On-ear, open-ear, noise-canceling, earbuds—with so many kinds of headphones on the market, looking for the right pair generally is a bit daunting. However there’s one sort 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 means of 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 very best bone-conduction headphones to attempt for your self.
The most effective bone conduction headphones, at a look:
- Finest total: Shokz, OpenMove, $80
- Finest sound high quality: Shokz, OpenRun, $130
- Most reasonably priced: 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 unusual: Bose, Frames Tempo Sports activities Sun shades, $250
What are bone-conduction headphones, anyway?
In contrast to 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 inside ear. They’re connected by a band that matches round your head. “As a result of the entire 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 constructions 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 foremost culprits for listening to points. With that in thoughts, bone-conduction headphones have some critical perks. Reisman says there are 4 foremost advantages:
1. Open-ear design
In case you 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 could 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 will 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
In case you have fixed ear infections, Reisman cautions that utilizing conventional in-ear headphones could 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 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 will be extra conscious of the automobiles or pedestrians round you whereas biking, operating, or strolling.
4. Diminished dust, micro organism, and ear wax impaction
Increase your hand if you happen to’re responsible of not cleansing your headphones sufficient. Fortunately, that is not a difficulty with any such headphones. “Since bone conduction headphones don’t go into the ear and are solely on the floor, they’re simpler to scrub and cut 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 may also help keep away from pushing the ear wax deeper into the ear.”
7 of the very best bone conduction headphones
Finest total: Shokz, OpenMove — $80.00
This mannequin was created by Shokz (previously AfterShokz), one of the vital common bone-conduction headphones manufacturers on the market. The entry-level, titanium type can be one of many model’s hottest types, because of a lot 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 beneath $100. The safe match makes them supreme for a wide range 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 appropriate
- Contains ear plugs
- Sweatproof and water resistant
- Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery could also be much less environment friendly (and, in consequence, could result in a shorter battery life)
Finest sound high quality: Shokz, OpenRun — $130.00
Shokz makes just a few completely different titanium headphones, all of which function glorious sound high quality. That is Reisman’s favourite type of bone-conduction headphones for just a few completely different causes, particularly the sound high quality—which, as acknowledged 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 if you happen to 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 out there
- Higher battery life than the OpenMove mannequin (above)
- Sweat- and water resistant
- Very light-weight—the lightest type on this checklist
- Contains non-compulsory ear plugs
- Pricier choice
- Buttons are very shut collectively
Most reasonably priced: 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 type supreme 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
- Contains non-compulsory earplugs
- Sweat-resistant
- Constructed-in microphone
- Just one colour out there
- 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’ll be able to jam out when 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 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 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 appropriate
- Much less colour choices than different fashions
Finest for cellphone calls: Haylou, PurFree BC01 — $120.00
For those who’re searching for bone-conduction headphones that supply the standard options, together with the power to make crystal clear cellphone calls, this type 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 may get a fast re-up from the 10-minute fast cost operate, which provides as much as two hours of battery life in a pinch. For those who love speaking on the cellphone, this can be a bone-conducting type price making an attempt.
Colours: 2
Weight: 28g
Water resistance ranking: IP67
Battery life: 8 hours
Music storage: No
- Light-weight
- Sweat-resistant
- Bluetooth appropriate
- Twin-mic noise cancellation
- Not the very best audio high quality for music
- Some prospects 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 toes, making them supreme 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 appropriate, however the Playlist+ expertise means that you can 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 appropriate (though solely works just a few inches beneath water)
- Pricier choice
- Shorter battery life than different fashions on this checklist
- Just one colour choice
Most unusual: Bose, Frames Tempo Sports activities Sun shades — $250.00
In order for you a pair of open-ear headphones however aren’t essentially bought 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 toes, however the mesh lining alongside the ports makes the design supreme for multi-sport use. The audio system play deep sufficient to listen to over the wind, even whereas biking as much as speeds of just about 25 miles an hour. In addition they include three completely different sizes of silicone nostril pads to make sure the right match.
Colours: 1
Measurement: 65mm-17mm-136mm
Water resistance ranking: IPX4
Battery life: 8 hours
Music storage: No
- Interchangeable polarized lenses
- Distinctive various for individuals who don’t like the standard bone conduction types
- Wonderful sound high quality
- Waterproof
- Bluetooth-compatible for as much as 30 toes
- Costly
- Minimal type/colour choices
Who’re bone conduction headphones good for?
Reisman says most individuals can profit from utilizing any such headphones, particularly when you’ve got conductive or blended listening to loss. For folks with regular listening to, any such headphones is good as a result of environmental sounds nonetheless come by means of—which is very useful 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 major quantity improve, the vibrations will probably be felt extra strongly, which might profit folks with important inner-ear listening to loss.
Regularly requested questions
Do bone conduction headphones sound good?
Whereas it’s good to have the mixture of vibrations and sound, these headphones aren’t excellent. Some folks could not favor 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 very best bone conduction headphones for you
In terms of any sort of headphones, your life-style is the primary focus, so it’s a must to think about what you’d use them for. For individuals who do not like an in-ear choice, these will be supreme for understanding, lengthy flights, and even in an workplace setting (so that you don’t have to repeatedly take away your earbuds or headphones every time somebody stops by your desk to talk). There are even waterproof choices out there if you wish to put on them whereas swimming.
