Cleer Ark 4 Plus Review: Open-Ear Earbuds for Comfort and Sound

I Was Shocked. And I Don’t Say That Easily.

I’ve only been playing with these for just a few minutes and I’m already really shocked at how comfortable they are. That’s not a line I rehearsed. That was my actual reaction the second I put the Cleer ARC 4 Plus on my ears for the first time. And this is not my first Cleer product. So I already had expectations. Cleer has never steered me away from a good listening experience, and these are really, really blowing my mind.

But let me back up for a second. Because before I even get into the sound, I want to talk about comfort. That’s the thing most people overlook in headphone reviews. Everyone wants to jump straight to frequency response and driver specs. I get it. But at the end of the day, if something is poking into your ear canal or slipping off every time you move your head, those specs don’t matter whatsoever.

The ARC 4 Plus is an open-ear earhook design. No silicone tips. Nothing going inside your ear. You clip them on, they sit right at the opening, and you’ve got full awareness of the world around you. For runners, cyclists, anyone who needs to hear traffic or a conversation while they’re listening to music, this is the whole point. And I love that.

What’s In the Box and On the Spec Sheet

Let me show you what the actual package looks like. The case is super super pretty. The whole thing, the style, yes, it looks great. The earbuds themselves are white, and look at this thing — it is light. You’ve got a really nice driver in there. Really big driver. And it’s not heavy at all whatsoever.

These are Dolby Atmos THX certified, which is a real certification, not just a logo they slapped on the box. They also feature Head Tracking, EQ customization, and an IPX7 waterproof rating, so sweat and light rain are not a problem for workouts or outdoor use. The total playtime across the earbuds and case sits at 34 hours, which is solid for a pair you’re going to be reaching for every single day.

Touch controls are built in. You can answer the phone, adjust volume, skip or go back a track, play, pause — all from a tap on the earbud. And because the design is open-ear, you’re not fumbling to find the earbud face. It just works. The battery sensor and all the onboard hardware sit in that earhook arm, keeping the main driver section clean and minimal.

Charging is via USB-C. You plug it into the case, the case charges up, and then whenever you drop the buds back in, they charge from the case. So when you’re out and you need juice, make sure that case is topped off before you leave. Super simple system, nothing proprietary or annoying about it.

Three Seconds to Bluetooth. Then the Bass Hit.

I clicked them on and they connected to my phone in three or four seconds. That’s it. No pairing menu, no holding a button for fifteen seconds, no hoping. Just click, done, play.

The song started and the bass is really nice. I’m sorry if I was speaking a little louder than usual in the video — I was literally listening to music while talking, because I still had access to my earlobes and I could hear everything around me. That’s the whole premise of open-ear audio done right. You’re not sealing yourself off from the world. You’re adding a soundtrack to it.

The sound is crystal clear. I know you can’t hear it through a screen, but trust me, it’s really good. The Dolby Audio processing is doing real work here. There’s spatial depth to the sound that you don’t usually get from a pair of earhook buds at this tier. More importantly, the comfort didn’t compromise the listening experience at all. It feels fantastic and it sounds even better, which I’m really, really impressed with.

And because nothing is inside your ear canal, there’s zero fatigue. I wore them for the full review and never once felt like I needed to take them off. That’s the test that matters more than any frequency chart.

The Left-Right Thing Nobody Will Tell You

Okay, so there is one thing. The one thing that I kind of, I don’t know, it’s not an off-putting thing but it’s kind of weird. The way they fit in the case — the one sitting on the right side of the case goes on your left ear. The one on the left goes on your right.

So when you’re reaching in and picking up the one on the right, it goes on your left. They crisscross. Now, is that me nitpicking at something? Maybe. Does that change a thing in my life? Not really. You just have to remember the swap the first few times, and then it becomes second nature. But I’m flagging it because nobody else will, and the first time it happens to you, you’ll be glad you read this.

It doesn’t affect comfort, performance, or sound at all. It’s purely a case-orientation quirk. And — wait, not that word — look, it’s a minor thing in the context of everything else these earbuds do right. I just wanted to put it out there clearly before you buy.

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Cleer ARC 4 Plus Open-Ear Earbuds

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Who These Are Really Made For

The open-ear design with IPX7 waterproofing makes the most sense for people who are active and need to stay aware of their environment. Runners who need to hear traffic. Cyclists riding on roads. Anyone who works outdoors and wants music without going deaf to the world around them.

But they’re not just a sports accessory. I find that more importantly with headphones these days, I want them to be comfortable enough to wear all day without thinking about them. These clear that bar easily. They’re light enough that you forget they’re on. The earhook holds secure without clamping. You could wear these through a work-from-home day, a walk, a workout, and not once feel like you need to take them off.

I love something that’s going to be super nice looking, obviously, because you’re wearing them. White, clean lines, that big visible driver. They look considered, not cheap. And they stay put — light and they won’t just drop out or dislodge themselves. If you’ve ever had earhook earbuds that keep sliding off, that’s the problem these solve first before you even get to the sound.

If you’re someone who strictly needs full noise isolation — for concentration in a loud office, or studio-level monitoring — these aren’t built for that use case. The open-ear design means ambient sound comes through by design. That’s the point. So if that’s a dealbreaker for you, know it going in.

Cleer vs. The Field at This Price Point

There are other open-ear earhook earbuds out there. Shokz gets talked about a lot in the running community. The design philosophy is similar — keep you aware of your surroundings, stay on your ears securely, work for sport. But the Cleer ARC 4 Plus brings Dolby Audio and Head Tracking into that conversation, which pushes the audio performance noticeably above what you’d expect from a purely sport-focused pair.

Cleer as a brand has a real audio pedigree. This is not my first Cleer product. They know what they’re doing with sound. The bass response and the spatial quality of the ARC 4 Plus feel like a brand that takes the listening experience seriously, not just the fitness angle. That’s the trade-off you’re making at this price point: more refined audio quality versus a brand that’s been built around athlete use cases from day one.

The 34-hour total playtime with IPX7 protection is genuinely competitive. If you’re comparing shelf to shelf, check the current price at the link and stack it against what else is available. But from a comfort-plus-sound standpoint, the ARC 4 Plus holds its ground.

Before You Put Them On for the First Time

A couple of things I’d tell you before you open the box.

Remember the crisscross case orientation. Right earbud, left ear. Left earbud, right ear. You’ll thank me the first time you reach in. It takes about two uses to become automatic.

Charge the case before you go anywhere. The case is the battery bank for the earbuds. USB-C charges the case, the case charges the buds when they’re resting inside. If the case is dead and your earbuds run out, you’re done until you can plug in. That’s true of any earbuds with a charging case, but it’s especially worth being intentional about with a pair you’re taking to workouts.

The fit will depend on your ear shape. The earhook is manual and adjustable to some degree, so just take a second to find the right position for your ear before you start moving. Once it’s seated right, it’s not going anywhere. They are so simple to just flop on and you’re good to go, but getting that initial placement right makes the difference between “stays put all day” and “slides slightly”.

And check out the EQ customization in the companion app if you want to dial in the sound to your preferences. The defaults sound great out of the box, but the option is there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the Cleer ARC 4 Plus earbuds go inside your ear canal?

No, they don’t. The ARC 4 Plus is a fully open-ear earhook design — nothing enters your ear canal at all. They sit at the opening of the ear and hook around the outer ear to stay in place, which is the whole reason they’re so comfortable over long wear sessions.

How fast do they connect to Bluetooth?

Three to four seconds. I clicked them on, pulled up my phone, and the song was playing almost immediately. No complicated pairing process, no waiting around.

What’s the deal with the left-right orientation in the case?

It’s counterintuitive — the earbud sitting on the right side of the case goes on your left ear, and the one on the left goes on your right. They crisscross. It’s not a defect, just the way they’re designed to sit in the case. You get used to it fast, but it will catch you off guard the first couple of times.

Are these good for working out? Are they waterproof?

Yes on both counts. The ARC 4 Plus has an IPX7 waterproof rating, which covers sweat and rain for sports use. The earhook design is also built for stability — light and secure so they won’t drop out or dislodge themselves during movement.

Can you still hear what’s going on around you while wearing these?

That’s the entire point of the open-ear design. Because nothing is sealing your ear canal, ambient sound passes through naturally. I was wearing them and still having a conversation at normal speaking volume while music was playing. For runners, cyclists, and anyone near traffic, this is the feature that matters most.

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How does the charging work?

USB-C charges the case. When you put the earbuds back in the case, the case charges them. Make sure the case is charged before you head out — if the case battery is dead, the earbuds won’t charge when you drop them back in. The total playtime across buds and case is 34 hours.

Learn more

Cleer ARC 4 Plus Open-Ear Earbuds

Find Out More →

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.