Cleer is on the case with its new true wireless open-ears

Cleer Arc 3 earbuds with a sky-blue background, showing the mirror in the case

(Image credit: Cleer)

It's quite hard to make earbuds that stand out from the crowd in today's competitive market, which is why many firms are turning their attention to the humble charging case. JBL stuck a touchscreen into some of theirs, while LG added UV sanitization to its earbud charger. And now Cleer is joining the smart case party with its new Arc 3 true wireless open-ear buds by adding both of those features and its own addition too: a mirror.

The new case isn't just good news for anyone who's been so engrossed in a podcast that they've forgotten what they look like. It's useful too. The UV-C light promises to blast bacteria for more hygienic headphones, while the touchscreen provides easy access to key features and settings.

In addition to the case there are some key improvements in the sound department too.

Cleer ARC3 True Wireless Open-Ear Earbuds: key features and pricing

Cleer Arc 3's smart-screen case, held in a hand, about to be put into a pocket — (Image credit: Cleer)

The new buds deliver Dolby Atmos with head tracking, version three of Cleer's dynamic bass enhancement and the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound S5 platform for better sound quality. That means LDAC hi-res audio as well as aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, AAC and SBC codecs.

The Arc 3 also promise deeper bass than before via their 16.2mm neodynium dynamic drivers, a useful improvement as open-ears tend to be a little light at the low end. Frequency response here is 50Hz to 40kHz.

The Bluetooth chip is Bluetooth 5.4 with multi-point for seamless switching between dual devices, and Cleer's automatic volume control adjusts the audio based on how noisy your listening environment becomes. And there's 50 hours of total battery life: 10 from the buds themselves and a further 40 from the case. IPX7 water and sweat resistance makes them a good choice for the gym or for outdoor running, one of the key areas where open-ears are often a better choice than in-ears with ANC.

The Cleer ARC3 True Wireless Open-Ear Earbuds are available now from the usual retailers and from Amazon. The MSRP is $219.99, which is around £169 or AU$330, but those last two prices are unofficial.

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.