If you want phone-free listening for flights and travel, choose Creative Outlier Free Pro+; if you need hands-free controls and visibility features for active outdoor use, choose SUUNTO WING. Both use bone conduction and leave the ear canal open, but they solve different problems.
For flights, the Creative’s built-in music player gives it a practical advantage when you want audio without depending on a phone connection. The SUUNTO’s head-movement controls, microphones, and safety lights make more sense for someone whose priority is moving outdoors while staying aware of nearby sounds.
• Creative Outlier Free Pro+ strength: Built-in 8GB MP3 storage, IPX8 waterproofing, and up to 10 hours of battery life. Trade-off: Its standout phone-free listening depends on music being stored on the headphones.
• SUUNTO WING strength: Safety lights, head-movement controls, and wind-focused call features. Trade-off: Its IP67 rating is below the Creative’s IPX8 rating, and it has no built-in music player listed.
• Choose Creative if you want open-ear headphones that can play stored music without a phone, including during swimming.
• Choose SUUNTO if you want calls and controls designed around outdoor movement, plus lights intended to improve visibility.
• For flights: Creative is the more self-contained option for listening to music you have stored on the device; neither product’s open-ear design is a substitute for noise-isolating headphones.
The Creative Outlier Free Pro+ combines bone conduction with an open-ear design. Rather than covering the ear canal, its adjustable transducers send sound through vibrations in the temporal bones. That leaves the ears open to surrounding sounds, a useful trait when you want to listen without fully disconnecting from people or activity around you. The adjustable transducers also let you fine-tune their position, which may matter because fit affects how the sound reaches your ears.
Its most distinctive travel feature is the built-in 8GB MP3 player. Music stored on the headphones can play without a phone or internet connection. That makes the Creative a particularly interesting choice for flights, where you may want a simple listening setup, and for swimming, where carrying or using a phone may not be practical. Bluetooth 5.3 and multipoint connectivity add a different option for everyday listening: the headphones can connect to two Bluetooth devices at once. A built-in microphone is included for calls.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
The practical trade-off is that the MP3 player is most useful when you are willing to manage stored audio. If you mainly stream from a phone, its phone-free feature may not change your routine. Battery life is listed at up to 10 hours, and the headphones use a magnetic charging cable. Their IPX8 waterproof rating supports use in swimming and rain, but that does not turn the open-ear design into a noise-blocking one. In a cabin full of conversation and engine sound, it will not isolate you from the environment.
Who should skip it: Skip the Creative if your main goal is blocking surrounding noise during a flight or if you do not want to use stored music.
SUUNTO WING: Who It's For
The SUUNTO WING is also a bone-conduction, open-ear headphone, but its feature set is more focused on outdoor movement. The ear canal remains free, while the headphones provide safety lights with different modes that can be set through the SUUNTO app. For someone cycling, running, or exercising in dim conditions, those lights are a practical distinction from the Creative. They are designed to improve visibility, not to replace other safety measures.
The WING adds head-movement controls: nodding or shaking your head can answer or end calls or help control audio. Its dual microphone uses Clear Voice Capture, and the product information describes wind-noise reduction for conditions up to 30 km/h. Those features may suit a person who wants to manage calls without reaching for a phone, especially while moving. The headphones also support Bluetooth connection to devices, and the description mentions dual-device connection for switching between a phone and laptop.
SUUNTO lists up to 10 hours of battery life, with an additional 20 hours available through the power bank described with the product. Its waterproof rating is IP67, and the product is described as suitable for sweaty workouts and wet weather. Compared with the Creative, it does not list an onboard MP3 player, so its listening setup is more dependent on a connected device. The rating difference also matters to swimmers: the Creative is rated IPX8 and specifically described for swimming, while the WING is listed as IP67.
Who should skip it: Skip the SUUNTO if you need onboard music storage for swimming or want the Creative’s IPX8 rating.
• Best for swimming → Creative Outlier Free Pro+. It has an IPX8 rating and is specifically described for swimming; the WING is listed as IP67.
• Best for visibility during outdoor activity → SUUNTO WING. Its built-in safety lights have different modes that can be adjusted in the SUUNTO app.
• Best for controlling calls with movement → SUUNTO WING. Head movements can answer or end calls without using the usual phone controls.
• Best for wind-aware calls → SUUNTO WING. Its dual microphone and wind-noise features are intended to help with voice calls in windy conditions.
• Best for switching between two Bluetooth devices → Creative Outlier Free Pro+. Multipoint connectivity is listed, with pairing for up to two devices.
• Best for a long outing with the described power bank → SUUNTO WING. Its listed 10-hour battery is supplemented by up to 20 additional hours from the power bank.
• Best for flights with stored music → Creative Outlier Free Pro+. It can play local music without relying on a phone connection, though its open-ear design will not block cabin noise.
I would choose the Creative Outlier Free Pro+ for flights because the built-in 8GB player makes it a more self-contained option for listening to stored music. Its IPX8 rating also gives it a clear use beyond travel: swimming. If I were choosing mainly for outdoor workouts, wind-aware calls, and added visibility, I would pick the SUUNTO WING instead. My recommendation for a travel-minded buyer is Creative, with the important caveat that neither is an ear-sealing or noise-isolating flight headphone.
Open-ear listening is a trade-off, not a noise-cancelling solution. Both products use bone conduction and leave the ear canal open. That can help you remain aware of nearby sounds, but it also means surrounding noise remains part of the listening environment. If your priority is quiet on a plane, neither product’s listed design promises to screen out cabin sound. The Creative’s MP3 player solves the phone-connection question; it does not solve noise isolation.
Think about where your music will come from. The Creative gives you two routes: Bluetooth streaming or its built-in 8GB MP3 player. The WING is described as Bluetooth-compatible, with dual-device connection mentioned in the product description. If your routine depends on music stored directly on your headphones, Creative has the clearer fit. If you normally keep a phone or laptop connected and value call controls, the WING’s feature set is more tailored to that use.
Match water protection to the activity. Both are described for use in wet conditions, but their ratings and stated uses differ. Creative is IPX8 and specifically described for swimming. SUUNTO is IP67 and described for sweat and water exposure. For swimming, that distinction points toward Creative; for ordinary outdoor workouts, the WING’s lights and movement controls may be more relevant than its water rating.
Consider how you want to manage calls. Both include a microphone, but their call features are not identical. Creative lists a built-in mic for communication. SUUNTO specifies a dual microphone, Clear Voice Capture, wind-noise features, and controls based on head movement. If hands-free call handling while moving is central to your decision, the WING offers more specific controls and microphone details.
They can suit someone who wants open-ear listening, but neither is designed to block cabin noise. The Creative has the advantage if you want music stored on the headphones through its built-in 8GB MP3 player.
Neither should be mistaken for conventional in-ear earbuds: both use bone conduction and keep the ear canal open. For stored music without a phone connection, Creative is the more flight-focused choice; for noise isolation, neither product’s listed features establish that benefit.
Both are open-ear bone-conduction headphones, not conventional earbuds that seal inside the ear. Their open design may be useful if you want to keep your ears uncovered, but it also means they will not isolate you from nearby sounds.
For swimming, the Creative is the clearer choice because it is rated IPX8 and has an onboard MP3 player for phone-free playback. For outdoor workouts where visibility and hands-free call controls matter more, SUUNTO’s safety lights and head-movement controls are the stronger fit.
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