We’ve tested the best bone conduction headphones for swimming, running, and working out.
The aim of the best bone conduction headphones isn’t to completely drown out the world. They’re designed to let you hear your music or podcasts but continue to remain aware of the sounds in your environment. They’re for those people who don’t want to block up their ears with earbuds, but who still want to enjoy decent sound quality. As a result, the best bone conduction headphones are a good fit in busy environments or for outdoor activities, such as running and cycling. So, how do bone conduction headphones work? Essentially, it’s a method whereby transducers are used to send vibrations through your cheekbones and jaw up towards your inner ear. Your brain then begins the processing work, turning those sound vibrations into the content that streams through the headphones. While bone conduction headphones are a good fit for fitness folk who want to be more aware of their surroundings, they can also be useful in any scenario where you’d need to be able to hear a mix of your own music and that background noise, perhaps when walking on a busy street. It’s a good time to pick up a new pair of bone conduction headphones, too. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner, and we’re expecting to see lots of brilliant Black Friday headphones deals. Last year’s sales saw in quite a few Aftershokz deals, so it’s well worth keeping an eye out between now and the end of November. We’ve been busy testing the best bone conduction headphones for swimming, running, and more on the market today – read on for our top picks. The Aeropex sit at the top of the AfterShokz family, and at the top of our list, offering the smallest and lightest design and a slight step up in sound quality over rival bone conduction headphones. They’re 30% smaller and 13% lighter than the company’s Trekz Air headphones, and offer an IP67 water-resistance rating, making them an excellent option for exercise and use in the rain. Despite their slender frame, they include two physical buttons to control volume, and the move to a proprietary charging setup helps them to offer an improved water-resistance rating. Dual noise-cancelling mics are available for those times you need to take calls, too. On the sound front, AfterShokz has adjusted its approach to delivering audio to your ears to improve bass performance and offer less vibration and sound leakage than the brand’s other headphones. The improvements in bass and clarity are slight, yet noticeable, and with an improved eight hours of battery life and the same quick-charge support as the Trekz Air, the Aeropex are the priciest and best Aftershokz for a reason. Read more: Aftershokz Aeropex review If you don’t want to spend big on the company’s Aeropex headphones, the AfterShokz Trekz Air offer many of the same features and overall audio quality for significantly less money.
