How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a proven open-ear design for running, cycling and gym work — including as a headphone for Switch sessions between workouts — choose Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun; if you need headphones that survive actual swimming, with built-in storage so you can leave your phone in the locker, choose PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming.
• Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun — biggest strength: a featherweight 26 g wraparound frame with 8th-generation bone conduction, IP67 sweat/water resistance and 8 hours of playtime.
• Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun — biggest trade-off: IP67 is not swimming-rated, so pool laps are off the table, and it's a renewed unit rather than a new retail box.
• PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming — biggest strength: IPX8 sealing that handles submersion to two meters for an hour, plus a 32 GB MP3 mode so you can swim and train phone-free.
• PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming — biggest trade-off: Bluetooth can't connect underwater, so you must manually switch to MP3 mode before getting in — and the fit is a generic open-ear hook rather than a wraparound band.
• Who each pick is for: SHOKZ for runners, cyclists and Switch players who want one dependable everyday open-ear pair; PSIER for swimmers and athletes who want music in the water without a phone.
The OpenRun is the classic expression of the bone conduction idea: a single wraparound band that hooks over both ears, sits at 26 g, and transmits sound through your cheekbone so your ear canals stay completely open. That's the whole point of the format. You hear your podcast and you also hear the car behind you, the trail chatter, the gym announcement. Nothing is plugged into your ear, so nothing is sealed off.
On the spec sheet, the practical numbers are 8 hours of music and calls per charge, a 1-hour full charge, and a 10-minute quick charge that gets you up to 1.5 hours of listening — the kind of top-up that matters when you're heading out the door and realize you forgot to plug in. The driver covers a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, and the frame is plastic and silicone in black, with media controls on the band and no active noise cancelling (which would defeat the safety purpose anyway). It's rated IP67, meaning sweat and rain are fine, and it even includes a moisture-detection alert so you don't charge a wet connector. The manufacturer lists a 2-year warranty.
Buy it if you want one pair for running, cycling, gym sessions and desk work, and if the idea of an open-ear "headphone for Switch" appeals to you — you can hear the game and still hear your household. Skip it if your main sport is swimming. The sheet says it plainly: not suitable for swimming. Skip it, too, if you specifically want a new-in-box product, since this is an Amazon Renewed unit.
PSIER attacks the same problem from the opposite direction. Instead of one bone conduction driver, it runs a hybrid bone-plus-air dual-driver system — the company claims roughly 30% more bass than a standard single-driver bone conduction set, with air conduction filling in the high end and bone conduction carrying the low end. Whether that claim holds up in your ears is a personal judgement, but the design intent is clear: fuller sound than a bare-bones bone conduction driver.
The headline feature is the IPX8 rating. It's certified for submersion up to two meters deep for one hour, which is exactly the envelope a lap swimmer lives in. Because Bluetooth doesn't travel through water, PSIER pairs that with a built-in 32 GB memory card holding up to 8,000 songs, so you switch to MP3 mode before you get in and swim with no phone anywhere near the pool. The sheet is explicit about this: change to MP3 mode in water; Bluetooth won't connect underwater. Above the surface you get Bluetooth 6.0, 8 hours of playtime, magnetic charging to full in 2 hours, and touch controls.
The fit is a liquid-silicone-coated open-ear hook designed to sit alongside swim caps, goggles, sunglasses and bike helmets, and it's listed for all ages with a 1-year warranty. There's also an AI-driven companion app for tailoring audio profiles.
Buy it if you swim, or if you want a single pair that goes from pool to run to bike without carrying a phone. Skip it if you mostly want the simplest possible everyday headphone with a traditional band-style fit, or if you want the reassurance of a longer warranty term.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming → PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming. IPX8, two meters, one hour, MP3 mode. SHOKZ is explicitly not for swimming.
• Best for phone-free training → PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming. 32 GB and up to 8,000 songs stored on board.
• Best for quick top-ups → Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun. A 10-minute charge yields up to 1.5 hours, versus a 2-hour full charge on the PSIER.
• Best for sound-shaping → PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming. The dual bone-plus-air driver and the app-based audio profiles give you more to adjust.
• Best for a set-and-forget fit → Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun. One band, one shape, no mode switching to remember.
• Best for warranty comfort → Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun. Two years versus one year as stated by each manufacturer.
• Best for a mixed-use household → PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming. Listed for all ages and designed to coexist with helmets and caps.
In my opinion, most people reading this should buy the Amazon Renewed SHOKZ OpenRun. It's the safer all-rounder: lighter, simpler, backed by a longer warranty, and genuinely excellent for running, cycling, gym work and casual Switch play where you want to stay aware of your surroundings. I'd only steer you to the PSIER Bone Conduction Swimming if water is the point — if you actually swim laps, or you want one pair that works in the pool and on the run without a phone. That's the real dividing line, and it's a use case, not a spec sheet.
how to bone conduction headphones work
A bone conduction driver vibrates against your cheekbone instead of firing sound into your ear canal. Those vibrations travel through the bone to your inner ear, so your ear canal stays open and you keep hearing the world around you.
how to wear bone conduction headphones
You hook the transducers in front of your ears, resting them against the cheekbone just above the jaw, with the band running behind your head. The fit is meant to be light contact, not pressure — the PSIER set is specifically shaped to sit alongside caps, goggles and helmets.
how to use bone conduction headphones
Pair over Bluetooth for normal listening, use the media or touch controls to play and skip, and top up the battery when it runs down. With the PSIER, remember to switch to MP3 mode before entering the water, since Bluetooth cannot connect underwater.
how to bone conduction headphones for switch
Either pair works as a headphone for Switch over Bluetooth, and both leave your ears open so you can hear the game and your room at the same time. The SHOKZ OpenRun is the better pick here in my opinion — lighter, an 8-hour battery, and a 10-minute quick charge for up to 1.5 hours when you're short on time.
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