Excellent sound, but recurrent skin irritation and disappointing customer-care resolution: OpenFit 2+
Excellent sound, but recurrent skin irritation and disappointing customer-care resolution
I have been a long-term Shokz user and genuinely like the concept of their open-ear headphones. I previously used the Shokz OpenFit Air for many hours at a time without any skin irritation, which is one of the reasons I felt confident upgrading to the OpenFit 2+.
In terms of sound, the OpenFit 2+ is excellent. The sound quality, clarity and bass are noticeably better than my previous model, and this is actually what makes this experience particularly disappointing because I genuinely wanted to keep using them.
Unfortunately, after wearing the OpenFit 2+ for several hours, I developed redness, flaking and irritation around and behind both ears where the ear hooks contact my skin. There was also a small amount of sticky/clear fluid which dried on both my skin and the earbuds.
Initially, I was not certain that the headphones were responsible. I stopped using them, allowed my ears to recover and later tried them again. The same reaction returned in the same contact areas.
I have now been medically assessed. The doctor advised me that these headphones are irritating my skin and that I should stop using this model. The exact cause has not been established — it may be the particular material/contact surface, pressure, friction, moisture being trapped against the skin, or a combination — so I am not claiming that I have a confirmed allergy to silicone or any particular material.
This is also worth mentioning because my previous OpenFit Air had a similar open-ear concept and I never experienced this problem with that model.
I reported the matter to Shokz and provided photographs, previous prescription evidence, purchase information and details of the recurrence. To their credit, Shokz have dealt with the complaint and offered to refund the purchase price.
However, this is where I feel the customer-service experience could have been much better.
I have been a loyal Shokz customer because I genuinely like their products. When I previously lost another pair of Shokz earbuds and contacted the company with supporting evidence, the assistance offered was essentially a very small discount — less meaningful than promotions that are often available publicly anyway.
With this more serious health-related issue, I had hoped Shokz might try harder to retain a loyal customer — for example by offering an alternative model with a different wearing/contact design, a meaningful loyalty discount toward another model, or another practical solution. Instead, the outcome has essentially been to return/refund the product.
I appreciate the refund and I want to be fair about that. My criticism is not that Shokz completely ignored the complaint. It is that there was very little sense of an additional customer-care solution beyond undoing the purchase, despite the documented circumstances and my history with the brand.
I am leaving this review mainly so that other people with sensitive skin are aware that even an open-ear design can potentially cause irritation depending on the individual ear, fit, pressure and contact material.
The OpenFit 2+ may be perfectly comfortable for most people and, purely for sound quality, I really liked them. Unfortunately, for me, the recurring skin reaction means I simply cannot use them.
Excellent audio product, but unfortunately incompatible with my skin, and I believe Shokz could do more in situations like this to support and retain loyal customers.