Bone Conduction Headphones Keep You Safe While Running or Biking Through The City
Our editors independently select the products we recommend. We may earn a commission on items bought through our links.
It’s clear that true wireless earbuds are all the craze. They shutout the world with a great seal inside of your ears, and some even sport active noise cancellation to really drown out your surroundings. But for activities such as running or biking through the city, not being able to hear your surroundings can be rather dangerous. That’s where bone conduction headphones bridge the gap.
Today's Top Deals
What You Should Know About Bone Conduction Headphones
For us non-doctors or audiologists, when we think of hearing in a general sense, our minds automatically think “my eardrums control my ability to hear.” That’s technically not wrong, but bone conduction headphones actually bypass the eardrum with the vibrations from the audio through your cheekbone (hence bone conduction) to your inner ear. This leaves your eardrum available to continue to listen to your environment. According to the Pennsylvania Ear Institute, this method of hearing is how Beethoven continued to “hear” his piano even after he went deaf by biting his composer wand and holding it down against his piano as he played.
Now that you know the science behind these headphones, here are a few other things you should consider when looking at bone conduction headphones:
Battery Life: You should look for headphones with at least six hours of battery life.
Water Resistance: If you plan to work out using bone conduction headphones, make sure they are at least IPX4 water resistant so they don’t get damaged by sweat or rain.
Design: These are designed to hear your environment while listening to music. If you are looking for noise cancellation, you should look at our picks for the best wireless earbuds or the best wireless headphones.
BEST OVERALL
Shokz OpenRun Pro
Buy Now On Amazon
$180 at best buy
$180 at REI
Key Specs:
Battery Life: 10 hours
Waterproof Rating: IP55
Why We Chose It: These provide great sound and the best battery life we’ve seen.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro packs in a lot of premium features that you’d find not only in bone conduction earphones, but in premium wireless headphones in general. You get 10 hours of battery life (SPY reviewer Jonathan Knoder often complains how his $200 AirPods only get four hours of battery life), a noise cancelling microphone for clear calls and multipoint connectivity to switch between different devices quickly. The handy app also has some EQ adjustments for customizable premium sound. Right now, we think these are the best bone conduction headphones you can buy. Full stop.
Pros
Long battery life
Multipoint connectivity
App features adjustable EQs
Cons
Pricey
RUNNER-UP
Shokz OpenRun
Buy Now On Amazon
Buy Now
Why We Chose It: We like that these are a little more water resistant than others making them great for outdoor use even when the weather turns.
Key Specs:
8 hours of battery life
IP67 waterproof rating
If the OpenRun Pro headphones are a little out of your price range, we think you should consider the Shokz OpenRun. The battery life is still great at eight hours, and you actually get bone conduction headphones that are a little more water resistant than the Pros.
Michael Bizzaco, one of SPY’s contributors, reviewed the Shokz OpenRun and loved the responsiveness of the on-board controls while exercising. It’s a feature that’s often overlooked because the last thing you need to be fiddling around with while jogging is trying to adjust the volume. This one featured that, along with a primary multi-touch controller for other playback functions.
We also like that if you have a smaller head on those shoulders, you can opt for the Mini which is a smaller design. All that being said, you save about $40 bucks overall going with these Shokz OpenRun compared to the Pro.
Pros
Two different sizes
Great battery life
Great water resistance
Cons
Still costs over $100
GREAT FOR OFFICE USE
Shokz OpenComm UC
Buy Now On Amazon
$200 at best buy
Why We Chose It: We think these are great for office settings, especially IT workers who are multitasking making calls while helping others.
Key Specs:
16 hours of talk time battery life
8 hours of listening battery life
Noise-cancelling boom mic for clearer phone conversations
We like the concept that you can have a reliable pair of headphones and microphone in the office, yet still be able to hear your coworkers. These bone conduction headphones are especially great for IT workers who multitask taking calls on the move while helping coworkers with their equipment.
Given how professionals in the office setting are constantly on the phone, it’s pretty sweet that these have 16 hours of talk time battery life and eight hours of listening time. Plus, it can even connect to multiple devices simultaneously. Now that’s what we call an office road warrior package.
Pros
Great battery life
Extended microphone
Multipoint connectivity
Cons
Not intended for outdoor use
BEST BUDGET
PURERINA Bone Conduction Headphones
Buy Now On Amazon
$54 at walmart
Why We Chose It: We like that these are affordable and come with an adjustable strap.
Key Specs:
6 hours of battery life
IP55 Waterproof Rating
Titanium memory metal band that allows it to flex
Many of the bone conduction headphones in our lineup fall victim to the “one-size-fits-all” where the reality is, one size will not fit some people. We like that Purenia Bone Conduction Headphones provide an adjustable strap to help get the most comfortable fit possible.
Aside from the fit, you can expect six hours of battery life and IP55 water resistance, which hangs in there with headphones twice as expensive.
Pros
Good battery life
Adjustable
IP55 water resistance
Cons
Some complaints of Bluetooth connection drops
BEST BATTERY LIFE
Oladance Open Ear Headphones
Buy Now On Amazon
Why We Chose It: We like that these provide a different design and two separate earbuds compared to most bone conduction headphones.
Key Specs:
16 hours of battery life
IPX4 waterproof rating
Larger 16.5mm drivers for bigger sound
While these aren’t exactly bone conduction headphones per se, they do feature an open ear concept so you can still hear your environment as well as your music or podcast. The design balances the weight across your ear to avoid ear fatigue for long periods of use.
The 16 hours battery life is longer than any other we’ve seen in this category and the IPX4 water resistance rating allows these buds to be your go to for the gym.
Pros
Amazing battery life
Even weight distribution
Earbud style design
Cons
Looks bulky
GREAT FEATURES
Shokz OpenSwim
Buy Now On Amazon
$150 at best buy
Why We Chose It: We like that these can store music so you can leave your phone behind.
Key Specs:
8 hours of battery life
IP68 waterproof rating
Internal storage for up to 1,200 songs
What separates the Shokz OpenSwim from other Bone conduction headphones is the ability to store up to 4GB of MP3s on the device. That means you can load up your favorite playlists, podcasts or audiobooks, get your workout in and leave your phone at home.
Along with the eight hours of battery life, these are also completely waterproof making them swim ready when tucked under your swim cap. If your idea of exercise involves being in the water, we consider these bone conduction headphones as one of your best options.
Pros
Waterproof
On-board music storage
Good battery life
Cons
Expensive
GOOD VALUE
Vidonn F1 Sports Open Ear Headset
Buy Now On Amazon
$70 at walmart
Why We Chose It: We think these provide good battery life at an affordable price.
Key Specs:
Battery Life: 6 hours of battery life
IP55 waterproof rating
These Vidonn bone conduction headphones have a lot of the same features you’d find in premium headsets but at a fraction of the cost. You can expect around six hours of battery life, and IP55 water resistance allows you to wear them even when it’s raining outside.
And it only takes about two hours to charge. There are a handful of users on Amazon that have complained about the one-size-fits-all design, but overall, it is hard to beat the price considering all the technology you get.
Pros
Good battery life
Affordable
Cons
One size fits all design doesn’t work for everybody
ALSO GREAT
Shokz OpenMove
Buy Now On Amazon
$80 at best buy
Why We Chose It: These are lightweight and great for outdoor activity.
Key Specs:
6 hours of battery life
IP55 waterproof rating
Although these are available in both white and black, the OpenMove bone conduction headphones come with a sticker skin pack with five different skins to customize your headphones to fit your personal style. Beyond looking great, you’ll also enjoy six hours of battery life and an IP55 water-resistant design that can handle runs even in the middle of a rainstorm.
When these finally need to charge, the USB-C charging port helps get these headphones and you back to training without much downtime.
Pros
Good battery life
Lightweight
Customizable skins
Cons
One size fits all
More Top Deals from SPY
Best of SPY
