How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want to stay aware of traffic, your surroundings and your own breathing while you run, choose Purity Air Open Ear; if you need to shut the world out on a plane, in a noisy office or on a long commute, choose TJ Active Noise Cancelling. These are two genuinely different tools for two genuinely different jobs, and the specs make the split pretty obvious.
• Purity Air Open Ear — biggest strength: true open-ear air conduction with 15 mm dynamic drivers and IPX5 sweat resistance, so nothing blocks your ear canal and you keep full situational awareness.
• Purity Air Open Ear — biggest trade-off: no noise cancellation at all, a neckband-style fit rather than a headband, and a 6-hour battery average life.
• TJ Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: genuine active noise cancellation (the built-in chip generates an anti-noise signal for up to 25 dB of reduction) plus a long 27-hour battery average life and both wireless and wired listening.
• TJ Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: over-ear cups seal you off from your environment, and the fit is bulkier for movement.
• Pick Purity Air Open Ear if you run, cycle, lift or walk outdoors and want music without losing awareness — and you're fine charging more often.
• Pick TJ Active Noise Cancelling if you want quiet: travel, focus work, calls, gaming, lectures, or anything where blocking background sound is the whole point.
The Purity Air Open Ear is built around one idea: get sound to your ears without plugging them up. It uses air conduction, meaning the speakers sit outside your ear canal and deliver audio toward it. The ear placement is literally listed as open ear, and the shape is a neckband — the band hangs behind your neck with the two speakers resting near your ears. If you've never worn that style, picture something closer to a light collar than a pair of earbuds.
The spec that matters most here is the driver size: two 15 mm dynamic drivers, with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range and 18 ohm impedance. Big drivers in an open design are how Purity gets usable volume without sealing your ears. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the connection with a 10-metre range, and the controls are button-based with call control and touch input. Weight is 2.8 ounces, which is why the brand leans so hard on "long wearing comfort" — there's simply not much there to bother you.
Who should skip it? Anyone whose main goal is silence. There's no noise control listed — literally "None" — so a plane cabin, a loud open-plan office or a train will come straight through. The 6-hour average battery life is also on the shorter side, and the neckband shape won't suit people who hate anything touching their neck. Charging is via a magnetic cable that attaches to the right speaker, so don't expect a standard USB-C port. If you want maximum isolation, this is the wrong product, full stop.
TJ Active Noise Cancelling: Who It's For
The TJ Active Noise Cancelling is the opposite philosophy. It's an over-ear, over-the-head headset with leather ear cushions and an adjustable headband, and it actively fights noise rather than letting it in. The ANC chip generates an anti-noise signal that cancels incoming sound waves before they reach your ears — up to 25 dB of reduction according to the brand. That's the difference between passive foam muffling and real cancellation, and it's the reason this thing exists.
Audio hardware is a 40 mm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range, 32 ohm impedance and 96 dB sensitivity. Higher impedance than the Purity, but with 40 mm drivers and a sealed fit, it'll play loud and full. The battery average life is 27 hours, which is a genuinely long stretch — enough for multiple workdays or a long-haul trip without hunting for a charger. Charging is USB Type-C.
Flexibility is the other headline. It's Bluetooth, but it also has a 3.5 mm jack and switches to wired automatically when you plug the included aux cable in. Wired mode means zero latency, which matters for gaming on a PS5, Xbox or Switch, or for any device with an audio jack. The ANC microphone is tuned for voice pickup, so Zoom, Teams and Discord calls come through clearly even with background noise around you. The foldable design and included carrying case make it a travel-friendly pick.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs to hear their surroundings. Over-ear cups plus active cancellation is the exact opposite of situational awareness, so I would not wear these cycling on a road or running near traffic. The fit is also heavier and bulkier than an open-ear neckband, and the earcups will get warm during hard workouts. And if you want one pair for both the gym and the office, this is a compromise rather than a perfect fit.
• Best for situational awareness → Purity Air Open Ear. Open-ear air conduction and a neckband fit keep your ears unblocked on the road or trail.
• Best for blocking noise → TJ Active Noise Cancelling. Active noise cancellation with up to 25 dB reduction, not just foam padding.
• Best for battery life → TJ Active Noise Cancelling. 27 hours average versus 6 hours — not close.
• Best for sweaty workouts → Purity Air Open Ear. IPX5 water resistance and 2.8 ounces of weight beat leather earcups in the gym.
• Best for calls → depends on where. Purity's dual mics cancel ambient noise around your voice outdoors; TJ's ANC mic is aimed at professional calls in noisy rooms. For Zoom and Teams, I'd take the TJ.
• Best for gaming → TJ Active Noise Cancelling. The 3.5 mm jack and automatic wired mode give you zero-latency audio on consoles and PCs.
• Best for travel and commuting → TJ Active Noise Cancelling. Cancellation plus 27 hours is what a flight or a daily train commute actually needs.
• Best for all-day light wear → Purity Air Open Ear. At 2.8 ounces with no ear-canal pressure, it's the one you forget you're wearing — you'll just need to recharge more often.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the TJ Active Noise Cancelling (B0DZ56DCCW). In my opinion, the combination of real active noise cancellation, a 27-hour battery average life, a 3.5 mm wired mode for zero-latency gaming, and a 40 mm driver makes it the more versatile headphone for the average buyer — work, travel, calls, gaming and study all in one. The Purity Air Open Ear is excellent at exactly one thing, and if that one thing is your priority — running or cycling with your ears open — it's the better buy. But as a single do-everything pair, I'd take the TJ. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since both sit in different budget tiers.
No. Its noise control field is listed as "None." It has dual microphones that reduce background noise on calls, but that's voice processing for the person you're talking to — not noise cancellation for you. If you want silence, you need the TJ.
The Purity Air Open Ear averages 6 hours per charge; the TJ Active Noise Cancelling averages 27 hours. Real-world numbers vary with volume and whether ANC is on, but the gap is large enough that it should factor into your decision.
Yes — that's one of its clearest advantages. It pairs over Bluetooth but also has a 3.5 mm jack and switches to wired mode automatically when you plug the included aux cable in, which gives you zero-latency audio on a PS5, Xbox, Switch or PC.
The Purity Air Open Ear, without question. It's IPX5 sweat resistant, weighs 2.8 ounces, and its open-ear design lets you hear traffic and other people. The TJ's over-ear cups and active cancellation block exactly the sound you need to hear outside.
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.