The best bone-conduction headphones in 2023

Earphones, earbuds, and headphones have become daily companions in modern life. But let’s face it; finding a good pair of earbuds or headphones for working out is tough. Even the best wireless earbuds can fall short – or out of your ears during a run. Luckily, bone-conduction earphones are here for you with an open-ear design and wireless connectivity.

Bone conduction earphones transmit sound waves through your skin and bone instead of using the air canal. Plus, they are pretty lightweight, completely wireless, and sport a modern look. So, if you’re looking for the best options, here are our top picks for bond-conduction headphones.

Editors choice

1. YouthWhisper SuperQ3

9.25

/ 10

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If you respect your ears and want great audio on the move, few options are better than the YouthWhisper SuperQ3. These open-ear bone conduction wireless headphones are safe for your ears; they let in surrounding sounds, but you can still enjoy quality audio. Also, the open-ear design resists the build-up of germs and wax inside your ear canal.

Perfect for people who love working out in public places, these wireless headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.1 and are flexible yet durable. They are very comfortable to wear as well. The transducers produce pretty good sound and don’t rattle your skull with unnecessarily loud bass. The headphones are IP67-grade waterproof so that you can wear them in rain or shine. As a surprise extra for this price range, they have ANC too! However, the battery is not up to the mark for everyone, with only 6 hours of playtime.

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Premium pick

2. Shokz OpenRun Pro

9.00

/ 10

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The Shokz OpenRun Pro bone-conduction headphones are some of the best headphones money can buy. They transmit premium sound through your temporal bones, with rich details and thumping (but not damaging) bass. They feel pretty sturdy with a strong band and good quality material and connect via Bluetooth 5.1. to Android or Apple phones.

The batteries are excellent in these Bluetooth headphones — they last 10 hours on a full charge or 1.5 hours after a 5-minute charge. Because of their open-ear design, the ShokZ OpenRun Pro don’t block out external noise. However, they are great for communication since they feature dual noise-canceling microphones. And to top it off, they have IP55-grade water resistance and easily tackle sweat and light rain.

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Best value

3. Kimwood HS1

8.75

/ 10

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Kimwood HS1 bone-conduction headphones may look like a premium option, but don’t be fooled; these headphones are definitely affordable. The HS1 2022 model features an ultra-lightweight frame and comfortable material. The titanium headphone band will bend and stretch quite easily without damage, giving you a lot of flexibility.

The HS1’s audio quality is not exactly legendary, but it gets the job done in public places with lots of background noise. The batteries are good enough, giving you 8 hours of playtime on a full charge or 1 hour for a 10-minute charge. Conveniently, they use a USB-C port for charging and connect to Android or Apple devices through Bluetooth 5. The mics are especially good, letting you easily hold long calls and meetings.

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4. Shokz OpenMove

8.50

/ 10

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Looking like a device out of some 90’s sci-fi movie, the Shocks OpenMove bone conduction headphones are as stylish as they are useful. The lightweight and comfy earbud-free design let you run or cycle on the outside while keeping your ear open for the traffic. The wraparound titanium frame keeps the headphones in place securely and prevents them from slipping off.

The transducers on these open-ear headphones are quite large, delivering surprisingly good audio through your cheekbones (yet no one else will be able to hear them). The sound is pretty balanced without artificial tuning — though the bass may be a bit extra for some people. The batteries, on the other hand, aren’t above the generic level, with only 6 hours of playtime.

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5. Mojawa Mojo1

8.50

/ 10

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Bring out your mojo with the Mojawa Mojo1. These bone conduction headphones have excellent sound using custom dynamic range compression and proprietary bass boost. They can also suppress noise up to 60dB and prevent 90% of sound leakage. The comfortable yet snug fit will help in heavy-duty workouts, while the reflective stripes will ensure you’re seen.

The Mojo1 feature a magnetic fast-charging cable, which will juice up your headphones fully in 1.5 hours. As far as battery life goes, they can last about 8 hours for listening and calls. They connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and transmit reasonably good audio. The silicone-patched transducers fit snugly on your cheekbones and are IP67-certified waterproof, letting you enjoy the music even in heavy rains. Just don’t go swimming with them!

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6. Haylou PurFree

8.50

/ 10

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The Haylou PurFree’s sleek look is sure to impress modern outdoor enthusiasts, while the quality transducers with directional bass-heavy sound will leave you pumped. You can listen to your tunes safely, aware of your surroundings, thanks to the open ear design, and you can easily squeeze out 8 hours of playtime. Plus, they fit snugly and comfortably; since they are lightweight, you’ll barely notice them.

These headphones feature dual CVC microphones with noise-canceling technology, so you can take calls without a problem. They also have Bluetooth 5.2, so you can hook up to two devices simultaneously. Additionally, they are IP67-grade waterproof and can withstand sweat and light rain.

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7. Relaxhome waterproof bone conduction headphones

8.25

/ 10

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Want to jam out during a swim? These IP68-level waterproof earphones would be what you’re looking for, but Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater. Still, these headphones can withstand heavy-duty rain, so no worries about getting caught in a storm. If you do want to try and listen to music while doing laps, the Relaxhome headphones have 32-GB storage and an audio player built in. They can store over a thousand songs and support all the popular codecs like MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, and FLAC.

The sound is average, but users report it’s crystal clear underwater. When out of the water, you can connect via Bluetooth 5, which is quick and picks it up in a snap. The cherry on top, the headphones have a pretty sweet incoming noise cancellation when communicating via them.

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8. Tayogo S2

8.25

/ 10

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The Tayogo S2 are certainly the most fashionable-looking pair of bone-conduction headsets we have seen — especially considering their color variety. They are built for running or heavy exercise, with the titanium headband circling to fit pretty much all sizes. The open-ear design helps you be aware of your surroundings while enjoying quality beats.

The Tayogo S2 Bluetooth headphones don’t really shine in the audio quality department, but they will at least carry you through the morning traffic. They connect via Bluetooth 5.0 technology, which is effective up to 35 feet, connecting them to your Android or Apple devices like smartphones, Macbooks, tablets, laptops, etc., easily via multipoint connectivity. They are also sweatproof, so they make excellent jogging or cycling buddies.

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9. Moing TouchBone

7.50

/ 10

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Another stylish one, the Moing TouchBone headphones let you stay area-aware and sport high-reflection strips and markings on the sides and back so that you remain visible in low-light jogging or cycling. The build quality is sturdy and ergonomic while also being snug and comfortable on your cheekbones.

Sound-wise, the TouchBone wireless headphones are decent; the sound is digitally enhanced to give you a good soundstage. Meanwhile, they come with dual CVC 8.0 microphones which are excellent for communication. However, they aren’t too great on battery, with only roughly 5-6 hours of playtime.

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10. Phillips A6606

7.50

/ 10

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The venerable Phillips brand has served the consumer audio market far longer than I remember, and now they are stepping into futuristic sound tech. The Phillips A6606 bone-conduction headphones are an admirable effort on that front, with stylish contemporary looks and a sturdy build. They also include safety lights firing backward, which you can control via their app. These can come in handy if you’re in the habit of nighttime runs. With an IP67 waterproofing rating, you are protected from sweat and light rain, but they’re not for swimming.

Phillips’ sound is always admirable, and that quality also continues in these Bluetooth headphones. Thanks to the dual mics, the communication is just as good as their easy-to-access controls. The batteries are excellent with 9 hours of playtime, with just a 15-minute top-off giving you another hour. However, some users do notice some quirks with their Bluetooth connectivity.

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How do bone conduction headphones work, and why do you need them?

Standard earphones, headphones, or earbuds play the audio on speakers that play into your eardrums. Unfortunately, these devices can cause serious damage, especially at high volumes. They can create surprisingly high pressure inside your ear canal, reducing your hearing over time.

Bone conduction headphones bypass your ear canal altogether and deliver the sound waves directly to your auditory nerves. Unlike most other energy, sound travels faster in solid objects than in air. The bone conduction headphones spread sound waves using transducers instead of speakers. These waves reach your ear bones (auditory ossicles) through the skull plate, directly stimulating the hearing nerve center. So, your ear canal remains completely open to hear outside sounds.

Advantages of bone conduction headphones

There are several benefits of using a pair of bone-conduction headphones. Since they bypass the eardrum, they won’t damage your ears, even at high volumes. Also, the transducers leave your ear canal open, so you can freely hear outside noises. But they do not mix with the audio. It works just like hearing your own voice, perfect for working out in public spaces, where you have to be aware of other people and traffic.

Finally, they are an absolute boon if you have ear damage. If you cannot use earphones or headphones, bone-conduction headphones might be the alternative you’re looking for. As a bonus, you don’t have to worry about bothering anyone around you if you’re blasting your tunes, no matter where you get your music.

Issues with bone conduction headphones

Bone-conduction headphones have some downsides. The transducer technology has not developed enough to compete with speakers — the audio quality will always be lower than a standard pair of wired earphones. Also, if you don’t like outside noise and want to suppress it, you’ll have to look elsewhere — these are explicitly designed to let outside noise in.

While they do help protect from ear damage, they aren’t foolproof. If you crank up the volume of your bone-conduction headphones, they can still cause damage. Also, if you use them for extended periods, you may get vertigo, or your skin may develop rashes from the vibration.

Additionally, the tech that goes into these headphones is pretty power-hungry and will drain the batteries quickly. So, bone-conduction headphones generally don’t play more than a few hours for each charge.

Choosing the best bone conduction headphones

The bone-conduction audio technology is still working out the kinks, but a few products on the market now are quite capable of giving you what you need. There are a few things you should consider before buying. The first thing to look into is the transducers; their size and quality determine their audio quality. Next comes the build quality, safety features, and connectivity. And there is seldom any product that fires strongly on all pistons — except a few all-rounders we have gathered here.

The real all-rounder option giving you the best return on investment are the YouthWhisper SuperQ3, with excellent connectivity and waterproofing. Curiously it offers ANC, too; if that doesn’t defeat the purpose, then it’s quite a nice and rare thing to have in a bone-conduction headphone. But if you are willing to spend, you will be hard-pressed to find something better than Shokz OpenRun Pro. They give you premium audio quality backed by excellent battery life. However, if pricing is the deciding factor for you, then the Kimwood HS1 will fulfill entry-level requirements all the way through good flexibility and communication capabilities.