7 Best Bone-Conduction Headphones | Well+Good

On-ear, open-ear, noise-canceling, earbuds—with so many varieties of headphones on the market, trying to find the proper pair generally is a bit daunting. However there’s one kind of headphones chances are you’ll not have even heard of. (Sorry, that pun was simply prepared and ready.) We’re speaking about bone-conduction headphones, which ship audio vibrations straight to your inside ear by the bones in your cheek and jaw. Fairly cool, proper? To study extra, we spoke with licensed audiologist Ruth Reisman, AuD MBA CCC-A, about what they’re and who they profit. Plus, we rounded up seven of the most effective bone-conduction headphones to strive for your self.

The most effective bone conduction headphones, at a look:

• Finest general: Shokz, OpenMove, $80
• Finest sound high quality: Shokz, OpenRun, $130
• Most inexpensive: Vidonn, F1, $50
• Finest for swimming: Shokz, OpenSwim, $120
• Finest for cellphone calls: Haylou, PurFree BC01, $120
• Finest for exercises: H20 Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport, $160
• Most unusual: Bose, Frames Tempo Sports Sunglasses, $250

What are bone-conduction headphones, anyway?

Not like conventional headphones, bone-conduction headphones bypass your ear canal and eardrum by sitting on prime of your jaw and cheekbone and transmitting sound vibrations on to your inside ear. They’re connected by a band that matches round your head. “As a result of all the bones within the head are related, when this space is vibrated the sign is transmitted on to the inside ear,” Reisman says. “The inside ear buildings vibrate in tandem with the vibrations of the cranium emitted from the headphones.”

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The advantages of bone conduction headphones

Of us have gotten more and more conscious of their hearing health, and the overuse of in-ear headphones is without doubt one of the principal culprits for listening to points. With that in thoughts, bone-conduction headphones have some severe perks. Reisman says there are 4 principal advantages:

1. Open-ear design

You probably have listening to loss that’s brought on by abnormalities of the outer or center ear, however your inside ear nonetheless capabilities usually, bone conduction headphones might profit you. “The sound will bypass any challenges that the outer or center ear is experiencing,” explains Reisman. Not solely are you able to reasonable the headphone quantity and listen to music higher, however Reisman says bone conduction headphones may even present a cleaner, crisper, much less distorted sign to the inside ear.

Since bone-conduction headphones do not go contained in the ears, they will additionally get rid of the discomfort related to in-ear or over-ear headphones. Bone-conduction headphones, by not overlaying or inserting into the ears, can cut back the chance of fatigue throughout prolonged use.

2. Fewer ear infections

You probably have fixed ear infections, Reisman cautions that utilizing conventional in-ear headphones might have an effect on your ear’s therapeutic course of. “Maintaining the ear open and aerated with bone conduction headphones would keep away from additional injury to the outer and center ears,” she says.

3. Elevated security throughout solo actions

These kinds of headphones enable for environmental noises to journey by the ear’s conventional pathway, whereas nonetheless permitting you to listen to your favourite music, podcasts, and audiobooks. This implies you may be extra conscious of the automobiles or pedestrians round you whereas biking, working, or strolling.

4. Decreased grime, micro organism, and ear wax impaction

Increase your hand should you’re responsible of not cleansing your headphones sufficient. Fortunately, that is not a difficulty with this kind of headphones. “Since bone conduction headphones don’t go into the ear and are solely on the floor, they’re simpler to wash and cut back the danger of any micro organism or undesirable grime into the ear,” Reisman says. She additionally recommends them for individuals who have vital points with ear wax impaction, since “this can assist keep away from pushing the ear wax deeper into the ear.”

7 of the most effective bone conduction headphones

Best overall: Shokz, OpenMove — $80.00

This mannequin was created by Shokz (previously AfterShokz), one of the crucial in style bone-conduction headphones manufacturers on the market. The entry-level, titanium model can be one of many model’s hottest types, because of lots of its must-have options; they’re sweatproof, light-weight, Bluetooth-compatible, have a good battery life, a noise-canceling microphone, and even a carrying bag, all at a worth level beneath $100. The safe match makes them very best for quite a lot of low-impact actions, too, from morning jogs and yin yoga to lengthy flights, because of the model’s trademark PremiumPitch™ 2.0 stereo sound.

Colours: 4

Weight: 29g

Water-resistance ranking: IP55

Battery life: 6 hours

Music storage: Sure

• Reasonably priced
• A number of colour choices
• Bluetooth suitable
• Consists of ear plugs
• Sweatproof and waterproof

• Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery could also be much less environment friendly (and, because of this, might result in a shorter battery life)

Best sound quality: Shokz, OpenRun — $130.00

Shokz makes a couple of completely different titanium headphones, all of which function wonderful sound high quality. That is Reisman’s favourite model of bone-conduction headphones for a couple of completely different causes, particularly the sound high quality—which, as acknowledged beforehand, might be missing in different bone-conducting types. “The sound high quality could be very clear and constant,” she says. That is because of the model’s trademark PremiumPitch™ 2.0+ know-how, which delivers a large dynamic vary and wealthy bass. Reisman additionally likes that the Bluetooth stays secure and so they include a set of earplugs, “so should you do wish to block out the environmental noise and give attention to what you’re listening to, you are able to do so simply,” she says.

Colours: 4

Weight: 26g

Water resistance ranking: IP67

Battery life: 8 hours

Music storage: No

• A number of colour choices accessible
• Higher battery life than the OpenMove mannequin (above)
• Sweat- and waterproof
• Very light-weight—the lightest model on this checklist
• Consists of non-compulsory ear plugs

• Pricier possibility
• Buttons are very shut collectively

Most affordable: Vidonn, F1 — $50.00

Whereas many bone-conducting headphones can run between $100-$150 (or much more), this Vidonn pair clocks in beneath $60. Not solely is the sweat-resistant model very best for exercises, however this pair of bone-conduction headphones function a built-in microphone accessible by facet buttons, so you can also make (out of breath) calls throughout your subsequent run.

Colours: 1

Weight: 38g

Water resistance ranking: IP55

Battery life: 6 hours

Music storage: No

• Reasonably priced
• Consists of non-compulsory earplugs
• Sweat-resistant
• Constructed-in microphone

• Just one colour accessible
• Barely heavier than different fashions

Best for swimming: Shokz, OpenSwim — $120.00

Waterproof headphones with inner storage for a library of as much as 1,200 songs? Now we’re listening. This Shokz model helps MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, and FLAC, so you possibly can jam out whilst you swim laps. Plus, they match comfortably beneath a swim cap and include earplugs. It’s like Shokz considered all the things! Be mindful, although, that this model of bone-conduction headphones isn’t Bluetooth suitable, since they might lose connectivity as soon as submerged. Followers of those headphones say they really feel like they had been designed by swimmers for swimmers.

Colours: 2

Weight: 30g

Water resistance ranking: IP68

Battery life: 8 hours

Music storage: Sure

• Waterproof design
• Inside storage for as much as 1,200 songs
• Longer battery life

• Not Bluetooth suitable
• Much less colour choices than different fashions

Best for phone calls: Haylou, PurFree BC01 — $120.00

In case you’re searching for bone-conduction headphones that provide the standard options, together with the power to make crystal clear cellphone calls, this model by Haylou is asking your identify. The design has dual-mic noise cancellation to drastically cut back background noise on calls. Plus, the eight-hour battery life also can get a fast re-up from the 10-minute fast cost operate, which presents as much as two hours of battery life in a pinch. In case you love speaking on the cellphone, this can be a bone-conducting model value making an attempt.

Colours: 2

Weight: 28g

Water resistance ranking: IP67

Battery life: 8 hours

Music storage: No

• Light-weight
• Sweat-resistant
• Bluetooth suitable
• Twin-mic noise cancellation

• Not the most effective audio high quality for music
• Some clients say the buttons on the highest might be tough

Best for workouts: H20 Audio, Tri Pro Multi-Sport — $160.00

Much like Shokz OpenSwim, H20 Audio’s Tri Professional Multi Sport bone-conduction headphones provide full waterproof functionality as much as 12 toes, making them very best for all the things from biking and HIIT exercises to (clearly) swimming. What units them aside is their additional technical options. Not solely are they Bluetooth suitable, however the Playlist+ know-how lets you add as much as 8GB of songs—not solely out of your library, however from Spotify, too.

Colours: 1

Weight: 32g

Water resistance ranking: IPX8

Battery life: 5 hours

Music storage: No

• Waterproof
• Bluetooth suitable (though solely works a couple of inches beneath water)

• Pricier possibility
• Shorter battery life than different fashions on this checklist
• Just one colour possibility

Most unique: Bose, Frames Tempo Sports Sunglasses — $250.00

If you need a pair of open-ear headphones however aren’t essentially offered on bone-conduction types, this pair of Bose sun shades could also be simply the ticket. Not solely does this prescription-ready model function swappable polarized lenses and Bluetooth functionality as much as 30 toes, however the mesh lining alongside the ports makes the design very best for multi-sport use. The audio system play deep sufficient to listen to over the wind, even whereas biking as much as speeds of virtually 25 miles an hour. In addition they include three completely different sizes of silicone nostril pads to make sure the proper match.

Colours: 1

Measurement: 65mm-17mm-136mm

Water resistance ranking: IPX4

Battery life: 8 hours

Music storage: No

• Interchangeable polarized lenses
• Distinctive various for many who don’t like the standard bone conduction types
• Glorious sound high quality
• Waterproof
• Bluetooth-compatible for as much as 30 toes

• Costly
• Minimal model/colour choices

Who’re bone conduction headphones good for?

Reisman says most individuals can profit from utilizing this kind of headphones, particularly you probably have conductive or blended listening to loss. For folks with regular listening to, this kind of headphones is right as a result of environmental sounds nonetheless come by—which is particularly helpful if you wish to bear in mind whereas strolling by your self at evening or on trails.

And, whereas bone conduction headphones don’t essentially present a big quantity enhance, the vibrations will likely be felt extra strongly, which may profit folks with vital inner-ear listening to loss.

Often requested questions

Do bone conduction headphones sound good?

Whereas it’s good to have the mix of vibrations and sound, these headphones aren’t good. Some folks might not want them as a result of they do not create the complete vary of audio frequencies. Plus, they don’t block out environmental and exterior noises, in order that they don’t have the identical sound high quality as closed-back headphones.

How to decide on the most effective bone conduction headphones for you

In terms of any kind of headphones, your way of life is the primary focus, so it’s important to contemplate what you’d use them for. For individuals who don’t love an in-ear possibility, these might be very best for understanding, lengthy flights, and even in an workplace setting (so that you don’t have to repeatedly take away your earbuds or headphones at any time when somebody stops by your desk to speak). There are even waterproof choices accessible if you wish to put on them whereas swimming.