The Oladance OWS Sports are some of the best workout headphones I’ve tried, ticking all the boxes as sports buds thanks to their great fit, long battery life, waterproofing and open design that lets you be aware of your surroundings.
For open buds, the sound quality is impressive, even if it’s not as good as the best in-ear headphones. The downsides to open headphones remain, as they’re not ideal for travel or general use, and the OWS Sports are expensive for buds you might not want to use all the time.
Oladance OWS Sports: Price and Availability
The Oladance OWS Sports was released in February 2024 and costs $179.99 in the US and £189.99 in the UK. That price is in line with more expensive open buds like the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II, but you can get open earbuds for a lot less, like the 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30. The Oladance OWS Sports are available in four colors: silver, yellow, gray and pink.
How I tested these headphones
I’ve been using the OWS Sports headphones on and off for three months, mostly for running and general use. I’ve also tried them on bike rides, strength training and yoga sessions. I’ve tried a variety of the best workout headphones, including many open designs, including the Oladance OWS 1.
Design, controls and application
Unlike the other headphones in the Oladance range, the OWS Sports are not individual buds. Instead, the headphones are attached to a band that runs around the back of the head. They are lightweight and I found the fit comfortable and secure enough to use the buds for long workouts as well as throughout the day. However, there are times when it’s convenient to use just one bud to keep your ear clear or to keep the cable from running around the back of your head, when true wireless buds will be the better choice.
There’s a speaker inside the buds that sits in your ear just above the ear canal so you can hear your sound clearly while still being aware of what’s around you. This is useful when you’re running or cycling outside, or working out at a gym where you might need to hear what others are saying.
The headphones are IPX8 rated, meaning they are waterproof and won’t be bothered by sweat and rain during your workout. However, they are not suitable for swimming, unlike some bone conduction headphones such as the Shokz OpenSwim.
There’s a multifunction button on the left bud to control playback, and two buttons on the right, which control volume and turn the headphones on and off. I found them handy during training and more reliable than a touch panel.
Sound quality
The improved sound quality from the open design is a big reason to choose OWS Sports headphones over bone conduction headphones. The OWS Sports buds don’t let in as much external noise as the bone conduction buds (which leave the ears clear), but they sound better, with a fuller sound and much stronger bass.
You can adjust the EQ in the Oladance app, which allows you to further boost the bass, and whether you’re using the headphones in a quiet gym or office or on a windy dance floor, you’ll get loud and clear sound. Oladance says the buds reduce wind noise, and it works to some degree: You’ll still hear the wind when you’re cycling or running, but it’s not as noticeable as with other open-back headphones.
I found the buds pleasant to wear for long periods indoors as well as during exercise, and that’s not the case with the bone conduction headphones—I find they don’t have good enough sound quality for use during exercise. You’ll still get better sound with passive and active noise cancellation (ANC) from in-ear buds, and for the price of the Oladance OWS Sports you can get great headphones like the Jabra Elite 8 Active, which are great for sports and general use. As open headphones, the OWS Sports are also not so ideal for use on loud trains and planes, when podcasts in particular can be drowned out.
Battery life
Battery life is a strong point for the OWS Sports, lasting 15 hours on a charge (even when using them at high volume). The quick charge function gives you five hours of playback with a 15-minute charge. Since they don’t have a carrying case, you have to plug in the buds to charge them, and it’s a proprietary cable, so you can’t use a generic one if you lose it. Buds that use carrying cases that charge them can offer longer overall battery life, although 15 hours on the headphones themselves is great.
Are Oladance OWS Sports Worth It?
The OWS Sports headphones are excellent. I prefer them to other open headphones I’ve used for running and workouts, although there are plenty of similar quality headphones in this category now. The Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II are great options and have individual buds instead of a neck design, although I found the overall fit of the Oladance buds more comfortable and secure during workouts.
It’s hard for me to say that open buds that cost that much are worth it because they aren’t always ideal for non-workout use. The Jabra Elite 8 Active are similarly priced and among the best workout headphones, while the Jabra Elite 4 Active are cheaper. They both have an on-ear design and excellent sound quality and ANC, with transparency mode that allows awareness of your surroundings. you can also use one bud at a time.
However, if you want the extra awareness of open headphones, the OWS Sports offer good sound quality. The price is steep, though, and there might be better value in getting a cheaper set of open buds like the 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 — which still sound pretty good — for your workouts and an on-ear set for general use.
