The single earbud method and transparency mode are two popular ways to enjoy music while maintaining situational awareness. If you're paranoid enough about your surroundings though, trusting the ambient mode mic won't be enough! Fortunately, there are other alternatives such as bluetooth audio sunglasses and ARC - Cleer's new open ear true wireless earbuds which have the advantage of completely freeing your ears, eliminating the common issue of earbud wind noise.

The Cleer ARC have a P shape ear hook design with a D-shape body shell (same as the new Cleer Arc II), making them more secure to wear than regular true wireless in-ear earbuds. ARC has a long stem design that fits around the top of the ear similarly to sports ear hook earphones. The ARC ear hook stem is substantially thicker though, so they are more noticable when wearing them around the ears. The total dimensions of the Cleer ARC earbuds (including the ear hook) is 5cm tall and 4cm wide. The earbud shell measures 2.5cm long, 2cm high, 1cm thick and, it is designed to sit outside the ear canal, making them less intrusive.

The ARC earhook design does not cause any discomfort, thanks to the silicone construction, which is not only soft but also hypoallergenic (does not sensitize the skin). The bottom part of the stem is made of smooth matte plastic, while the ear hook section is made of silicone. The ARC earbud shell is made of smooth matte plastic and, it is attached to an aluminum barrel style swivel hinge to help adjust fit. 

The Cleer ARC earbuds come with a custom charging dock built inside the included hardshell zippered case. The charging dock is made of hard plastic and magnetized to keep the earbuds securely in place. There is no battery inside the charging dock; hence it's just a passthrough power dock. It is not capable of storing any power. If you want to recharge the Cleer ARC earbuds on the go, you can use a powerbank and charge them that way via the USB-A cable built-in to the ARC case, which is 23cm long and non-detachable. The cable neatly winds around the dock like an earphone cable winder.

The ARC charging dock zippered case design works well without issues. It has a snug clamshell opening and a  strong magnetic connection that keeps the earbuds securely in place, preventing them from accidentally falling out of the charging dock. The only slight drawback with the charging dock design is that it cannot be removed from the case, which means you cannot use the zippered case to store something else.

 

The dimensions of the Cleer ARC zippered case are 12.5cm long, 8cm wide and 2cm high (thick). The ARC case weighs 79 grams and opens via a single slider with metal pulltab. The outer shell of the case is covered with water resistant woven material. The zipper is not waterproof but has a reverse coil design, which helps minimize water and dust ingress. The ARC case has Cleer branding heat printed on top of the case.

ARC does have some potential deal breakers too. There is no battery powered case and ARC resemblance to a hearing aid, which maybe an issue for brand conscious fashionistas. The IPX rating isn't listed; hence it is likely to be below the standard IPX5 (~IPX2 or IPX3). That said, ARC's open ear design makes them less susceptible to sweat damage when working out. Rain, in the other hand, is a different story. If you like running in the rain, it's safer going for a different set of earbuds such as the ROAM NC earbuds.