We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-07 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a pair of open-ear earbuds that stay comfortable through a full week of gym sessions and come with a charging case that keeps them topped up, choose ShuQiaoSi Open Ear Headphones; if you need a single-ear headset you can flip between left and right for driving, calls and quick gym sets, choose IHAO Earpiece Headphone Dual. That's the short version. The longer version matters more, because these two look similar on a search results page and behave very differently once you're actually wearing them.
• ShuQiaoSi's biggest strength: a full dual-ear open-ear design with a charging case that adds up to 40 extra hours, so you're rarely hunting for a cable.
• ShuQiaoSi's biggest trade-off: it's a two-piece setup with a case to keep track of, and there's no active noise cancellation in the spec sheet.
• IHAO's biggest strength: a single changeable earhook you can move from left to right, with a claimed 15 hours of talk time and active noise cancellation.
• IHAO's biggest trade-off: one ear only, so no stereo music experience, and Bluetooth 5.0 versus the newer standard on the ShuQiaoSi.
• Choose ShuQiaoSi if you want open-ear sound in both ears for training, running and everyday listening.
• Choose IHAO if you want a lightweight business/driving headset that doubles as a gym companion for calls and podcasts.
The ShuQiaoSi pair is built around air conduction and a completely open design. The earbuds rest on top of the ear rather than plugging the canal, which the spec sheet frames as a way to avoid the pressure, fatigue and ear-canal issues that come with traditional in-ears. If you wear glasses or have long hair, that's relevant — there's no neckband or wire running behind your head to tangle with a ponytail or a glasses temple. The fit relies on a gravity-balanced over-ear hook made from soft silicone, which is meant to spread the weight around the ear instead of pressing on one spot.
Battery is where this one makes its case. You get up to 10 hours of continuous play per charge, up to 80 hours of standby, and the magnetic charging case adds roughly 40 more hours of listening. The case refills in about an hour over USB-C. For someone who lifts four or five times a week and doesn't want to think about charging, that's a genuinely useful combination — and it's exactly the kind of thing people mean when they search for USB-C charging earphones for gym use.
On the connectivity side, ShuQiaoSi lists Bluetooth 5.4 with a 10-meter range, touch controls, and dual built-in microphones for calls. The spec sheet also notes wide compatibility across phones, tablets, laptops and TVs. One quirk worth flagging: the product details mention a 3.5mm audio cable and 3.5mm jack alongside the Bluetooth listing, which suggests a wired option is bundled — useful as a fallback, but don't buy it expecting a purely wireless-only kit. Also note the theme is listed as "Cat Ear," so expect a playful design rather than a strictly understated one.
Buy it if you want open-ear comfort in both ears, long total battery life from a case, and touch controls you can tap mid-set without pulling your phone out. Skip it if you need active noise cancellation, or if you'd rather carry a single earpiece than a pair plus a case.
The IHAO is a different animal entirely. This is a single-ear open-ear headset with an earhook you can swap between your left and right ear. That one detail is the whole pitch: if you take calls at a desk, drive a lot, or want one ear free to hear what's happening around you, a changeable earhook means you're not locked into wearing it on the "wrong" side all day. The 40mm dynamic driver is tuned for bass-forward stereo sound on that single channel, and the spec sheet credits a CSR chip with intelligent noise reduction plus a dual-mic setup for calls.
Battery figures here lean toward talk time rather than music time: up to 15 hours of continuous talking, 10 hours of music playback, and 200 hours of standby on a 1.5-hour charge. If your gym routine is more about taking a call between sets or listening to a podcast than about immersive stereo music, that 15-hour talk number is the one to pay attention to. Controls are push-button rather than touch, which is a real advantage when your hands are sweaty or you're wearing gloves — physical buttons give you feedback that a touch surface doesn't.
The trade-offs are clear from the specs. It's one ear, so music is mono in practice. Bluetooth is 5.0, a generation behind the ShuQiaoSi. There's no charging case mentioned, no USB-C detail given, and no second earbud — so the charging rhythm is different. It does list active noise cancellation, which is unusual for an open-ear design and worth noting, though with an open-ear hook the physical seal simply isn't there the way it is with in-ears.
Buy it if you're a driver, a desk worker on calls, or someone who wants one ear open and one earpiece that fits either side. Skip it if you want proper stereo music or a case-based charging setup.
• Best for all-around gym use → ShuQiaoSi Open Ear Headphones. Two ears, open design, silicone hooks, and a case that keeps them charged between sessions.
• Best for calls on the move → IHAO Earpiece Headphone Dual. Up to 15 hours of talk time and dual mics built for hands-free conversation.
• Best for battery convenience → ShuQiaoSi Open Ear Headphones. 10 hours per charge plus roughly 40 more from the case, refilled via USB-C in about an hour.
• Best for left/right flexibility → IHAO Earpiece Headphone Dual. The changeable earhook lets you pick which ear takes the load.
• Best for stereo music → ShuQiaoSi Open Ear Headphones. A single earpiece can't deliver two-channel sound.
• Best for physical controls → IHAO Earpiece Headphone Dual. Push buttons beat touch panels when your fingers are wet or gloved.
• Best for newer Bluetooth → ShuQiaoSi Open Ear Headphones. Bluetooth 5.4 versus 5.0.
• Best for driving and desk work → IHAO Earpiece Headphone Dual. One ear stays open to traffic and coworkers.
For gym use specifically, I'd buy the ShuQiaoSi Open Ear Headphones. Two ears of open-ear audio, a silicone over-ear fit that doesn't rely on jamming anything into your canal, and a charging case that turns a 10-hour battery into something closer to a week of workouts — that combination is hard to argue with for training. The IHAO is the smarter pick if your day is mostly calls and driving, and its changeable earhook is a genuinely clever touch. But if you're shopping for the best ear clip headphones for gym sessions and you want sound in both ears, I'd go with the ShuQiaoSi. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one thing specs can't tell you.
In my opinion, the ShuQiaoSi. It puts audio in both ears, uses soft silicone over-ear hooks for stability, and the charging case means you're not plugging in after every session. The IHAO works for gym calls and podcasts, but it's a single ear.
The spec sheet doesn't list one. It states a 1.5-hour charge time for up to 10 hours of music or 15 hours of talking, but no case is mentioned — unlike the ShuQiaoSi, which explicitly includes a magnetic case adding about 40 hours.
The IHAO lists active noise cancellation and a dual-mic noise-reduction setup, so on paper it's the more call-focused option. The ShuQiaoSi lists dual mics for clear calls but no active noise cancellation. Neither is a sealed in-ear, so don't expect heavy isolation from either.
Yes. The changeable earhook is designed so you can wear it on your left or right ear, which is the main reason it suits driving and desk work. The ShuQiaoSi is a fixed pair — one bud per ear, no swapping.
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