Open ear earbuds have become the wireless audio industry’s latest land grab. Bose helped push the clip format into the premium mainstream, Sony, Shokz and Soundcore followed, and prices quickly marched toward $200 and beyond.
CMF has chosen a simpler strategy: offer most of the features people actually want for $99 and leave the luxury tax to everyone else. The CMF Clip Pro is the brand’s first open ear model. Each earbud clips around the ear, leaving listeners naturally aware of traffic, coworkers, children and other hazards that refuse to respect a playlist.
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What Makes the CMF Clip Pro Different?
The most distinctive feature is not attached to the earbuds. CMF has built a Smart Dial into the charging case, providing a tactile rotary control for volume, playback, calls and Bluetooth pairing without reaching for a phone. Earbud cases are usually plastic waiting rooms with a battery inside, so giving one a useful control is a welcome change.
The earbuds use a three point support system and an elastic titanium wire core designed to distribute pressure across the ear. Each unit weighs 5.9 grams, while skin friendly materials and a compact listening ball are intended to improve long term comfort.
Sound comes from a 10.8mm dual magnet dynamic driver. CMF also includes Ultra Bass Technology to compensate for the low frequency loss that remains one of the category’s biggest weaknesses. Hi-Res Audio certification and LDAC give compatible Android devices a higher bitrate option, with AAC and SBC included for everything else.
CMF’s Sound Seal system attempts to reduce leakage by managing midrange and treble output, with separate settings for calls or all audio in the Nothing X app. Four microphones and a VPU powered Clear Voice system handle calls and background noise reduction.
Battery Life and Everyday Features
Clip Pro offers up to 10 hours of playback per charge and 32.5 hours with the case. A 10 minute charge provides up to four hours of listening.
Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint connectivity, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, a low latency gaming mode and IP54 protection are included. The earbuds also have physical controls, which should prove more reliable than touch panels during workouts or while wearing gloves.
Main Competitors
At $99, Clip Pro undercuts most of its closest rivals. Shokz OpenDots Air costs $129.95 and offers 36 hours of battery life, IP55 protection and interchangeable left and right earbuds. Soundcore AeroClip carries a $169.99 list price, with 12mm drivers, multipoint and up to 32 hours of playback.
Sony’s LinkBuds Clip have a $229.99 MSRP and offer up to 37 hours of playback, three listening modes and AI assisted voice pickup. Bose Ultra Open remains the premium option at $299, with Immersive Audio and up to roughly seven hours per charge.
However, the new SOUNDPEATS UU2 might be the better value at $49.99. It features a larger 12mm dual magnet driver and upgrades to Bluetooth 6.0. CMF answers with the Smart Dial, Sound Seal and a more ambitious calling system.
CMF Clip Pro Specifications
- Driver: 10.8mm dual magnet dynamic
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC and SBC
- Battery: Up to 10 hours; 32.5 hours with case
- Fast charge: 10 minutes for up to four hours
- Bluetooth: 5.4
- Microphones: Four HD microphones with VPU Clear Voice
- Connectivity: Multipoint, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair
- Protection: IP54 rated earbuds
- Weight: 5.9 grams per earbud
- Colors: Coral, Light Grey, Dar Grey
The Bottom Line
CMF is not reinventing open ear audio, but it may be stripping away one of the category’s least appealing features: inflated pricing.
The Clip Pro combines a lightweight titanium core design, LDAC, a useful case mounted control, 10 hour battery life and leakage management for $99. That makes it a strong option for commuters, office users, walkers and anyone who dislikes having an ear canal plugged for hours.
Travelers seeking isolation, subway riders battling serious noise and listeners who demand deep, physical bass should still buy sealed ANC earbuds.
The open ear category was already crowded. It just became considerably less comfortable for everyone charging twice as much.
Price & Availability
Open sales begin August 15, 2026 through Nothing’s U.S. website and selected partners. Nothing currently lists an introductory preorder price of $79, reduced from the $99 MSRP.
Where to buy: $99 $79 at Amazon | Nothing
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- SOUNDPEATS Introduces UU2 (Pop Clip 2) Open-Ear Earbuds
- Sony LinkBuds Clip Review: Open-Ear Wireless Earbuds Packed With Smart Tech
David
August 13, 2026 at 3:01 pm
I recently bought the Earfun Clip2. So much more comfortable than in-ear buds. They are best utilized in quiet environs where they sound surprisingly good for music and podcasts. Bluetooth connectivity has been stable but in use yesterday a little voice inside my head kept alternately repeating “connected” and “disconnected” while the music continued to play. Therefore, the jury is still out on this particular pair.