1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 Review

The 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 are set to shake up the burgeoning open headphone market, simply because they are so much cheaper than most of the top options, like the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II buds. 

While they don’t match the sound quality of those headphones, the 1MORE S30 sound pretty good, and they provide a secure fit as well as awareness of your surroundings. They are among the best workout headphones available.

1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30: Price And Availability

The 1MORE S30 headphones launched in September 2023 and cost $69.99 in the US and £69.99 in the UK. That’s considerably cheaper than most sets of open headphones I’ve tested, such as the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II which cost more than $150/£150. The 1MORE range also includes the Open Earbuds S50, which are more expensive at $149.99/£149.99.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve been testing the 1MORE S30 open headphones on and off for several weeks, using them during a variety of workouts, though mainly for running, as well as for general use. I have also tested many other open and bone-conduction headphones.

Design And Fit

The 1MORE S30 headphones have an ear hook that holds them in place during workouts, if not always comfortably—with extended use I found the stiff hook put unpleasant pressure on the back of my ear.

There is a speaker on the large part of the buds that rests inside your ear without blocking the ear canal. They are not as “open” as bone-conduction headphones, and because the buds are larger than those of alternatives like the Shokz OpenFit they block more external noise, though I could still hear my surroundings when running and cycling outside.

With a water-resistance rating of IPX5, the 1MORE S30 headphones aren’t fully waterproof, but they will easily withstand the sweat and rain you encounter during workouts. 

The outside of each headphone is a touchpad that’s used to control playback and answer calls. Each headphone has two customisable controls—one for a double tap, one for a triple tap. The controls aren’t great, however: They often failed to register my taps when sitting at a desk and are even harder to use when training.

Sound Quality

The appeal of open headphones lies in the fact they can offer better sound quality than bone-conduction headphones while allowing more awareness and being more comfortable than in-ear buds, which still offer the best sound you can get in sports headphones.

This is the case with the 1MORE S30, which sound better than even the best bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun. You can customize the EQ in the partner app and while you don’t get a lot of bass from the buds—and they can sound a little mushy at times—they are clear and powerful enough to let you enjoy a range of music genres. 

The best-sounding open headphones I’ve tested are the Cleer Arc II, and others like the Oladance Open Headphones and Shokz OpenFit also sound better than the 1MORE S30 buds, with more bass and greater depth. I’ve also been testing the 1MORE Fit Open Earbuds S50, which have a novel open design with a silicone ring that surrounds the ear canal without blocking it. They also offer an improvement in sound quality compared with the S30. 

However, the jump in sound quality from the S30 to those headphones isn’t equivalent to the jump in price in my opinion. If sound is a big priority then in-ear buds with a transparency mode for awareness are a better option, unless you find them uncomfortable.

Battery Life

The 1MORE S30 buds last for 10 hours on a charge and the case adds another 20 hours. These are perfectly acceptable numbers, even if the buds fell slightly short of those times in my testing because I usually had the volume near the max when using them outside. 

However, given that the buds and case are quite large, it would have been good to get more battery life. The 1MORE Fit Open Earbuds S50 are similar in size and offer 11 hours on the buds and another 27 in the case.

Are The 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 Worth It?

The 1MORE S30 buds are an excellent option for anyone looking for open workout or running headphones. The combination of price and performance is a winning one, since they are so much cheaper than the top open buds on the market, while still performing well. 

If you want to upgrade the sound quality while sticking with open headphones then the Cleer Arc II are the best option, while the Shokz OpenFit are the most comfortable and also sound great. The 1MORE Fit Open Earbuds S50 have also impressed me so far in my testing, and are cheaper than the Shokz and Cleer buds.