The Short Version
Open-ear earbuds are growing in appeal among people who want music without losing awareness of their surroundings.
Open-ear earbuds let sound in by design, which sounds like a step backward until you realize the problem they solve: noise-canceling earbuds are great until you need to hear a cashier, a crosswalk signal, or someone calling your name. Digital Trends puts it plainly, the outside world barges in whether you want it to or not, and sometimes you do want it to. Open-ear is not a compromise for people who forgot to charge their earbuds. It is a deliberate choice by people tired of peeling one earbud out every few minutes.