I’m one of those people whose earbuds absolutely won’t stay in their ears. Not earbuds, not in-ear monitors, not even the ones that come with three sizes of ear tips. As a teenager, I thought I just hadn’t grown into them yet. Maybe my ear canal was too narrow, or my ear shape hadn’t fully formed. I don’t know. It was only later that I figured out why earbuds actually fall out of ears — and it turned out it had nothing to do with age. But the fact remained: I listen to music through earbuds at best 6-8 times a year, and even then usually with big over-ear headphones. But lugging around a huge accessory in a case isn’t exactly fun. And yet the solution was more than obvious.
Putting the earbuds back in this case is quite the quest
Differences Between Huawei FreeClip and FreeClip 2 Ear Cuffs
I already had the original Huawei FreeClip ear cuffs. And these were perhaps the first earbuds in my life that actually stayed in my ear and didn’t make me want to immediately dig them out. They clipped onto the cartilage rather than trying to crawl into the ear canal, and that changed absolutely everything.
But I wasn’t thrilled with their sound quality, so when my wife lost her FreeBuds 5 (also from Huawei, by the way), I gave her my FreeClip without much regret. Well, ear cuffs are a unisex thing, they look stylish, and my wife got lucky with the fit too. So I was left with nothing.
As a replacement, I got the Huawei FreeBuds 6 — classic earbuds. And it was torture. They fell out constantly. While walking, on public transport, with any turn of the head. So I went back to my 6-8 listens per year — and even those were forced. That’s how I lived until I saw the FreeClip 2.
First encounter with FreeClip 2 in Dubai
I first came across them in a Huawei brand store in Dubai. I picked them up, turned them over, tried them on — and immediately knew: this was it. It was an upgraded version of the very same ear cuffs that had been taken from me. But I hesitated on the price. It’s not the cheapest thing, and foreign currency is real money too, no matter how it might seem otherwise.
Yes, I hesitated. But it was fate. Because when I found myself in Bangkok, I walked into the Huawei store at CentralWorld — and saw them on display again. That’s how they became mine. Huawei FreeClip 2. The second generation of ear cuffs that Huawei positions not even as earbuds, but as jewelry. But let me tell you everything in order.
Comfortable Earbuds That Stay in Your Ears
These are the tiny little earbuds we ended up with
Each earbud, according to the brochure from the manufacturer’s website, became lighter and more compact. I’m not sure. Maybe. But even the previous generation didn’t weigh down my ear. The new version just feels somewhat more snug, I suppose. I liked it.
But the main change is the sound. The bass in the second generation became noticeably more powerful. The first generation sounded noticeably thinner — not bad, but kind of lean. Now the low frequencies have finally arrived, and for open earbuds that don’t plug your ear, that’s a serious achievement.
I also liked that the connecting bridge was redesigned. In the first generation, the C-shaped bridge was smooth, glossy — it slipped. Now it’s rubberized, with a fine texture. It holds more securely, doesn’t slide around, and looks more premium in my opinion.
How Open-Type Earbuds Sound
Listening to FreeClip 2 on a plane — totally fine
Let’s be honest: these are open earbuds. They don’t plug the ear canal, which means there’s no noise isolation here, nor can there be. In a quiet room, the FreeClip 2 sound excellent — spacious, with pleasant bass and a clean midrange. Outside or on the subway, some sound inevitably gets lost in the ambient noise.
But that’s the whole point. Ear cuffs aren’t about audiophile seclusion. They’re about listening to music while still hearing the world around you. Are they suitable for a flight? Absolutely. On the plane, I listened to podcasts at medium volume and could make out everything perfectly. They work for trains too — climb up to the top bunk, turn them on, and chill.
For audiophiles, I’ll note: there’s no LDAC or aptX here — only basic codecs. But honestly, for everyday use, I didn’t notice the difference. The connection is stable, and I didn’t experience a single dropout the entire time.
As for controls — that’s a mixed bag. Taps work the same as in the first generation: double tap for pause, triple tap for next track. Every reviewer writes that the second generation added swipes for volume control, but if they existed, they never worked for me.
Maybe my hands aren’t coordinated enough, maybe there’s some special technique — I don’t know. So I still adjust the volume from my phone. But head gestures — that’s a different story: nod to accept a call, shake your head to decline. Though it’s kind of a one-time novelty, if you ask me. It looks a bit weird.
Pros and Cons of Huawei FreeClip 2
Pro tip — go for the upper deck if you’re flying on an A380. It’s quieter 
The case is more compact than the first generation. It’s matte, pleasant to the touch, doesn’t creak or crack — it feels like a well-made product. Light rain or dust won’t be a problem.
As for battery life — the earbuds last an incredibly long time. Just to give you an idea: I listened to the FreeClip 2 on a flight from Bangkok to Phu Quoc, then back, then on the Bangkok to Dubai flight, and then Dubai to Moscow, and I still couldn’t drain them. Moreover, I’ve been back from vacation for about 3 weeks now, and the case only just ran out of battery. So for my 6-8 listening sessions a year, the battery life of these new buds is absolutely not an issue.
Now for what’s annoying. Putting the earbuds back into the case is quite the ordeal. They attach with magnets, but due to the unusual shape of the ear cuffs, you first have to figure out exactly how to place them in there. Getting them into the slots on the first try doesn’t always work. You get used to it, but the first few days — guaranteed frustration.
And another thing: there’s no charging cable included. At all. Huawei apparently decided everyone already has a Type-C cable handy. Maybe that’s true. But it still feels cheap, especially at this price point.
Huawei FreeClip 2 — Price in Russia
You can buy these earbuds on Yandex Market, and at a reasonable price
In Russia, the FreeClip 2 costs under 15,000 rubles. Expensive? For earbuds without noise cancellation — yes, objectively expensive. Though, as much as I hate to admit it, they were pricier in Bangkok. The only consolation is the memory of how many pairs of earbuds I’ve bought in my life that I never really wore. Now those were truly wasted money. This one’s fine.
Obviously, ear cuffs aren’t for everyone. If you need noise isolation or studio-quality sound, look elsewhere. But if you have the same problem I do — earbuds fly out, in-ears cause pressure, and you’re too lazy to carry around over-ears — the options are pretty limited.
I wore the FreeClip 2 for really long stretches and forgot they were on me. Only after about 7 hours did my ears start to itch for some reason. But that’s not the main thing. The main thing is that the first generation changed my relationship with earbuds. The second generation added the bass that was missing and refined the wearing comfort to perfection.
