Bone conduction headphones use the skull to transmit sound to the inner ear via vibrations, rather than passing the sound through the ear canal and eardrum like traditional headphones do.
The vibrations are generated in the headphones, which are located directly on the skull bone. Through the vibrations, the sound waves reach the cochlea directly, which transmits them to the brain. This process bypasses the usual path of sound via the eardrum, ossicles, and middle ear.
Bone conduction headphones are not equally suitable for everyone. Some may have difficulty perceiving sound through bone conduction headphones, particularly if they have hearing sensitivity or hearing loss.
Bone conduction headphones can be beneficial for people with visual impairments because they uncover the ear canal, allowing them to listen to music and perceive their surroundings at the same time.
In fact, there are not many manufacturers that offer real bone conduction headphones. That’s why we’re expanding this list of the best with models that transmit the music in the classic way with sound, but still leave the auditory canal free.
What types of bone conduction headphones are there?
There are different types of bone conduction headphones, which are based on different needs:
- For spectacle wearers: These headphones are particularly suitable for people who wear glasses, as they have a special design that leaves room for the glasses.
- For swimming: These headphones are waterproof, making them suitable for swimming or other water activities.
- With cable: There are also variants that are connected via a cable and therefore do not require a Bluetooth connection. These headphones may be less suitable for sports activities, but can come in handy on other occasions.
- In the form of glasses: Headphones in the form of glasses are ideal for those who wear sunglasses anyway. The standard lenses can also be replaced with prescription lenses. Disadvantage: They are not suitable for all sports activities as they slip off the head more easily. Strictly speaking, these are not bone conduction headphones, but the auditory canal remains free with this solution.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of bone conduction headphones?
- They leave the ear canal free, which allows you to better perceive your surroundings when listening to music. This is particularly beneficial for athletes and road users who need to be aware of environmental noise.
- They are often more comfortable than traditional headphones because they put less pressure on the ear canal.
- Some are waterproof, making them suitable for swimming or other water activities.
- In some cases, bone conduction headphones are more expensive than conventional headphones.
- The sound quality of bone conduction models is often not as good as that of conventional headphones.
- Ambient noise penetrates directly to the ear and can have a negative impact on the enjoyment of music.
The cheapest bone conduction headphones
We ordered a pair of ultra-low-budget headphones from Aliexpress (purchase link) to try them out. Our no-name model currently costs 5.40 euros plus 85 cents shipping costs. Wearing the admittedly moderately chic bone conduction headphones takes some getting used to at first, but we were pleasantly surprised by the pleasingly decent sound.
Sure, the sound quality can’t keep up with expensive models or branded over-ear headphones, but it’s perfectly fine for light musical entertainment, podcasts or phone calls. Slight background noises can only be heard during breaks in music. The reception is sufficient in the immediate vicinity. At distances of more than three meters, however, there are occasional dropouts.
The battery life doesn’t reach the advertised 8 to 10 hours, but the headphones last between 5 and 6 hours even at high volume. Reloading takes about 2 hours.
1st place: Shokz Openrun Pro
The Shokz Openrun Pro (test report) cost just under 150 euros. It is the bone conduction headphones that offer the strongest bass in our comparison. It is sometimes so strong that we have to turn it down, otherwise the headphones vibrate uncomfortably. Still, they offer some of the best sound we’ve heard from a bone conduction headphone.
Their workmanship is of high quality and they sit firmly on the ear without pressing. With one battery charge, they should last about 10 hours at medium volume before they have to be connected to the mains again. An IP55 certification protects the Bluetooth 5.1 headphones from sweat, splashes of water or raindrops. Unfortunately, the Shokz Openrun Pro doesn’t have a USB-C port, so you have to use the included adapter.
2nd place: Truefree F1
The Truefree F1 cost on Amazon (buy link) just 35 to 45 euros. However, it must be said that the Truefree F1 are not classic bone conduction headphones. They transmit the sound acoustically to the ear via 16 mm drivers. The driver sits directly in front of the auditory canal. The user can therefore perceive all ambient noises. Disadvantage: Above a certain volume, the environment hears the music much more clearly than with real bone conduction headphones.
Their sound is good and is quite suitable for occasional music and podcast listening. They are sufficiently loud and offer a smooth bass. They transmit via the Bluetooth 5.3 standard, which allows them to connect to multiple players at the same time. The battery should last 11 hours at medium volume before the integrated battery has to be recharged via USB-C. We feel a slight pressure on the outer ear when wearing it. However, this can vary from carrier to carrier.
3rd place: Livall Open Ear LTS21
With the Open Ear LTS21, Lival is showing headphones that are specially tailored to the needs of cyclists. Because the small TWS headphones can not only be connected to a bracket to wear them like normal neck headphones. You can attach it to almost any bicycle helmet and control it via an optional remote control on the handlebars.
Their sound is surprisingly balanced. Instruments and voices can be clearly distinguished. However, its maximum volume is not particularly high. Worn as neck headphones, they press uncomfortably on the ear after a while.
They are also said to offer ANC. However, this feature does not seem to make much sense, since the headphones leave the auditory canal free and, due to the design, ambient noise always reaches the inner ear. Thanks to IP64, they are dust and waterproof. They should last twelve hours on one battery charge. The included charging case increases endurance by a further 36 hours.
4th place: Shokz Openswim
The Shokz Openswim (test report) offer a good sound, but it’s not quite as good as the Shokz Openrun Pro. They are waterproof to IP68 up to 2 meters and especially suitable for swimming and other water activities – even in salt water.
They don’t feature Bluetooth connectivity as this proves to be buggy in the water. Also, only very few carry their smartphone on their body while swimming. In order to be able to listen to music with them, the user must first upload audio files. 4 GB of non-expandable memory is available for this. They support MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and FLAC AUDIO formats. Music playback of 8 hours should be possible with one battery charge.
5th place: Bose frames
The Bose frames are headphones and sunglasses at the same time. They are available in different versions, of which we took a closer look at the Bose Frames Alto (test report) and the sports version Bose Frames Tempo (test report). We particularly liked the latter because of the USB-C instead of the charging adapter, the volume control and the good grip of the sunglasses. The Frames Tempo are better suited for sports and are protected against water according to IPX4.
Overall, we are particularly impressed by the surprisingly good sound. The bass is clear without being overly emphasized by Bose. The mids and highs are clearly recognizable. It doesn’t matter whether it’s about perfectly mixed pop songs or punky protest songs, the sunglasses conjure up excellent quality in your ears.
Conclusion
If you are looking for bone conduction headphones with high wearing comfort and the best audio quality, you can hardly avoid the Shokz Openrun Pro. However, their bass is so strong that they can vibrate uncomfortably at higher volumes. If you can live with that, you get the best overall package here.
We were amazed by the ultra-low-budget headphones for a good 6 euros from Aliexpress (purchase link). Don’t expect miracles here. You can hardly get wireless bone conduction headphones with Bluetooth cheaper.
The Truefree F1 for less than 40 euros are also worth recommending – even if, strictly speaking, they are not bone conduction headphones. We like them thanks to the many functions and the balanced sound. If you cycle regularly, you should take a look at the Livall Open Ear LTS21. Swimmers squint at the Shokz Openswim, which is even suitable for saltwater.
All open-ear headphones have one major disadvantage: they offer less audio quality than in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones. For alternatives, we recommend our list of over-ear headphones with ANC.
