[Recommended 5 Best Bone Conduction Headphones] Wissonly are Versatility 

In recent years, due to changes in the social situation, opportunities for telecommuting have increased significantly.You have to wear headphones all day, but it’s easy to hurt your ears. In order to meet the needs of telecommuting, “wireless bone conduction headphones” came into being. They don’t need to be put directly into the ear, are not easy to hurt the ear, and are suitable for long-term use.

In this article, I will introduce how to choose bone conduction wireless headphones and recommend several wireless bone conduction headphones that I actually use and feel good about. There are 5 models of them, each with its own characteristics, suitable for different use scenarios: work use, sports use, entry use, and children use.

Contents
What are bone conduction headphones?

How to choose bone conduction headphones

Bone conduction headphones recommended

Bone Conduction Headphones Q&A

Summary

1. What are bone conduction headphones?
Headphones that transmit sound through bones are called “bone conduction headphones,” and they transmit sound in a very different way than ordinary headphones.

Ordinary headphones have a small speaker attached to the ear, and the sound is transmitted to the eardrum through the vibration of the air. In fact, not only headphones, but almost all devices commonly called “speakers” transmit sound through air vibration.

Bone conduction uses the skull rather than air as the medium for transmitting sound. The part of the bone conduction headphone that produces sound is called the “vibration unit”. They convert sound signals into vibrations, which cause the bones to vibrate to transmit the sound to the auditory nerve. They don’t need to be plugged into your ears, so you can hear the sound even when you don’t have headphones in your ears.

Bone conduction headphones also have the feature of being worn for a long time without fatigue, which is very friendly for people who work at home.

Working at home, if you wear traditional headphones all the time, it will damage your ears for a long time. For this reason, people usually take them off every now and then and put them back on after a break. But if you use bone conduction headphones, even if you wear them for a long time, your ears will not hurt. And they fit so well, you’ll forget you’re wearing them.

Below I will introduce the three most distinctive features of bone conduction headphones.

1.Can hear outside voices

When wearing bone conduction headphones, there is no need to block the ears. As a result, you can hear your surrounding sound normally while wearing them, a feature that brings many advantages, but also some disadvantages.

They have three main advantages

-Wearing them while running and listening to music, you can also notice the sound of approaching bikes and cars, which makes you safer

When using them for a home office, you can pay attention to the voice of your visitors.

The downside to them is that when you want to concentrate on listening to music or on a phone call, ambient sounds can be distracting. Therefore, they are not suitable for use in places with loud ambient sounds. It should be noted that on construction sites or on the battlefield, the environment is very noisy, and people will use bone conduction headphones to talk because they usually block their ears and block the ambient sound. Under such a premise, bone conduction headphones can help you hear the human voice clearly.

I am using Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones myself. They’re great for listening to background music while running, compared with the ordinary headphones I used before, I feel more at ease when wearing it when running.

While listening to music while running with regular headphones feels great, it can be dangerous on public roads. Just imagine a scenario where you are running on a road with no sidewalks and a speeding bicycle overtakes you, or a car drives past you. It can be scary.

But if you start using bone conduction headphones, this anxiety will be greatly alleviated, and you can run comfortably.

2. It is easier to leak sound than ordinary headphones
Bone conduction headphones are structurally prone to sound leakage because they are open type, and the vibrator vibrates the surrounding air while vibrating the bone, causing sound leakage. Ordinary headphones are sealed in the ear, so the sound is difficult to leak.

When you wear bone conduction headphones and the sound is turned up very loudly, sound leakage will be more obvious. At this time, if you happen to be in a quiet place such as a library, people around you will hear everything. This is not very good, it both disturbs others and reveals one’s own privacy.

Of course, the sound leakage problem of bone conduction will vary between different brands. Excellent brands such as Shokz and Wissonly have greatly reduced the problem of sound leakage through the optimization of integrated sealing design, vibration buffering, and other technologies.

2. Suitable for running, working at home, and other scenarios

According to the characteristics of bone conduction headphones mentioned above, they are suitable for the following two scenarios.

-Suitable for web conferencing, such as using Zoom for meetings.

Some headphones with a high waterproof rating are also suitable for swimming.

Based on my personal experience, I am here to suggest that you use the headphone according to the usage scenario.

When commuting, use Bluetooth headphones such as AirPods

Office or home office, use bone conduction headphones with boom microphone 

When running: use Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones 

While driving: use a single-ear Bluetooth headphone 

2. How to choose bone conduction headphones
1. Choose according to the usage scenario
Before choosing bone conduction headphones, please determine in what scene you will use them.

Some headphones are good for running, walking, and working, but they are not suitable for use on the train or in a quiet place. In addition, some headphones have bone conduction headphones with a high waterproof level, which can work normally underwater. These are the products to choose from if you want to use them while swimming.

2. Choose according to waterproof performance
Many wireless bone conduction headphones are highly water resistant. Because the sound-generating parts of bone conduction headphones are not speakers, they don’t need to be in contact with air, and the entire headphone can be completely covered with resin. Most of them use magnetic charging ports, so you don’t have to worry about water ingress.

Now mainstream bone conduction headphones are waterproof above IPX5, and some even reach IPX7 and IPX8. Headphones with a waterproof rating of IPX8 can be used during underwater sports and can work normally when exposed to rain or swimming for a long time.

3. Choose one with long battery life
As mentioned above, wireless bone conduction headphones need to worry about battery life. It is recommended that you choose headphones that can continue to play for at least 6 hours after being fully charged. If you’re going to be using them all day at work, choose headphones with at least 8 hours of continuous playback.

4. Don’t have strict requirements on sound quality.
Before using bone conduction headphones, I didn’t have any expectations for their sound quality. But when I first heard the sound of bone conduction headphones, I was surprised because their sound quality better than I thought. But compared to normal noise-canceling headphones, they’re inferior.

The sound quality of bone conduction headphones is characterized by clear and easy-to-hear high and middle tones, but weak bass. Therefore, it is very easy to hear the human voice, which is very suitable for making calls. When listening to music with bone conduction headphones, it is more suitable for listening to music as background music. They’re perfect for running, exercising, and more!

It is recommended that you use bone conduction headphones with noise-canceling headphones. Use noise-canceling headphones when you want to enjoy higher-quality music, and use bone conduction headphones for sports scenes.

5. Choose a product with a price of 70–150 US dollars
Price is always the most critical consideration when purchasing a product. Under the premise of ensuring product quality, the lower the price, the better.

But it should be noted that bone conduction headphones under $50 generally do not perform well, and sometimes you accidentally buy fake bone conduction headphones. Products that cost more than $150 are less cost-effective. Except for a small number of headphones for online meetings or underwater sports, it is not recommended to choose products with a price higher than $150.

3. Recommended bone conduction headphones
Now, I will recommend 5 products for different usage scenarios. All products come from well-known bone conduction headphone manufacturers such as Wissonly, Philips, Shokz, and Boco.

Wissonly Hi Runner Bone Conduction Headphones: Versatile Headphones for Running, Swimming.

High-growth earphone brand flagship-product — Wissonly. Their headphones are known for their powerful performance and high-cost performance and are suitable for running, cycling, swimming, and other scenarios.

The sound quality of Wissonly Hi Runner is what I am most satisfied with. I am not a professional music lover, but from my personal daily music listening experience, the sound quality of Hi Runner is the best bone conduction headphone I have ever used. They use a large-sized 360-degree bone conduction vibration unit, and through structural optimization, the sound-generating area has been increased by 35%, making the sound range wider and the sound more three-dimensional and shocking.

They have professional anti-sound leakage technology, and the entire headphone is fully sealed. Reduce the contact between the vibration unit and the air. At the same time, there is a cushioning design to reduce the vibration of the headphones to the air and minimize sound leakage.

In terms of wearing comfort, Wissonly Hi Runner also performed well. The headphone frame is made of adjustable titanium alloy material, which can adjust the size of the frame according to the size of the head circumference to improve the fit. The surface of the headphone is made of soft silicone material, and the fitting part feels very comfortable.

Their performance is very powerful, using the Bluetooth 5.0 chip to make the connection more stable.In addition to the Bluetooth mode, there is also an MP3 mode, and they come with 32G of memory. They also support IPX8 waterproof and can be used while swimming. They also have great battery life, allowing you to listen to music for 8–10 hours straight.

In terms of price, they only cost $99, which is cost-effective.

Shokz OPENSWIM BONE CONDUCTION HEADPHONES: HEADPHONES DESIGNED FOR SWIMMING

This is a headphone specially designed for swimming, they only support MP3 mode, not Bluetooth and calling functions. They’re not so much bone conduction headphones as they are bone conduction MP3 players.

Their surface is made of skin-friendly silicone material, and they are very light in weight, only 36 grams, so they don’t feel heavy when worn. They’re constructed with an ergonomic on-ear fit that won’t fall off during high-movement activities. At the same time, people who wear glasses don’t have to worry about fit.

The waterproof performance of the OpenSwim fuselage reaches the IPX8 level, which is suitable for underwater sports such as swimming and diving. In terms of sound quality, their sound-generating parts adopt a long-strip structure design, and the bone conduction vibrator has a larger area and higher sound transmission efficiency.

They’re priced at $149.95, but their functions are relatively few and its cost performance is average.

Shokz OPENCOMM Bone Conduction Headphones: Headphones Designed for Online Meetings

These are headphones designed for calls or online meetings, and they have a boom-mounted noise-canceling microphone, so they’re great for people who make frequent calls, or use Zoom for web meetings, especially if they work in sales.

Their biggest feature is that the microphone has a good radio reception effect and the voice of the call is clear. At the same time, their battery life is very strong, and can be used continuously for 16 hours.

They are comfortable to wear, the surface of the headphone is soft silicone material, and the fitting part is very comfortable.

At $199.95, which is more expensive in bone conduction headphones.

Philips A6606 bone conduction headphones: Headphones designed for night running

Philips’ flagship product, they have special designs for night running. When running at night, they can alert the bicycles or cars behind them, making them aware of the presence of runners and improving safety.

They’re ergonomically designed for high wearing stability, the headphones are covered with soft silicone, and they’re lightweight for a comfortable fit. Their waterproof level has reached the IP67 deep waterproof level, so sweating profusely during daily exercise is not a problem.

They are wireless headphones but only support Bluetooth mode, not MP3 mode.

They cost $154. You can understand as paying a little more for the brand name Philips.

Boco Earsopen PEACE TW-1 Bone Conduction Headphones: Clip-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones

This is another type of wireless bone conduction headphones, and they are worn over the ear, like drop earrings.

Since it is a clip-ear wearing method, it can be worn no matter what the head circumference is, and the wearing stability is also good.

They support IPX7 high-level waterproof, rainproof, and sweatproof, and can work normally in various outdoor scenes.

In terms of sound quality, since the bone conduction vibrator is relatively small, the sound quality is moderate, and there is also a certain sound leakage problem. It should be noted that their unique wearing method may cause ear pain for some people after wearing them for a long time.

At $180, they’re relatively expensive.

4. Bone conduction headphone Q&A
What is the principle of bone conduction headphones?
Bone conduction is the use of bones to transmit sound. This is a way for sound waves to travel directly to the inner ear without passing through the eardrum. Bone conduction headphones are headphones that use the “bone conduction” transmission channel to allow us to produce hearing. When bone conduction headphones work, they use a vibrator to vibrate the bone, and the vibration wave will cause the perilymph to make a corresponding fluctuation, thereby touching the spiral device in the cochlea, and finally allowing us to hear the sound.

Who are bone conduction headphones suitable for?
People who love outdoor sports, especially those who love running or walking.

People who require prolonged online meetings or calls, such as salespeople or those who work from home.

People with otitis media and small ears are also suitable for bone conduction headphones.

Do bone conduction headphones leak sound?
Yes.

Because the bone conduction headphone transmits sound through the vibration of the skull through the sound unit, in this process, the air around the headphone will be vibrated to cause sound leakage. However, there are still some excellent brands that do a good job in reducing sound leakage, such as brands Wissonly and Shokz.

Are Bone Conduction Headphones Harmful?
As long as they are used normally, bone conduction headphones are not harmful to the body. Moreover, bone conduction headphones are healthier than traditional headphones.

How to distinguish between genuine and fake bone conduction headphones?
Fake bone conduction headphones are headphones that look like bone conduction headphones, but they are actually air-conduction headphones. The way to distinguish is very simple, you put on the headphones and block your ears. If the sound you hear is clearer and louder, then they are true bone conduction headphones. If the sound you hear is lower voice, it’s a fake bone conduction headphone.

5. Summary
The above is a complete introduction of bone conduction headphones. Several products have been recommended according to different scenarios. If you need to use bone conduction headphones in multiple scenarios, Wissonly Hi Runner would be a good choice. They have more functions and are more cost-effective.