Both admittedly vain and very much not a runner, I’ve long been hesitant to integrate bone conduction headphones into my daily routine. As a young woman living in Manhattan, however, staying aware is — especially with the viral punching incident last month — more important than ever. And as much as I love my noise-cancelling earbuds for locking into work or a workout, I’ve been slowly coming to the realization they may not be the safest mainstay.

In February, Bose debuted its fashion and safety forward solution with the clip-on Ultra Open earbuds. This month, Anker’s Soundcore unveiled its more budget-friendly $70 take on the open ear buds with the Soundcore C30i buds.

After using the buds for a week, I’m impressed with the comfort they granted in both actual wear and wirelessly granting awareness, so I could stroll and stream in peace and tandem.

Design, look and wear

The same as Bose’s concept … but different

Similarly to Bose’s Ultra Open buds, the Soundcore C30i clip on to the outside of your ear, rather than fitting snugly within your ear canal. In a C-shaped curve covered in a translucent plastic slip, they’re subtle and glasses-friendly. Bose’s iteration, which features a flexible hinge that opens and closes like a clip-on earring, the C30i’s hard-shell design requires you to slide them up your ear, which doesn’t work as well for glasses wearers.

The clear hard shell doesn’t give the same matte-black or sleek white finish the Bose Ultra Open brings, but it does offer a futuristic-transparent vibe, reminiscent of Nothing’s funky designs.

Soundcore says this hard shell approach makes for a more “one size fits all” design, and as someone with smaller ears, they did shimmy up my ear comfortably, but wiggled around a bit too much for my liking while jogging on the treadmill, even when using the attachable ear-grip. They resisted flying across the gym floor as I did a burpee, but not without sliding up my ear slightly.

That slightly bigger fit, however, did make for a highly comfortable fit with no pressure build-up. I only began to feel a slight pinch in the back of my ear cartilage at about six hours of wear, which is pretty impressive.

Sound quality pros and cons

Solid and smooth, but with some compromise

After being swayed by Pocket-lint’s wired headphone crusader, Sam Smart, I went from listening with Apple Earpods to the C30i’s to compare the two non-noise cancelling and budget-friendly mediums.

I went to the New York Public Library to listen to Taylor Swift’s This is Me Trying, and there the wired headphones brought forth a much more full, CD-like quality sound. Swift’s vocals were brighter and the percussion was more punctuated. When I popped in the C30i’s, the sound wasn’t muffled, but rather warmer and the instruments weren’t as highlighted, but actually made for a more cohesive listening experience. Plus, I was pleasantly surprised that, unlike with some budget headphones, it didn’t sound like I was listening underwater.

Granted, I didn’t get the same bass-heavy performance that I did from the Bose Ultra Open’s, but there wasn’t a complete lack of bass — I just had to pump up the volume to get more from the drums in Olivia Rodrigo’s Get Him Back.

When the volume goes up, there are some compromises — the music gets more compressed and that underwater quality starts to suppress vocals and brassy instruments. That compression was the biggest drawback I found when listening to the headphones outside, which unfortunately is where I wanted to wear them the most.

Especially when listening to my favorite podcast — Giggly Squad — I had to turn the volume up to about 75% for Paige DeSorobo and Hannah Berner’s voices to have a chance to compete with New York City’s busy honking symphony. Their voices didn’t change much in tone, but it wasn’t as clear as when I listened via Apple Earpods. I found a similar result when listening to music.

Ultimately, the sound wasn’t as full as my wired headphones or compared to Bose’s clip on option, but at only $60, I was impressed. I could still clearly hear my favorite songs and Giggly Squad takes, and despite the sound compression creating a bit of an aftershock beat buzz in the ear at 85% volume or more, Taylor Swift’s iconic beats and vocals still stood out.

Like Bose’s Immersive Audio, Soundcore opted for its own version of spatial audio with a 3D Sound Profile that does make for a more immersive listening experience, especially with bassier sounds, but in all honesty, it’s nothing game-changing. Plus, I have to go to my Soundcore app to access, which just adds an extra listening step.

Sound leakage surprisingly kept at a minimum

I was pleasantly surprised at how well these buds kept the sound in without leaking too much out. I asked my boyfriend in a quiet room to say when he could start hearing the music sitting about five feet away from him as I gradually increased the volume. At 25%, he couldn’t hear anything, at 50%, he could vaguely hear the beat and said that I was listening to a “faster paced song,” and at 75%, he commented that he might as well be listening to the song with me.

Microphone quality, can you hear me?

An unexpected star

While not expecting much from the microphone, I was pleasantly surprised that it outperformed the Ultra Open microphone, with callers reporting I sounded clearer and even able to hear better myself. I’d even argue they house a better mic than my AirPods Max, but fall short of my OnePlus Buds 3 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra.

Verdict: A true Bose dupe?

I’m excited that Soundcore took one of my all-time favorite Bose headphones and made them more budget friendly. Opting for a clear hard shell over an all-black flexible design undoubtedly compromises some of the “fashion forward” and luxury feel, but they grant the same subtle look and continue to be a great solution to the “one bud” phenomenon, allowing for both awareness and constant sound. And while the hard-shell may not make for as secure of a fit, the looser grip makes for comfortable wear, so much so that I forget I’m wearing them.

Where the C30i hold their own, budget price point aside, is the surprisingly good microphone quality, which considering one of the main things I use earbuds for is taking calls, make them my perfect mainstay. Plus, the sound may not have Bose’s staple bass, but it’s solid for streaming everything from my Spotify Daylist to scrolling through TikTok. At only $70, I’m impressed the sound quality is as clear and uncompromising.

Top 5 songs I listened to on the C30i

1. Too Well by Reneé Rapp
2. Now That We Don’t Talk by Taylor Swift
3. Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
4. Domino by Jessie J
5. Feather by Sabrina Carpenter