In some cases, regular headphones and earbuds just don’t cut it. They don’t stay in your ears, they aren’t as safe for your hearing and if you aren’t able to hear sound in the same way as most people, then they are pretty much useless.
In comes the bone conduction headphone. This specially designed headphone delivers sound to the ears in a non-traditional way, allowing everyone to experience sound in a safer way. In some cases, it allows you to hear sound that you couldn’t with other headphones, so have a look at the six best bone conduction headphones on our list below.
Why Use Bone Conduction Headphones?
While those who have experienced hearing loss may need these headphones in order to help them hear, others choose to use them because they are safe for the ear than standard headphones.
- Safer. The reason for this is that the sound entering bypasses your eardrums. The bone conduction headphones are capable of delivering sound vibrations through the bone (which are received by the cochlea), meaning that the eardrum isn’t even involved.
- Hear What’s Happening Around You. Sometimes you don’t want to shut out all of the sound around you and you don’t want to share your music with everyone else in the room. Think about working in an office when you need to know what people are saying to you or if you’re driving and you need to be aware of the sounds around you (ambulances, police sirens, etc.)
Top 6 Bone Conduction Headphones Chart
[ws_table id=”79″]When They Come in Handy
If you’re still not sure whether or not bone conduction headphones are right for you, here are some examples of when they come in quite handy:
- You Wear a Hearing Aid. If you use an in-ear hearing aid, then bone conduction headphones are ideal for you because they sit just in front of your ear.
- Working out/Exercising. Walking or running outdoors is safer when you’re aware of what’s going on around you; cycling and driving is safer (as we mentioned above) so that you can hear traffic and sirens, and most are waterproof and sweat-proof.
- Paintballing. Since bone conduction technology is also used by the military, it might come in handy when you’re immersed in a round of paintballing with your friends. You can hear ambient noise around you (the enemy) and hear/communicate with your team members since most have built-in microphones and Bluetooth technology.
Top 3 Best Bone Conduction Headphones Reviews
1. Aftershokz AS450
Aftershokz certainly makes some of the best bone conduction headphones on the market today, and these Sportz M3 headphones are an affordable, entry-level option for those who are new to the concept.
They fit comfortably over your head and stay in place when you move (cyclists especially like how they fit under the helmet); they feature dual noise cancelling microphones that prevent surrounding noises from interfering and they will allow you to enjoy up to 12 hours of continuous music or calls on a single charge. That’s twice as much as their wireless version.
If this is your first time buying a pair of bone conduction headphones, this is a great entry-level product!
2. Aftershokz Bluez 2
You’ll also find a few great wireless pairs of bone conduction headphones by Aftershokz, such as the Bluez 2 model.
These feature Aftershokz’s LeakSlayer technology, which reduces natural sound leakage; they also have dual noise cancelling microphones just like the previous pair and they have Audrey Says voice prompt guides that guide users through power, pair, play and talk.
While it only has a six-hour lifespan on a single charge (Sportz M3 has 12), it is still an excellent set of headphones. They’re definitely more convenient if you don’t want any wires hanging around your head.
3. Coolplay Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphone
An alternative to Aftershokz is the Coolplay brand.
Whether you need them for cycling, in the office, to help you hear sound better or just because you want a safer alternative to regular headphones, Coolplay is an affordable option for everyone.
These are also wireless, they have a built-in microphone and it has a special 2-in-1 function that allows you to connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time.
While it has slightly less run time than the others (5.5 hours), it is still a comfortable, quality pair of bone conduction headphones.