For earphones black friday, I recommend the nwm DOTS for exercise: its open-ear design and IP54 rating suit light workouts while keeping you aware of your surroundings. Behringer is the runner-up if you want a secure over-ear cable and a sound-isolating fit instead.
earphones black friday at a Glance
• nwm DOTS — best for light exercise in Mustard Yellow; pick this if you want the same open-ear design, IP54 protection, and playback features in that listed color.
• HiFiGo AFUL Explorer Hybrid — best for wired music listening; pick this if you want a hybrid driver setup, a 3.5mm or 4.4mm connection, and a 1.2m cable.
• Behringer MO240 — best for a more isolated in-ear fit; pick this if you want sound isolation, an over-the-ear cable, and interchangeable foam and silicone ear tips.
The Moss Green nwm DOTS is an open-ear Bluetooth model aimed at listeners who want audio without sealing their ear canals. That makes it a sensible option for light exercise when awareness of surrounding sounds matters. Its IP54 rating covers dust and water resistance, and the manufacturer identifies jogging and gym workouts as suitable activities. That protection does not make it a swim earphone.
The open-ear design is the key distinction. NTT’s PSZ technology is intended to reduce sound leakage, while the Magic Focus Voice system uses two microphones, beamforming, and filtering to focus on the wearer’s voice during calls. Those features make the DOTS more versatile than a workout-only pick: it can also suit a workday with calls or listening at home while keeping some awareness of the room.
Each ear piece weighs about 0.3 ounces, and the stated playback is up to eight hours without the charging case or up to 32 hours with it. Bluetooth 5 provides wireless connectivity, and the product supports connections to multiple hosts, although compatibility is not guaranteed. For someone moving between a computer and another device, that feature may be useful if their equipment supports it.
The trade-off is inherent in the open-ear approach. It does not provide the sealed fit or sound isolation of conventional in-ear monitors, and its listed noise control is passive rather than active noise cancellation. If you want an audio barrier against a busy gym or commute, this is not the right match. In my opinion, it is the stronger choice for light exercise when hearing your surroundings is more important than blocking them.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
The Mustard Yellow nwm DOTS has the same core design and published features as the Moss Green version. It is an open-ear Bluetooth model with IP54 dust and water protection, up to eight hours of playback per charge, and up to 32 hours when used with its charging case. The practical choice between these two listings is therefore the stated color, not a different workout or audio feature set.
For light exercise, the open-ear format lets you listen without plugging the ear canal. That can be appealing for a gym session or jog where awareness of nearby activity is useful. IP54 protection makes it suitable for rain and light workouts according to the product information, but it should not be treated as waterproof for swimming or prolonged water exposure.
Like the other DOTS listing, this version includes PSZ technology intended to suppress sound leakage and Magic Focus Voice for calls. The voice system is described as using two microphones and sound processing to emphasize the wearer’s voice. That gives the earbuds a potential role beyond exercise, especially for someone who wants a single open-ear device for calls and everyday listening.
Its main limitation is also the design’s main compromise: open-ear listening cannot offer the same isolation as a sealed in-ear fit. The listed noise control is passive, not active noise cancellation, so it is not a match for shoppers specifically seeking the best active noise cancelling earbuds for exercise. I would choose this version if the color suits you and the open-ear format matters more than blocking ambient noise.
The AFUL Explorer Hybrid is a wired in-ear monitor with one dynamic driver and two balanced armature drivers. Its 10Hz–30kHz stated frequency range and hybrid configuration are aimed at detailed music listening, with a dynamic driver for bass and balanced armatures for mids and treble. This is a different kind of earphone from the wireless DOTS: it prioritizes a wired listening setup rather than workout convenience.
The Explorer’s 26-ohm impedance and 108dB sensitivity indicate that it is designed to work with a range of audio devices, including smartphones and higher-resolution players. It is supplied with a 1.2m cable, and the listed plug termination is either 3.5mm or 4.4mm. Those are wired connections, so check that the version you are considering matches your device; a phone without the appropriate jack may require an adapter.
AFUL describes an RLC network for managing driver resonance and a pressure-balancing system intended to reduce listening fatigue. The maker also calls attention to bass extension, warm vocals, and smooth treble. Those are design and tuning claims, not a guarantee that every listener will prefer the sound. A snug ear-tip fit matters here: the product information advises trying different tip sizes, since gaps can lead to sound loss.
Behringer MO240
The Behringer MO240 is a wired in-ear monitor with one dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver. Behringer describes the dynamic driver as handling bass and the balanced armature as supporting high frequencies, with a stated 20Hz–20kHz frequency range. Its sound-isolating design is aimed at listeners who want to reduce surrounding noise while listening or monitoring audio.
A secure over-the-ear cable route is a useful design choice for movement: it helps keep the earpieces in place and avoids a cable hanging straight down from each ear. The 150cm detachable cable uses an MMCX connector, and the package includes foam and silicone ear tips in three sizes. That gives the buyer options for fit, though a snug seal is important for in-ear isolation.
The MO240 is a better fit than the open-ear DOTS if your priority is blocking outside noise. It may also appeal to musicians or listeners who want a wired monitor-style design for focused listening. But the wired connection is less convenient for workouts than Bluetooth, and the product information does not list an IP rating. I would not choose it for a sweaty or rainy session on the assumption that it is water-resistant.
Its central trade-off is isolation versus awareness. A sealed, sound-isolating fit may help when you want to focus on music, but it is less suited to outdoor exercise where hearing your surroundings can matter. There is also no active noise-cancelling feature listed. If you want a secure cable and an isolated in-ear sound, the MO240 is the more fitting option; if exercise awareness comes first, I prefer the open-ear DOTS.
We compared the published specifications and features for fit, connectivity, sound design, and stated exercise suitability. The ranking is our independent editorial opinion, and no brand paid for placement.
I recommend the nwm DOTS for light exercise because it has an open-ear design and an IP54 rating, and the product information names jogging and gym workouts as suitable activities. The rating does not mean it is suitable for swimming.
No active noise cancellation is listed for these products. The Behringer MO240 has a sound-isolating in-ear design, while the nwm DOTS is open-ear and lists passive noise control.
The listed color differs: one is Moss Green and the other Mustard Yellow. Their published core features include the same open-ear design, IP54 rating, microphone functions, and playback figures.
The HiFiGo AFUL Explorer Hybrid and Behringer MO240 are wired. The Explorer is listed with a 3.5mm or 4.4mm termination, while the MO240 has a detachable cable with an MMCX connection and a 3.5mm jack.
For exercise, my final recommendation is the nwm DOTS: its open-ear design, stated IP54 protection, and up-to-eight-hour playback make it the most exercise-oriented fit here, especially for light workouts where awareness matters. Choose the Behringer MO240 instead if you specifically want a wired, sound-isolating fit.
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