Comfort Technology
The science of fit, the secret to comfort.
As a pioneer in Comfort Technology and open-ear audio technology, the Shokz team continuously enhances the physical and mental comfort of our products through innovation of materials, design and acoustics.
Material Comfort
Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone
Advantages of Silicone Material
To solve the discomfort of wearing earbuds for long periods of time, Shokz engineers conducted extensive research and development before eventually inventing an extremely soft silicone material to feature inside the earbuds.
Comfort and Softness
Silicone is soft and gentle on the skin, with a significantly lower hardness than the more commonly used TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for headphones.
Durability
Silicone is highly resistant to aging and can withstand long-term environmental damage, maintaining its physical, chemical, and mechanical properties.
Safety and Non-allergenic
Silicone is highly biocompatible; is typically non-toxic, tasteless, and harmless; and is widely used in industries with high hygiene standards, such as medical and food processing.
Eco-friendly
Silicone production generally has a lower environmental impact than traditional plastics. It often requires less energy and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.
Comfort and Softness
Silicone is soft and gentle on the skin, with a significantly lower hardness than the more commonly used TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for headphones.
Durability
Silicone is highly resistant to aging and can withstand long-term environmental damage, maintaining its physical, chemical, and mechanical properties.
Safety and Non-allergenic
Silicone is highly biocompatible; is typically non-toxic, tasteless, and harmless; and is widely used in industries with high hygiene standards, such as medical and food processing.
Eco-friendly
Silicone production generally has a lower environmental impact than traditional plastics. It often requires less energy and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.
Shokz’s Development History of Silicone
2025
2023
2018
2016
2025
Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 2.0 – Shokz's innovative new soft silicone material

From material selection and inspection to production control, we spent nearly two years developing Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 2.0. This new material has been successfully applied to the next generation of Shokz open-earbuds, OpenFit 2.

Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 2.0 possesses the safety, non-toxicity, and sustainability of regular silicone and is even softer than Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 1.0. With a Shore 00 hardness of 16±3*, it feels as soft as a marshmallow and ensures all-day comfort.

2023
Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 1.0 – First in headphone industry to use material that’s texturally similar to skin

We found that comfort was a major pain point for many of them. With this in mind, our Shokz engineers developed a highly soft and elastic silicone material known as Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 1.0, commonly used to replicate the smooth, soft characteristics of our skin. In 2023, OpenFit became the first earbuds to incorporate this material into its design, drastically improving overall comfort. Although it received great feedback, the Shokz team wanted to push the limits even further.

2018
Liquid Silicone – High-precision automated molding process

In 2018, Shokz began using liquid silicone, a softer material than solid silicone currently used as the exterior material for most of Shokz's headphones.

The challenges we overcame to successfully use liquid silicone include:

1. Refined Digital Management: Molding process of liquid silicone is complex. Any small variation in parameters could result in defects. We optimized the molding by rigorously controlling key conditions.

2. High-Fidelity Color Presentation: Liquid silicone is exceptionally soft, but its inherent adhesive properties can affect pigment dispersion and absorption. To achieve even coloring, we carefully considered pigment selection, proportioning, and color adjustment environments. Every stable color is the result of repeated trials.

2016
Solid Silicone – One-piece molding process

In 2016, Shokz overcame the engineering challenges of integrating solid silicone, titanium wire and other delicate components in a compact and functional design. This milestone achievement represented a major technological breakthrough in incorporating silicone into bone conduction headphones and inspired the entire industry’s product design.

Flexible Nickel-Titanium Alloy
Advantages of Titanium Material

In 2015, Shokz launched its first open-ear headphones with a special alloy, behind-the-ear design — Titanium. Featuring a unique silicone-wrapped titanium wire structure, these headphones marked a qualitative leap forward in user-wearing experience. Shokz has continuously expanded the application range of titanium wire with each new generation of headphones, extending the nickel-titanium alloy from the neckband design to the ear-hook design.

Titanium wire has made the neckband durable and resistant to deformation, capable of withstanding the challenges of sports. And it has allowed the ear-hook design to perfectly wrap around the ear contour, making the earbuds adaptable to different ear shapes and comfortable by minimizing ear pressure.
High Elasticity
Nickel-titanium alloy demonstrates much higher elasticity than traditional metals and can therefore withstand substantial deformation.
Recoverability
The recoverable deformation range of nickel-titanium alloy is approximately 60 times that of other traditional metals (such as Q235 structural steel). The titanium wire can quickly return to its original shape after the deforming stress is removed.
Design Comfort
Open-Ear Design
Shokz' signature open-ear design ensures long-lasting comfort without any ear pressure or discomfort, while also keeping the ear canal clean, especially during intense workouts. Beyond the physical benefits, this non-intrusive design provides a sense of ease and openness, facilitating seamless connections with both people and the environment.
Optimized for Comfort
Thanks to meticulous engineering and cutting-edge materials, OpenFit is exceptionally lightweight. Each earbud weighs only 8.3 grams. By cleverly positioning the drivers and battery at the ends of the hooks, we ensure a balanced weight distribution, providing a lighter, more comfortable wearing experience.
Air Ear Hook’s Lightweight Design
OpenFit Air was designed to be super comfortable with a lightweight frame and an ergonomic ear hook design. Thanks to its water droplet-inspired design which smartly distributes pressure and accommodates eyewear, the earhook design is comfortable and fit. To enhance its malleability, we added a pliable cavity at the tail end of the ear hook to better adapt to the wearer’s ear shape. Additionally, we used flat, elastic silicone at the point where the ear hook meets the ear, creating an air-like feel even after prolonged use.
Integrated Design
Shokz bone conduction headphones ensure both stability and comfort with ergonomic ear hooks and a wraparound frame. The OpenRun Pro 2 model fits securely on different head and ear shapes, and the frame provides peace of mind by preventing the headphones from slipping off, reducing the risk of loss. Moreover, OpenRun Pro 2 uses a dual-driver bone conduction system. To accommodate the larger drivers, we’ve designed a 4° inward tilt that shifts the pressure point downward, improving both fit and comfort.
Dolphin Arc Design for Ear-Hook Products
Shokz finalized a configuration that had a carefully calibrated height-to-width ratio, but was also flexible enough to be universally compatible with various ear shapes. Its curve resembles the back of a dolphin, inspiring the name Dolphin Arc ear hook. This design is soft and lightweight for long-term ease of use. Moreover, its moderate clamping force ensures that it’ll stay in place, even during vigorous activity.
Feeling Comfort
Sound Leakage Reduction Technology
LeakSlayer™
DirectPitch™ 2.0
DirectPitch™
To minimize sound leakage, we integrated an acoustical vent module into the sound unit. By reversing the phase of its sound waves and directing them outward, the escaping sound waves are canceled out, preserving both privacy and audio fidelity.
OpenFit 2 introduces the upgraded DirectPitch™ 2.0 Technology, setting a new standard for leakage reduction. For low-frequency sounds, we use large dipole speakers to create a specific sound field. For mid- and high-frequency sounds, we use a dedicated single-sided directional solution for precise sound transmission, further safeguarding listening privacy.
By incorporating multiple vents into the earbud design, DirectPitch™ cancels the sound and pressure angled away from the ear canal while amplifying the sound and pressure directed toward the ear canal. This reduces sound leakage and enables immersive open-ear listening while maintaining privacy.
Bone Conduction Vibration-Reducing Technology
Effective bone conduction vibration-reducing technology ensures a high-comfort listening experience by eliminating tactile feedback (the “tingling sensation”).
PremiumPitch™ 2.0+
DualPitch™
Equipped with Shokz’s self-developed PremiumPitch™ 2.0+ and 8th-generation bone conduction technology, OpenSwim Pro utilizes a vibration-tilt design that minimizes vibrations and enhances sound quality.
DualPitch™ Technology in OpenRun Pro 2 combines bone and air conduction systems, leveraging the minimal vibration of the air conduction unit. Through the use of frequency-splitting technology, low-frequency sounds are directed to the air conduction speaker, eliminating vibrations at the source.
Listen to your playlists in total comfort
Enjoy long-lasting comfort while listening to your playlists, taking calls, and more.
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*Note: What is the Shore Hardness Scale?
The Shore Hardness Scale is an internationally recognized method for measuring the hardness of industrial materials. It uses a Shore Durometer to determine a material’s resistance to indentation pressure. The higher the number, the harder the material.
Shore D, Shore A, and Shore 00 are the three most common Shore Hardness categories.
-Shore D is often used to measure hard materials, like plastics. (e.g. a hard hat is 80 Shore D)
-Shore A is often used to measure various materials of medium hardness, like silicones. (e.g. a tire is 60 Shore A; a rubber band is 20 Shore A)
-Shore 00 is used to measure softer materials, like gel. (e.g. a marshmallow is 10 Shore 00)
The Shokz Ultra Soft Silicone™ 2.0 is an entirely new material that can be evaluated using two scales: Shore 00 or Shore A. After testing, it recorded a rating of 16±3 in the Shore 00 category and -20 in Shore A, not far off from that of a marshmallow.