Best Bone Conduction Headphones

Nothing beats the sound quality you get from the best bone conduction headphones. They make you feel the intensity of every beat, the vibration of every sound, and the energy of the music you’re listening to. Bone conduction headphones utilize a type of technology that passes the audio waves directly into your inner ear. This makes them some of the best headphones for those with hearing loss, scuba divers, cyclists, those in the military, runners, and more.

Nowadays, there are many different types of bone conduction headphones on the market. Therefore, choosing the best for you might seem like a difficult task. Not to worry though, we’ve surfed through the market and created a list of ten of the best bone conduction headphones on the market. To make things even better, we’ve added a comprehensive guide that talks about all you need to know before choosing a bone conduction headphone. So without further ado, let’s get into the thick of things:

The 10 Best Bone Conduction Headphones

Design	Audio	Retailer
	Phaiser BHS-530 Bluetooth Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	Mpow Cheetah Bluetooth Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Open-Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	Vidonn F1 Titanium Open Ear Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	Trcode Bluetooth Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	Pyle Bluetooth Bone Conduction Sport Headphones	Check Price
	Borofone Titanium Wireless Open Ear Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	G1 Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price
	JUHALL Bone Conduction Headphones	Check Price

Bone Conduction Headphones Buyer’s Guide

Getting the best bone conduction headphones on the market depends on many factors such as your personal preference, style, health conditions, etc. However, the process of choosing the best bone conduction headphone doesn’t have to be difficult. Whether you want a headphone that allows you to work out while listening to music, experience great sound quality, or you simply want to protect your ears, getting a bone conduction headphone may be the best thing to do.

We’ve reviewed ten of the best products on the market above. You can simply choose the one that matches your budget and preference, and be sure to get the best sound quality from it while protecting your ears. However, if you’d like to dive into the market yourself, we’ve provided a guide below to help you determine what to look out for when choosing the ideal bone conduction headphones for you.

What Are Bone Conduction Headphones?

You may have heard of bone conduction headphones from a gym partner, a healthcare practitioner, or someone in the military. These headphones used to be solely military tech. They were built to allow soldiers to communicate while still being aware of their surroundings. The tech was later introduced into medicine as hearing aids and as a way to make ear corrections. Now, it’s being used in various industries, including the headphone industry.

Basically, bone conduction technology allows the vibrations from the sounds being played or listened to pass through the jaws into the inner ears. Your outer and middle ear are surely going to catch some of the sound coming out of the headphones’ speakers, but most of the sound will be passed as vibrations through your jaw into your inner ears.

2012 saw the unveiling of the first commercial bone conduction headphones. While they haven’t really become as popular as regular headphones, many people have found them to be great as they are associated with safety and correction. Also, not many manufacturers offer bone conduction options, which may be the reason why they aren’t popular. However, there are still good and trustworthy brands on the market such as AfterShokz Trekz, Pyle, and more. We have reviewed ten of the very best products above. You can go through our reviews to see if any of them match your style, design, and preference. We even have some AfterShokz Trekz models in our review above.

Do Bone Conduction Headphones Sound Good?

Bone conduction headphones are highly comfortable and come in elegant designs. However, many of them do not sound as great as regular headphones. It doesn’t matter if they sit over your ear, in ear, or on ear, the sound quality you get from them can, currently, not be compared to what you’d get on regular headphones. This, however, doesn’t dispute the fact that they sound good and are a healthy option for many people especially those diagnosed with hearing impairment and those who love to work out.

Bone conduction headphones leave your ears open, thereby allowing you to pay attention to your surroundings while listening to music. This is a great option for those who don’t like having anything in their ear canals. The bass featured on bone conduction headphones isn’t as great as what you’d find on conventional headphones. It may sound great but don’t expect it to be punchy. So basically, if you don’t want anything in your ear canals, have a hearing impairment, like being aware of your surroundings while working out or carrying out any other activity, getting the ideal bone conduction headphones may be all you need to do to listen to your music.

Are Bone Conduction Headphones Dangerous?

No, they are not. In fact, these headphones are considered to be lifesavers. This is because bone conduction technology allows people who can’t get cochlear implants to hear music and other sounds. Many people with outer ear damage can’t get cochlear implants. A good bone conduction headphone can serve as a good alternative for them.

However, not everyone would like to wear a headphone all the time. This is why it is recommended that those who need this tech to hear should get Bone Anchored Hearing Aids, otherwise known as BAHA. The BAHA process involves having a magnet placed under the skin. A microphone, usually an external one, receives the sound signals and transmits them to the magnet, which then sends the signals through the skull into the inner ear.

What Is The Best AfterShokz?

There are many different types, models, designs, and styles of bone conduction headphones. However, not all of them deliver on what they promise. Currently, the best bone conduction headphone manufacturer is AfterShokz. The brand has many different models, including AfterShokz Trekz, AfterShokz Sportz, AfterShokz Aeropex, and AfterShokz Xtrainerz. You just need to ensure that the one you choose matches your style and design preference.

Bone Conduction Vs. Air Conduction

Sound is typically conducted in two different ways; air conduction and bone conduction. Air conduction is the more common type, while bone conduction isn’t as popular. Normal headphones conduct sound waves via air, which means that the sound waves travel through the air, into your outer ear, down to your middle ear, and deeper into your inner ear until they reach the cochlea. Once there, the sound waves are converted to electricity and sent to your brain.

Bone conduction, on the other hand, offers a shorter path. However, the source of the sound or music needs to be in contact with your head. Being in contact with your head is the only way the sound waves can travel into your inner ear. The music or sound source is usually placed at the temporal bones or any other comfortable part of the head. The path is shorter because the sound waves travel directly to your inner ear, bypassing both the middle and outer ear.

This is why those who have an issue with their outer and middle ear find bone conduction to be one of the best ways to hear. So basically, the source and path through which the music or sound travels is the difference between these two conduction types.

Who Needs Bone Conduction Headphones?

Basically, those with normal hearing and those who find it difficult to hear without aid can find bone conduction headphones useful. For those without hearing problems, the design of a bone conduction headphone can be greatly beneficial. While the sound quality may not be as good as what you’d get on a regular headphone, there’s no denying the fact that the design can be advantageous.

Thanks to its design, a good bone conduction headphone can be used for various outdoor activities such as running, cycling, biking, and more. There are some that are even waterproof and fit to be used while swimming. These devices can be beneficial to office workers who would like to answer calls or listen to their music while being aware of their surroundings. Note that the sound quality won’t be great and you may not be immersed in the music, however, you’d be able to keep tabs on what’s going on around you.

There are states in the US that frown on citizens crossing the road with their earbuds and headsets on. If you live in a state like this, a good bone conduction headphone is one of the best options you can work with. While you may be allowed to cross with one earbud or one side of your headset on, it is rather inconvenient and may even cause you to be distracted. However, with a bone conduction headphone, you’ll be aware of your environment while enjoying your music with no hassle. You won’t be breaking the law as your ears won’t be covered and you’ll be aware of traffic. Products like the AfterShokz Trekz on our number four spot even come with brilliant reflective strips that will make drivers see you during the night.

The second set of people that are bound to benefit from wearing bone conduction transducers are those with some kind of hearing loss or hearing impairment. If you can’t hear properly and plan to use a headphone, bone conduction tech might be the next best thing for you. Wearing a good bone conduction headphone might be the best fit for you, especially if you’re experiencing conductive hearing loss. Since the sound waves will ignore your middle and outer ear, and go straight to your inner ear, having a good bone conduction headphone is one of the best and most comfortable ways to make calls and hear songs and other sounds. The sound quality may not be the best, but you’ll surely find it a lot easier to live with hearing impairment.

What Are The Best Bone Conduction Headphones?

Like we noted earlier, choosing the best bone conduction headphone for you depends on a lot of factors, such as personal preferences, design, style, and more. Below are some of the elements you need to consider when choosing the best bone conduction headphone for you;

Design and Comfort

Bone conduction headphones tend to feature the same type of design. Many of them offer a sporty look with two earpieces designed for your temporal bones and a neckband to allow the device to sit comfortably around your neck. This is the basic design of most bone conduction transducers although some of them feature slightly different shapes and different colors.

However, this doesn’t mean that all bone conduction headsets are comfortable. Although they all usually have a sporty look, their comfortability is not the same. The comfort you get from a bone conduction headphone depends on the kind of material used for the headphone. For instance, silicone is usually more comfortable than plastic.

Durability

Many of the bone conduction headsets you’ll find on the market or on Amazon aren’t keen on durability. This, however, doesn’t mean that there aren’t products that are worth considering. One of the best brands we believe to have the best construction when it comes to bone conduction headsets is the AfterShokz brand. Whether it’s the Trekz Titanium, AfterShokz Aeropex, AfterShokz Trekz Air, or AfterShokz Sportz Titanium, you’re guaranteed to get the best build quality no matter the AfterShokz model you choose.

It is important that you consider how durable your headphone will be especially if you’ll be using it for sports activities such as cycling, running, and hiking. You may also want to ensure that the headphones fit well and they are waterproof or sweatproof. Many of them come with the IP55 or IPX5 rating. This means that they can withstand sweat and light rain.

Sound Quality

Just as we have mentioned multiple times in this guide, even the best bone conduction headsets do not have anything on the sound quality being produced by regular headphones. However, these devices excel well when they are used to listen to podcasts and some music genres. While you may not get the best bass response from them, the mids and highs tend to lean more on an impressive side.

Wireless or Wired?

If you’re looking to use your bone conduction headset for sports or outdoor activities, it’s best that you get a wireless headphone. If, on the other hand, you plan to use it for work or other activities, getting wired headphones may not be a problem.

You need to be wary of two important elements when going for a wireless headphone. These elements are connectivity and battery. If the battery of your bone conduction headset isn’t great, you’re bound to regret buying a wireless version instead of the wired headphones. There are headsets with batteries that last up to eight hours. If you’re going to be using your headset regularly, then going for one with this much battery power is the best. However, if you won’t be using it consistently, you can opt for headsets with a shorter battery life instead.

As for connectivity, most wireless bone conduction headsets feature Bluetooth tech. What really matters is the range in which you can continue to use your device as well as how easy it is to link your headset with your mobile device or PC. Ranges differ so you need to ensure that you test out your bone conduction headphone if you’re buying from a local store, or carefully read the description if you’re buying from an online store like Amazon.

Common Issues You Can Find In A Bone Conduction Headphone

When it comes to the world of headphones, bone conduction headsets tend to have some issues that are uncommon in other headset types. Below are some of the common issues associated with this headphone type:

Sound Leakage

Bone conduction headsets leak sound given the fact that they are made with speakers. Since the speakers do not sit on the user’s ear on in their ear, the sound coming out of the speakers do not go directly into your ear canals. Instead, the sound is scattered, therefore allowing those that are nearby to hear what you’re listening to. So if you’re in a confined space like an elevator, a small room, or on a bus, the closest person to you will be able to hear what’s coming out of your headset.

Bass Response

Low frequencies aren’t known to be the strengths of bone conduction headsets. For this reason, they don’t produce the best bass response. If you are someone who loves heavy bass, you won’t be impressed by what you’d get on bone conduction headsets. While those with hearing impairment may be content with what they get, those with normal hearing may find the bass difficult to accept.

Conclusion

Getting the ideal bone conduction headphone for you can be really beneficial especially if you’re experiencing hearing impairment or hearing loss. While they may not offer the best sound quality, you’re surely going to enjoy using them as they serve as a way to hear clearly and in a better way.

For those who aren’t using them as a result of hearing loss or impairment, these bone conduction headsets allow you to listen to your favorite music, podcasts, and more without draining out the sound of what’s happening around you. You won’t have to take your headphones off every time you want to talk to someone or make an observation. And to make things better, you can make crystal clear calls with them.

Our review includes ten of the best bone conduction headsets on the market. Some of them are even waterproof and sweat resistant which means that you can use them for intense workouts as well as scuba diving, hiking, cycling, and more. You’re even sure to find AfterShokz Trekz models in our review. Whether you want a premium headphone like the Trekz or a more budget-friendly model to test the waters of bone conduction tech, you’re going to find your preference in our review.

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