'If anyone can make open earbuds work, it'd be Skullcandy': these new sports-specific buds could dethrone the Shokz — and cost half as much

• Skullcandy announces Push 540 Open
• Open earbuds with detachable neckband
• On sale now for $99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$160).

I've long been a fan of Skullcandy's workout headphones — I trained for my first half marathon with a pair of the company's wired sports earbuds and my old iPod Classic, and recently tested the Skullcandy Crusher 540 over-ears. So it's natural that my eyes would be drawn to a new pair from the likeable audio firm.

The brand has announced the new Push 540 Open, which are on sale already for $99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$160). They join its Push line of hook-toting fitness buds, including the Push ANC Active or Push Play Active (getting 'Live, Laugh, Love' vibes with that model name).

They're ostensibly open earbuds, but with a catch: the box includes an optional neckband, which clips to the earbuds and goes around your neck. This is to add some extra stability if you're stomping up or down muddy mountains, or doing some dirt biking.

Honest-to-goodness neckband earbuds! It's been ages since I've seen buds like this; it feels like tech advances all but killed them off, and I haven't used a pair since the Huawei FreeLace in 2019. Presumably, though, there's still an audience for this kind of gadget — especially with the wired revival and the continuing digital detox in audio especially.

Your new workout bud-dy

So what else are we looking at with the Skullcandy Push 540 Open?

The battery life is promising, at 10 hours per bud and 42 hours in the case, with naturally no ANC to sap that juice.

The driver is a 12mm guy, possibly the same as we saw in the recent Skullcandy Method 540, which marked an odd departure for the bass-loving brand. I think a reverse-face would do well in the Push 540: this kind of headphone often struggles with bass, and if anyone can make open earbuds work, it'd be Skullcandy.

Not a 'spec' per se, but the design clearly shows a two-part body of the bud, with a separate driver hanging down. It's hard to say for sure, but I imagine this is pretty good for in-ear stability.

On the cons side? The case looks pretty big. That used to be a given for open earbuds, but we've seen some brands make slim ones recently — and if you need that, the Honor Earbuds Open tote one of the most svelte charging boxes yet.

We haven't tested the Push 540 Open, so it's impossible to say just how good they are. I don't imagine they'll compete with our top-tier Shokz OpenFit 2+, because they're half the price, but they could be a great budget option for sports fans who need something open and bassy to get through their next big outdoor challenge.

The best open earbuds for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best open earbuds
1. Best overall:
Shokz OpenFit 2+
2. Best cheap around-ear design:
Huawei FreeArc
3. Best cheap clip design:
Shokz OpenDots One
4. Best high-end clip design:
Bose Ultra Open

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