Realme Buds Clip review: A comfortable open-ear option under Rs 6,000

I’ve wanted to switch to open-ear earphones for a while. Not because they look trendy, but because my ears often ache. For a bit of context, I’ve been using in-ear buds for a long time. As a result, I’ve been having a subtle pain and pressure inside the ear canal, which has now become a recurring issue. So, I recently started using Realme Buds Clip for its design that lets sound in without sealing the ear canal. The added benefit is ambient awareness, which matters on Indian streets, office floors, and even crammed homes. But, this open-ear design comes with clear trade-offs, like don’t expect ANC or isolation here. Pointing out that as a flaw isn’t the purpose of this review. Instead, this piece tells you the practicality of the Buds Clip in everyday life. Let’s dive in.

Loving the lightweight build

The first thing you notice is how ‘un-earbud-like’ the Readme Buds Clip feel. Quite literally, there’s no silicone tip inside your ear canal. Instead, the Buds Clip sit around the concha and hooks gently, leaving your ear open to the world and your senses unobstructed. They look like one of those cuff earrings.

Wearing the Buds Clip with music on, you can still hear the surroundings a bit. And if you turn off the music, you can walk comfortably on a busy road without feeling its presence on the ear. An in-ear earphone, however light it may be, still muffles what you hear. You don’t have that problem here.

Talking of lightness, this thing is only 5.3 grams. Very light, and you forget you’re wearing them right away. You can wear them for hours. It doesn’t fall off with head jerks, or while pulling out a jacket or sweater you are wearing. They stay grippy without feeling tight or pinching. The comfort is genuinely pleasant!

Now, its appearance or your liking for it could depend on your style and taste. Some can pull it off or won’t mind what others think. People notice it, for the novel design and out of curiosity, they may even ask what it is. To some, you may look funny also. But like I said, some don’t mind, or better, they make it work. The Buds Clip come in two colours: Titanium Black and Titanium Gold. Personally, I’m glad to have received the black colour for this review, because pulling off that gold finish isn’t my cup of tea.

One personal qualm with the Realme Buds Clip is that loud street traffic and engine hum will still be audible, and can be annoying to hear alongside rock or anything loud and harsh you are already hearing. Agreed, that’s by design, but it is still something you should know. On the plus side, the buds support IP55 dust and water resistance, akin to the Buds Air 8, which makes them suitable for heavy workouts and outdoor use.

Also Read: Google Pixel Buds 2a review: Made for Pixel users, pleasant for everyone else

Stable connection and descent usability 

Pairing the Realme Buds Clip to my phone via Bluetooth worked fine. But the unit we got wasn’t connecting to the Realme Link app on the Google Play Store. Instead, it was working with the Chinese version of the app. The UI and options are mostly like the Realme Buds Air 8. You get options like EQ mode with 4 presets and a custom creation option, spatial audio, AI Translate, Game Mode, dual-device connection (which you have to enable), and Touch Control edits (no single-tap given).

The controls are simple and responsive. But the unique form factor needs some getting used to. Some hits and trials to learn where to tap to activate touch controls. The thick part of the buds is where you have to tap.

The connection was stable, provided there were no hindrances like closed doors. Call quality was also decent. Again, because of the design, some leakage happens, and people can hear what you are listening to if they are close to you.

Open, airy, and safe sound

The sound signature matches the design philosophy: open, airy, and without deep isolation. I was listening in Clear Bass mode at 100% volume on my Galaxy S23 with Bass Boost+ enabled. Even then, loudness remains modest. Positioning the buds slightly differently can help, but they never get truly loud. For context, 80% volume on the Realme Buds Air 8 is louder than 100% volume on the Buds Clip. This is safe from an ear-health perspective.

Listening to Hotel California by The Eagles felt like the music was playing around me, not inside my head. Compared to the Buds Air 8, the Buds Clip has less body and presence. Instruments sound softer and less defined. Bass does not thump like sealed earbuds, but it has enough punch for an open-ear design, more so than some alternatives like the Nothing Ear (Open). Vocals come through clearly. You can hear texture and breath in Johnny Cash’s voice in Hurt, though the vocals are not pushed forward. Instruments often sit ahead of them. With tracks like Centuries by Fall Out Boy, the presentation stays energetic without becoming fatiguing. High-frequency detail is more restrained than in the Nothing Ear (Open).

On podcasts, audiobooks, and softer music, the Buds Clip tuning is completely adequate. On heavier tracks or bass-centric genres, you won’t get the same impact as in-ear buds, but that’s the compromise open-ear design asks you to make.

Spatial audio adds a slight sense of width, but it also pushes vocals further back and reduces clarity. I preferred keeping it turned off. There were no noticeable latency issues while watching videos or casual gaming. For what it’s worth, a 45ms Game Mode is available if needed.

Ambient awareness is built in by design, not something you toggle. That means you never feel cut off. This comes in handy in daily Indian environments, like on a crowded street or while waiting for a metro announcement. I could comfortably watch movies at home and still hear when someone talks to me. 

Passable battery life and charging

Endurance is not the Realme Buds Clip’s strongest suit. That said, the battery life I got is respectable for this price. The buds run for about 5 hours and 30 minutes with AAC and 80% volume. That’s on the lower end compared to ANC in-ear earphones like the Realme Buds Air 8 and even clip-style open-ear earbuds like the Huawei FreeClip.

Charging is done via USB-C and tops up the thing fairly quickly.

Should you buy the Realme Buds Clip?

In everyday use, Realme Buds Clip’s open design proves genuinely practical. At low volumes or with the music off, you can fearlessly walk on busy Indian roads, move around the house, or sit in an office. You hear your surroundings naturally, without needing a transparency mode or toggles. For gyms, workspaces, and casual home listening, this feels safer and more relaxed than sealed earbuds.

The Realme Link app and features like spatial audio, 45ms low-latency Game Mode, dual-device connection, and the ability to change touch controls make them feel closer to Realme’s mainstream earbuds.

But that’s the point. The Realme Buds Clip are not for everyone, and that’s okay. Sound is airy and quite enjoyable, but not very immersive. Vocals are clear, instruments are softened, and the bass has punch for an open design, but not the weight you get from ANC earphones like the Realme Buds Air 8. Compared to in-ear options, the music also loses loudness and detail. 

There are also other practical limits you should be aware of. That design may not be for everyone, and because of it, some sound leakage is inevitable. Loud traffic and engine noise remain audible and can clash with what you are hearing. Battery life is on the lower side, too and less than some ANC and open-ear alternatives.

So, should you buy the Realme Buds Clip knowing these unavoidable trade-offs? Yes, if comfort, ear health, and situational awareness matter more to you than isolation. They make sense if you find in-ear earbuds fatiguing, or if you want something you can wear for hours without feeling disconnected from your surroundings. They are not meant to replace ANC earbuds for travel or immersive listening. But as a daily, low-stress alternative for gyms, offices, and home use, the Realme Buds Clip do exactly what they promise, and that alone gives them a clear place in the sub-Rs 6,000 market. 

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