Bone conduction headphones, also known as bonephones, conduct audio waves directly to your inner ears through vibrations that bypass the ear canal and eardrum. They’re a great option for active listeners who want to avoid the discomfort of earbuds or who have a hearing loss that prevents them from hearing traditional headphones and speakers.
In most cases, bone-conduction headphones rest on the cheekbones, and the audio vibrations are transmitted through the bones in your skull and into the cochlea, aka your inner ear. This technology isn’t new-fangled; Beethoven famously used it to compose music when he started losing his hearing, holding a baton between his teeth and letting the vibrations travel through to his inner ears while he played piano.
Most models are wireless and feature a Bluetooth interface, but check your specifics to ensure they can pair with the device you intend to use them with (for example, some are compatible with iPhones only and not Android devices). The majority of these headphones come with a microphone for phone calls, and many offer noise-canceling technology that minimizes outside sound and wind to keep call quality clear.
If you’re looking for a high-quality pair of headphones to keep up with your workout routine or take on-the-go, these headphones from AfterShokz—now Shokz—will do the trick. They boast a patented ninth-generation bone-conduction technology, a Bluetooth 5.1 connection that provides 328 feet of range, and PremiumPitch 2.0 signal processing to reduce distortion and bleed. An eight-hour battery life will give you all the tunes you need, and a quick 10-minute charge provides two hours of talk time. bone conduction headphones with mic