Two of Anker’s most popular open-ear headphones are now at record low prices, meaning if you’ve been curious about this new trend in earphone design there’s never been a better time to try them out. The Soundcore Aerofit 2 open earbuds are currently $77.99, down from $129.99 (40% off), and the Soundcore C30i open earbuds are now just $34.99, reduced from $69.99 (50% off). Both are all-time lows at the most popular retailers, per well-known price-tracking services, and the discounts just so happen to hit right around peak holiday rush.
Open earbuds, which serve music to the ears while leaving the canal open (literally: no seal), are meant to let you listen without being tuned out from your surroundings. For runners, cyclists, commuters, and anyone who hates the stopped-up feel of in-ear tips, this design addresses comfort and safety gripes without stepping up to pricier bone-conduction models.
Best deals on Aerofit 2 and C30i open earbuds
The Aerofit 2 is the sweet spot of price and performance in Anker’s open-ear lineup. At $77.99, it is cheaper than a lot of the fitness-focused competition that usually start well into the three digits. By contrast, the C30i is a budget entry at $34.99 and allows you to dip your toe into the open-ear waters for the price of a dinner out. If you’ve been debating with yourself about going open-ear for outdoor workouts or long office days, these prices take away a lot of the friction.
Deal watchers will recognize these as new lows versus recent seasonal sales, where open-ear models seldom see discounts deeper than 20–30%. Those represent 40% off on Aerofit 2, and 50% off on C30i; the delta versus normal street price is surprisingly vast for name-brand wearables.
Why open earbuds are attracting fans for safer listening
The headline is awareness: the open earbud design pours ambient sound into your ears and mingles it with whatever you’re listening to (a better fit for road running, city riding). The Road Runners Club of America advises listening to only one ear while running outside, and open-style earbuds also make it easier to hear things like traffic, bikes, or other people — not to mention announcements without needing to take a bud out.
Comfort is the other driver. No more silicone tip stuffed in ear so you get around the occlusion effect (that kind of “speaking into a barrel” sound). Open models can be worn for hours by people who find in-ear tips irritating. And, the World Health Organization has also promoted safer listening behaviors, reporting that 1+ billion young people are at risk for hearing damage from unsafe audio levels. Open earbuds do not impose volume limits, but since you can hear what’s going on around you, there’s less temptation to crank the volume up to dangerous levels just to beat back isolation.
Market activity has reflected the change. And analysts at Circana report continued growth in fitness-forward audio categories as buyers tend to prefer comfort and real-world awareness over maximum noise isolation. Open-air designs, which used to be niche, have become a mainstream alternative to traditional in-ear buds.
Aerofit 2 vs C30i: which open earbuds fit your needs
Both models come in an earhook-style open fit, but their ambitions are different. The performance pick—Aerofit 2—is designed more robustly, with secure hooks for everything from gentle workouts to much more vigorous activity and tuning that aims to spike up the mids and midbass while improving clarity at everyday volumes. It’s supposed to be dressier than sweatpants and fit for the office without being uptight.
The C30i skews toward simplicity and value. It’s more lightweight and minimalist, with no-nonsense controls and a tuning profile that leans more toward podcasts, calls, and background playlists than chest-thumping bass. If you’re open-ear curious, the C30i is an easy on-ramp; if you know that you’ll want to train hard and want a step-up experience, Aerofit 2 is the safer bet.
In practical terms, you can expect sound to have a somewhat truer soundstage compared with sealed in-ears, because you hear the room as well as your music. That also means less isolation through design. The fit and driver implementation of the Aerofit 2 flounders a bit more than that of the C30i at moderate volumes to make up for perceived detail, though both treat staying put while on the move and rejecting sweat when working out with some priority.
What to consider before you buy open-ear earbuds
Sound leakage is the trade-off with any open earbuds: people nearby are likely to catch a whiff of your audio if you’re listening at higher volumes. It’s easier to hear the wind, too, while riding a bike. If you’re in search of quiet-office isolation or plane-ready solitude, stick with sealed in-ears; awareness and comfort value goes to open-ear designs.
Call quality on open designs has improved with multi-mic noise reduction, but no open earbud is going to completely mute a roaring street corner. Good call results will come by keeping volume on the down low and facing away from gusty winds. Battery life depends on volume and usage, but both are good for multi-hour sessions and fast top-ups inside their charging cases.
If you’re cross-shopping, alternatives like Shokz OpenFit and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are much more expensive with a focus on premium materials and spatial audio extras. Today’s Aerofit 2 and C30i deals check most of the boxes for what we want in open earbuds — aware, comfortable, stable at the gym — but for unusually low starting prices.
Bottom line on today’s deal for Anker open earbuds
Anker’s open earbuds are usually budget priced at $77.99 with Aerofit 2 or $34.99 with C30i, and these prices undercut the competition while pushing rare all-time lows.
If you’ve been looking for a gentle push to try out open-ear listening on the go, whether that’s at the gym, commuting, or all-day comfortable wear, this is when those experiments become incredibly affordable.