Open-Ear Earbuds Account for 17% of Global Earbud Sales

Shokz unveiled the results of a global consumer study at the IFA 2026 consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany. The survey was jointly conducted by Shokz and NIQ.

Shokz said open-ear earbuds are rapidly expanding from a sports-focused product line into the everyday audio category. The study was based on global retail market data and was conducted over 3 months using quantitative and qualitative research methods with more than 5,000 consumers in 6 countries: South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan.

NIQ found that sales volume growth for open-ear earbuds is outpacing that of in-ear TWS earbuds. Sales revenue growth was also faster than that of in-ear TWS earbuds. Open-ear earbuds accounted for 17% of global earbud sales volume.

Growth rates by region were also presented. In the first half of the year, revenue growth in Western Europe came in at 77% from a year earlier. Growth in major Asian developed markets was 47%, while China posted 38%.

Some emerging markets, including Latin America and Eastern Europe, posted growth of more than 160%. Shokz unveiled the results at IFA 2026.

In the global earbud market excluding North America and Russia, sales volume over the past year reached 353 million units. During the same period, open-ear earbuds sold 60 million units, accounting for about 17% of sales volume.

The study found that open-ear earbuds had reached a meaningful share of global earbud sales. The scale and share of the open-ear earbud market have continued to grow since 2022.

Regarding this growth, Shokz said the trend of sales revenue growth outpacing sales volume growth has continued. It also said consumers are beginning to place greater value on the open-ear form factor and the user experience it provides.

NIQ analyzed that market growth has been driven by premium products in the reasonable price range, rather than low-cost products.

Because open-ear earbuds allow users to remain aware of their surroundings, they were previously seen as products closely tied to sports activities. However, the latest study found that their use has expanded evenly beyond sports to work, commuting, and leisure.

Open-ear earbuds were found to be widely used in many everyday situations, with usage rates of 49% during exercise, 45% while commuting, 37% in public places, and 30% at home. This confirms the high level of everyday use for open-ear earbuds.

The expansion is thought to be linked to changes in usage behavior and an increase in the amount of time consumers spend using earbuds. In other words, changes in open-ear earbud usage behavior are aligning with the broader trend of longer usage time.

By age, 51% of open-ear earbud users were under 35. In the analysis of core adopter groups, young office workers and heavy users who wear earbuds for long periods in daily life were identified as consumer segments actively embracing open-ear products.

In addition, 64% of open-ear earbud users were found to use them for more than 2 hours a day. Accordingly, users accustomed to long listening sessions are driving the early market.

Amid this trend, a change in the role of earbuds was also detected. Earbuds are shifting from devices used at specific moments to products worn for long periods throughout the day, and purchasing criteria are changing accordingly.

When choosing open-ear earbuds, comfort carried more weight than sound quality. The top purchase consideration for open-ear earbuds was comfort at 28%, followed by sound quality at 19%.

The background behind consumer migration from traditional in-ear and semi-in-ear models to open-ear products was found to be more closely related to the need to reduce fatigue and discomfort from long periods of wear than to simple differences in sound quality. Preference for a natural listening experience that can be worn for extended periods was also linked to this trend.

AI was presented as a technology that expands the user experience. In the survey, 48% of all respondents said they had never used the AI features in their current earbuds, suggesting that practical use of AI audio remains at an early stage.

Real-time translation and smart assistants were named as the most anticipated future features. AI features are expected to evolve around practical functions centered on improving everyday efficiency.

NIQ outlined the outlook for open-ear earbuds, saying they are an emerging category that has grown rapidly over the past several years. It added that open-ear earbuds are expected to move into the mass market for a broader consumer base in the future.

On this background, Sarah Batz, global strategic insights director at NIQ, said open-ear earbuds are the fastest-growing segment in the earbud market in terms of both revenue and sales volume. She said that as listening time expands across the day, consumer demand is broadening beyond sound alone.

Accordingly, Batz said consumers prefer products that offer comfort, environmental awareness, and a natural fit in daily life. NIQ forecast that open-ear earbuds will continue expanding to a broader consumer base amid these changes.

Shokz interpreted these market changes as a shift in open audio from products optimized for specific activities to 'All-day Audio.' 'All-day Audio' refers to a concept that accompanies various moments throughout the day, and Shokz emphasized that competition in the earbud market is shifting beyond better sound quality and new technologies to include the importance of comfortable long-term wear, a natural connection with the surrounding environment, and a single product's ability to support a range of everyday needs.

Leon Du, brand director at Shokz, first pointed out that Shokz has spent the past 15 years focusing on developing open-ear listening experiences based on users' real needs. He said open audio is rapidly expanding beyond sports into an everyday listening method, and based on that, Shokz plans to build new category standards grounded in a deep understanding of users and long-term technology investment.

Source: TECHWORLD · Lee Gwang-jae
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=406532

References

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