Bone-conducting headphones let you swim or run with music
I love to run and I really only need a few things: good music plus a way to track my moves.
Now, a new headset called the HaptiFit TERRA combines both – and adds AI for virtual training.
To test it out, I met up with Mojawa, the company that makes it, at an event in Santa Monica.
Olympic Runner Alexi Pappas is partnering with the company to promote the new headset.
First, I asked her what she loves about running.
“It’s a social sport; you can meet people and you can also do it on your own and take it anywhere,” said Pappas.
Pappas is a dual citizen and holds the record for team Greece in the 10K.
“My mind and my body were on the exact same page. My body would do what my mind wanted it to do,” said Pappas about competing at that ultimate level.
The HaptiFit TERRA combines an activity tracker, heart rate sensor and audio into one.
“What we want is to keep running simple… so it is an all-in-one device for anyone who swims, runs, or leads a really active lifestyle,” said Cheryl Yang, Head of Marketing at Mojawa.
Instead of covering your ears, the headset uses bone-conduction audio.
“The music is conducted through vibration on the jawbone, and it allows people to sort of skip the step of transferring music through air into the eardrum,” explained Yang.
The device connects to your phone using Bluetooth, but since that connection doesn’t work well in water, you can load MP3s into the 32 gigabytes of onboard storage. The device also has haptic feedback and onboard lights for visibility.
Although I had some trouble connecting the headset to my phone, once I did, it was a unique, more gentle music experience.
The best way I can describe it is as an open-ear feeling. You actually feel more connected to the world around you, which is something I’m not really used to with typical headphones.
I also loved how lightweight they are. You feel like you’re not really wearing them at all.
The downside is that the music isn’t as loud as I’m used to. Plus, I had trouble with the onboard controls, which are a bit trickier than other headphones I’ve tested.
At $300, you’re getting a lot of features in one place, but they can’t replace standard headphones, especially if you want noise cancellation. Mojawa does include earplugs in the box if you want a richer sound, but I didn’t test this.
Also, I was surprised to learn that most of the AI training is done through the App, so if you’re not running with your phone that feature might be lost.
It’s an interesting technology that will appeal most to those who don’t like anything in their ears or need tunes while they swim.
One more tip from Pappas? Try an audiobook on your next run. She told me she loves listening to them while training “because it is a wonderful thing to experience that.”
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