3 reasons to use bone-conduction headphones for running

True wireless headphones get all the buzz these days. It seems there’s a new pair of workout-friendly headphones or earbuds on the shelves every week. I’ve tested my fair share on workouts and runs, but for running and cycling in particular, I’ve decided to stick to a slightly less popular headphone format: bone-conduction.

Most headphones transmit sound through the air to our eardrums. They either sit over the ears or lodge inside them, blocking the ear completely. Bone-conduction headphones, on the other hand, transmit sound through vibrations along your cheekbones with nothing in the ear at all. That means sound bypasses the eardrums and goes directly to the inner ear.

It isn’t some fancy bit of new technology, either. Bone-condution is similar to the way that sea mammals hear underwater and how Beethoven made music after he lost his hearing.

While bone-conduction headphones have been around for a while, I only started using them recently. After receiving a pair for review last summer, I gave them a try on my runs. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience and have been using them exclusively ever since for a handful of key reasons.

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1 Situational awareness

Be polite and aware of others

Because bone-conduction headphones sit outside the ear, they keep the ear canal open. This means that you can still hear noises from your surroundings. The volume also doesn’t get quite as loud, making it easier to hear ambient noise. That ability to hear your surroundings comes in handy for many reasons, all of them related to situational awareness.

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I had a few runs in a row with traditional earbuds when someone came up behind me. I was blocking the sidewalk because I run with my dog, and so they had to wait to get around me because I couldn’t hear them at first. I’ve been on the other side of that equation before, waiting to get around someone who was in the middle of the trail or sidewalk and oblivious to their surroundings because they couldn’t hear beyond their headphones. It’s really annoying, so I never want to be that person as much as I can avoid it.

While I’m wearing bone-conduction headphones, I’m able to hear someone coming up behind me so that I can pull my dog and myself out of the way before impeding their progress (usually). It allows me to be a lot more courteous, which is always a good thing in my book.

2 Safety

Stay alert, stay safe

As a woman who runs solo (if you don’t count my dog), safety is a constant concern. This worry isn’t unfounded, either, as we’ve seen in recent news. I’ve personally been followed on runs, which left me running without headphones for a long time because I was simply too worried about being unaware of my surroundings.

Bone-conduction headphones allow me to hear what’s going on around me, which means I can be more alert. When I wear headphones that block out outside noise even a little bit, I tend to let my mind zone out and focus entirely on the podcast I’m listening to. That doesn’t happen nearly as much when I’m hearing the noises around me. While it’s still not as safe as not wearing headphones at all, I’m at least more aware of my surroundings in case something unsafe is happening.

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Beyond women’s safety concerns, cyclists, runners, or anyone in a city could benefit from being able to hear their surroundings while wearing headphones. You’ll be able to hear people talking, horns, sirens, and all general traffic, which can be crucial for avoiding accidents.

3 Comfort on long runs

Nothing in or on the ears means more comfort

Bone conduction headphones also have a big advantage for longer workouts. I have small ear canals, so wearing earbuds for long runs wasn’t all that comfortable. With bone-conduction headphones, the only thing making contact with your body is the little bit that rests on top of the ear and the conduction part on the cheek. There’s nothing tight sitting on top of your head or inside your ears, which can make them much more comfortable to wear for long periods.

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Of course, the particular pair of bone-conduction headphones and your head will impact comfort level, but if you have issues with things in your ears, tight over your ears, or resting on the top of your head, bone-conduction headphones can be the best alternative. While I’m currently not tackling any crazy long runs (thanks, bad hips), I’ve been wearing the Shokz Open Run Pros, and I don’t notice they are on my head at all while out for 30 minutes to an hour. I would imagine the same would be true for longer workouts.

The one concern I had about comfort turned out to be a non-issue. The first time I wore my Shokz Open Run Pro headphones with sunglasses, it felt a bit funky as the top of the headphones overlaps with the temple of a pair of sunglasses. This didn’t prove as much of an issue as I expected, though. I quickly got used to it and haven’t had an issue since.

I have heard some people mention that bone-conduction headphones give them a headache, and there are certainly times when its nice to tune out the world. This style of headphones isn’t for everyone and isn’t for every situation. I’ll stick to noise-canceling buds for the gym so that I can hear my music over the gym’s speakers, for example.

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But for those who seek better situational awareness, whether for safety or to be courteous, or who don’t like the sensation of something sitting in or on the ear, it’s hard to beat bone conduction. Personally, I won’t go back to any other style for my runs.

FAQ

Q: How do bone conduction headphones work?

Bone-conduction headphones, unlike in-ear headphones, transmit sound through vibrations along your cheekbones rather than sitting in the ear canal and the sound bypasses the eardrums and goes directly to the inner ear.