These 7 Bone-Conduction Headphones Are a Safer, Less-Gross Alternative to Earbuds
On-ear, open-ear, noise-canceling, earbuds—with so many forms of headphones on the market, looking for the proper pair could be a bit daunting. However there’s one sort of headphones you might 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 internal ear by means of the bones in your cheek and jaw. Fairly cool, proper? To be taught 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.
One of the best bone conduction headphones, at a look:
- Finest total: 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 Professional Multi-Sport, $160
- Most original: Bose, Frames Tempo Sports activities Sun shades, $250
What are bone-conduction headphones, anyway?
Not like conventional headphones, bone-conduction headphones bypass your ear canal and eardrum by sitting on high of your jaw and cheekbone and transmitting sound vibrations on to your internal ear. They’re hooked up 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 internal ear,” Reisman says. “The internal ear buildings vibrate in tandem with the vibrations of the cranium emitted from the headphones.”
The advantages of bone conduction headphones
Of us have gotten more and more conscious of their listening to well being, and the overuse of in-ear headphones is among the predominant culprits for listening to points. With that in thoughts, bone-conduction headphones have some severe perks. Reisman says there are 4 predominant advantages:
1. Open-ear design
In case you have listening to loss that’s attributable to abnormalities of the outer or center ear, however your internal ear nonetheless features 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 also present a cleaner, crisper, much less distorted sign to the internal ear.
Since bone-conduction headphones do not go contained in the ears, they’ll additionally remove the discomfort related to in-ear or over-ear headphones. Bone-conduction headphones, by not protecting or inserting into the ears, can scale back the chance of fatigue throughout prolonged use.
2. Fewer ear infections
In case you have fixed ear infections, Reisman cautions that utilizing conventional in-ear headphones might have an effect on your ear’s therapeutic course of. “Retaining the ear open and aerated with bone conduction headphones would keep away from additional harm to the outer and center ears,” she says.
3. Elevated security throughout solo actions
All these headphones permit for environmental noises to journey by means of 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, operating, or strolling.
4. Lowered dust, micro organism, and ear wax impaction
Increase your hand for those who’re responsible of not cleansing your headphones sufficient. Fortunately, that is not a difficulty with this sort of headphones. “Since bone conduction headphones don’t go into the ear and are solely on the floor, they’re simpler to scrub and scale back the danger of any micro organism or undesirable dust into the ear,” Reisman says. She additionally recommends them for individuals who have important points with ear wax impaction, since “this might help keep away from pushing the ear wax deeper into the ear.”
7 of the most effective bone conduction headphones
Finest total: Shokz, OpenMove — $80.00
This mannequin was created by Shokz (previously AfterShokz), one of the vital well-liked bone-conduction headphones manufacturers on the market. The entry-level, titanium type can also be one of many model’s hottest types, due to 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 value level below $100. The safe match makes them excellent for a wide range of low-impact actions, too, from morning jogs and yin yoga to lengthy flights, due to the model’s trademark PremiumPitch™ 2.0 stereo sound.
Colours: 4
Weight: 29g
Water-resistance score: IP55
Battery life: 6 hours
Music storage: Sure
- Reasonably priced
- A number of colour choices
- Bluetooth appropriate
- Consists of ear plugs
- Sweatproof and water resistant
- Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery could also be much less environment friendly (and, consequently, might result in a shorter battery life)
Finest sound high quality: Shokz, OpenRun — $130.00
Shokz makes just a few totally different titanium headphones, all of which function wonderful sound high quality. That is Reisman’s favourite type of bone-conduction headphones for just a few totally different causes, particularly the sound high quality—which, as said beforehand, will be missing in different bone-conducting types. “The sound high quality may be very clear and constant,” she says. That is as a result of model’s trademark PremiumPitch™ 2.0+ expertise, which delivers a large dynamic vary and wealthy bass. Reisman additionally likes that the Bluetooth stays steady they usually include a set of earplugs, “so for those who do need to block out the environmental noise and deal with what you’re listening to, you are able to do so simply,” she says.
Colours: 4
Weight: 26g
Water resistance score: IP67
Battery life: 8 hours
Music storage: No
- A number of colour choices obtainable
- Higher battery life than the OpenMove mannequin (above)
- Sweat- and water resistant
- Very light-weight—the lightest type on this checklist
- Consists of elective ear plugs
- Pricier possibility
- Buttons are very shut collectively
Most inexpensive: Vidonn, F1 — $50.00
Whereas many bone-conducting headphones can run between $100-$150 (or much more), this Vidonn pair clocks in below $60. Not solely is the sweat-resistant type excellent 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 score: IP55
Battery life: 6 hours
Music storage: No
- Reasonably priced
- Consists of elective earplugs
- Sweat-resistant
- Constructed-in microphone
- Just one colour obtainable
- Barely heavier than different fashions
Finest for swimming: Shokz, OpenSwim — $120.00
Waterproof headphones with inside storage for a library of as much as 1,200 songs? Now we’re listening. This Shokz type helps MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, and FLAC, so you may jam out whilst you swim laps. Plus, they match comfortably below a swim cap and include earplugs. It’s like Shokz considered every part! Be mindful, although, that this type of bone-conduction headphones isn’t Bluetooth appropriate, since they’d lose connectivity as soon as submerged. Followers of those headphones say they really feel like they have been designed by swimmers for swimmers.
Colours: 2
Weight: 30g
Water resistance score: IP68
Battery life: 8 hours
Music storage: Sure
- Waterproof design
- Inside storage for as much as 1,200 songs
- Longer battery life
- Not Bluetooth appropriate
- Much less colour choices than different fashions
Finest for cellphone calls: Haylou, PurFree BC01 — $120.00
Should you’re on the lookout for bone-conduction headphones that supply the everyday options, together with the flexibility to make crystal clear cellphone calls, this type by Haylou is looking your title. The design has dual-mic noise cancellation to drastically scale back background noise on calls. Plus, the eight-hour battery life also can get a fast re-up from the 10-minute fast cost perform, which provides as much as two hours of battery life in a pinch. Should you love speaking on the cellphone, it is a bone-conducting type value making an attempt.
Colours: 2
Weight: 28g
Water resistance score: IP67
Battery life: 8 hours
Music storage: No
- Light-weight
- Sweat-resistant
- Bluetooth appropriate
- Twin-mic noise cancellation
- Not the most effective audio high quality for music
- Some clients say the buttons on the highest will be difficult
Finest for exercises: H20 Audio, Tri Professional 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 ft, making them excellent for every part from biking and HIIT exercises to (clearly) swimming. What units them aside is their additional technical options. Not solely are they Bluetooth appropriate, however the Playlist+ expertise 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 score: IPX8
Battery life: 5 hours
Music storage: No
- Waterproof
- Bluetooth appropriate (though solely works just a few inches below water)
- Pricier possibility
- Shorter battery life than different fashions on this checklist
- Just one colour possibility
Most original: Bose, Frames Tempo Sports activities Sun shades — $250.00
If you’d like 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 type function swappable polarized lenses and Bluetooth functionality as much as 30 ft, however the mesh lining alongside the ports makes the design excellent 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 totally different sizes of silicone nostril pads to make sure the proper match.
Colours: 1
Measurement: 65mm-17mm-136mm
Water resistance score: IPX4
Battery life: 8 hours
Music storage: No
- Interchangeable polarized lenses
- Distinctive different for individuals who don’t like the everyday bone conduction types
- Glorious sound high quality
- Waterproof
- Bluetooth-compatible for as much as 30 ft
- Costly
- Minimal type/colour choices
Who’re bone conduction headphones good for?
Reisman says most individuals can profit from utilizing this sort of headphones, particularly if in case you have conductive or blended listening to loss. For individuals with regular listening to, this sort of headphones is right as a result of environmental sounds nonetheless come by means of—which is very useful if you wish to remember whereas strolling by your self at night time or on trails.
And, whereas bone conduction headphones don’t essentially present a big quantity improve, the vibrations might be felt extra strongly, which might profit individuals with important inner-ear listening to loss.
Steadily 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 individuals might not choose them as a result of they do not create the total vary of audio frequencies. Plus, they don’t block out environmental and exterior noises, so 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 sort of headphones, your way of life is the primary focus, so it’s important to think about what you’d use them for. For individuals who don’t love an in-ear possibility, these will be excellent 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 talk). There are even waterproof choices obtainable if you wish to put on them whereas swimming.
