JLab JBuds Open Sport 2 vs the Original Open Sport

Budget pick

JLab JBuds Open Sport 2

The one I'd buy at $52.99: longer battery claim, three devices

Buy nowTypical price: $52.99 list

VS

Budget pick

JLab JBuds Open Sport

Worth it only well below the Open Sport 2's price

Buy nowTypical price: $79.99 list

The JLab JBuds Open Sport 2 costs $52.99 on JLab’s US store, and the original Open Sport listed at $79.99. JLab claims 45 hours of total battery for the Open Sport 2 against 26 for the original, and it moves from Bluetooth 5.1 to 6.0 with three-device multipoint. Both are open-ear earhook pairs with 14.2 mm drivers and IP55. I’d buy the Open Sport 2.

JLab Open Sport 2 price

JLab sells the Open Sport 2 for $52.99, checked October 26, 2026, and its store also lists a navy version at the same price. The original Open Sport listed at $79.99 when JLab announced it in September 2024, so the new model costs less than the old one. JLab’s page for the original now says it has been upgraded to the Open Sport 2.

I found no Amazon US listing for the Open Sport 2. Amazon does still sell the original under ASIN B0DCF1FNK5, and at least one regional Amazon listing (Amazon South Africa) sells the original under the Open Sport 2 name, so check the battery figure on the page (45 hours for the Open Sport 2, 26 for the original).

Open Sport 2 vs Open Sport specs

The two share a driver size, a water rating and an earhook design. Battery, Bluetooth and multipoint are where they split.

Figures come from JLab’s spec sheets for the Open Sport 2 and the original Open Sport, and they’re maker claims. The original’s two-device limit comes from JLab’s Amazon listing.

Battery

JLab claims 8 hours per bud and 45 hours with the case for the Open Sport 2. The original claims 9 hours per bud and 26 hours with the case, so the new buds run an hour shorter per charge and the new case holds far more. JLab’s overview page for the original lists 7 hours per bud and 24 total, an older figure than its product page shows. Both pairs get an hour of playback from a 10-minute charge, and the app’s Battery Boost mode adds about 2 hours to the Open Sport 2 in place of the bass-focused Sound Boost mode, according to JLab’s app guide.

Fit and design

Both pairs hook behind your ear and rest the speaker just outside the ear canal, so nothing seals your ears. The Open Sport 2 has a thinner, sleeker capsule than the original and keeps the same ear hooks. JLab lists 13.8 g for the Open Sport 2 earbuds and 13.9 g for the original’s, so the weight barely moves.

Sound

Both use 14.2 mm dynamic drivers. JLab says the Open Sport 2 adds a SoundBoost algorithm and front-and-back sound tubes for fuller bass, which is a JLab claim with no measurement behind it yet. Open-ear pairs lose bass whatever the maker does. My best budget open-ear headphones guide explains what you give up on bass, leakage and isolation compared with sealed earbuds.

Connection and app

The Open Sport 2 runs Bluetooth 6.0 and connects to three devices at once. The original runs Bluetooth 5.1 and connects to two. Both use SBC and AAC only, so there’s no LDAC or aptX on either.

The JLab app on the Open Sport 2 has JLab Signature, Balanced, Bass Boost and Custom EQ settings, an interval timer for workout and rest sets, custom touch controls, a Safe Hearing volume cap and a sleep timer. Movie Mode lowers latency for video, but JLab says it doesn’t work with three devices connected. The original’s app has custom EQ and Movie Mode but no interval timer.

Calls

Each pair has two MEMS mics with environmental noise cancelling, and JLab rates Open Sport 2 talk time at 5 hours. No one has published call tests for the Open Sport 2 yet. For a day of video calls, I’d use a boom-mic pair like the OPN Sound Chat Pro in my open-ear guide.

Open Sport 2 full spec sheet

Every figure is from JLab’s Open Sport 2 page, checked October 26, 2026, except the release month, which comes from The Verge’s September 3, 2026 report. JLab doesn’t list a release date.

Open Sport 2 vs OPN Sound Aria Pro vs Shokz OpenRun

Both rivals are sports pairs I already cover in my open-ear guide. The Aria Pro figures come from OPN Sound’s page and the OpenRun figures from Shokz’s page, except where marked.

The Open Sport 2 is the cheapest of the three and has the most battery with its case. The OpenRun holds up better against water, and it has no case to lose, but it costs more than twice as much.

Is the JLab Open Sport 2 good for running?

On paper it fits running well. It’s IP55 against sweat, rain and dust, the earhooks hold it in place without ear tips, and the open design leaves traffic audible. It isn’t rated for swimming. At $52.99 it costs less than every Shokz pair in my open-ear guide, though the Shokz OpenRun’s IP67 rating is stronger.

If you’d rather have bone conduction or the cheapest open-ear pair I’d buy, see the OPN Sound Aperto and Mezzo+ in my open-ear guide.

Written by Marius

Audio enthusiast. I've worn a lot of headphones, and I tell you which pair is worth your money and which one isn't.

I check every verdict against lab measurements and long-term owner feedback, and I update pages when prices or models change. How I judge headphones.