Shokz OpenComm UC - Black
Shokz OpenComm UC bone conduction headset microphone is a convenient way to answer calls while still hearing the surrounding sounds at work. Thanks to the open-ear bone conduction technology, you stay aware of your environment while talking on the phone. The noise-canceling boom microphone minimizes background noise, ensuring your voice is heard clearly. With a talk time of 16 hours, you can stay connected whether on the go, at a work site, or at your desk. The lightweight and durable frame, combined with bone conduction technology, makes the OpenComm suitable for all-day use without the discomfort that regular headsets can cause. The UC model comes with a wireless USB dongle for computer use.
Shokz OpenComm UC bone conduction headset microphone is a convenient way to answer calls while still hearing the surrounding sounds at work. Thanks to the open-ear bone conduction technology, you stay aware of your environment while talking on the phone. The noise-canceling boom microphone minimizes background noise, ensuring your voice is heard clearly. With a talk time of 16 hours, you can stay connected whether on the go, at a work site, or at your desk. The lightweight and durable frame, combined with bone conduction technology, makes the OpenComm suitable for all-day use without the discomfort that regular headsets can cause. The UC model comes with a wireless USB dongle for computer use.
Shokz OpenComm UC bone conduction headset microphone is a convenient way to answer calls while still hearing the surrounding sounds at work. Thanks to the open-ear bone conduction technology, you stay aware of your environment while talking on the phone. The noise-canceling boom microphone minimizes background noise, ensuring your voice is heard clearly. With a talk time of 16 hours, you can stay connected whether on the go, at a work site, or at your desk. The lightweight and durable frame, combined with bone conduction technology, makes the OpenComm suitable for all-day use without the discomfort that regular headsets can cause. The UC model comes with a wireless USB dongle for computer use.
Shokz OpenComm UC bone conduction headset microphone is a convenient way to answer calls while still hearing the surrounding sounds at work. Thanks to the open-ear bone conduction technology, you stay aware of your environment while talking on the phone. The noise-canceling boom microphone minimizes background noise, ensuring your voice is heard clearly. With a talk time of 16 hours, you can stay connected whether on the go, at a work site, or at your desk. The lightweight and durable frame, combined with bone conduction technology, makes the OpenComm suitable for all-day use without the discomfort that regular headsets can cause. The UC model comes with a wireless USB dongle for computer use.
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The lowest price for Shokz OpenComm UC - Black right now is $229.95 at SuperOffice, compared across 7 retailers.
The all-time low was $74.47 on 9 Feb 2026 — today's price is 209% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 14 June 2026.
Last updated at 14/06/2026 04:12:47
SHOKZ OpenComm UC Stereo Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headset with Wireless Adapter | TECHNOLOGY Products
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Shokz OpenComm UC Bone Conduction Stereo Bluetooth Headphones - Black
Free delivery between 18–26 June
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Hi, my name is Kevin and I have a headphone addiction. I’ve been interested in testing some bone conduction headphones for a long time and jumped on the opportunity to test the Shokz OpenComm UC. I work in an office and love listening to audiobooks or music while still being able to collaborate with my coworkers and attend online meetings so I thought these headphones might be a good fit for my use case. I’ll start with my overall impressions of the Shokz OpenComm UC and then break down the review a little more.Overall Impressions:The Shokz OpenComm UC headphones are an interesting product that may fit the bill for very specific scenarios, but come up short in too many categories for me to recommend them. Sound quality is good, but not great and that’s to be ... MoreHi, my name is Kevin and I have a headphone addiction. I’ve been interested in testing some bone conduction headphones for a long time and jumped on the opportunity to test the Shokz OpenComm UC. I work in an office and love listening to audiobooks or music while still being able to collaborate with my coworkers and attend online meetings so I thought these headphones might be a good fit for my use case. I’ll start with my overall impressions of the Shokz OpenComm UC and then break down the review a little more.Overall Impressions:The Shokz OpenComm UC headphones are an interesting product that may fit the bill for very specific scenarios, but come up short in too many categories for me to recommend them. Sound quality is good, but not great and that’s to be expected considering how they are circumventing your ears entirely. The connectivity is good, and the microphone is decent but the comfort is lacking. I’d look elsewhere if you wear glasses as these just weren’t comfortable to wear when I did. The Shokz OpenComm is a unique product that you’re either going to love or hate, depending on how you use it. There are many, much better office headsets out there, but if you want ones that work through bone conduction then you may just love these.Unboxing/Build Quality:The OpenComm UC comes with a nice hard case and includes the headset, a USB A dongle, and a charging cable. There is no charging brick, so you’ll have to come up with one of those or use your computer’s USB port. Build quality is solid and robust. Nothing feels cheap on this headset, other than the fact that it’s highly flexible due to the nature of how it wraps around.Comfort/Ease of Use:The first thing I noticed was the fit of these headphones. They sit on your ears and wrap around the back of your head. There is no sizing adjustment, but unless you have a very, very large head I don’t think sizing will be an issue. Comfort is okay as long as you’re not wearing glasses. At work, I tend to wear glasses at times when I’m working on my 4k monitor and these are absolutely not compatible if you do. You’ll find the legs of your glasses competing for the limited space behind your ears that the OpenComm headset is taking up and you’ll soon experience some pain as I did. This is disappointing as a lot of office workers tend to use glasses and this design is obviously intended to be leveraged by people working in an office.There are 3 buttons on the headset. 2 volume buttons and a multifunction button that will allow you to play/pause, etc, depending on how many times you press it. Charging is done through a magnetic cable that attaches to the headset securely while the other end is just a standard USB connector. Nothing about the headset is hard to understand and operating it is very simple, which is welcomed.Sound Quality:I wasn’t expecting anything stellar in terms of sound quality since these headphones do not actually sit in your ears, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was very little sound leakage and I was able to hear my audiobooks and attend my meetings just fine with the OpenComm UC. People heard me loud and clear using the microphone and I had no issues hearing them at medium volume. You’ll definitely have to crank up the volume in louder settings, but sound leakage is still minimal at these levels and that’s pretty impressive.Connectivity:Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity on this headset is fantastic and I had no issues having this connected to my phone and my laptop simultaneously, However, the dongle that comes with the unit presents its own set of challenges. Installing the dongle is easy and the headset will connect right away, but then you have no control over unpairing it or disconnecting it until you unplug the dongle or your headset is out of range long enough to finally disconnect. This is an issue because I would be connected to my phone via Bluetooth, but when I went to get coffee or to the restroom, the connection via the dongle to my MacBook would get spotty and cause the Bluetooth connection to also be affected. Considering the very limited range when using the USB dongle, this became more of an issue than I thought it would be. There should be a way to disconnect from the USB dongle or have it where that connection doesn’t affect the Bluetooth connection.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Shokz OpenComm headphones are a game changer when it comes to the work from home/in office setting. There are multiple reason for this but the main ones being fit, design and function.Fit: The one size fits all works great since these headphones loop around your ear and rest on top of the ear base so they do not fall off when you're moving around.Design: The design of the headphones is wonderful since they are barley noticeable when on your head and they are so light that I would forget I had them on. The matte black color is simple and clean and the way the microphone slides effortlessly give the product a premium feel. There are very few buttons on the Shokz 1.button to start/end calls or skip tracks and a + and - button to higher and lower volume along with ... MoreShokz OpenComm headphones are a game changer when it comes to the work from home/in office setting. There are multiple reason for this but the main ones being fit, design and function.Fit: The one size fits all works great since these headphones loop around your ear and rest on top of the ear base so they do not fall off when you're moving around.Design: The design of the headphones is wonderful since they are barley noticeable when on your head and they are so light that I would forget I had them on. The matte black color is simple and clean and the way the microphone slides effortlessly give the product a premium feel. There are very few buttons on the Shokz 1.button to start/end calls or skip tracks and a + and - button to higher and lower volume along with turning the headphones on and off.Function: The purpose of these headphones is for you to be able to hear what you want (music, conference calls, Skype etc) and still be able to hear what is going on around you since your ears are not covered.From my daily use of these I have noticed that the Shokz excel in voice clarity (hearing dialogue and others hearing me) when it comes to voice calls, I cannot stress enough how many of my co-workers asked what headphones I was using because they said it sounded as if I was sitting right in-front of them.Shokz has done a great job with the OpenComm headphones when it comes to battery life and packaging. They come with a sleek case that is used to hold them when not being used and the magnetic charger simply snaps on so you don't have to fiddle when charging it, Shokz also includes a plug and play USB incase you don't want to fiddle with bluetooth settings when using on a computer. The headphones also charge rather quickly giving you 2 hours of talk time with a 5 min charge when you have that last minute meeting which you forgot about. From my experience the battery life is amazing for such a small product, I did a combination of music listening (8 hours) and voice calls (2 hours) and there was still about 30% battery left.Now don't get me wrong these headphones are not made for heavy base and audiophile levels of music listening but they are wonderful for voice clarity and dialogue. The lack of an app for your phone isn't really that big of a deal since most apps don't do much the only issue is checking the battery level which you have to check through your blue tooth settings and that can be a bit complicated.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
One thing I didn’t see coming is how well these work with my glasses that have Bluetooth built into them. I can now do two meetings at the same time without them hearing each other at all and without audio muting the other meeting when I have to talk in one. Now my ability to actually retain what I hear is pushed to its limits dual meeting it but sometimes people like to schedule over meetings or I’ll be on a bridge that is only active every once in awhile and need to do an active meeting during it. So if you do need to do two meetings bone conduction headphones are amazing for letting you hear but no one else.I love the boom mic on these as well, putting the microphone near your mouth makes it so much easier for people to hear you. Also, the noise cancelling works ... MoreOne thing I didn’t see coming is how well these work with my glasses that have Bluetooth built into them. I can now do two meetings at the same time without them hearing each other at all and without audio muting the other meeting when I have to talk in one. Now my ability to actually retain what I hear is pushed to its limits dual meeting it but sometimes people like to schedule over meetings or I’ll be on a bridge that is only active every once in awhile and need to do an active meeting during it. So if you do need to do two meetings bone conduction headphones are amazing for letting you hear but no one else.I love the boom mic on these as well, putting the microphone near your mouth makes it so much easier for people to hear you. Also, the noise cancelling works really well, no one on the meeting could hear the kids tablets in the other room that my other mic picks up decently well.These are comfortable to wear and the battery lasts all day, I was able to get over 9 hours out of them in meetings or on phone calls all day with maybe a 5 min break. I did run into a battery issue but I think this was purely my fault, but I want to warn people against this. My work computer does not have a USB A port, so I decided to connect it via Bluetooth, but I also had the usb plugged into my hub when I did this, whatever happened my work computer wont work with the mic and usb now it also did allow me to adjust the volume until I forgot the Bluetooth device and readded it (I thought I had completely wreaked it for my laptop but I’m still able to use it via direct Bluetooth which is what I prefer anyway). I tried a bunch of stuff, but with it being a work computer all the troubleshooting is disabled too, so if you want to Bluetooth it to your computer, make sure the dongle isn’t plugged in. I used the dongle on several other computers without an issue and on the work computer prior to doing the Bluetooth.I feel like this is a headset designed for teleconference or just communication in general, this isn’t something your going to use to jam out to some tunes. Videos and music sound nice enough, but the base can really vibrate your head. I’m not one to listen to music on headphone while I work but I want to take calls on headphones, from my computer or my phone. For me, with my glasses, I have the perfect set up, however, these do have a difficult time switching between devices from what I have found. They can and do, especially between phones; however, the dongle dominates the connection and doesn’t want to give it back to the phone sometimes.I love universal chargers, and this does not have one, however, the charger is obviously designed to be able to handle a little liquid, with these being more geared toward office, USB C would have been nice. The charger at least wont let you snap it on wrong, there are magnets that resist you unless it is going on the right way.Overall, these are comfortable to wear, have excellent sound quality (mic and speakers) for communicating with others, and last long enough to get me through a work day.Pros:ComfortableExcellent micLong battery lifeHas a dongle as well as connects direct via BluetoothCons:Dongle is USB ACharger is proprietaryStruggles to switch between devices with dongle
SHOKZ OpenComm UC Stereo Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headset with Wireless Adapter | TECHNOLOGY Products
Free delivery between 16–23 June
SHOKZ OpenComm UC Stereo Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headset with Wireless USB-C Adapter | TECHNOLOGY Products
Free delivery between 16–23 June
Shokz OpenComm UC - Black
Free delivery
Shokz Headset Opencomm Uc Bone Conduction Bluetooth (Asc100Bk) Black
Free delivery
Shokz Headset Opencomm Uc Bone Conduction Bluetooth (Asc100Bk) Black
Free delivery
Hi, my name is Kevin and I have a headphone addiction. I’ve been interested in testing some bone conduction headphones for a long time and jumped on the opportunity to test the Shokz OpenComm UC. I work in an office and love listening to audiobooks or music while still being able to collaborate with my coworkers and attend online meetings so I thought these headphones might be a good fit for my use case. I’ll start with my overall impressions of the Shokz OpenComm UC and then break down the review a little more.Overall Impressions:The Shokz OpenComm UC headphones are an interesting product that may fit the bill for very specific scenarios, but come up short in too many categories for me to recommend them. Sound quality is good, but not great and that’s to be ... MoreHi, my name is Kevin and I have a headphone addiction. I’ve been interested in testing some bone conduction headphones for a long time and jumped on the opportunity to test the Shokz OpenComm UC. I work in an office and love listening to audiobooks or music while still being able to collaborate with my coworkers and attend online meetings so I thought these headphones might be a good fit for my use case. I’ll start with my overall impressions of the Shokz OpenComm UC and then break down the review a little more.Overall Impressions:The Shokz OpenComm UC headphones are an interesting product that may fit the bill for very specific scenarios, but come up short in too many categories for me to recommend them. Sound quality is good, but not great and that’s to be expected considering how they are circumventing your ears entirely. The connectivity is good, and the microphone is decent but the comfort is lacking. I’d look elsewhere if you wear glasses as these just weren’t comfortable to wear when I did. The Shokz OpenComm is a unique product that you’re either going to love or hate, depending on how you use it. There are many, much better office headsets out there, but if you want ones that work through bone conduction then you may just love these.Unboxing/Build Quality:The OpenComm UC comes with a nice hard case and includes the headset, a USB A dongle, and a charging cable. There is no charging brick, so you’ll have to come up with one of those or use your computer’s USB port. Build quality is solid and robust. Nothing feels cheap on this headset, other than the fact that it’s highly flexible due to the nature of how it wraps around.Comfort/Ease of Use:The first thing I noticed was the fit of these headphones. They sit on your ears and wrap around the back of your head. There is no sizing adjustment, but unless you have a very, very large head I don’t think sizing will be an issue. Comfort is okay as long as you’re not wearing glasses. At work, I tend to wear glasses at times when I’m working on my 4k monitor and these are absolutely not compatible if you do. You’ll find the legs of your glasses competing for the limited space behind your ears that the OpenComm headset is taking up and you’ll soon experience some pain as I did. This is disappointing as a lot of office workers tend to use glasses and this design is obviously intended to be leveraged by people working in an office.There are 3 buttons on the headset. 2 volume buttons and a multifunction button that will allow you to play/pause, etc, depending on how many times you press it. Charging is done through a magnetic cable that attaches to the headset securely while the other end is just a standard USB connector. Nothing about the headset is hard to understand and operating it is very simple, which is welcomed.Sound Quality:I wasn’t expecting anything stellar in terms of sound quality since these headphones do not actually sit in your ears, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was very little sound leakage and I was able to hear my audiobooks and attend my meetings just fine with the OpenComm UC. People heard me loud and clear using the microphone and I had no issues hearing them at medium volume. You’ll definitely have to crank up the volume in louder settings, but sound leakage is still minimal at these levels and that’s pretty impressive.Connectivity:Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity on this headset is fantastic and I had no issues having this connected to my phone and my laptop simultaneously, However, the dongle that comes with the unit presents its own set of challenges. Installing the dongle is easy and the headset will connect right away, but then you have no control over unpairing it or disconnecting it until you unplug the dongle or your headset is out of range long enough to finally disconnect. This is an issue because I would be connected to my phone via Bluetooth, but when I went to get coffee or to the restroom, the connection via the dongle to my MacBook would get spotty and cause the Bluetooth connection to also be affected. Considering the very limited range when using the USB dongle, this became more of an issue than I thought it would be. There should be a way to disconnect from the USB dongle or have it where that connection doesn’t affect the Bluetooth connection.
Shokz OpenComm headphones are a game changer when it comes to the work from home/in office setting. There are multiple reason for this but the main ones being fit, design and function.Fit: The one size fits all works great since these headphones loop around your ear and rest on top of the ear base so they do not fall off when you're moving around.Design: The design of the headphones is wonderful since they are barley noticeable when on your head and they are so light that I would forget I had them on. The matte black color is simple and clean and the way the microphone slides effortlessly give the product a premium feel. There are very few buttons on the Shokz 1.button to start/end calls or skip tracks and a + and - button to higher and lower volume along with ... MoreShokz OpenComm headphones are a game changer when it comes to the work from home/in office setting. There are multiple reason for this but the main ones being fit, design and function.Fit: The one size fits all works great since these headphones loop around your ear and rest on top of the ear base so they do not fall off when you're moving around.Design: The design of the headphones is wonderful since they are barley noticeable when on your head and they are so light that I would forget I had them on. The matte black color is simple and clean and the way the microphone slides effortlessly give the product a premium feel. There are very few buttons on the Shokz 1.button to start/end calls or skip tracks and a + and - button to higher and lower volume along with turning the headphones on and off.Function: The purpose of these headphones is for you to be able to hear what you want (music, conference calls, Skype etc) and still be able to hear what is going on around you since your ears are not covered.From my daily use of these I have noticed that the Shokz excel in voice clarity (hearing dialogue and others hearing me) when it comes to voice calls, I cannot stress enough how many of my co-workers asked what headphones I was using because they said it sounded as if I was sitting right in-front of them.Shokz has done a great job with the OpenComm headphones when it comes to battery life and packaging. They come with a sleek case that is used to hold them when not being used and the magnetic charger simply snaps on so you don't have to fiddle when charging it, Shokz also includes a plug and play USB incase you don't want to fiddle with bluetooth settings when using on a computer. The headphones also charge rather quickly giving you 2 hours of talk time with a 5 min charge when you have that last minute meeting which you forgot about. From my experience the battery life is amazing for such a small product, I did a combination of music listening (8 hours) and voice calls (2 hours) and there was still about 30% battery left.Now don't get me wrong these headphones are not made for heavy base and audiophile levels of music listening but they are wonderful for voice clarity and dialogue. The lack of an app for your phone isn't really that big of a deal since most apps don't do much the only issue is checking the battery level which you have to check through your blue tooth settings and that can be a bit complicated.
One thing I didn’t see coming is how well these work with my glasses that have Bluetooth built into them. I can now do two meetings at the same time without them hearing each other at all and without audio muting the other meeting when I have to talk in one. Now my ability to actually retain what I hear is pushed to its limits dual meeting it but sometimes people like to schedule over meetings or I’ll be on a bridge that is only active every once in awhile and need to do an active meeting during it. So if you do need to do two meetings bone conduction headphones are amazing for letting you hear but no one else.I love the boom mic on these as well, putting the microphone near your mouth makes it so much easier for people to hear you. Also, the noise cancelling works ... MoreOne thing I didn’t see coming is how well these work with my glasses that have Bluetooth built into them. I can now do two meetings at the same time without them hearing each other at all and without audio muting the other meeting when I have to talk in one. Now my ability to actually retain what I hear is pushed to its limits dual meeting it but sometimes people like to schedule over meetings or I’ll be on a bridge that is only active every once in awhile and need to do an active meeting during it. So if you do need to do two meetings bone conduction headphones are amazing for letting you hear but no one else.I love the boom mic on these as well, putting the microphone near your mouth makes it so much easier for people to hear you. Also, the noise cancelling works really well, no one on the meeting could hear the kids tablets in the other room that my other mic picks up decently well.These are comfortable to wear and the battery lasts all day, I was able to get over 9 hours out of them in meetings or on phone calls all day with maybe a 5 min break. I did run into a battery issue but I think this was purely my fault, but I want to warn people against this. My work computer does not have a USB A port, so I decided to connect it via Bluetooth, but I also had the usb plugged into my hub when I did this, whatever happened my work computer wont work with the mic and usb now it also did allow me to adjust the volume until I forgot the Bluetooth device and readded it (I thought I had completely wreaked it for my laptop but I’m still able to use it via direct Bluetooth which is what I prefer anyway). I tried a bunch of stuff, but with it being a work computer all the troubleshooting is disabled too, so if you want to Bluetooth it to your computer, make sure the dongle isn’t plugged in. I used the dongle on several other computers without an issue and on the work computer prior to doing the Bluetooth.I feel like this is a headset designed for teleconference or just communication in general, this isn’t something your going to use to jam out to some tunes. Videos and music sound nice enough, but the base can really vibrate your head. I’m not one to listen to music on headphone while I work but I want to take calls on headphones, from my computer or my phone. For me, with my glasses, I have the perfect set up, however, these do have a difficult time switching between devices from what I have found. They can and do, especially between phones; however, the dongle dominates the connection and doesn’t want to give it back to the phone sometimes.I love universal chargers, and this does not have one, however, the charger is obviously designed to be able to handle a little liquid, with these being more geared toward office, USB C would have been nice. The charger at least wont let you snap it on wrong, there are magnets that resist you unless it is going on the right way.Overall, these are comfortable to wear, have excellent sound quality (mic and speakers) for communicating with others, and last long enough to get me through a work day.Pros:ComfortableExcellent micLong battery lifeHas a dongle as well as connects direct via BluetoothCons:Dongle is USB ACharger is proprietaryStruggles to switch between devices with dongle
For certain work environments, it is important to be able to hear your surroundings, even when on a call, such as if you're working from home, or in a work environment where you converse with your coworkers frequently. This product is designed for that - using the bone conduction technology, the audio goes through your skull instead of your ears.Setting it up is pretty easy - if you are connecting to a computer, the USB dongle is auto-paired to it and your system will switch to that automatically for input/output. The dongle does have a mult-function button to reset/pair as well. For other Bluetooth devices, you just need to press and hold the power button to get it into pairing mode.Sound quality wise, it is a different story. For meetings where the priority is ... MoreFor certain work environments, it is important to be able to hear your surroundings, even when on a call, such as if you're working from home, or in a work environment where you converse with your coworkers frequently. This product is designed for that - using the bone conduction technology, the audio goes through your skull instead of your ears.Setting it up is pretty easy - if you are connecting to a computer, the USB dongle is auto-paired to it and your system will switch to that automatically for input/output. The dongle does have a mult-function button to reset/pair as well. For other Bluetooth devices, you just need to press and hold the power button to get it into pairing mode.Sound quality wise, it is a different story. For meetings where the priority is hearing everyone clearly, this is perfectly fine and adequate. In the few days I have had mine using Microsoft Teams and Slack as well as Zoom, I am able to hear people without any issue. The mic quality is adequate as well, though my colleagues have told me that the mic does pick up nearby noises. When it comes to music, however, it is OK. Because of the bone conduction technology, there is very little bass, but the mids and highs are surprisingly clear. If you turn the volume up on bass-heavy songs, you can actually feel the headset vibrate.I am pleased that the headset is extremely lightweight, and that the boom mic is adjustable. For meetings and light background music, it should fit those needs perfectly. I would definitely chose this over your typical Bluetooth headset on the sheer fact that it is so lightweight yet has clear sound. Just dont expect audio-phile quality sound for music.
I have been using the Shokz OpenComm headphones for about a week. I haven't used bone conducting headphones before, so I have no direct comparison other than to "standard" headphones. Out of the box, it was definitely a wow moment, the Shokz came with a very nice hard case that holds the magnetic charging cable (more on that later), the headphones, and the USB dongle. You don't need the USB dongle, as they do pair via Bluetooth - but it's nice they include it. The headphones are very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The back band doesn't sit snug on the back of your head, I think it's more there so you can wear them around your neck when you take them off rather than hold them in place. That all said, they fit securely and paired quickly on my PC and ... MoreI have been using the Shokz OpenComm headphones for about a week. I haven't used bone conducting headphones before, so I have no direct comparison other than to "standard" headphones. Out of the box, it was definitely a wow moment, the Shokz came with a very nice hard case that holds the magnetic charging cable (more on that later), the headphones, and the USB dongle. You don't need the USB dongle, as they do pair via Bluetooth - but it's nice they include it. The headphones are very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The back band doesn't sit snug on the back of your head, I think it's more there so you can wear them around your neck when you take them off rather than hold them in place. That all said, they fit securely and paired quickly on my PC and iPhone.Sound quality though is what I really wanted to test and it's impressive. It's a surreal feeling to hear audio clearly without something in and on your ears. For calls, there's no drop in quality vs any other headset. Music did sound a little more subdued, but that's to be expected without full noise isolation. That said, when I used these in the office you would think the open ear/bone conduction would mean you get distracted by office noise - but you don't. It's really cool. A real wow moment. I really am excited to use the Shokz ongoing, I have long office calls and I find on ear headsets start to hurt after about an hour - no such issue with the Shokz. I really am (for once) looking forward to extended Zoom calls with a lot more comfort. There's also something nice about not having your ears covered, easier to have conversations between calls while being ready to quickly take a call. The boom mic picks up audio smoothly and there were no complaints from my test calls about it picking up background noise.Some general observations. I wear glasses, so wasn't sure if these would fit and work for me but I am happy to report that they work fine. The ear loops are thin and my glasses fit without any issue and there's no loss of audio quality. I did ask my partner to test the Shokz (mainly because I was so amazed) but they kept laughing and saying they were getting a tickling sensation. I had no issue, but felt I should share this - not sure why my partner has an issue and I don't?The premium presentation and packaging is a huge plus, I didn't give the Shokz 5 stars because I that they charged via standard USB C rather than a proprietary magnetic cable. I don't see why they need to have a proprietary cable.Would definitely recommend if you're on the phone all day and want something comfortable, lightweight, and that keeps your ears open.
So working from home during the pandemic has become commonplace for those whose job is easily transformed to remote work. Over this time, I have used a few different type of headphones, headsets and earbuds, some made specifically for remote work and conferencing platforms in mind. Each solution has its advantages and disadvantages, earbuds tend to isolate you from external noises, some also with active noise cancelling which can help in a noisy or busy workplace. However, earbuds often become fatiguing to wear, as do full fledged headsets. The Shokz OpenComm UC Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones take a different approach, with a behind the head design with in front of your ears speakers, a positive feature for those in semi quiet environments which may only ... MoreSo working from home during the pandemic has become commonplace for those whose job is easily transformed to remote work. Over this time, I have used a few different type of headphones, headsets and earbuds, some made specifically for remote work and conferencing platforms in mind. Each solution has its advantages and disadvantages, earbuds tend to isolate you from external noises, some also with active noise cancelling which can help in a noisy or busy workplace. However, earbuds often become fatiguing to wear, as do full fledged headsets. The Shokz OpenComm UC Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones take a different approach, with a behind the head design with in front of your ears speakers, a positive feature for those in semi quiet environments which may only include occasional interruptions. These headphones can provide a good amount of volume and trend a little on the bright side as opposed to some similar devices which seem hung up on providing a rich, soothing and relaxing experience and tone. I don’t know about you, but my work doesn’t lend itself to a relaxing experience, so having something that provides clear voice reproduction as well as refined voice pickup is a real positive in my book.The headphones come with a USB-A dongle/adapter which plugs into your PC or MAC and enables a Bluetooth 5.1 connection, the most modern revision of the Bluetooth standard, also allows you to pair two distinct devices to the adapter (and thus the headphones). However I mainly used the built in Bluetooth adapter in my laptop as my corporate cybersecurity office frowns upon any usage of USB plug in devices. I don’t think anything is impacted by not using the supplied USB-A adapter, other than perhaps some range and talk time.The package includes the headphones, a proprietary charging cable which has a USB-A plug on one end and a magnetically attached fitting for the headphone side charging connection. If anything this is the only downside I could see to charging this device, I would have much preferred a standard USB-C plug as if you lose or misplace this charging cable you will have to order another.Again as I mentioned sound is clear, trending towards the high and mid frequencies (the latter is the bulk of where the spoken word is in the sound spectrum). With this bone induction design, you have the benefit of not having a speaker either in or on the surface of your ear. The benefit is your ear is open to ambient sounds. If you work in a noisy environment these might not be the optimal pair of headphones for conferencing, but in a controlled somewhat quiet home environment, I had no issue hearing people and these headphones can get loud if that is what you desire. The boom microphone is also effective in picking up your voice with some Digital Sound Processing/noise reduction technologies embedded in the mic.Overall, the true test for these type of headphones is how comfortable they are to wear and in that case the Shokz OpenComm UC headphones are the ultimate winner, with many hours of usage without any headphone fatigue.Pros:- Bone conduction, open ear design- Volume- Business tone, will not lull you into a NPR induced sleep (no offense to NPR fans intended)- Comfortable- Comes with a carrying/storage case- Quick battery charging, 5 mins charging delivers 2 hours of talk time, full charge in an hour.Cons:- One size fits most, if you have a fat head the boom mic may take a bit of finesse to adjust.- Proprietary charging connection (and thus a cable).- Battery life did not seem as good as advertised, perhaps the 16-hour talk time is realized when using their supplied USB-A Bluetooth adapter.
I’ve been a fan of Shokz (formerly AfterShokz) for a few years now following my purchase of the AfterShokz Open Air headphones. Recently I even upgraded those to the Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction headphones. So, I was certainly excited to give the OpenComm headset a try.Let’s start off with sound quality. The sound profile on these things is tuned for voices. Compared to both my OpenAir and OpenRun Pro sets from Shokz, the OpenComm’s sound outrageously tinny. I get that they’re trying to tune the EQ so that voices can be clearly heard, but in all honesty, it sounds like a bad car Bluetooth connection. There’s no midrange or bass at all, and again, I’m familiar with what bone conduction is capable of since I own two other pairs by this company.When I did make ... MoreI’ve been a fan of Shokz (formerly AfterShokz) for a few years now following my purchase of the AfterShokz Open Air headphones. Recently I even upgraded those to the Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction headphones. So, I was certainly excited to give the OpenComm headset a try.Let’s start off with sound quality. The sound profile on these things is tuned for voices. Compared to both my OpenAir and OpenRun Pro sets from Shokz, the OpenComm’s sound outrageously tinny. I get that they’re trying to tune the EQ so that voices can be clearly heard, but in all honesty, it sounds like a bad car Bluetooth connection. There’s no midrange or bass at all, and again, I’m familiar with what bone conduction is capable of since I own two other pairs by this company.When I did make phone calls using the headset, it was fine. Again, I would say that you’ll sound like you’re talking through a car Bluetooth system to the person on the other end of the line, according to several of my coworkers. I expected it to sound better with its dedicated boom mic that conveniently swivels down close to pick up voices. But in practice the mic may be too short for some. Also, to be honest Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones, which retail for around the same price as the OpenComm’s, sound equally as good when on a call but give you the added perk of improved sound quality for all listening scenarios.One thing that is a positive about using these as a dedicated Teams/Zoom/Webex headset is that it comes with a USB type A Bluetooth adapter that can provide almost any aging PC or MacBook with Bluetooth connectivity to the headset. And I will say that my work laptop’s Bluetooth radio isn’t the strongest or the most reliable, so this made Teams calls for work hassle free and I experienced zero dropped or buffered calls.Other great features of this headset include its ability to pair to multiple sources, i.e. your phone and a computer via the included USB Bluetooth adapter so, you can easily answer a call on whichever device happens to be calling at the time. There’s even a button on the right temple driver/speaker that enables you to answer and end calls with a simple press. Coming from other Shokz headsets I was thrown off that the button was on the left vs. the right driver/speaker. This dual pairing in theory would make it ideal for listing to music too when not on a call, but again the audio quality isn’t really up to par.In summary, these things are a decent set of bone conduction “cans” that provide a decent alternative to traditional communication headsets. The sound and call quality leave a bit to be desired, even compared to other Shokz models that retail for a similar price. If you already have a dedicated set of earbuds or headphones for music and entertainment and just need a solid work headset that wont leave you with ear fatigue, these may be the answer for you.But, if you want the best blend of sound and call quality I think the OpenRun Pro’s by Shokz are a better value. They’ll give you superior sound quality with truer mid and bass frequency response. Their call quality is equally comparable to the OpenComm’s with its stick microphone. The OpenRun’s are IP55 water resistant. They have a smaller carrying case compared to the OpenComm’s. And the OpenRun’s have the ability to pair up to two devices lust like the OpenComm set, just enable the setting in the Shokz smartphone app.
Given how bone conduction headphones work, I am surprised that they work at all, but these sound fantastic! They are great if you want to listen to something but still maintain awareness of your surroundings. They also don’t even touch your ears, and they are light and don’t use too much clamping force, so they are actually quite comfortable to wear for hours at a time, which is their biggest advantage in my opinion. While they claim that they come with a USB Bluetooth adapter, they show up to the computer as a standard USB sound device, and the headphones are pre-paired with the adapter. This means that you can seamlessly move the USB type A dongle from one computer to another, and don’t have to bother with the messy Bluetooth pairing process. But these headphones ... MoreGiven how bone conduction headphones work, I am surprised that they work at all, but these sound fantastic! They are great if you want to listen to something but still maintain awareness of your surroundings. They also don’t even touch your ears, and they are light and don’t use too much clamping force, so they are actually quite comfortable to wear for hours at a time, which is their biggest advantage in my opinion. While they claim that they come with a USB Bluetooth adapter, they show up to the computer as a standard USB sound device, and the headphones are pre-paired with the adapter. This means that you can seamlessly move the USB type A dongle from one computer to another, and don’t have to bother with the messy Bluetooth pairing process. But these headphones can still pair to a standard Bluetooth device (such as another computer or a phone). While it supports being paired to the USB dongle as another Bluetooth device at the same time, only one of them can be active. If you have one device playing sound, then the other is muted. It also features NFC pairing, so you put it in pairing mode and just hold it behind your phone and the two will automatically pair together. This is a nice touch.Because these don’t cover your ears, they are NOT suitable for a noisy environment. You can put in earplugs (and the device even has an optional equalizer setting to allow you to do this), but you are probably better off using standard headphones or ear buds if it is noisy. But if you are in a relatively quiet office then these things are amazing! The battery can easily last an entire work day, and they are much more comfortable than devices that go into your ears or cover your ears. They also come with a nice carrying case.Note that these are for an indoor environment. If you might get wet, then I suggest their waterproof OpenRun headphones. But this product should be kept dry.
These are amazing if you work from home, which I do. They are extremely light and so comfortable to use. Since they conduct sound via the bones around your ears, there are no sweaty ear pads nor uncomfortable earplugs going into your ear canals. They include a USB dongle for PC/Mac, a charging cable and a quick guide (which I will say, its very barebones, I highly recommend you head to their website and download the manual, as there are many functions that are not in the included guide, huge con!, read about this later).On one side you have your volume buttons, that serve some functions and there is also a "multifunction' button/pad on one side that has more functions (like answer calls, hang up, play, pause music etc).The only con, is I was highly worried that ... MoreThese are amazing if you work from home, which I do. They are extremely light and so comfortable to use. Since they conduct sound via the bones around your ears, there are no sweaty ear pads nor uncomfortable earplugs going into your ear canals. They include a USB dongle for PC/Mac, a charging cable and a quick guide (which I will say, its very barebones, I highly recommend you head to their website and download the manual, as there are many functions that are not in the included guide, huge con!, read about this later).On one side you have your volume buttons, that serve some functions and there is also a "multifunction' button/pad on one side that has more functions (like answer calls, hang up, play, pause music etc).The only con, is I was highly worried that I did not see any "mute mic" function anywhere the included quick guide nor printed on the headphones themselves. Anyone that works on the phone, knows how important this is, as offer you must mute yourself while you work and don't want the other party hearing. So I head into their website and found out the full manual for the headphones. Lo and behold, there is a mute function, and many other functions not printed on the included quick guide (this should be included), like put a call on hold, answer and hang up call on hold etc etc. Download the manual!The sound quality is great and I can hear everyone clearly and they can too. Since they conduct sound through your bones, if you work on a noise environment, you can even wear ear plugs or cover your ears temporarily and it will not affect the sound of these headphones. They are super light and extremely comfy. If you work 8 hours like me on the phone, you will love these, no more sore/hot ear lobes or sticky ear canals with something inside! They work great with a PC and Mac using the included USB stick, but they are also bluetooth, so you can pair them with a phone/tablet.Highly recommend it, if you work from home (or on the phones at work and they let you bring your own headset) get these!!
## What’s different with this UC version?The UC version of the Shokz OpenComm headphones includes a Bluetooth USB dongle (the original OpenComm did not include a dongle). The dongle is a nice addition even if your computer already has built-in Bluetooth because the Bluetooth technology in the dongle might be newer and provide better sound quality than the Bluetooth chip built-in to many laptops. This also allows you to more easily switch machines by simply unplugging the dongle and plugging it into another computer (the headphones are paired to the dongle and not the computer).Note that the dongle only supports a USB-A connection (the standard rectangular port), so if you’re laptop only has USB-C port (smaller and rounder), you’ll need a USB-C to USB-A adapter, ... More## What’s different with this UC version?The UC version of the Shokz OpenComm headphones includes a Bluetooth USB dongle (the original OpenComm did not include a dongle). The dongle is a nice addition even if your computer already has built-in Bluetooth because the Bluetooth technology in the dongle might be newer and provide better sound quality than the Bluetooth chip built-in to many laptops. This also allows you to more easily switch machines by simply unplugging the dongle and plugging it into another computer (the headphones are paired to the dongle and not the computer).Note that the dongle only supports a USB-A connection (the standard rectangular port), so if you’re laptop only has USB-C port (smaller and rounder), you’ll need a USB-C to USB-A adapter, which is not included with this unit.## DesignUnless I’m on a plane or in a noisy environment, I prefer “open air” headphones like the regular AirPods so I can still hear what is going on around. This is especially true for video and phone calls as over-the-ear or in-ear headphones make me feel like I’m “underwater” when I talk.Shokz (formerly AfterShokz) headphones are typically geared for runners and those who workout outdoors as your ear canals are not blocked so you can be aware of traffic and other people nearby. They use “bone conduction” technology to deliver the music to your inner ear without placing anything over your ear or otherwise block it.The Shokz OpenComm fit over your ears and around the back of your head. If I’m wearing a collared shirt, the collar can sometimes push against the back of the OpenComm and shift them around a bit. It’s a little annoying, but I find these way more comfortable than larger over-the-ear headsets.## PerformanceThe main issue I’ve run into with using Bluetooth headphones with my work laptop is that many laptops use an outdated or lower-quality Bluetooth chip that doesn’t support the latest Bluetooth microphone protocols (technically, they don’t support the HFP 1.6 or higher protocol). Therefore, listening to content via Bluetooth is usually fine, but as soon as you open Zoom, Teams, or another app that uses the microphone, sound quality drops and my voice sounds robotic to other users.The UC version of the Shokz OpenComm headphones solves this issue by including their own USB dongle that provides a high quality voice connection and automatically handles the switching between “music” (headphone) mode and “voice” (headset) mode. The dongle shows up like a regular USB sound device (like a wired headset would), so it should not be blocked even if your work machine is locked down, but of course you’ll want to verify with your company that connecting a wireless headset to your PC does not violate any company policies.I performed some test calls with myself (using a separate device to listen to my voice) and my co-workers, and my co-workers confirmed my finding that my voice comes through clear and natural (non-robotic) sounding. I’m also impressed with how the microphone on the OpenComm effectively seems to filter out environmental noises such as soft music playing and even typing on a keyboard.The audio coming from OpenComm is very good. Speech comes through loud and clear, and music even sounds good, although bass is lacking which seems to be on-par with most bone conduction headphones. The only issue I’ve noticed is that opening my jaw wide — like when eating — can make the sound softer (I guess the bone conductor shifts off my temple slightly), but I can still understand what is being said.## FeaturesVolume control and muting: There are two volume buttons on the right side of the OpenComm that sync the volume change with the volume slider in Windows. When you’re on a call, you can also mute the microphone by pressing and holding both volume buttons at the same time. This is a little tricky to do with one hand, but thankfully you don’t have to press both at exactly the same time to invoke the mute function.No Microsoft Teams certification: The Shokz OpenComm are technically not Microsoft Teams certified, so the mute status does not sync with the mute button inside of Teams. Otherwise, these headphones work fine with Teams, Zoom, and basically any other video and audio conferencing platform. You’ll just want to verify in the settings for Zoom, Teams, etc that the headphones are selected as your audio device (which the name of these headphones sometimes show up as “Avantree” on my computer, which I’m assuming is the manufacturer of the dongle).Dual device pairing: I found that I could pair the headphones with both the dongle (computer) and my iPhone at the same time, however, I could not get the headphones to switch from the dongle to listen to music from my iPhone.Proprietary charging connector: Unfortunately, the OpenComm UC do not use a standard USB-C or even Micro USB connection to charge. They use a proprietary magnetic charging cable, which isn’t a huge issue in itself, but I worry about being able to find a replacement if something happens to this cord.## SummaryShokz OpenComm UC Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones are great for those of us that don’t like to have something stuffed in our ears during a conference call. This UC version includes a Bluetooth USB dongle that provides a high quality voice connection and automatically handles the switching between “music” and “voice” modes. The audio coming from OpenComm is very good, with speech coming through loud and clear and music even sounding good, although bass is lacking. The headphones also feature volume control and muting, but are not Microsoft Teams certified.
