Bone Conduction Headphone Buying Guide, Excellent Headphone Review 2023

Bone conduction headphones are popular because they allow you to enjoy music without blocking your ears, which is perfect for sports people. This article will explain the principle, advantages, and disadvantages of bone conduction headphones, the focus of purchasing, and so on. At the same time, we recommend excellent bone conduction headphones, starting with the latest Shokz, and Wissonly models, we will evaluate their usability and sound quality.

 What are the "bone conduction headphones" that can be heard without covering your ears?

With the increase of telecommuting, network conference, and the increasing demand of working while listening to music to improve attention, the sales of noise-reducing wireless headphones and headphones have increased a lot. However, because headphones and earbuds are earmuffs or earbuds attached to the ears, some people will have problems such as "tired ears" and "earache" after using them for a long time. Serious can even lead to otitis media.

 In addition, the disadvantage of headphones and earbuds is that it is difficult to hear the surrounding sounds when worn, both indoors and outdoors. Especially when walking or running, walking on a sidewalk or intersection with a headphone may experience an accident because you do not notice the sound of a bicycle or car coming from behind.

Bone conduction headphones use a technology that vibrates the bones. It doesn't block the ear, so the ear itself is open and the sound can be heard well around it, which makes it safer. In this article, we should introduce not only the advantages of bone conduction headphones but also their unique disadvantages.

 Mechanism of the bone conduction headphone

Humans use an organ in the ear called the "tympanic membrane" to receive sound waves that travel through the air and transmit them to the organ responsible for hearing conversion --- the "cochlea". The cochlea converts sound into nerves that stimulate the cerebral cortex to perceive.

 But there are other ways to hear sounds besides through the eardrum. It was "a way to deliver sound vibrations directly to the cochlea through the bones". It is known as "bone conduction sound transmission" because it uses bones to transmit sound.

Beethoven, a famous composer active in the 18th century, suffered from hearing loss in his later years, held the stick with his mouth and attached the other end of the stick to the piano, thus hearing the sound, which is the classic application of bone conduction. In addition to humans, dolphins, and whales also use bone conduction to hear underwater transmitted sounds.

 Advantages and disadvantages of bone conduction headphones

Bone conduction headphones use the vibration of the sound to transfer to the bone to listen to the sound, unlike ordinary headphones that use the eardrum, which brings a lot of benefits, but also brings some disadvantages. In this part, we will tell you about the typical advantages and disadvantages of bone conduction headphones.

[Merit]

 ● You can hear the voices outside

 In our daily life, we often hear air conduction and bone conduction sounds at the same time. In other words, you can hear the music of the bone conduction headphones with your ear as well as the sound around you.

This feature is not only easy to use but also safe, for example, it can avoid the risk of accidents outdoors, so if you like walking or running outdoors, please consider using it.

● Ears are not blocked, long use is not tired

 Long use of headphones or earbuds can cause pressure on the ear and ear canal. Bone conduction headphones, which deliver sound by vibrating the temple and cartilage near the ear, have no effect on the ear or ear canal.

Most styles are very light and soft, which can tighten cartilage and temples, so they will not be tired even if they are used continuously for a long time.

[shortcoming]

● easy to leak sound

 Regular headphones and earbuds seal the ears and holes with earmuffs and earbuds to minimize the loss of sound from the headphone to the eardrum.

Due to the structure of the bone conduction headphone, the sound unit only touches the cartilage and temples of the ear, and the area around it is open, so the sound leaks when the volume increases.

● limited sound quality

 Compared with air-conduction headphones, bone conduction headphones' sound quality is reduced, because it is a way to use bones rather than air to transmit sound. To improve the efficiency of sound transmission, there is often more vibration, which makes it difficult to produce low-frequency sound.

 Simply from the sound quality, bone conduction headphones compared to ordinary headphones, is worse, of course, these years with technological progress, the sound quality of some brands are good.

Are bone conduction headphones really dangerous?

 Hearing bone conduction, some people may have such a concern: " Do they have bad effects on the brain and body?"Or" Do they lead to hearing loss?”

 What we need to understand is that "hearing the sound of bone conduction" is something we often encounter in our daily life. For example, the chewing sound of eating is transmitted to the brain through bone conduction, and we hear the friction of the fingertips and the scalp, the friction of the toothbrush and the teeth, etc. These are common bone conduction sounds in nature, no one feels any danger from them.

On the other hand, its impact on hearing, or the risk to the ear canal, is lower than the traditional method of directly vibrating the eardrum to transmit sound, so it is safe.

 Precautions for choosing bone conduction headphones

Bone conduction headphones have many attractive advantages, but there are multiple models available on the market, and you may not know which one to buy. In this section, we will introduce "5 points to choosing bone conduction headphones", hoping to help you.

（1）Wireless or wired

The current mainstream bone conduction headphones are wireless, but there are also wired.

The advantage of being wired is that the headphones themselves do not need to be charged. Just plug it into the audio jack. Wired headphones have the disadvantages of cable winding and cable length limit operation.

 You can consider choosing "wired headphones that do not need charging, plug them in" or "wireless headphones that need charging but have a high freedom degree."

(2)Does it have any waterproof performance?

Because of their many benefits, some people may want to use them during exercise or leisure activities. In this case, we need to check the waterproof performance.

Waterproof standard table

Waterproof standard Definition

IPX4 Anti-splash type: even if it is splashed by water droplets from all directions, it will not affect its work.

IPX5 Blowout prevention type: Even if the water column sprayed from all directions is accepted, there is no adverse effect.

IPX6 Waterproof type: even if it receives strong water spray from nozzles in all directions, it has no adverse effects.

IPX7 Waterproof type:even if it is immersed in water under specified conditions (1 meter depth lasts for 30 minutes), it will not affect its normal work.

IPX8 Dipping type:immersion in water for 10 meters for a long time will not affect its normal work.

 As shown in the table above, the international standards clearly specify the waterproof performance grade. If you are jogging or walking outdoors, sweating, or being in light rain conditions, IPX 4 or higher waterproof grade, there is no problem.

On the other hand, if the headphones will be immersed in water, such as swimming, we suggest choosing IPX7 or higher waterproof headphones.

(3)Mode of wearing

The typical type is the ear-hanging headphone, whose ear-hanging part is shaped like the letter "C". In addition, there are ear-hanging headphones worn by clip the cartilage part of the ear. You can choose the way to wear it according to your actual needs.

(4) Battery life

Bone conduction headphones are less stimulating and suitable for long-time wear, but wireless headphones are limited by battery life. If you plan to wear it for a long time, be sure to check the battery life.

(4)Is there a microphone?

Bone conduction headphones are lightweight and can work for long hours, so many people want to use them for telecommuting. In this case, please choose the model with the boom microphone will be more appropriate.

Excellent bone conduction headphones are recommended

1.Wissonly Hi Runner Bone conduction headphones

 This is the most functional bone conduction headphone on the market, with good sound quality, less sound leakage, and a good wearing experience.

Due to the unique sound principle of bone conduction headphones, most headphones have the phenomenon of sound leakage. Wissonly Hi Runner has done an excellent job in preventing sound leakage. Its fuselage is closed, and through structural optimization and algorithm adjustment to minimize sound leakage. We have actually tested that at the volume of 60%-70%, no sound can be heard at a distance of 2 meters, such leak proof sound performance is very good.

Sound quality,as the core performance of the headphone, it is also worth saying. The Hi Runner uses a large size vibration unit, with a wider range of sound and more three-dimensional and deep sense. The sound quality is undoubtedly very good.

It is also particularly comfortable in wearing experience, because the surface material of the whole machine is made of high-tech and low-sensitivity silicone material, and the ergonomic design conforms to the structure of human ears, so that users will not bring any burden to their ears after wearing for a long time.

Wissonly Hi Runner supports both Bluetooth and MP3 playback modes. It is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which makes the connection more stable and will not be disconnected when used. The Wissonly Hi Runner also has 32G built-in storage, which can save 5,000 songs, and you can completely use it as an MP3 player and enjoy music without your phone.

2.  Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone conduction headphones

"OpenRun Pro" is the flagship product of Shokz (formerly AfterShokz). The frame is of titanium alloy, making it lighter and easy to adjust.It is equipped with the latest audio technology "Shokz TurboPitch", which improves the bass expression that bone conduction headphones are not good at. Its battery life is extended from 8 hours to 10 hours, which is very good for outdoor sports. Its battery life extends from eight hours to 10 hours, which is great for outdoor sports. The charging method adopt magnetic charging.

The waterproof grade of OpenRun Pro has reached IPX 5, and it can work normally if you sweat and rain during exercise, but it can not be used when swimming.

3.  Shokz OpenComm Bone conduction headphones

OpenComm is one of the bone conduction headphones of Shokz, which has a very clear positioning.It is considered a "commercial bone conduction headphone", mainly used for online meetings or telephone calls.

Its biggest feature is that it has a "boom-type microphone". The whole headphone has a C-shape similar to "OpenRun Pro" and "OpenMove", but the left part is attached with a boom microphone about 8.5 cm long, which makes the sound clearer than other models.

4.earsopen PEACE TW-1 bone conduction headphones

PEACE TW-1 is a product of Japan BOCO Company. It is a clip-ear headphone, which can listen to music only by being clipped on the cartilage of the auricle, which is as convenient as wearing earrings.After wearing it, it won't fall off in general sports, but it may still fall off when it is used in sports such as running that require big movements.

Its waterproof performance is good, waterproof grade reached IPX 7, on the water surface below 1 meter immersed in water for 30 minutes, which will not affect its work. In the need to contact sweat and rain scene, can rest assured to use, but can not swim for a long time.

5.Philips A6606 bone conduction headphones

A6606 uses a titanium alloy frame, which is firmly worn during running, with less displacement, so that you can exercise as much as you like without feeling heavy.

This headphone adds a night running light device, and night running can also make cyclists or vehicles notice you, which is a very thoughtful design. It is equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 technology, which has faster transmission distance and lower power consumption than 5.0, but this model can't be used for swimming.

 FAQ about bone conduction headphones!

■ Q1 Why do some bone conduction headphones cost $150, while some only cost $50? What's the difference?

 The difference is that high-priced headphones have better sound quality, less sound leakage, longer continuous use, and better comfort to wear. Charging modes are also different. Low-priced headphones are usually Type-C, while high-priced headphones are magnetic induction charging. Of course, some famous brands will cost higher, which is the extra money you pay for the brand premium.

It is not recommended to choose products below $50. These products are difficult for you to experience the advantages of bone conduction headphones. It is recommended to choose products around $100.

■ Q2 Is really a long time to use it will not be tiring?

This is true. Bone conduction headphones stick the vibration unit to the temple and cartilage next to the ear without blocking the ear hole, so that you can listen to music and talk to others at the same time, the ear is always open, and the eardrum does not bear the pressure of sound waves. In addition, most headphones are lightweight and more comfortable to wear.

■ Q3 Does it have an effect on bones and brain?

No. The mechanism of bone conduction is already in the human body, even without bone conduction headphones. Therefore, even if you use bone conduction headphones, they will have no impact on your bones or brain. In addition, there is no risk of hearing loss because it does not need to use the eardrum in the process of transmitting sound.

■ Q4 Is the sound leakage serious?

 Sound leakage is a common problem of bone conduction headphones.If you try to turn up the volume of bone conduction headphones too much, the sound will leak. This is because of the characteristics of bone conduction headphones, bone conduction vibrator contact open areas, such as temples and ear cartilage, while driving the bone vibration, but also drive the surrounding air vibration, resulting in sound leakage.

Therefore, using bone conduction headphones in fairly quiet spaces such as libraries or elevators should be able to reduce the volume and thus reduce the sound leakage.

Happily, the whole industry has made rapid progress in the last two years. Some excellent headphones, such as Wissonly Hi Runner and Shokz Openrun Pro, have made a lot of efforts to greatly reduce the problem of sound leakage

■ Q5 When wearing bone conduction headphones, can I still wear glasses or a mask?

Wearing bone conduction headphones does not affect wearing glasses or masks. In fact, many headphones are designed specifically for compatible glasses.

Sum up

Bone conduction headphones use bones to transmit sound and will not block the ears, so they have the advantage of "no fatigue after long-term use", which is healthier and safer. However, compared with ordinary headphones, there are some shortcomings such as "easy to leak sound" or "difficult to achieve good sound quality".But the problems of sound leakage and sound quality have been greatly improved in the last two years. Some excellent brands, such as Wissonly and Shokz, have good sound quality and small sound leakage, which is worthy of special consideration when purchasing.