Not every pair of headphones is great for intense workouts. Some aren’t waterproof, so you can’t train outdoors or profusely sweat in them, and others have a hard time staying in your ears as you quickly move around. Bone conduction headphones, however, are stellar for hard workouts, outdoor runs, and even swimming — plus, they will always stay around your head. So if you’re going all in on your fitness goals this year, training for that half marathon or marathon, or want to listen to music as you swim laps in the pool, bone conduction headphones could be your next best friend.
Unlike in-ear buds or over-ear headphones, which seal in sounds and transmit noise that vibrates from the eardrum and to the cochlea (the part of your ear that responds to noise), bone conduction headphones work by emitting vibrations that avoid the eardrum and go straight to the cochlea explained SoundGuys writer Lily Katz in a recent article. It was Beethoven himself who pioneered this music-listening method. When his hearing was deteriorating, Beethoven would put the end of a stick on his piano and bite the other side of it to feel the music come through his jaw, and hear without his ears, according to ZME Science.
This unique engineering of bone conduction headphones might reduce the inner-ear trauma of jamming out with earbuds. Additionally, many runners attribute the open-air design to increased environmental awareness and safety from cars. But don’t worry, you’ll still feel each note and every beat.
Also: The best headphones for working out
ZDNET has done hands-on testing and research to round up the best bone conduction headphones on the market. Thanks to their fantastic audio quality, lightweight fit, and generous battery life, the Shokz OpenRun Pro take ZDNET’s top honors for best bone conduction headphones overall. Read on to learn more about the top bone conduction headphones.
Pros
- Immersive sound
- Quick charge support
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons
- Limited to IP55 water resistance
Shokz OpenRun Pro tech specs: Type: Open ear | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP55 | Weight: 1.02 ounces | Battery life: 10 hours | Dimensions: 6.61 x 5.35 x 2.64 inches
Unlike earlier iterations of bone conduction headphones, the Shokz OpenRun Pro skip the in-ear buds design without jeopardizing audio quality and clarity. Thanks to Shokz TurboPitch engineering and Shokz ninth bone conduction technology, our testing concluded that with these headphones, safer running no longer has an ample sound tradeoff.
When our tech writer Matthew Miller tried out the OpenRun Pro headset, he lauded the “lightweight, comfortable, and durable” design of the headset and noted how little discomfort or pressure he felt while wearing and exercising with the headset.
Review: Shokz OpenRun Pro: Outstanding bone conduction headset for safe training
“These headphones have become my go-to for jogging and outdoor activities, and I’ve found it to be quite a game changer,” says runner Kyle Roof. “[They] offer an excellent balance of sound quality, situational awareness, comfort, and durability.”
To help them stay in place during your workout, Shokz includes a headband with your bone conduction headphones, and the titanium frame simply wraps around your head for a lightweight fit that is easy to wear when you are most active.
Pros
- LED indicator
- Comfortable fit
- Sweat-resistant
Cons
- Mediocre audio output
Philips Go A7607 tech specs: Type: Open ear | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP66 | Weight: 1.3 ounces | Battery life: 9 hours | Dimensions: 6.65 x 5.31 x 2.72 inches
Bring these bone conduction headphones to the office for your conference calls and then take them right to the gym for a weight-lifting session or on an outdoor run afterward — they’re that versatile. They have an IP66 rating, making them water-resistant and sweatproof, and their open-ear form factor makes them a great choice for someone who wants to be as aware of their surroundings as they are immersed in the content they’re streaming.
ZDNET’s Jada Jones made the switch from AirPods to the Phillips Go A7607 while going on outdoor walks. She reports that they not only give her more peace of mind as a young woman walking alone, but deliver groove-able audio that gets “plenty loud.”
Review: Why these bone conduction headphones are my go-to for outdoor listening
Additionally, the neckband integrates a bright red LED light that helps you stay visible to cars and people if you prefer to exercise at night.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Rated for swimming
- Great clarity
- Amplified sound in water
Cons
- No Bluetooth
- Oddly heavy bass
Shokz OpenSwim tech specs: Type: Open ear | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP68 | Weight: 1.06 ounces | Battery life: 8 hours | Dimensions: 6.65 x 5.31 x 2.72 inches
I bought my mom, an avid swimmer who spends most mornings at the recreation center, these Shokz OpenSwim bone conduction headphones for Christmas, and she told me that the headphones have made her morning laps less monotonous. The music sounds “pleasant” when listening around the house or at the office, but when you use the OpenSwims at the pool as intended, its sound is amplified and more powerful than ever — if a little heavy on the bass, my mom says.
Unsurprisingly, the OpenSwims are waterproof, and boast a strong battery life of about eight hours. To listen in the water, you will load music that you own onto the MP3, which can store up to 1,200 songs on the device. This means you don’t have access to streaming services, so these headphones may not be for you if all your music is stored on Spotify or Apple Music. In the water, my mom had no issues with the responsive and intuitive touch controls for playing or pausing the music or turning the volume up or down.
Because of the design of these headphones, you can’t wear them and also cover your ears with a swim cap, which is something to keep in mind if you are trying to avoid water getting into your ears as you swim. But besides that, these are a highly recommendable waterproof pair of headphones that will please any swimmer looking to spice up their rote laps.
“With these headphones, I enjoy listening to the music so much that very often I will swim even longer than I anticipated,” my mom told me.
Pros
- Truly sweat-proof
- Big, responsive touch controls
- Sound on par with Shokz OpenRun Pros
Cons
- First run with headphones offered bad sound quality, but improved upon consecutive runs
Mojawa Run Plus tech specs: Type: Open ear | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP68 | Weight: 0.07 pounds | Battery life: 8 hours | Dimensions: 3.9 x 3.1 x 1.2 inches
ZDNET contributor Jack Wallen replaced his $180 pair of Shokz Open Run Pros with these $160 bone conduction headphones, and he’s quite pleased with them. They offer great UX and similar sound quality to the Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction headphones. Plus, they can actually withstand sweaty workouts, something Wallen found difficult for other bone conduction headphones to achieve. You can run with these but you can also swim with them, given their IP68 waterproof rating.
The touch controls are intuitive (and far larger than the buttons on the Shokz headphones) and the sound out of these is great. “If you regularly exercise and produce considerable sweat (and aren’t concerned about the best sound possible), these are for you. Also, if you find the Shokz Open Run Pro headphones to be challenging to control, the Mojawa gear will make you very happy,” Wallen writes in his review.
More: I replaced my Shokz with these bone conduction headphones for one key reason
Pros
- Noise-canceling boom microphone
- Long battery life
- Bluetooth 5.1 technology
Cons
- Some pairing issues
- Pricey
Shokz OpenComm UC tech specs: Type: Open ear | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP55 | Weight: 1.16 ounces | Battery life: 16 hours | Dimensions: 5.31 x 2.7 x 6.65 inches
For remote workers on calls all day, these bone conduction headphones from Shokz are a lightweight option that promises minimal pressure build-up and a top-quality microphone to block out unwanted noise when you’re speaking.
Sonia Madaan of Earth Eclipse, uses her pair throughout the workday and loves the lightweight feel, saying she often forgets she is wearing them. “It’s like a whisper on your ear – you know it’s there, but it doesn’t intrude. You can imagine how ideal it is for someone like me, who can be on calls for several hours a day.”
These headphones also use Bluetooth 5.1 technology, meaning you can stay connected up to 328 feet away. The Shokz OpenComm UC can also charge quickly if needed: A five-minute charge can last up to two hours of talk time. In comparison, a full charge will take you a full hour.
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- 360-degree design
- Long battery life
Cons
- Decent sound quality
- Non-adjustable headband
Tayogo S2 tech specs: Type: Over-ear | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IPX5 | Weight: 5.6 ounces | Battery life: 8 hours | Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 1 inches
If you are on a budget, the Tayogo S2 headphones are the best bone conduction headphones you can buy. At under $50, these lightweight wireless headphones are made for runners, cyclers, and fitness junkies. Enjoy premium sound, complete with a built-in microphone and simple controls that allow you to easily switch from music to phone calls with zero hassle.
Integrated is Bluetooth 5.0 technology, plus there is easy compatibility with iOS and Android systems. With a 200 mAH battery, these headphones will give you up to eight hours of talk time or a whopping 360 hours of standby time.
“The [Taygo S2 bone conduction headphones] are a cost-effective way to get started in the world of bone-conduction headphones,” says runner and user Graham McCormack.
The best bone-conduction headphones are the Shokz OpenRun Pro, an IP55 water-resistant set with built-in Bluetooth 5.1 technology and the longest battery life on this list. With their traditional over-the-ear design and lightweight build, they earn our vote for the best bone conduction headphones.
To see how they stack up, here is an overview of the other top picks on this list.
| Best bone conduction headphones | Cost | Type | Waterproofing |
| Shokz OpenRun Pro | $180 | 10 hours | IP55 |
| Philips Go A760 | $135 | 9 hours | IP66 |
| Shokz OpenSwim | $150 | 8 hours | IP68 |
| Mojawa Run Plus | $160 | 8 hours | IP68 |
| Shokz OpenComm UC | $180 | 8 hours | IP55 |
| Tayogo S2 | $30 | 8 hours | IPX5 |
*MSRP at the time of writing. Please note that actual prices may vary depending on available sales, deals, discounts, and coupons.
Want to make sure you choose the pair of bone conduction headphones that best suit your needs and ears? This chart further breaks down our favorite features.
| Choose these bone conduction headphones… | If you want… |
| Shokz OpenRun Pro | Bone conduction headphones with Bluetooth 5.1 and a 10-hour battery life. These are the best bone conduction headphones on the list for audio quality and it’s ninth-generation bone conduction technology. |
| Philips Go A7607 | A versatile pair of bone conduction headphones that can be used for outdoor listening. |
| Shokz OpenSwim | A pair of bone conduction headphones for swimming with an IP68 rating that can be submerged in up to 10 feet of water. |
| Mojawa Run Plus | An OpenRun Pro dupe with an IP68 waterproof rating for those high intensity, sweaty workouts or swimming sessions. |
| Shokz OpenComm UC | Bone conduction headphones for those who spend a lot of time on work calls with a noise-canceling boom microphone, ensuring that you can hear and be heard clearly. |
| Tayogo S2 | A budget-friendly pair of bone conduction headphones with a sweatproof open-ear design and Bluetooth 5.0 technology. |
To find the best bone conduction headphones, I collected ZDNET’s hands-on testing and research into these products and considered the following factors:
Type: There are many different types of bone conduction headphones, such as over-the-ear or in-ear bone conduction headphones. Everyone has a preference, so it all depends on the style of headphones you want and how you intend to use them.
Battery life: It is important to consider the battery life of bone conduction headphones, so you know how long to expect each set to last before requiring a charge.
Sweat and waterproof rating: If you are a swimmer, you may want to consider a pair of bone conduction headphones that are rated for water resistance or waterproofing, so you do not risk damaging them.
Cost: We chose bone conduction headphones that meet a variety of different budgets to help ensure that there is something for everyone.
Bone conduction headphones use vibrations to transmit sound waves directly to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum. This technology was first developed for military and medical use but has since been adapted for consumer use.
These headphones typically sit on the cheekbones and use a small transducer to send vibrations through the bones of the face to the inner ear. This allows users to hear the audio clearly, while still being able to hear their surroundings. This can be useful for people who work in noisy environments or for those who are hard of hearing. They also can be used for people who are unable to wear traditional headphones due to physical conditions.
Not all bone conduction headphones are waterproof, so it is important to check the waterproof or water-resistant rating on a set before making a purchase.
Bone conduction headphones can vary significantly in price, depending on the manufacturer and model that you choose. Our picks for the best bone conduction headphones range in cost from $40 to $200 each.
Due to their design, they aren’t the premium headphone option for audio quality. But chances are you aren’t seeking them out for audio quality purposes. Bone conduction headphones, thanks to an open design, can help overall hearing health and increase environmental awareness.
For example, Dr. Kelvin Fernandez, a physician and healthcare educator at Ace Med Boards, calls them a real game-changer in the medical realm and cites a time they helped his patient, an up-and-coming musician suffering from hearing loss. “They let him keep doing what he loved. It was a real emotional win and a perfect example of how tech can make life better,” Fernandez said.
Aftershokz products are still around and thriving, but today, they are known as Shokz after a December 2021 rebranding. One of Aftershokz’s top products and our best bone conduction headphones for beginners, the Aftershokz Aeropex, is now known as the Shokz OpenRun.
Outside of these six bone conduction headphones, there are also a handful of others that caught our attention. Brands like AfterShokz and Pyle Bone make great alternative choices.
Best alternative for swimmers
H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi Sport
When ZDNET contributor Adrian Kingsley-Hughes tested the H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi Sport headphones out, he enjoyed that he could load music onto his headphones and use them while swimming, given that Bluetooth doesn’t work particularly well underwater.
Best open-ear alternative
Oladance OWS2 Open Ear Headphones
Open-ear headphones are kinda like bone conduction headphones’ cousin. These Oladance open-ear headphones deliver amazing sound (better than many bone conduction headphones’ sound quality, according to Jack Wallen who reviewed the pair).
