Best Bluetooth Headphones for workout and Which One with Better Sound Quali

Headphones have become a necessity now, but I think many people will have this experience, that is, the ears will hurt after wearing the headphones for a long time, especially in the case of strenuous workout. Not only can your ears hurt if you wear regular workout headphones in your ear canal for extended periods, but, in some extreme cases, this can lead to ear infections.

 Therefore, in the workout scene, the open ear Bluetooth headphone is recommended first, because it is healthier and more hygienic to not put it in the ear, and at the same time, you can hear all the sounds from the outside world, which is safe and worry-free.

 Because the open ear headphone is a brand new product, not many people know about it, so here is a simple science introduction. Open ear headphones are divided into bone conduction and air conduction, two completely different forms:

①Air conduction headphones: It can be simply understood as adding two subwoofers next to the ears. It is the same as other ordinary headphones. It emits sound through the speaker unit and uses air as the transmission medium to transmit the sound to the ear canal. So the so-called air conduction headphones are actually ordinary, but they are made to look similar to bone conduction, and the music is played through the small speakers on both sides to let you hear the sound. The sound still passes through the headphone-ear canal-periosteum-hair cells, and then is recognized by the brain. Because it is a fully open structure, it is usually accompanied by a certain degree of sound leakage.

 ② Bone conduction headphone: The bone conduction headphone takes the bone as the sound propagation medium, transforms the sound into a vibration signal of a certain frequency, and directly transmits the sound signal to the auditory nerve through the bone conduction vibrator, without passing through the ear canal. Sound is delivered through headphones —— skull —— hair cells, which are then recognized by the brain. Generally speaking, sound leakage from bone conduction is much better than that from air conduction.

 So which is better headphones for workout, bone conduction or air conduction headphones? Overall, bone conduction headphones are more suitable for workout! Although air conduction headphones are very similar to bone conduction headphones in appearance, there are many disadvantages in the actual experience of the air conduction headphones due to the differences in principle:

 1: Poor sound quality : the working principle of air conduction headphones limits the presentation of sound quality of headphones. By playing the music outside of the two speakers, the sound will form a certain sound quality loss in the air, and in intense movement, this phenomenon is more serious.

2: Severe sound leakage: playing music outside the speaker, not only affects the sound quality but also inevitably causes serious sound leakage problems. People around can hear the sound of the headphone.

3: Poor waterproof: air conduction headphones will be designed with more than one sound hole, and due to the existence of a sound hole, air conduction headphones usually cannot be deeply waterproof. Use in sports prone to sweat, easy to be eroded by sweat, and lead to a series of problems.

 In terms of waterproofing, safety, and durability, bone conduction workout headphones are more convenient and useful than air-conduction headphones. Now that we already know that workout bone conduction headphones are better, let's take a detailed understanding of their advantages and disadvantages, how to choose, and recommend several popular workout bone conduction headphones around several aspects.

I) The advantages and disadvantages of bone conduction headphones for workout

 merit:

1. When using it, the ears are not covered, the sound around will not ignored, it will be safer

Bone conduction headphones do not block the ears when wearing, and you can still hear the ambient sound behind the headphones, which undoubtedly provides better security. The disadvantage is that the ambient sound will affect the listening experience of the headset music. Nowadays, most common headphones have structures that block the ears, such as ear canal headphones, which block the sound of the surrounding environment.

 Bone conduction headphones in running, walking and other sports scenes, it is easy to hear the sound of cars and traffic lights, so that you are safer when using outdoors.Bone conduction headphones are great choices for those who like to enjoy music at work while paying attention to the ambient sounds(especially from their boss or colleagues).

 2 Bone conduction headphones do not hurt the ear

Different from ordinary headphones, the use of bone conduction headphones is that the ear hole is not blocked, and the sound is transmitted directly through the bone. Even if it is used for a long time, the ear will not be injured. Those who suffer from ear injury caused by in-ear headphones are worth trying bone conduction headphones for workout using!

Shortcoming:

1. More likely to leak sound than normal headphones

 Because of its structure, it is easier to leak sound than ordinary headphones. The headphones, like an earplug, hold the sound tightly to prevent it from leaking out. But the sound leakage of the bone conduction headphone is mainly caused by the vibration of its body, and its open ear canal does not seal the sound, so the sound will leak around.

When using bone conduction headphones in a quiet environment such as a library, or office, you should pay attention to controlling the volume. If the volume is too high, there may be sound leakage, which will affect others. But if you're playing outdoors, it's not a problem! Of course, in recent years, many brands have made a lot of attempts to reduce sound leakage, and the problem of sound leakage has been greatly reduced.

 2. The sound quality is slightly inferior to that of ordinary headphones

Workout bone conduction headphones are not noise-canceling headphones, and the sound quality is not as good as regular headphones at the same price. Of course, the performance of different products is also very different, and if you choose a low-cost product, the sound quality may be very poor, and you may feel uncomfortable. Low-price workout bone conduction headphone products are more suitable for people who have low requirements for sound quality.

 Here's a reminder that when choosing a wireless sports bone conduction headset, pay attention to the headset-compatible codec. Codec is a method to compress audio data in Bluetooth communication, mainly related to sound quality and delay. If you require sound quality, select headphones that support the AAC or aptX codec.

II) how to choose the bone conduction headphones for workout

Here are 6 tips for choosing workout bone conduction headphones

 (1) Choose easy-to-use wireless connected headphones

 There are two types of bone conduction headphones: one that can be connected wirelessly, via Bluetooth, like a normal headset, and a wired type connected to the headphone jack. The advantage of a wired connection is that there is no pairing, no charging, and sound is not easy to delay, but there are also inconvenient cable winding problems.

workout bone conduction headphones are designed for workout and can be connected wirelessly using Bluetooth. When using it, you do not have to worry about cable entanglement or touching your body. Although it takes time to charge, comparing the product parameters and prices of wireless bone conduction, you will find that they are more cost-effective than wired headphones.

 (2) Choose a more comfortable mode of wearing

 It is necessary to choose a comfortable sports headphone when working out. Bone conduction headphones are usually worn on the neck, which is fixed by holding the back of the head to the sides of the ear. In addition, there are clip-ear type and wired bone conduction headphones.The comfort of wearing is a very important point to determine the good use of workout bone conduction headphones.

 Neck-wear type is the most common way to wear bone conduction headphones. In most cases, bone conduction headphones use elastic and flexible materials that generally feel comfortable to wear. However, we must pay attention to the strength of the "side pressure" when wearing. The headphone with too strong side pressure has great pressure on the temple and makes it uncomfortable to wear.

  The good thing about wearing a bone conduction headphones is that it feels natural and you don't even feel like you're wearing it. Using these headphones during working out is undoubtedly very comfortable.The disadvantage is that there is a foreign body on the top of the head, feels uncomfortable, and the side pressure is too large, wearing it will be painful.

 Another way to wear it is an clip-ear, which is composed of two separate headphones, on the left and right sides, which can be worn like an ear muff.

 Its advantage is that it is not easy to feel the side pressure,The disadvantage is that when wearing it, the ear seems to be caught by a clip, which makes it feel a little heavy, and some people feel uncomfortable when wearing it.And it lacks a sense of stability, which can be a little inconvenient when accompanying strenuous workout.

 There is also a way to wear wired headphones that do not need to connect, no delay, and no need to charge, which is the same as the general wired headphones. The advantage is that it is less prone to leak sound than other bone conduction headphones because it is worn to cover the ears. On the other hand, as it is an inner-ear type shell, some people may feel pain when wearing it. Bone conduction headphones must be worn comfortably during use, otherwise, it is difficult to keep using them, let alone sound quality. 

(3) The budget is above $80. Cheap products with poor sound quality, easy to leak sound.

 It must be clear that the quality of audio products such as earbuds, headphones, and speakers is largely dependent on the price, and the same is bone conduction headphones. The difference in performance is also obvious.

 In the actual verification, the workout bone conduction headphones with a cost of more than $80 have high sound quality and almost no sound leakage. Cheap products that are priced below $60 and basically have a strong sound leakage, just like you wear a speaker near your ear. If the sound leakage is large, it can not be used on the train, bus, etc., and the place to use is limited. It is recommended to select the model with less sound leakage within the scope of the budget.

 (4) Workout headphones must pay attention to the waterproof level

 When you're working out, such as running, cycling, or climbing, then make sure it's waterproof. If it is waterproof, it can be easily used even when sweating and avoid failure even if it rains suddenly.

 The waterproof performance is represented by "IPX", and the number indicates the level of waterproof protection. If you choose IPX5 or higher standard products, even if you get wet by sweat or other water, you basically don't have to worry about the damage of headphones.If you want to be completely submerged in water, choose the IPX 7 or higher fully waterproof grade. Even if submerged in water as deep as 1m, it can be waterproof for about 30 minutes.

 (5) Consider the battery life capability

 People who love sports basically workout for more than an hour and a half a day, and some people love to hike for a single day. In this case, you will have to consider buying a workout bone conduction headphone with long battery life. In the current bone conduction headset market, the average continuous playback time is about 6 hours. If you can use it for six hours continuously, whether it is out or at home, it is enough. Some models can be used continuously for more than 12 hours, and it is recommended for people who have difficulty charging or use it for a long time.

However, there is a difficult relationship between battery life and wearing comfort, and headphones with longer continuous playback times tend to be uncomfortable to wear due to their heavy weight. So, strike a balance between battery life and wearing comfort.

III) Recommendation of workout bone conduction headphones

To facilitate your understanding of the different experiences of different products in the market, I made an evaluation comparison and combed the details of the experience, including wearing comfort, waterproof, cost performance, and so on.

 1. Wissonly Hi Runner workout bone conduction headphones

Recommended reason:

 Wissonly bone conduction headphone is the fastest-growing product in the past half year. I have seen many channel owners recommending it on Youtube, which is a very popular brand among sports fans. Their team, a technical expert in the field of bone conduction headphones.As early as 10 years ago, they began to develop bone conduction headphones that don't hurt the ears. The product has good sound quality, low sound leakage, high waterproof level, high comfort, high-cost performance, and other characteristics, and received the support of sports fans.

  In terms of wearing comfort, the Wissonly Hi Runner overall frame is made of adjustable aviation-grade titanium steel material, which can adapt to different sizes of head circumference, and can better fit the head to ensure the stability of wear, so that it will not fall during workout. The surface of headphone is made of high-tech low-sensitivity silicone material, which contains no chemical ingredients to avoid allergies. The overall touch of the headphone is as smooth as a baby's skin, avoiding uncomfortable wearing for a long time.

 And its weight is very light, less than 30g, wear will not have a sense of weight. As the flagship of the Wissonly brand of outdoor sports, it is the most comfortable and cost-effective in all bone conduction.

  Wissonly Hi Runner workout bone conduction headphones are open-ear design, directly worn on the temple, so your ear canal is completely open, which makes it easy to hear outdoors in running, walking, the sound of cars, and traffic lights so that you are safer when using it.

  Wissonly Hi Runner-although its name is Hi Runner, it also has an industry-standard IPX 8 waterproof grade, which allows it to work properly when swimming and diving, which is a big advantage. It also comes with 32G body memory that can store 5,000 songs and supports both Bluetooth and MP3 working modes. While playing underwater or without a phone, you can use it as a Bluetooth MP3 player.

 It has a strong battery life and can listen to music for 10 hours, making up for the wireless headphones.

 Due to the particularity of the technical principle of the bone conduction headphone, it is more difficult to improve the sound quality. And Wissonly Hi Runner subverts the traditional sound quality scheme, the breakthrough use of a large wire frame vibration unit, through structural optimization to improve the effective vibration area, so that the sound has a good performance in both treble and bass.

 In terms of price, the Wissonly Hi Runner only costs $99.99, which is really affordable, because other brands with the same performance are basically above $150.

 2. Philips 8606 workout bone conduction headphones

Philips A8606 bone conduction ear-hanging wireless bone conduction headphone is a professional Bluetooth headphone for sports; it is equipped with an LED night running light at the rear of the fuselage, and there is a flashing light in the shape of raindrops behind the headphone. Wearing it at night can let people or cars around notice your position and night running can also avoid being collided.

 Its 5.0 Bluetooth version can keep the connection stable and listen to songs smoothly. Its 13.3mm bone conduction vibrator, combined with an open acoustic structure, makes it have a good performance in sound quality, ensuring clear calls and listening to music.

The battery life is average, it only supports 4 hours of continuous listening to music, and there is no built-in memory. Its waterproof level reaches IPX5, and there will be no problem with waterproof and sweatproof, but it cannot be used for swimming.

In terms of price, $150 is a bit on the high side.

 3. Earsopen SS900 workout bone conduction headphones

Compared to the common bone conduction headphones, this is another type of headphones, which are worn in an clip-ear way, just like wearing an eardrop.

  The SS900 headset is equipped with a miniature bone conduction vibrator to reduce the weight of the headset and reduce the weight bearing when wearing. A pair of headphones can be used separately, with a single weight of 7.5g, which is very light. For the part in contact with the auricle, skin-friendly and skin-anti-slip materials are used to ensure wearing stability and make wearing more comfortable.

  In terms of sound quality, its bass performs well, the high pitch is a little poor.There is a harsh problem when the audio is too high. It uses PreciseAir3.0 integrated forming technology to simplify the parts inside the body and reduce sound leakage.

 It supports IPX 7 waterproof, sweat, rain, and cleaning, but can't be worn underwater. It uses the 5.2 Bluetooth version to make the connection more stable, it supports the Type-C charging mode but also has a fast charging mode. Price side, at around $180.

 4. Shokz OpenSwim workout bone conduction headphones

 The headset doesn't support Bluetooth and calling, it only has MP3 mode, and you can use it as a waterproof mp3 player. OpenSwim Water resistance reaches IP68 level protection, suitable for swimmers, with 4G memory, and a battery life of up to 8 hours, these functions are also designed for swimmers.

In terms of comfort, the surface of the headphone is skin-friendly silicone, which is more comfortable to wear. It weighs 36 grams and has no weight-bearing when wearing. It uses an ergonomic ear design, whether it is running, or jumping without falling off.

 Its sound adopts a long strip structure design, the area of the sound source surface is larger, and higher sound transmission efficiency, to ensure better sound quality.

In terms of price, it is $149.95, which the cost performance is not very high.

 5. Haylou PurFree workout bone conduction headphones

It's a wireless bone conduction headset that is worn with an ear-hanging style. It has only one mode, Bluetooth mode, and no MP3 mode.

 It has a good wearing experience, it only weighs 28g, wearing no sense of weight. Its aviation-grade titanium alloy skeleton will not be deformed, Its aviation titanium alloy skeleton will not be deformed, and its service life is very long, and it can be bent and adjusted the size at will to improve the fit and stability. The surface of the headset is soft and made of silicone material, which is very comfortable around the ear.

 It is also an headphone with open ear type, which is very safe and hygienic, protecting the health of the ear canal while hearing the sound of the outside world.

It supports IPX7 waterproof, and it is not afraid of being damaged when sweating, getting wet and washing. Its charging interface adopts water-proof magnetic charging, so there is no need to worry about water entering the charging interface. It should be noted that it cannot be used in swimming.

 The battery life is good, and you can listen to music for 8 hours continuously. But there will be some sound leakage, which may be one of its shortcomings.

 In terms of price, at $109.99, that's not very expensive.

IV) summary

workout bone conduction headphones are becoming more and more popular, and there are also many models. There are several key points to consider when buying: cost performance, wearing comfort, waterproof performance, etc. And choose according to the actual use scenario and price. Among the five products recommended above, Wissonly Hi Runner is a good choice for comprehensive price and performance.