Sony LinkBuds Open WFL910/B

Sony's LinkBuds Open are the most comfortable open-ear earbuds we've tested, pouring clear sound into your ears while letting the world in. Just don't expect booming bass or crisp phone calls.

The Sony LinkBuds Open are the earbuds for people who hate earbuds. Instead of jamming a silicone tip into your ear canal, they use an open ring driver that lets air and ambient sound flow right through, so you stay completely aware of your surroundings. They're featherlight, ridiculously comfortable for all-day wear, and deliver a surprisingly clear, open soundstage. The trade-off? There's no thumping bass to be found here, and call quality is a letdown. But if situational awareness and fatigue-free listening top your list, these things are a revelation.

What caught us off guard was how well the sound holds up despite the open design. Mids and highs come through crisp and detailed, way above what we expected from earbuds that literally have a hole in the driver. Comfort is best-in-class, with a 93rd percentile ranking in our database, meaning they're among the most comfortable true wireless buds we've ever tested. Battery life is solid at around 8 hours with a quick three-minute burst adding an hour. But the mic performance is a real weak spot, landing in the bottom third, and calls in noisy places sound muffled with ambient noise bleeding in. It's a bizarre gap for buds that prioritize awareness.

At around $250, the LinkBuds Open sit in premium territory without delivering premium bass or call performance. You're paying for a unique open-ear comfort that no one else really nails, and if that's your top priority, it's worth every cent. But if you want a more well-rounded experience with killer sound isolation and better mics, there are stronger options at this price.

The Technics EAH-AZ100-K and Bose QuietComfort Ultra are the obvious rivals if you want ANC and wall-shaking bass, but they'll block out the world. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro offer a semi-open fit with decent transparency and much better call quality. The Sony's magic is staying weightless and open without sounding tinny, a trick neither of those can match. For pure awareness and comfort, the LinkBuds Open are the only game in town, but the Galaxy Buds3 Pro are the smarter all-rounder if you need reliable hands-free calls.

If you want deep, punchy bass or take a lot of phone calls, this isn't it. Grab the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro instead. Those'll give you proper ANC, richer sound, and vastly better microphones.

The Sony LinkBuds Open are a love letter to anyone who finds traditional in-ear buds uncomfortable or isolating. They sound cleaner than they have any right to, and the all-day comfort is a genuine game-changer for desk jockeys and urban commuters. Just know you're giving up bass, call quality, and noise cancellation to get that open-air freedom. If that trade-off makes sense, buy them without hesitation; if not, look at the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro instead.