Soundpeats RunFree is part of a new wave of wireless, open-ear sports headphones that use a method called "air conduction" as opposed to bone conduction to play audio without completely blocking out the surrounding environment

They join high-profile air-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenFit, which offer louder, more customizable sound compared to the best bone-conduction headphones

Soundpeats also promises to be the choice of those looking for a workout-friendly, open-ear sports headphone with a lighter and more comfortable design than its own RunFree Lite model, and less expensive than many other air-conduction style options [Soundpeats RunFree is available now for $59/59 pounds and can be purchased directly from the Soundpeats website It is available in black only

That makes it a considerably cheaper option than many alternative open-ear, air-conduction headphones, including the $179/£179 four-star-rated Shokz OpenFit

The RunFree open-ear does not feature bone-conduction technology, but it does have the look that has become synonymous with the best bone-conduction headphones With a neckband-style design, they weigh only 11 ounces (31 g), slightly heavier than the Shokz OpenRun's 09 ounces (26 g)Soundpeats were used in the RunFree Lite (pictured above (left) alongside the RunFree plastic, in favor of a silicone one that feels better to the touch and a little less cheap

Certainly not the prettiest looking headphones, but if you don't care about aesthetics, they are light, comfortable, and fit well, both during exercise and otherwise

On the right side of the headphones are three physical buttons These buttons are fairly close to each other, which meant that I had to press the power button in the middle when I actually wanted to turn up the volume or skip tracks Below that is a USB-C port, which provides power without resorting to its own charging cable

There is also room for dual microphones for taking calls, and an IPX4 durability rating protects them from sweat and light rain I have used them in both scenarios and have not seen any drop outs or issues with overall performance connection

According to Soundpeats, the RunFree's use of an air conduction approach to provide open-ear sound allows the 162mm size drivers to deliver audio to the ear without blocking the ear

Like bone conduction, air conduction wants to provide a balance between what you hear in the headphones and what you hear around you, while providing a fuller, more audible sound And we feel that RunFree definitely achieves that

Before getting into sound, connectivity was solid overall in the phones, laptops, and watches I paired Also, multiple devices can be paired at the same time

I used a Spotify playlist to hear how these headphones handled different genres of music I also used them for both spoken word and music-based podcasts, and my impression of the RunFree's is that they sound bright and fun, with some subtlety and a good sense of soundstage

While not perfect in all areas, it handles streaming audio and calls very well, even in the presence of competing noises such as near busy roads, fighting wind, and gym PA systems

The good news is that there are preset EQ and custom EQ modes via the Soundpeats companion app Easy control of sound means you get what you are listening to

They can be quite loud However, like bone-conduction headphones, they do leak sound, which is definitely more noticeable when used in a quiet environment However, like bone-conduction headphones, they do leak sound, and when used in a quiet environment, the leakage is more noticeable, but not as noticeable at louder volumes, and the overall balance between ambient sound and the sound you are listening to works well

Using Soundpeats' Classic EQ mode produces a fairly balanced sound profile, but it is not superior in every respect: on tracks like Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy" or Bronski Beat's " Smalltown Boy" tracks, the bass is not quite as warm and muddy as it could be Switching to a more appropriate profile, the bass punch is more pronounced, the mids feel smoother, and the treble department lacks sparkle, but is by no means lacking Switching to podcasts and audiobooks is enjoyable because of the clarity

Matching presets to genres doesn't always work David Bowie's "Heroes" sounded pretty harsh, so you need to choose the best profile for your song You can't skip these EQ modes directly from the headphones, but in general, we found that the Bass Boost EQ mode and the Custom EQ route produced the best results

When used for calls, the environment in which the call will be placed should be considered This is not the best headphone with a microphone for calls, as the audio can sound like an echo If you use these headphones a lot for work calls and meetings, this is probably not an area where these headphones excel

RunFree is powered by a 140mAh battery and is claimed to have 14 hours of battery life, but this is when used at 60% volume Bass-oriented modes seem to demand more battery power, so one would need to consider the EQ mode one chooses

After one hour of playback, the battery dropped 7%

Soundpeats' adoption of USB-C charging is a welcome addition to a more universal charging method

Soundpeats RunFree is a versatile open-ear headphone with bright sound at a very reasonable price They are light and robust enough for active lifestyles and allow you to be aware of your surroundings They are not great for calls, and some modes may drain the battery faster than others, but it's hard to make too many criticisms at this price