Choosing the right set of headphones depends on several factors. You need to consider which features actually matter to you and base your decision on the features versus the cost. Some headphones put a lot of effort into specific technologies and mark up their prices because of it. Others can offer a middle-of-the-road product, but they come in at a significantly more budget-friendly cost.
Bone conduction headphones are no exception. These have a different design than traditional headphones or earbuds, as they offer an open-ear design, as they send sound vibrations into your inner ear. So, rather than you needing to plug something into your ear or place headphones over your ear, these headphones use human anatomy to keep your ears open and you more aware of your surroundings. There are plenty of earbuds that offer passthrough features, but bone conduction takes that to another level. If you’re considering buying bone conduction headphones, there are a few things you need to know before you do.
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Any Good? 5 Reasons You Should Switch
Done with your earbuds? Canning the cans? It’s time to try bone-conduction headphones instead.
They have to fit you well
Not all bone conduction headphones fit the same
Bone conduction headphones have to sit over your ears and rest against your cheekbones. By doing this, they will provide vibrations along your bones going into your inner ear. The headphones will play sound, which sends it up into the ear. Rather than playing sound directly into the ear, it utilizes sound vibration to its advantage.
Because of this, you want to make sure you have a secure fit that goes around your ear and sits in the proper space. Many bone conduction headphones come with multiple size options. You need to find ones that offer multiple size options and not ones that are one size fits all. Once you find ones that you are interested in, you need to read about the sizing, as some of them can be different than others.
I’m not going to tell you that you need to try them on at a store first. But it is helpful to know if they are going to fit you or not before you buy them. That being said, finding an online store that offers easy returns, in case the headphones don’t fit you well, might be a smart thing to do.
I’ve tested out multiple bone conduction headphones before, and some have felt just right around the ears, while others have been a bit snug. But the most important part of the entire fit is how heavy they are. You want lightweight headphones if they are sitting on your bones. One of the biggest downsides I’ve found in testing bone conduction headphones is that they can feel heavy after a while if you have a thicker pair. I personally don’t like the feeling of thicker ones and prefer lightweight options. But it’s up to personal preference.
They need to have good battery life
You’re probably wearing these for a while
If you’re relying on bone-conduction headphones, you probably want to wear them while working out. They are terrific for runners because they keep your ears open, alerting you to cars on the road and other potential hazards. I love using my bone conduction headphones while doing yard work, as earbuds have fallen out countless times while mulching, picking up sticks, and weeding.
Because bone conduction headphones are often worn while you’re outside, you want to make sure that the battery is charged before you head out. But if you don’t want to have to constantly be charging your headphones, you should find ones with good battery life. I’ve been lucky in that most options that I’ve tested have had good battery life. Options like the Philips GO A707 and the Shokz OpenRun Pro both have solid battery life that lasts many hours.
One thing to note about both of them is that they have unique charging ports. The proprietary connectors only work with these specific devices, so you can’t just easily buy universal replacements if you happen to lose them. Because of the design of these headphones, the charging ports have to be placed in unique spots along the headphones. But neither of them is ideally placed, making it hard to keep them charged up.
The water resistance rating should be high
This is because of another popular use for these
People like to wear headphones while working out. Many people rely on over-the-ear wireless headphones so they can focus on hands-free entertainment while getting a workout in. However, it’s hard to have something like that if your favorite exercise is swimming.
Swimmers have to focus on water resistance for anything they wear in the water, and they frequently use bone conduction headphones while practicing and exercising because the design is conducive to the sport. That being said, not all swimming headphones are bone conduction headphones, as some do fit inside the ears.
Because they are popular with swimmers, bone conduction headphones tend to have solid IPX ratings. This system tells you how waterproof and dustproof the headphones are. An IPX7 water resistance rating means that it can be fully immersed in water for about 30 minutes without damaging the headphones. This is where you should be if you’re considering using your bone conduction headphones to swim in.
If you’re just looking for quality headphones in case you get stuck in a rainstorm while on a run, IPX4 is around the threshold that you should target. Anything lower (IPX3, IPX2, IPX1, IPX0) should not be considered for working out, as this also means the sweat protection is minimal. If you happen to find IPX8 or IPX9 headphones, these provide even greater water resistance.
Microphone quality is an underrated feature
It pays to have them better
You can’t control when people are going to call you. But you can control how well the phone sounds when you answer. I’ve tested a lot of headphones in my life, and one of the toughest things to get right, especially for earbuds, is having good microphones. Many companies just don’t care about having them sound good to someone else on the other end of a phone call.
For bone conduction headphones, the design is a bit different, as the microphones can be angled a bit closer to your mouth, thanks to where they are going to be placed. This doesn’t mean that they are going to be amazing for every pair. But it does give you a better chance of sounding clearer.
This is a tough feature to gauge on your own without having owned the headphones before. This is where reading reviews of the headphones is imperative, as you can usually get good insights into how well they sound from them. Sound quality itself is important, but call quality can be just as important if you’re going to wear your bone conduction headphones often.
Check and see how many microphones the headphones have built into them. The GO A6707 has bone conduction mics and AI mics that help filter out background noise for a cleaner sound.
Consider a few different features before settling on a pair of bone conduction headphones
Bone conduction headphones are a superb style for anyone who wants to listen through headphones while being active. They offer an open ear design, letting you hear more of your surroundings. They should sit properly on your cheekbones to send vibrations into your inner ear. They should be lightweight and offer a great water resistance rating. Adding in good sound and call quality is never going to hurt you for headphones, either.
