Soundcore C30i by Anker, Open-Ear Earbuds, Clip-On Headphones, Lightweight Comfort, Stable Fit, Firm-Shell Design, Attachable Ear Grips, Big Drivers for Clear Audio, 30H Play, IPX4 Water-Resistant

I am seriously overjoyed at finding these! They are truly the only design on the market that keeps my ear free enough for my purposes. They are perfect for using in the office. I only wear the left one, since everyone else’s desks are to my right, and changed the audio settings in my phone to mono so I don’t miss any parts of the music. I work as inside sales support for a small electrical distribution firm so I have to be ready to answer the phone and be able to hear my coworkers in the small office too. I can pick up the phone and hold it to my left ear easily even with this on. I just pause the music first. I wanted something that wouldn’t need to be removed every time I had to hold the phone to my ear and this is it. I can also leave the music playing and hold the receiver to my right ear and hear the call perfectly. I used the app to change the touch commands. I have the “Hold for 2s” setting for the Play/Pause and it’s perfect. It’s easy to trigger by just holding the earbud with your thumb on the back. No fumbling around trying to find the sensor or needing to try multiple times to make it work. I did notice that it’s much more easily/accidentally triggered if you don’t use the plastic ear grips. I use the smallest one and it completely solved the problem of accidentally triggering the Play/Pause with my hood. I don’t necessarily need to use the ear grips for making the earbud fit, it fit fine without it, but adding the smallest one did not make them too tight at all. It’s super comfortable and I wear it for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and there is no soreness. I forget it’s on my ear. I’ve tested how well it will stay put by shaking my head and moving around in all sorts of dramatic way which I would never do in daily life and it doesn’t budge. The main reason I needed these is because I work in an office with 4 other people and they listen to the same god-awful music on a Bluetooth speaker every day. I was being driven insane by having to hear stuff like Limp Bizkit, Creed, Britney Spears, and 90s dance hits every day. I’m a music snob with some obscure, niche tastes and I didn’t want to make everyone else in the office unhappy by requesting to take over the speaker a few times a week. Even with just wearing the left earbud it drowns out their music and I can’t tell what they’re listening to. There is truly no sound bleed from these either. I don’t have it super loud, but loud enough to enjoy my music. I tested it and can’t even hear anything coming from the earbud if I have it in my hand or on my desk. I have long hair that hides my ears and I doubt anyone in the office even knows I have the earbud on. They definitely can’t tell I’m listening to my own music to drown out their nightmare office music. The sound quality is just fine for the average person. My husband is an audio engineer and I’m sure he would have some complaints about sound quality, but he lives and breathes audio so he’s very hard to please. For the purposes of passively listening to music while actively busy working, these are perfect. I first bought some of those bone conduction things with the strap around the back since the speakers sit on the temples and not on the ears at all, but I hated them and had to keep repositioning them because the strap would get bumped by my hair or hood. Plus it’s way more obvious that you have them on. The charge is impressive and I could probably go 3 or 4 days without charging, listening to music 8 hours a day. I love that the case holds a charge and I don’t even have to plug it in during the week and it recharges the earbud. I only plug it in on the weekend to charge it up for the week. You can find the battery levels for both earbuds and the case itself in the app. Lastly, I love how it looks. It really doesn’t matter compared to everything else, but I think it looks cool with the clearish outside and the components visible. It’s just a nerdy bonus for me. I truly LOVE this product!

These are the best fit for someone who also wears glasses and has hair. I can wear them during exercise no problem, no dropping out of my years. I have pretty sensitive ears which is why I don't want something IN my ear. I can wear these for about 4 hours before they begin to slightly irritate my ears, but this is very minor and probably peculiar to your ear shape. Sound quality (for both audio and calls) and battery life are great, and I really appreciate the fact that I can charge the case while I wear the buds. The feature that automatically pauses audio when you put them back in their case is also super-convenient. I like the small size of this model's case, which is about the size of toothfloss. The price is fantastic, and I have purchased back ups before they become unavailable!

Update after 2 years: I stand by all my original pros and cons, nothing has changed. Despite multiple drops on the floor and some cracks in the outer plastic they are still working just as well. The two most irritating issues are their propensity to stay paired when in the case and it is closed and that sometimes one bud doesn't connect to the charger - which is probably why they stay paired sometimes. I'd probably buy the new Aerofit Pro 2 convertible buds that offer a sound isolation mode but they are way too rich for my blood but I will say my main reason for not buying wireless ear buds before - that I thought I would lose them - has not transpired in two years so maybe I will be willing to invest more $$ in a superior product. However as new tech I'll wait for the next version of the Aerofits before I drop that kind of cash. I also have one data point to add which is on how waterproof they are. Yesterday I was listening to an audiobook by the pool with one earbud in and took a swim being careful to keep my head out of the water. A bit later the book finished and I went to dive in the pool. This morning I was checking the pool and I saw my earbud at the bottom - 8 feet down. I fished it out and dried it off, popped it in the case and it showed up as active. I tried listening but the sound was very quiet compared to the other ear. I put it out in the sun for an hour and after that it was working perfectly. That made me very happy and I'll give its water proof rating 110% --- Original review: I've been using these earbuds for 2 months now mostly for running where I wanted to hear things around me, I also sometimes use them for conference calls or listening to stuff on my phone or laptop. Pros: 1. I find them comfortable, light, and easy to put on once you get the hang of it (your ear lobes may vary) 2. At max volume I find them plenty loud enough for all situations I use them (see Cons: airplane usage) 3. Have great battery life so long as the buds both connect and charge while in the case (see Cons) Cons: 1. They sometimes stay paired even when back in the case, that's just not acceptable - firmware update needed? 2. Sometimes one bud does not start charging in the case and you've got no way to tell - needs separate status lights on the case so you can tell 3. Sometimes one bud does not pair after removing from the case, then I have to put both back and set it to pairing mode again 4. The microphone isn't great - in a quiet room it is okay for conference calls but no where near as good as my proper headset with a boom mic. 5. I had one time where a firmware update forgot all my in-app customization of controls 6. The double and triple tap on the back is about 75% effective - but I've never had a problem with accidental triggering without touching 7. They are not high fidelity bass thumping buds - but I knew that anyway and I doubt any open-ear device is like that - you probably need pass-through sound isolating earbuds for that 8. Being open-air on an airplane they have zero effect on surrounding noise so you'll need them at highest volume to enjoy your content and even then you'll still be hearing everything around you. So if you like sound isolation on a plane or any environment like a Starbucks playing piped music you'll be something else. 9. They can fall off if you pull on a t-shirt over them or knock them somehow and if you're not listening to music at the time you may not notice - but I've never had them fall off while running 10. They sometimes just get unpaired with my phone for no reason. So I always have to check or keep the case handy to repair - learn how to do that! That may seem like a lot of cons but I still don't regret using them. Some of the cons are just expected for an open ear device. However the not-charging and connectivity problems are annoying and I hope can be fixed by a future firmware update - or at least the case light could be changed to indicate when only one bud is present/charging. Really these are ideal for the use case that they are designed for if only they would fix the software/hardware issues around connectivity and charging. A case with OLED display to confirm charging and battery state would help a lot.

The sound quality and battery life on these earbuds is excellent. They sound better than I thought they would when it comes to the whole range, especially the bass. I can hear better while at the gym than I can with my Shokz OpenRun Pros. The downside of exercising with these is that they're not great for anything that's more vigorous than low impact. Great for weight lifting, slow walking, or recumbent bike. Not so great for anything that causes vibration. I was mowing my lawn with these on and one fell out, it took me a half hour to find it. My final criticism is the buttons on the back. When you begin sweating, your head behind your ears will begin to touch the control surfaces and pause your music/audiobook/podcast. Especially when there's any vibration involved. Forget about brisk walking for a long time or anything more intense. Overall, these are a good value if you can get them for a good discount (under $30).

My favorite headphones for doing things in. I forget I'm wearing these. They're so comfy and actually do have quite a bit of bass. Even the deep sub-bass in deep house is still there. I can't even believe that I can listen to the very bass focused music I like with these. They're missing that bit of growl that super deep bass has. These are definitely not as thick or rich sounding, can even be a little sharper sounding than the Bose QC 35 ii I have. To be expected. These sound more like standing in a really big room listening to music. You're not close to the music but it feels expansive and light especially since you can feel and hear your surroundings and you don't feel plugged up by over the ear headphones or earbuds. (They don't give the sound of an echo but some things feel like the sound is coming from all around you, which is delightful. You can turn on the EQ to"3D surround" and that's kind of echo-y and even more surrounding you, though I don't prefer that setting.) Before these I was practically living in my Bose QC 35 ii over ear headphones and now I'm not often tempted to put the Bose on. Bought them for audiobooks, stayed for music. I even thought that I love to live in noise cancelling every minute of my day, but it turns out that when ambient sound isn't distorted by earbuds and I have lovely music or books perfectly and comfortably in my ears, I prefer these to noise cancelling. I am a person who is quite irritated by bad sounds (dishes clanking, my electric toothbrush, cars driving, etc). I thought I liked that disconnected feeling you can get listening in noise cancelling, but it turns out that it's really nice to feel more in the real world while I listen to things. I can also put the sound to a level where I have some background beats/tunes and still listen to birds and the river. So lovely. They've been on many walks and hikes. I've jogged a bit with them in, washed dishes, put shirts over my head, and put on glasses and masks and hats. They haven't fallen out once. I was concerned that a lot of these type can't be turned on without their case so I'd always have to bring the case. Nope. It seems that it will stay in standby mode even if when it's not connected to anything for hours, and will still be on and ready to go when I reconnect the device (phone usually or my garmin watch). I have worn them literally all day most days since I've received them. The battery easily lasts the day, though sometimes I am not sending sound through them. Most of the time I'm on multiple hour calls and listening to music or audiobooks constantly, and only charging while I sleep. People report that my mic sounds very good. There are a few YouTube videos about this, if you're interested. My ears were a little bit sore on day 1 and 2 but I think it was because I was messing with the position and pulling them on and off frequently and incorrectly. It's worth sliding them up the ear before you take them on and actually putting them on up there before sliding them in place. You'll get used to it quickly and it's easy to find the sweet spot in your ear that sounds best and then just always put them there. They feel really light once you have them on. I have had 2 pairs of bone conduction headphones (one was the Shockz open move) that were so hard to wear with a hat, sunglasses, and a mask. Even without all the other stuff near my ears, I would always need to reposition those. These are just chilling there in place, not pushing my ears outward like the shockz. I'm pretty sure these also sound quite a bit better, and still sound great when they're not positioned perfectly.

So far so good. Lost my AirPods a few months ago & I was about to pay another $100+ for another pair. I need something to have hands free conversations & for the gym. These do not have noise cancellation but that’s not a deal breaker for me. The open ear concept is great for people with small ears as they don’t slip out. & I literally forget I have these in. They are extremely comfortable. Battery life seems to be amazing. I did a lot of research & comparing & contrasting of open ear earbuds. These are affordable & get the job done.

EDIT: After I wrote this review, Anker reached out to me and offered to send me the updated version (Soundcore C40i) of these buds at no additional cost to me. I had not even heard of them being released as they apparently just came out. I tried to leave a review there but as I didn't technically purchase them, Amazon is not allowing me to, so I'm just going to leave a brief review here. I'm happy to report that the worst issue of the earlier version has been fully resolved so far as I can tell, as there is no discomfort whatsoever and they are much easier to put on and off. Unfortunately, one issue did remain and that is that my earlobe shape is apparently not well-suited for this style of earbud. They push the bud too far away from my ear canal and the sound comes through to me as super tinny with low volume. At first I thought that they just didn't put out enough sound, but once I pressed them closed to my ear canal, they actually sounded really good with decent volume and a full sound, so I'm sure it's just my lobe shape. I would be far less hesitant to recommend the C40i's to anyone interested as the pain issue is now gone, but I would still make sure you are aware that the sound may not be optimal for you if your ears are shaped a certain way. ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- I read many reviews before I purchased this and many people raved about the comfort and fit these earphones provide. When I got my pair though, I was immediately struck by how difficult they were to put on and more importantly, how much they hurt! It wasn't super painful at first, but after wearing them for less than an hour, it became unbearable. I also found that just the act of putting them on and taking them off caused my left ear to swell a small amount which also made it harder to put back on. When comparing to other earphones with the same general form-factor, I think the obvious flaw is in the fact that the C30i are 100% rigid with absolutely zero flex. That makes comfort, easy of putting on and taking off, and even sound quality largely reliant on your specific ear shape and size. Clearly, these earphones work great for some, but I have never decided to return a product as fast as these. That out of the way, I will say that the sound was surprisingly high with little-to-no bass. I use Tozo Open Egos and while they won't blow you away with their sound quality, they were much better than the C30i. That may be due to a poor fit, but I have no way of determining that for certain. Lastly, I have questions about the placement of the touch controls. I was surprised to learn that they were on the back of the device, meaning that to use the controls, you essentially pinch your ear, with the thumb pressing against the back of your ear. The controls seemed to functino well, but I would imagine that depending on your body, the back of the earphones may make contact with your neck and cause accidental activations. Bottom line, while these may be servicable earphones for some, the fact that they are the cheapest earphones in this form factor by a mile means nothing if you can't comfortably use them. If they intrigue you and you are looking for the budget option, I can't say not to try these, but I would say that you should be prepared to return them if the odds are not in your favor.

Bought mine around July 2024. The left side wouldn't charge after some months coz I guess I dont clean my buds n case enough. U have to remove the plastic fit things and wipe the earbuds thoroughly, and the plastic things also, esp if u sweat. Sweat has salt, that builds up. I use these during work coz the batteries last over 8 hours and then off to the gym for another 2 hours and it's so amazing not having to recharge them. I did notice my buds wouldn't disconnect from my phone. Then I realized it wasn't charging when in the case so that was a clue something was going on. I called customer service and they said to put a drop of alcohol and wipe clean the metal charging thing coz they sank n wouldn't pop back out to charge my left side earbud. It worked for a bit and then it just wouldn't at all anymore. I cleaned the metal part on the buds and it worked for a bit then died a few weeks. They sent a replacement (can't send to HI directly so I had them sent to a relative in the mainland). Customer service is 5 star for exchanging my earbuds. Now the right side is doing the same but I guess it was just dirty coz I cleaned the case AND the buds and the metal parts and it's working again. The light on the case should blink when you remove/replace each earbud. If it doesn't, then something is going on. Sometimes u have to consider the care and maintenance we give these things in order for them to keep working properly. I'm happy with these for my daily since it fits my ears well enough (sometimes it's not the best fit but on some days it's so perfect i dont feel them at all. They don't really hurt my ears 90% of the time with 5 days a week and over 8 hours of use; no kidding) and the batteries last forever. They're open ear so it means no noise canceling. I use a different set of earbud (galaxy beans) or go all out with headphones (senheisser) when I fly coz these can't go loud enough in the plane. I get mixed reviews when I use them for calls: some ppl tell me they can hear me perfect while others say I'm muffled. The bluetooth range is pretty impressive for me coz I can connect when I'm outside my building but within general 30ft range (through concrete walls). I haven't had issues with getting spotty connection or difficulties pairing with my devices (I can pair this with my laptop and phone at the same time). I'm not an audiophile but this is worth my $40 for daily use. Oh. I use my thumbs for the touch sensor, not index fingers. I think you're supposed to use your thumbs. When you sweat a lot, the sensors get covered n anything electrical gets messed up when wet so yeah. There's also timing for the taps so it takes some getting used to. The app gives u control on the touch sensors, and I get a lot of accidental taps esp when I'm all sweaty and I turn my head n my ear touches my hair or the bud makes contact with skin behind my ear or something.

Great fit and do what they meant to really well If you want deep immersive sound these are not for you. But if you want to hear the kids while you listening to your music these are a great option

I bought these for cycling, so I could continue to hear everything going on around me but still get my tunes. I was surprised with how nice they sound, from the bottom end up through the mid-range to treble. Not knockout good, like a set of Bose, but way better value than Bose. I've worn them for 3 hours straight and have forgotten I still have them on. I think I could get away without using one of the clips to make them a bit snugger, but I don't want them falling off while I'm cycling. I've read that the controls are hit and miss, but I haven't found that at all. There's a tone that sounds when you complete an action, like pausing or skipping a song or bumping the volume. The Soundcore app isn't splashy but quite functional.

se escuchan bien, sonido muy claro, solo no esperes un gran bajeo, de hecho parecen un adorno en las orejas, la musica se mezcla con el sonido del medio ambiente de manera natural (no esperes cancelacion de ruido, estos audifonos no son para eso, pues no bloqueaan el canal auditivo) son ideales para cuando vas en viaje (al trabajo, a la escuela, a casa, etc) pues estas conciente de todo lo que te rodea, el pequeño inconveniente es que despues de un largo tiempo de uso (depende de cada quien) te deja un poco adolorida la zona donde los colocas, asi que toca ver que carcasa es la correcta, por defecto viene con la carcasa mediana. Duracion de la bateria esperada.

They pairing was easy and downloading the app helps with settings and it even has some extra features like ambience source for sleep or relaxation, studying, meditating etc. Also has a translation feature. My left ear doesnt seem to like it though. I wore it all day at work and my ear felt a bit sore. The right one fits perfectly. The sound comes through really well and I managed a decent phone conversation wearing them. I had normal Bluetooth earbud before that never worked well for phone calls. Always had to disconnect them to talk. Really happy with these ones. I like having one on when I work as I can answer calls while my hands are busy but I also need to be able to hear my surroundings normally. Update: the battery life is fantastic. I have it in my ear all day at work in case of calls while my hands are busy. At the end of 12hrs, its only down to 80%. I use the right one usually as I stated above, the left one makes my ear hurt somehow. Lately when I put it on in the morning, knowing there's quite enough charge, the bud doesn't connect. I've had to reconnect the Bluetooth, or press the button on the underneath of the case whilst the buds are inside. I think its just not pairing with the case as when I remove the bud, the light doesnt flash but it did with the left one i hadn't used.

Attractive hardware with nice sound and reasonably decent bass for open ear buds. Fitting pieces help to sit tightly on ear, however, when I fell off my bike one of them came off, so be mindful of strong impacts or whiplash😅. Battery life is good and they're quite comfortable, sometimes forget I'm wearing them. Connection range is pretty good. Case charges buds quickly. Worth noting they might get in the way of some piercings due to how they wrap around the ear.