'I wanted to love these and in the right environment, I almost did' I tested JLab's groundbreaking open over-ear headphones, and they're a brilliant concept let down by reality

Date:
Sun, 17 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
The JLab JBuds Open Wireless headphones are hands-down the most interesting headphones I've tested this year, but not the best

FULL STORY ======================================================================JLab JBuds Open Wireless: Two-minute review JLab is well-known for its affordable headphones and earbuds, but this time the brand is branching out into something more unusual.

The JBuds Open Wireless are over-ear headphones designed to allow you to hear the world around you. Yes, everyone is doing that right now, just take a look at our best open earbuds guide but while most open-ear options are earbuds, JLab has made an over-ear version. It promises to deliver the same open benefits but from a bigger and for some people, more comfortable form factor. Now, open-back headphones are nothing new. They're actually a firm favorite among audiophiles. That's because venting the back of the driver housing stops sound from bouncing back onto the driver itself, which gives
you a cleaner and more accurate sound with a wider, more natural soundstage. Latest Videos From

However, the JBuds Open Wireless aren't that. Sure, they look similar, but
the open part here means something different. The earcups don't create a strong seal against your head, and the cups can have grilles over them or the option to be completely open, so ambient sound outside flows freely in alongside your music.

So its not open-back as an audio engineering choice, but more open-ear as a lifestyle one, where the goal isn't better sound quality but a mix of sound and awareness of what's happening around you.

Interestingly, this design might seem new but its been done before several times. One of my favorite examples is back in the late '90s when Sony
released the MDR-F1 not identical, but similar open or open-air headphones, and people referred to them as "earspeakers" at the time. This is a similar thing, and a few other brands have done it, such as the ONE Wireless Open-Ear Headphones from nwm.

But they're still unusual right now, and I can't work out if they're uncommon because they're about to appeal to everyone and we'll see more soon, or because the use case is so specific that plenty of people will love the idea but find it falls apart in practice. Unfortunately, I'm in the second camp. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
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Dont get me wrong, there's a lot to like here. The design is genuinely cool, with removable grilles and a comfortable all-day fit thanks to some memory foam padding in the cups and band. The sound also delivers more bass than I'd expect from an open design. And the ambient awareness really works. In quiet environments, it's really nice to listen with them.

But add just a bit of background chatter or noise and the openness becomes
the problem. There are just too many competing sounds and the experience collapses. I know what youre thinking. Isnt that the whole point of open-ear designs? Sure, but if the music youve bought them to listen to becomes unlistenable, then weve got a problem.

At under $100/100, the risk still feels low. But I think the use case is narrow, and most people will know within a day whether these are for them. JLab JBuds Open Wireless (Black) at Amazon for 99.99 JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Price and release date (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) Released in late 2025 Priced at $99.99 / 99.99 / AU$199.99 After being unveiled at IFA 2025 in September of 2025, the JLab JBuds Open Wireless headphones were launched in some markets in late 2025, and then the rest in early 2026.

You can buy the JBuds Open for $99.99 / 99.99 / AU$199.99. That price means they sit somewhere between the higher end of budget and mid-range.

Now this is where I'd usually give you context of how they compare to similar products, but it's tricky to compare these headphones directly to anything else right now. They give you the benefits of open-ear styles, but those are mostly buds, and these still look and feel like over-ears.

In that case, let's look at the open-ear buds you can get right now. Like the Shokz OpenFit 2+ , our current top pick, which are $179.95 / 169. Though you can get much more affordable open buds that still sound good, like the Earfun Clip 2 with a clip-on design that'll cost you $79.99 / 69.99 (about AU$120).

In terms of over-ears, one of our favorite budget picks is the OneOdio Focus A6 over-ears at $55 / 55 / AU$112, which we think sound fantastic for the price. Though at that higher end of the budget range you've got plenty of choice, like the very highly rated 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 at $89 / 99 / AU$130.

Although there's nothing to strictly compare them to, the price reflects what you're getting. Which is over-ear comfort and build with open-ear awareness
in a form factor that doesn't really exist elsewhere. For under $100 / 100, that does seem like a fair ask. But whether it's worth it comes down entirely to your preferences, which we'll get into. JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

35mm and 12mm Coaxial Dynamic Drivers

Active noise cancellation

No

Battery life (ANC off)

Up to 24 hours

Weight

245g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C

Frequency response

20-20 kHz

Waterproofing

None JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Features (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) Simple app with essentials Multipoint connectivity 24 hours battery life (well, nearly) The JLab JBuds Open aren't overflowing with features, but you have everything you need for the price here.

The app is basic, but that's not a criticism. I found it easy to use and it covers the essentials well. You can customize the manual buttons on the right earcup, check battery life, set an interval timer, toggle spatial audio on/off, and switch between music and movie modes.

There's also a 10-band custom EQ alongside three presets, which I enjoyed playing with to try and address some of the issues with the sound, more on that later.

The headphones have dual coaxial drivers onboard, a 35mm and a 12mm unit, and Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity with support for SBC and AAC codecs. Theres no wireless hi-res audio options, but a USB-C cable is included if you want a wired connection. (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) Multipoint
connectivity to two devices worked seamlessly during my testing, switching cleanly between my laptop and phone while I was working.

Battery life is rated at 24 hours, though in some of JLab's specs it says to expect 18 hours. In my testing I got around 20 hours, with a full recharge taking roughly 2.5 to 3 hours.

That's not bad, but it does lag behind other over-ear headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM6 manages 30 hours, and the cheaper 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 headphones deliver an extraordinary 65 hours with ANC on. But, to be fair, it's much harder to fit batteries in when you've removed all the physical space from your headphones

Measured against open-ear buds, this amount is impressive as the Shokz
OpenFit 2+ only manages 11 hours, but thats expected given the size difference. Features score: 3.5 / 5 JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Sound quality (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) Better bass than most open options but sub-bass is lacking Wide soundstage suits big, orchestral tracks Sound leakage is an issue With the JLab JBuds Open headphones, you can obviously hear your surroundings thats the whole point. But you're going to want to bear that in mind, because these sound really open. Like, really
open.

On a long quiet walk along the canal, it was lovely. I had music playing, I could hear bike bells and birds and I felt very happy. But walking through
the city was a different experience entirely.

What I was hearing from the headphones was competing for my attention with a fire alarm, other music, and general chatter. There's open-ear, which Ive tried many times now from different brands, and then there's this.

And some people might genuinely want this. If ambient awareness always trumps music for you, and competing sounds don't overwhelm you, these could be
ideal. That's subjective and worth acknowledging, but it wasn't my
experience.

The reason it's so pronounced is physical, because the drivers sit further from your ear than other open options. Theyre outside the ear rather than in the concha, where other open buds sit. Sealed over-ears obviously don't have the problem at all.

Here it's essentially like holding a speaker close to your ear. I
recommending testing adding the grilles in and out, because they do reduce
the sound leakage in, and they're very easy to remove.

With dual coaxial 35mm and 12mm drivers, theyre working with bigger hardware than most open-ear buds, and you can really tell when you listen. There's genuine presence in the low end, with far more bass and substance than you'd typically expect from a pair of open-ear buds.

Vocals come through clearly, and the wide soundstage is a real strength here. I spent a lot of time listening to Jhann Jhannssons Arrival score and instrument separation was impressive. Big, cinematic or orchestral tracks
have a sense of space that genuinely suits the open design.

Moving onto Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the Devil and the track's swagger
and drive translated well. It felt wide, punchy and instruments were given plenty of room. (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) But there are
weaknesses. Sub-bass is mostly absent. Hi-hats and cymbals also had a
tendency to tip into shrill territory, and kick drums have a sharp, thin quality rather than a satisfying thud.

The overall character skews mid-heavy, and you'll find yourself pushing the volume higher than expected to get a sense of immersion.

At times it felt a bit like hearing your phone playing in front of you; its present and clear enough, but thin and lacking warmth. The bass boost EQ setting helps on the right tracks and is worth trialling, but it can't
resolve the main limitation here which is that theres no seal to trap and focus the sound.

Calls were fine. With open ears, conversations feel more natural to me, and the noise-cancelling mic picked up my voice well. It lacked some clarity at times, but was fine for most purposes.

Sound leakage from the headphones is also worth flagging. I recorded audio on my phone while wearing them and could make out the track even at a moderate volume with the grilles on. If you remove them, it gets noticeably worse.

Push the volume up, which you will find yourself doing, and it gets worse still. So there's a sort of irony here, which is that the open design means you need more volume to feel the music, but more volume means more leakage.

Ambient noise outside will mask the leakage, so you'll get away with it way more in public than you might expect. But a quiet office or commute is going to be a different story. Sound quality: 3.5 / 5 JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Design (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) A bold design that may divide people Genuinely comfortable for long wear Removable grilles change
the look and the sound The JLab JBuds Open headphones have a very unusual design and I think they'll divide people. Some will find them incredibly cool and a bit sci-fi looking, whereas others just won't get on with them.

They're over-ear headphones with a build that feels substantial, though they do feel a little more cheap and plasticky than something like the Bose QuietComfort Headphones , my all-time favorite over-ears, but thats to be expected at this lower price.

Both the earcups and headband are padded with memory foam and I found it genuinely comfortable for long sessions. The clamping force was occasionally
a little much when I was working indoors, but on runs outside it actually helped and kept them feeling secure. (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) At 245g, they're light, and you can shave a couple of grams off by removing the metal grilles. The earcups have a sort of wheel-spoke pattern with a grille sitting over under it. And if you twist the cup, the grille pops out cleanly, opening things up even more both in how these headphones look and sound.

I noticed it really changes the look of them, and noticeably affects how much ambient sound comes through. Its a small but genuinely fun customization option.

That said, they're bulky. They stick out from your head considerably more
than most modern over-ears nowadays, and while the cups pivot flat, they
don't fold inward either, which makes them less practical to carry and store than many rivals.

The included carry case is a nice touch. Its a similar concept to the AirPods Max case but its more practical with more coverage of the headphones. The matte, brushed finish picks up marks easily though. (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) You control the JBuds Open with physical buttons on the side of the right earcup. I personally prefer physical buttons over touch controls, and found these easy to locate and use on the move, and they're also customizable via the app.

The headphones come in black, which is the pair I tested here, or Cloud,
which is a light gray with gold accents that's a nice option if youre sick of all black tech.

Theres no IP rating here, which on paper suggests avoiding sweaty workouts when you're wearing them. But given their open design means far more airflow than a sealed pair, I'd argue they're pretty workout-friendly as long as
youre mindful about sweat and splashes.

I tested them on several runs without any problems and actually really
enjoyed the ambient awareness and added airflow as I got warmer and more tired. But I maybe wouldn't risk them in the rain. Design score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Value Good value compared to open-ear buds But whether it's worth it depends on your feelings about ambient sound These are good value compared to other over-ear headphones and even some open-ear options. You can pick up open-ear buds for well under $100 / 100 these days, but top performers like the Shokz OpenFit
2+ cost nearly double at $179 / 169. So if you specifically want open-ear audio on a budget, theyre worth considering.

But really, whether these are worth it has less to do with price and more to do with your lifestyle. Under $100 / 100 feels fair for what's here. But if you're going to struggle to hear your music in most environments or find the bulk doesn't suit you, the price won't save them.

For the right person though, which I think will be someone who prioritizes awareness, loves the over-ear form factor, and isn't chasing audiophile
sound, then these were essentially made for you. Value: 3.5 / 5 Should I buy the JLab JBuds Open Wireless? (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) Swipe to scroll horizontally JLab JBuds Open Wireless score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The app is easy-to-use, and it's nice to get multipoint connectivity and a USB-C option.

3.5 / 5

Sound quality

Good for an open design, especially for bass. But it's hard to hear your
music in anything other than a quiet environment, and sound leaks out, too.

3.5 / 5

Design

They're comfortable enough for all-day listening thanks to their memory foam. The design is chunky and divisive but I like that you can switch the grilles in and out.

4 / 5

Value

Good sound, features and design for the money, but whether it's good value
for you or not is an entirely different story. It'll be a really subjective thing for these.

3.5 / 5 Buy them if You want an over-ear design thats also open If youre someone who needs this unique combo, these are made for you, and do it really well. You need to be really aware of your surroundings I always say this with open designs, but make sure you absolutely need them to be open. Which is particularly the case here, without those grilles you hear everything. Your ears get warm If you like over-ears but find your ears get warm or sweaty, this design could be an unexpected win. Dont buy them if You like a svelte design Sure, Ive tested bigger over-ears, but these felt a little bulky and certainly looked it. You struggle to focus on music and podcasts sometimes Theyre so open that if you have trouble focusing (especially ADHD or auditory processing issues) youll find it hard to hear anything. You want traditional open back audio quality They might look like open back options, but you wont get the same audio experience here unfortunately. JLab JBuds Open Wireless review: Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Jlab Jbuds Open Headphones

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

Earfun Clip 2

Drivers

35mm and 12mm coaxial dynamic drivers

40mm dynamic

12mm dual-magnetic titanium composite driver

Active noise cancellation

No

Yes

No

Battery life (ANC on)

Up to 24 hours

60 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)

11 hours

Weight

245g

246g

5.5g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 6.0

Waterproofing

None

None

IP55 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

If its over-ears you prefer and youre willing to sacrifice the open appeal of the JLabs, then you dont have to spend a small fortune to get a good pair these days. Our top budget pick is the Sonoflow Pro HQ51 from 1More. The
sound is satisfying here and you can customize it, theres also ANC onboard
and youll get a huge 65 hours of battery life with ANC on and 100 hours with ANC off. All for less than $100/100.

Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review Earfun Clip 2

I'm including these just in case you didnt know that an open fit can be achieved in a clip design. And theyre surprisingly comfortable and stable. If open is a priority its definitely worth shopping around for other options. I reviewed these and while theyre not perfect, they fit well, theyre packed
with features, bass is solid for open buds and theyre incredibly cheap too.
If youre willing to branch out from over-ears, these could be everything you're looking for.

Read our full Earfun Clip 2 review How I tested the JLab JBuds Open Wireless (Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy) Tested over 10 days Used with my iPhone 16 Pro Listened to music, podcasts and some movies I tested the JLab JBuds Open Ear Headphones for 10 days, which gave me plenty of time to trial them
in different environments, wear them in a few different weather conditions
and run a battery test.

I took them with me on daily long walks and two runs along the canalside, as well as one bigger hike in the countryside. They also came with me often when I was walking through a big city, in a busy market, to plenty of coffee shops while I was working remotely, on several bus rides and just out and about getting on with my day more generally.

I used my iPhone 16 Pro to test them and mostly listened to music and podcasts. I also used them when watching a couple of movies to test the movie preset and the spatial audio. I tested the different modes and EQ settings
and used them with and without their grilles.

I actually became really fascinated by the subtle sound differences when it came to the grilles, so know my experience in this review comes from a lot of careful listening.

Ive been writing about and testing tech for more than 15 years now. Ive focused mainly on wearables, smart home devices and a lot of audio tech. Over the past few years Ive been testing a lot of open ear buds, so I know what Im looking (and listening out) for.

Im always keen to think about the real world use cases and everyday practicality of tech so you get your moneys worth and pick the best device
for you. First reviewed: May 2026 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee JLab JBuds Open Wireless: Price Comparison 99.99 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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