Bone conduction headphones have been around for quite some time. However, they have become popular recently because of the advanced technology along with trendy designs. In this post, we have listed the best bone conduction headphones that you should consider in 2020.
Bone conduction headphones function differently compared to traditional headphones.
Traditional headphones provide sound which passes through the eardrum and stimulates the hair cells inside the cochlea which allows you to hear music.
Bone conduction headphones stimulate the skull creating vibrations that directly move the hair cells inside the cochlea thereby allowing you to hear music.
Thus it bypasses the outer and middle ear components helping you to hear sound easily.
We decided to try and review bone conduction headphones.
After multiple tests and evaluations, we curated a list of the 7 best bone conduction headphones that you should consider in 2020.
Top 3 Best Bone Conduction Headphones
1. Aftershokz Aeropex
What We Like
- Waterproof IP67
- 8 hours playback
- Situational awareness
What Is Missing
- Magnetic charging
2. AfterShokz Air
What We Like
- 6 hours of playback
- Situational awareness
- Wide frequency response
What Is Missing
- Bluetooth 4.2
3. Zulu Exero
What We Like
- Bluetooth 5.0
- IPX5 Splashproof
- 6 hours of playback
What Is Missing
- No fast charging
7 Best Bone Conduction Headphones
- 1. Aftershokz Aeropex
- 2. AfterShokz Air
- 3. Zulu Exero
- 4. EKEN Bone Conduction
- 5. AfterShokz Titanium
- 6. Bonein
- 7. Tayogo Bone
- 7 Best Bone Conduction Headphones
- 1. AfterShokz Aeropex: Best Bone Conduction Headphones
- 2. AfterShokz Air: Bone Conduction Headphones For Running
- 3. Zulu Exero: Best Conduction Headphones
- 4. EKEN Bone Conduction: Best Bone Conduction Headphones
- 5. AfterShokz Titanium: AfterShokz Bone Conduction Headphones
- 6. Bonein: Top Bone Conduction Headphones
- 7. Tayogo Bone: Cheap Bone Conduction Headphones
- How Does Bone Conduction Headphones Work
- What to Look For While Buying Bone Conduction Headphones
- Conclusion
1. AfterShokz Aeropex: Best Bone Conduction Headphones
AfterShokz Aeropex
Aftershokz is known for its premium bone conduction headphones along with a premium silicone magnetic case which makes it easy to carry these headphones everywhere you go.
The build quality of these headphones is sturdy and premium which makes these headphones durable.
These Areopex headphones are lightweight and comfortable due to which you can wear these headphones for long hours without any discomfort.
The button included on the headphones allow you to pause and play tracks.
Key Features
In addition, these headphones come with an IP67 rating which makes these headphones waterproof thus making them ideal for gyming, jogging and regular usage.
The Aeropex bone conduction headphones provide 8 hours of playback which is impressive.
Apart from that, you can answer calls with these headphones without having to use your phone.
The sound quality of these headphones is not as good as regular headphones however these headphones provide situational awareness.
If you are looking for traditional headphones, check our post on the best bluetooth headphones under 500.
Overall the bone conduction headphones are lightweight and comfortable to use thereby making them one of the best bone conduction headphones.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Waterproof IP67
- 8 hours playback
- Situational awareness
- Premium build quality
- Buttons are responsive
Cons
- Magnetic charging
- Sound quality inferior to traditional headphones
2. AfterShokz Air: Bone Conduction Headphones For Running
AFterShokz Air
AfterShokz Air bone conduction headphones provide exceptional fit and comfort which allows you to wear these headphones throughout the day with ease.
Since these headphones offer an open fit design they keep you aware of your surroundings.
Moreover, the Aftershokz Air bone conduction headphones provide 6 hours of playback on a full charge which is decent enough.
Furthermore, the bone conduction headphones offer a wide frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz which is decent enough.
The Bluetooth connectivity of these headphones is remarkable with minimum dropouts.
Key Features
Although these headphones do not offer sound quality as traditional headphones, the sound quality of these headphones is premium with a decent amount of bass, clear mids and crisp highs.
The bone conduction headphones are sweat and water-resistant which makes these headphones ideal for gyming, jogging and running.
The mic of the bone headphones is clear which allows you to communicate clearly with others while speaking on calls.
In conclusion, these bone headphones are lightweight and offer premium sound which makes these headphones worth considering.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Mic is clear
- 6 hours of playback
- Sound quality is good
- Situational awareness
- Wide frequency response
Cons
- Bluetooth 4.2
- Sound quality inferior to traditional headphones
3. Zulu Exero: Best Conduction Headphones
Zulu Exero
Zulu bone conduction headphones are known for lightweight and phenomenal Bluetooth connectivity because of the Bluetooth 5.0 version installed.
In addition, the bone conduction headphones provide 6 hours of playback on a full charge.
The microphone of the headphones is clear and crisp.
Apart from that, the headphones come with an IPX5 rating which makes these headphones splashproof thereby making the headphones ideal for regular usage.
The Bluetooth connectivity of these headphones is phenomenal with minimum dropouts.
Furthermore, these headphones can be connected to multiple devices at the same time.
Key Features
These headphones provide premium audio quality with punchy bass.
The mids on these headphones are clear. The high notes on these headphones are crisp.
Since the headphones are lightweight and comfortable, you can wear these bone conduction headphones for long hours without any discomfort.
In addition, it allows you to hear your surroundings clearly which can come handy while communicating with others or while walking on the streets.
Pros
- Mic is clear
- Bluetooth 5.0
- IPX5 Splashproof
- 6 hours of playback
- Situational awareness
- Premium build quality
Cons
- No fast charging
- Sound cannot be compared to regular headphones
4. EKEN Bone Conduction: Best Bone Conduction Headphones
EKEN Bone Conduction
Eken Bone conduction headphones are one of the most underrated bone conduction headphones amongst the many bone conduction headphones we tested.
The headphones weigh only 0.88oz which makes these headphones extremely lightweight.
Moreover, the headphones offer 6 hours of playback on a full charge which is decent enough.
The Eken headphones come with an IP54 rating which makes these headphones sweat-resistant.
Key Features
The bass on these headphones is well balanced without being too loud.
The mids on these headphones is clear and distortion-free. The high notes on these headphones are rolled off without causing ear irritation thereby providing a premium audio experience.
The Bluetooth connectivity on these headphones is remarkable due to the Bluetooth 5.0 version.
The headphones can be connected to two devices at the same time which is worth mentioning.
The mic of the headphones is clear due to its noise-canceling technology which blocks background noise to provide a clear voice while speaking on calls.
Overall, the headphones are sleek, lightweight with premium audio quality that makes it stand out from its competitors.
Pros
- Mic is clear
- IP54 rating
- Lightweight
- 6 hours playback
- Premium build quality
Cons
- Sound Leaks
- No fast charging
5. AfterShokz Titanium: AfterShokz Bone Conduction Headphones
AfterShokz Titanium
Aftershokz Titanium bone conduction headphones are known for their comfortable fit along with premium build quality.
Moreover, these bone conduction headphones offer music through the cheekbones which ensures your ears remain open thereby providing ultimate situational awareness.
The Bluetooth connectivity on these headphones is decent with minimal breakouts.
In addition, these bone conduction headphones are lightweight due to which you can wear these for long hours without any discomfort.
The mic of the Titanium headphones is clear without any distortion.
Key Features
The Titanium bone conduction headphones offer six hours of playback on a full charge.
Furthermore, the Titanium headphones come with an IP55 rating which makes these headphones water and sweat resistant.
The bone headphones include dual noise-canceling mics which allow you to communicate clearly on calls.
The titanium headphones include EQ presets which allow you to tweak and customize sound settings.
Pros
- EQ presets
- 6 hours of playback
- Noise-canceling mics
- Situational awareness
- Premium build quality
- Water and sweat-resistant
Cons
- Sound leaks
- Doesnt support fast charging
6. Bonein: Top Bone Conduction Headphones
Bonein
Bonein conduction headphones are known for their comfortable fit along with 12 hours of playback which is impressive.
The Bonein headphones provide music through cheekbones which ensures maximum situational awareness and comfortable fit.
Additionally, these bone conduction headphones can rotate, fold and hang which makes it easy to carry these headphones everywhere you go.
Key Features
The Bonein headphones are sweatproof and waterproof due to which makes these headphones one of the best bone conduction headphones.
Furthermore, these bone conduction headphones are one of the few headphones to support 90-degree rotation and 180-degree plane rotation which makes it comfortable to wear these headphones.
The Bluetooth connectivity of these headphones is decent with minimum dropouts.
The Bonein headphones are lightweight due to which you can wear these headphones throughout the day without experiencing any hearing fatigue.
The mic of the headphones is clear due to which you can communicate on calls clearly.
Pros
- Sweatproof
- Lightweight
- Mic quality is good
- 80-degree rotation
- 12 hours of playback
Cons
- Sound Leaks
- Build quality could have been better
7. Tayogo Bone: Cheap Bone Conduction Headphones
Tayogo Bone
Tayogo Bone conduction headphones provide high fidelity sound at affordable pricing which makes it stand out from its competitors.
Furthermore, it includes Bluetooth 5.0 which provides strong connectivity with few dropouts.
Additionally, the mic of the headphones is clear and crisp which allows you to communicate clearly over calls.
Key Features
These Bone conduction headphones offer 6 hours of playback on a full charge which is decent enough.
The Tayogo headphones are sweatproof which makes them ideal for workouts, running and gyming.
The headphones aim at providing premium sound along with unmatched situational awareness.
Moreover, these Tayogo headphones are exceptionally comfortable due to which you can wear these headphones for long hours without experiencing any discomfort.
Pros
- Clear mic
- Sweatproof
- Lightweight
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 6 hours of playback
- Situational awareness
Cons
- Sound leaks
- No fast charging
How Does Bone Conduction Headphones Work
Bone conduction headphones function differently compared to traditional headphones.
Traditional headphones provide sound which gets sent from the outer part of the ear to the ear canal.
The sound from the ear canal then passes through the eardrum which then vibrates the bones of hearing and stimulates the hair cells that are present inside the cochlea.
Bone conduction, on the other hand, stimulates the skull creating vibrations which then stimulate the hair cells inside the cochlea.
Thus it bypasses the outer and middle part of the ear to stimulate hearing.
These types of headphones are ideal for people with ear deficiencies in the outer or middle ear since it bypasses the outer and middle ear allowing the person to hear.
However, the person still needs to have a healthy cochlea to hear or else stimulating the cochlea won’t help.
What to Look For While Buying Bone Conduction Headphones
Bone Conduction Headphones can be worn for long hours because of the situational awareness they provide. Hence we will be looking at certain factors that you should consider before buying bone conduction headphones.
Fit And Comfort
Comfort should be your first priority while looking for bone conduction headphones because if they are not comfortable, you would not be able to wear these for long.
Since bone conduction headphones sit outside your ears they do not provide any hearing fatigue or sound fatigue.
Hence it would be ideal to look for headphones that fit you well and provide adequate comfort.
Build Quality
Since you would be wearing these headphones throughout the day or long hours, it would be ideal to ensure that the build quality is premium.
If you face hearing problems and depend upon bone conduction headphones, it would be advisable to opt for waterproof headphones.
Apart from that, another factor that you should consider is the playback time. Most bone conduction headphones offer 6 – 8 hours of playback on a full charge.
Additionally, you should also check the mic quality if you plan on answering calls with these headphones.
Some bone conduction headphones come with CVC noise reduction which provide clear call quality by blocking background noise.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is one of the main purposes to buy headphones. Bone Conduction headphones have a unique sound signature which is different compared to the traditional headphones.
The sound quality on these headphones cannot be compared however there are few bone conduction headphones that provide premium sound quality.
It may take some time to get used to hearing music, podcasts and watching movies with the bones conduction headphones.
Appearance
Previously bone conduction headphones were bulky and ugly however, the same isn’t true anymore.
Bone conduction headphones these days are available in premium and sleek designs that can be worn everywhere.
The designs and patterns available are trendy and versatile which can be worn during most of the activities since it provides situational awareness as well.
Conclusion
This is an in-depth review of the best bone conduction headphones available in 2020.
While trying and testing multiple headphones, we found these to be the 7 best bone conduction headphones that you should consider in 2020.
As per our evaluation, we found the AfterShokz Aeropex to be the best bone conduction headphones in terms of sound quality, build quality and many other factors.
Let us know your views about the best bone conduction headphones in the comment section.
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