'A price that seems like a mistake': I've tested tons of open earbuds, and Earfun's new clip-style buds are the best cheaper pair I'd actually recommend — here's my full review

27 Apr 2026, 12:00 by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/becca-caddy · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

The Earfun Clip 2 are the cheapest clip-on open earbuds I'd actually recommend. They deliver decent bass and clarity considering they’re open, a comfortable clip-on fit, and a feature set that includes AI translation, Hi-Res Audio and a solid app. The budget price shows in the plastic build, treble that can turn harsh at higher volumes, and a midrange that can sound muddy. But at this price, they're a great way into clip-on open earbuds without gambling much on finding out whether the design suits your ears or not.

Pros

+Very affordable for open buds
+Comfortable and light
+AI translation is a cool feature

Cons

-Minor connectivity issues
-Budget build and fit won't suit everyone
-Sound needs EQ tweaking

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EarFun Clip 2: Two minute review

The Earfun Clip 2 buds are the latest entry in the wave of clip-style options among the best open earbuds. They're Earfun's second go at this form factor after the original Earfun Clip, following the brand's OpenJump ear hook design.

And the big pitch of the Earfun Clip 2 is price, because they cost $79 / £69 / AU$120 at launch. With early discounts already appearing on the Earfun website, they undercut much of the competition.

Now, that budget positioning does come through in places. The plastic build feels a little cheap in the hand. The sound profile, though energetic and punchy for workouts, has some limitations at volume that I'll get to, which means you’ll want to tweak the EQ.

There are some notable features here that I really rated, including an impressive 11 hours of battery life, Hi-Res Audio and LDAC support, multipoint connectivity, and a smart AI translation tool, which could just be a nice-to-have for some or genuinely useful for others. For cheap open-ears, there’s a lot here.

(Image credit: Future)

Open-ear designs are a bit of a gamble when it comes to comfort. Do you go with a neckband, ear hooks, or clip-on? Well, I’m firmly in the clip-on camp, and I found the Clip 2 buds mostly secure, light, comfortable and easy to forget about once they're in. I did notice some slight slippage, but only on sweaty runs when I pushed their grip to the limit.

However, after a lot of time testing audio gear, I've learned that ears are subjective little things. Some people love the clip-on feel and others find it irritating. That subjectivity runs through the whole experience here, from fit to sound to whether you mind the build quality at this price.

Overall, the Earfun Clip 2 aren't trying to compete with similarly style buds, like the Bose Ultra Open or the Shokz OpenDots One, on refinement. Instead, they’re asking: hey, do you want a decent pair of open earbuds without spending very much?

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