Bose unveils some of the world’s most unconventional true wireless earbuds

The aptly named Bose Sport Open Earbuds rock a decidedly unconventional workout-friendly design that wraps around your ears rather than going inside them to try to drown out your surroundings. While the earhooks themselves look a little like the ones attached to Apple’s sporty Beats Powerbeats Pro, these particular buds are held up above your ear canal in a bold attempt to “redefine personal listening.”

In a way, the idea behind the making of these unusual little wireless headphones reminds us of Sony’s even quirkier SRS-WS1 wearable speaker. Fortunately, the Sport Open Earbuds are significantly cheaper, at $199.95, shipping from January 20 in the US following a pre-order start earlier today.

Despite keeping you very much in tune with everything happening around you, the hot new Bose earbuds also claim to be able to produce “high-quality” sound directed toward the wearer and “away from everyone else.” That’s certainly a bold promise considering your ears are left “completely open” during both your outdoor and indoor training sessions, when you might need all the audio motivation you can get.

Tipping the scales at a measly 14 grams per bud, these bad boys can “lock in place” with no ear tip and “virtually” no skin contact while also forgoing the bone conduction technology used by various similar products in the past.

Protected against sweat, as well as “heat, rain, and snow”, the Bose Sport Open Earbuds promise to be comfortable and secure in addition to gentle on your ears for up to eight hours on a single charge. Oddly enough, it doesn’t look like you’ll be getting a standard charging case included in the retail box, with a protective carrying case and stationary charging base capable of delivering up to three hours of continuous listening time in just 30 minutes instead bundled in here.