JBL’s clip-on open earbuds could be a stylish, comfortable alternative to traditional wireless buds

The JBL Soundgear Clips are a new set of lightweight open-ear headphones that use air conduction technology to deliver “high-quality sound”.

Launched at CES 2026, the Soundgear Clips have been designed with comfort in mind. The earbuds are secured in place via a soft TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) arc that allows the buds to be clipped around the listener’s ear, wearing the buds like an ear cuff.

These clip-on or ear cuff-style designs seem to be something of a growing trend for open earbuds, with Huawei starting it off with the FreeClip (and continuing with the recently announced FreeClip 2) and other models joining the fray, such as Bose’s more premium Ultra Open Earbuds.

The Soundgear Clip’s open-ear design means listeners can remain aware of their surroundings while listening to music, as they don’t use eartips to sit inside the ear canal. But JBL has also equipped them with several features to enhance sound quality.

JBL OpenSound, the US audio manufacturer’s proprietary open-ear audio technology, is on board, and this uses air conduction to enhance sound quality without blocking the ear canal.

According to JBL, the Clips’ “SonicArc” shape positions the 11mm dynamic driver for optimum bass performance, while preventing sound from leaking out. To enhance audio further, these wireless earbuds also use an adaptive bass boost algorithm.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, these wireless in-ears support multipoint functionality, so listeners can switch seamlessly between different audio devices.

There are four mics on board to improve call clarity, while the buds offer up to 32 hours of listening time when used with the charging case, with eight hours on a single charge.

The buds have touch controls, while the JBL Headphones App allows you to tweak the EQ settings to your liking. The earbuds are IP54 rated, so they are protected against dust and water splashes, too.

They come in a choice of five translucent finishes with a metallic tint: blue, black, white, purple or copper.

The JBL SoundGear Clips are already available in the UK for £120 (with many finish options now available for just £94), but they will launch in the US from March 2026 for $150.

In comparison, the JBLs are a fair bit cheaper than the Huawei FreeClip 2, which cost £179 (approx $241).

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