, not a single obvious winner. Ear (3a) offers ANC and Transparency Mode, while CMF’s open-ear design avoids inserting a tip. If your priority is hearing more of your surroundings naturally, CMF is the clearer match. If you want the option to reduce noise during the rest of your day, Nothing brings more listening modes.
My Verdict
I’d choose CMF BY NOTHING Clip Pro for jogging because its open-ear clip design better fits a run where I want my ears uncovered, rather than relying on noise cancellation or a transparency setting. That is also why I’d pick it when looking for the best Bluetooth earbuds for jogging in this particular comparison. Nothing Ear (3a) is the more capable choice for ANC, travel, and switching between quieter and more aware listening, but CMF’s design is the better match for my stated use.
For someone who prefers open ears while running, CMF’s clip-on design is the more natural fit. Nothing Ear (3a) offers Transparency Mode, but it remains an in-ear earbud with silicone tips.
Nothing Ear (3a) is the choice for active noise cancellation, with hybrid ANC rated up to 45 dB and three strength modes. CMF Clip Pro has an open-ear design and does not list active noise cancellation.
Nothing Ear (3a) is specified for up to 42 hours with its case. CMF Clip Pro is specified for up to 32.5 hours total, with up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge.
Both products support dual-device connectivity, so that feature does not distinguish them. Choose based on fit and noise control: CMF for an open-ear clip design, or Nothing for in-ear listening with ANC and Transparency Mode.
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