The best bone conduction headphones use vibrations on your cheekbones to recreate sound, leaving your ears open, boosting awareness of your surroundings and offering a more comfortable experience if you don't get on with in-ear designs.
But its hard to know how they'll perform until they're actually on your head, so we've put the best bone conduction headphones to the test to help you find a set to suit your needs. And for most people, that'll be the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2.
They're not the cheapest bone conduction headphones, but we found them to be impressively versatile, long lasting, and comfortable. Or, if you're after something more budget-friendly, the Shokz OpenRun offer similar performance for less.
But these aren't your only options. We've spent hours running, walking, and listening to these open-ear sets to help you find the best bone conduction headphones for a range of activities and budgets.
The quick list
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are the best bone conduction headphones available thanks to their impressive sound quality, long battery life and secure fit for sports. Unless you need swimming headphones or a more affordable option, these are the ones to get.
The Shokz OpenRun rival the Pro version for sound but aren't as strong for calls. Their light barely-there weight lands perfectly between comfort and the kind of secure fit you want from a set of running headphones.
These upgraded swimming-friendly bone conduction headphones are IP68-rated and can store MP3s on the device, so you can listen to music phone-free. You get 9 hours of battery, and a well-rounded sound for your money, but they are expensive, especially with no extra smart features.
If you're looking for bone conduction headphones for hands-free calls, the Haylou PurFree BC01 are our top choice. There are two mics and a noise canceling althoritm for blocking unwanted noise. Plus, the 10-minute fast charge feature gives you another two hours of playback.
The Creative Outlier Free Pro launched at $129, but have since dropped to $99. That makes them a cheaper alternative to waterproof bone conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenSwim Pro and as such are the best budget model around right now.
The best bone conduction headphones you can buy right now
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Best bone conduction headphones overall
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are the best bone conduction headphones for sound quality we’ve tested, with the new DualPitch technology improving the bass in particular when compared with the original OpenRun Pro and other open headphones.
While they can still be drowned out in very loud environments, the OpenRun Pro 2 are enjoyable to listen to both during and outside of workouts. They come with the reliable and comfortable fit you get from Shokz’s headphones, with the over-ear hooks and headband keeping the OpenRun Pro 2 securely in place during our workouts, which included runs, bike rides, yoga and strength sessions.
There are two size options as well, with the OpenRun Pro 2 Mini having a shorter headband that creates a closer fit around the back of your head — this can be handy when doing exercises where you lie on your back.
The battery life is also excellent at 12 hours, though we did find this would drop to more like 10-11 hours if you consistently listen to the headphones at the max volume, which was necessary when using them for outdoor runs and bike rides. Even so, the OpenRun Pro 2 outlast all of the other options on this list.
If you need bone conduction headphones for swimming or value an MP3 playback option in general then the OpenSwim Pro are a good alternative, and the Shokz OpenRun are a more affordable option that still impressed us during testing.
However, the OpenRun Pro 2 are a step up in sound quality and battery life, and the best bone conduction headphones available right now.
- Read our full Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review
Best bone conduction headphones for running
The Shokz OpenRun were originally called AfterShokz Aeropex, and make a great introduction to the Shokz range of bone conduction headphones. Unlike the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, these come in four dual-color options, including blue eclipse, cosmic black, lunar grey, and solar red.
They're fraction lighter than the OpenRun Pro 2, and the barely-there weight lands perfectly between comfort and the kind of secure fit you want from a set of sports headphones. Plus, they were comfortable to wear for hours at a time — handy for marathon or endurance training.
But just like the OpenRun Pro 2, you can't adjust the fit, but there is a mini edition of the OpenRun you can pick up if you need a smaller size (ie, the distance between the backs of your ears is less than 9.3 inches).
The sound quality exceeded our expectations too, with electronic music faring best. The bass isn't as powerful as you'd find in standard headphones, but the mix is bright and dynamic, so you can enjoy your favorite tracks and leave your ears open to the world around you.
- Read our full Shokz OpenRun review
Best bone conduction headphones for swimming
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro are almost a mash-up between the OpenRun and OpenSwim bone conduction headphones, blending the best features of each set to create a premium model that can handle swims, outdoor runs, and sweaty workouts.
There are two audio modes, including a dedicated swimming option which adjusts the output to make sure you still get good audio quality even while in the pool. We didn't find that it changed the quality much, so generally stuck with the standard mode even while swimming.
The nine-hour battery life should easily see you through most sessions, even extended runs, although we were disappointed that the battery drops down to six hours if you listen to local MP3s downloaded to the device.
And if you train in noisy environments, the open-ear design means there's no noise cancellation, so you'd need a set of the best sport headphones instead. But this isn't unique to the OpenSwim Pro, which are easily some of the best bone conduction headphones available right now.
- Read our full Shokz OpenSwim Pro review
Best bone conduction headphones for calls
Like the other sets here, the Haylou PurFree BC01 are durable enough to use during sweaty workouts or in the rain, with an IP67 water resistance rating. And, there are two cheekbone pads designed to create vibrations.
Despite these similarities, the PurFree BC01 stand out due to the inclusion of two microphones to help improve audio quality when you're talking on a call. And there's an onboard noise cancellation algorithm to further drown out unwanted sounds.
At 28 grams, they're slightly lighter than the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, but we found them comfortable enough to wear for extended periods. This makes them well-suited to longer runs or other workouts, especially since they last 8 hours between charges.
However, in a pinch, you can use the 10-minute fast charge feature to top up for another two hours of playback. We enjoyed wearing the headphones for calls, during exercise, and the set produced enjoyable, clear audio.
- Read our full Haylou PurFree BC01 review
Best budget bone conduction headphones
The Creative Outlier Free Pro offer some of the features from more premium bone conduction sets — like an IPX8 rating for water resistance, 10 hours of battery and onboard music storage — but for less than models from Shokz and others.
On paper, this would help them outrank the competition, but we found that they just didn't sound as good as the others. It was never terrible, but the audio reproduction was noticeably less clear than on models like the Shokz OpenRun, which cost about the same.
It's a shame as well, since the onboard storage supports a variety of formats, not just mp3. So, you can upload FLAC, WAV and APE files if you prefer high-resolution audio, but you won't get playback that really reflects the detail in those larger files.
And while the IPX8 rating put them in line with the Shokz OpenSwim Pro, again, they didn't sound as good while we did laps in the pool. So there's nothing wrong with the Creative Outlier Free Pro, but others do what they can do, better.
As most sets of bone conduction headphones come in between $100 and $200, the model you get will likely depend on your budget and how often you plan to wear them. The Outlier Free Pro are a great budget-friendly set, but if your budget can stretch, you can get better performance for not a whole lot more money.
- Read our full Creative Outlier Free Pro review
Also tested
We're constantly testing headphones to make sure that the ones we recommend are those we truly feel are the best bone conduction headphones worth your money. But that means there will be some that don't quite make the cut.
So, if you're after more options, these are the bone conduction headphones that we reviewed but didn't make the list.
How to choose the best bone conduction headphones for you
Before you decide on a pair of bone conduction headphones, there are a few factors to consider, aside from the way they transmit audio. Some sets have adjustable headbands to help you find a more comfortable fit, while others come in multiple (and often vibrant) colors to match your aesthetic.
But probably the most important feature is the degree of water resistance on offer, and this will depend on how you want to use them. For swimming, you need waterproof sets, but for sweaty sessions and rainy outdoor walks and runs, you can opt for a pair with a high-degree of resistance around IPX7 or higher.
Of course, as your ears are left untouched with bone conduction headphones, you won't get the same experience as with the best workout headphones, which have noise cancellation and can block out the environment around you until you switch to a transparency mode to keep tabs on your surroundings.
Though that doesn't mean you have to compromise on the audio quality. Some pairs focus on bass-heavy performance and are ideal if you like to listen to (or train with) dance or tracks with an intense lower end. Others, meanwhile, are optimized for more general performance, so they'd be good for music and podcasts.
How we test the best bone conduction headphones
Every pair of bone conduction headphones has been used over the course of a week for 2 hours at a time. This allows the tester to both gauge the performance across a mix of audio material such as podcasts and music at different volumes, and to see how comfortable they are when worn for extended periods.
Although the design of bone conduction headphones transmit sound vibrations along your cheekbones instead of directing soundwaves into your ear canal to your cochlea, the listening process is similar.
We test any water resistant models in real-life situations just as they would be worn by the user, and we make sure manufacturer claims about battery life and Bluetooth range are accurate. Build quality, the ease of setup and any control schemes — including those involving an app — are also judged.
FAQs
What do bone conduction headphone IP ratings mean?
Your electronic devices are valuable, so you want to be sure that they won't accidentally break if they get splashed with water — that's what IP ratings are for.
Most manufacturers test their devices for Ingress Protection (IP) and the resulting rating (IPXY) is a measure of how hardy the unit is when it comes to dust and water.
The first digit refers to protection from solid materials, like dust and sand, and is represented by a number from 0 (no protection) to 6 (full protection). However, you'll often spot that the IP rating is shown just as X for this area — this shows the company hasn't actually tested it for protection.
The second digit is for water protection, and is the more common of the two. Phones, smartwatches, and headphones are usually tested for water resistance, ranging from no protection (0) to full waterproofing (8).
So, for bone conduction headphones, you'll want to make sure that they'll be able to withstand the environment you'll use them in. If you plan for some light indoor use to work out, an IPX4 rating for sweat resistance might do.
But for outdoor runs, where there's always the potential for rain, an IPX7 rating or above might be best. However, if they're exposed to more than the rating allows, that doesn't mean they'll immediately break, but it increases the risk.
Though because of the design, bone conduction headphones are often pretty durable and resistant to wet conditions. Unlike standard headphones, there are no audio drivers or speakers to get damaged, and all the electric components are stored inside the device.
Can you hear better with bone conduction headphones?
If you're wondering if you can hear better with bone conduction headphones compared to more traditional in-ear designs, the answer is yes. That's the premise for this form — keeping your ears open so you can stay aware of your surroundings.
By vibrating the areas near your ears, the headphones recreate sound, but only for you to hear. So this avoids generating a lot of noise for everyone else, but also means you get a speaker-like experience, where the audio is at the forefront, but you can still hear what's going on around you.
However, this approach does mean that there are no on-board microphones covering the exterior to pick up sound for noise cancellation, as you'd find on many of the best workout headphones.
This is purposeful (the point of bone conduction headphones is to not block out noises) but means that there's no way to repurpose the mics to boost background sounds, a technique that Apple has used with the AirPodsPro 2 to turn its earbuds into hearing aids.
