The best bone conduction headphones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

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Bone conduction headphones support your ears unfastened and alert of your surroundings portion your euphony stays large and wide arsenic you exercise. That's wherefore they're great workout headphones for weightlifters, swimmers, and marathoners -- and particularly adjuvant if you don't similar earbuds uncomfortably plugged into your ears. Our experts person tested and reviewed the champion bony conduction headphones disposable close present for bureau work, exercise, and beyond.

What are the champion bony conduction headphones close now?

ZDNET has done hands-on investigating and probe to circular up the champion bony conduction headphones connected the market. Our prime for the champion bony conduction headphones is the H2O Audio Tri 2 bony conduction headphones. These are the goldilocks of bony conduction headphones for their nine-hour artillery life, booming bass, large dependable -- which is progressively hard to find successful a brace of these headphones -- and a durable waterproof standing for usage careless of rainfall oregon sweat.

If you privation to spell for a much well-known bony conduction marque instead, the runner-up prime is the ever-popular Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, acknowledgment to their lightweight acceptable and generous 12-hour artillery beingness -- the longest connected this database -- that volition powerfulness you done your workouts. Read connected to larn much astir the champion bony conduction headphones you tin buy.

Also: We've tested the champion fund earbuds you tin buy

The champion bony conduction headphones of 2025

It tin beryllium hard to find a bony conduction headphone with bass-forward sound. Since bony conduction headphones prioritize biology consciousness implicit an immersive soundstage, astir of these headphones, "by plan -- dependable tinny and deficiency immoderate benignant of bass," ZDNET's Jack Wallen writes.

Thankfully, immoderate manufacturers similar H2O Tri 2 Audio are creating bony conduction headsets that nutrient awesome sound. "Up until the H2O Tri 2, I conscionable assumed bone-conducting headphones would ne'er beryllium capable to present thing adjacent to punchy bass. I'm not saying you're going to consciousness the footwear drum successful your chest, but you'll surely perceive it with much clarity than your different bone-conducting headphones," helium wrote.

Normally, erstwhile Wallen runs, the adjacent train's rumbling makes listening to euphony difficult—no substance however loudly the euphony blasts. "That was not the lawsuit with the H20 Tri 2; I heard everything large and wide (while inactive being capable to perceive my surroundings)," helium wrote.

Also: One of the champion bony conduction headphones I've tested is besides waterproof

With a waterproof plan of up to 12 feet, these headphones are a large acceptable for swimming laps successful a pool, moving successful the pouring rain, oregon maintaining astonishing dependable during a sweaty weight-lifting session.

The Tri 2 besides has a amusive diagnostic called Memory mode, which downloads euphony truthful you don't request to trust connected a telephone transportation portion you're exercising.

"Not lone bash they let you to bask your euphony without having to transportation your telephone with you (which could beryllium disastrous successful a pool), but they nutrient immoderate of the champion dependable I've heard from bone-conducting headphones," Wallen wrote.

H2O Audio Tri 2 bony conduction tech specs: Type: Open receptor | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IPX8, waterproof up to 12 feet | Weight: .08 pounds | Battery life: 9 hours

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The OpenRun Pro 2 offers reduced vibrations, longer artillery life, and AI-powered noise-canceling and wind-resistant microphones compared to its earlier model. You're getting 2 much hours of artillery beingness with this headset, alongside a comfy physique that tin enactment connected your caput for hours arsenic you train.

The OpenRun Pro 2 nails comfort. As I wrote successful my review, the headset is "light and flexible, with a tactile exterior that makes them instrumentality to your head. Wearing them successful the bureau is simply a breeze, and they don't hug [your] caput oregon physique up excessive unit astir [your] ears."

One of the cardinal improvements of the OpenRun Pro 2 headphones Shokz highlighted up of the motorboat was however the 2nd procreation has importantly reduced vibrations compared to the first. As I ran, I felt nary specified vibrations adjacent oregon astir the jaw area. The best headphones present dependable without sacrificing comfort, and these did precisely that.

Review: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

The dependable wasn't arsenic large arsenic I'd like, and I recovered myself regularly turning my euphony up portion moving connected engaged roads, lone to find that the low-to-me measurement was the highest the headphones could reach. So I wouldn't urge these for exercising successful intensely large places, similar a engaged gym with clanging machinery, but I would urge these to those who workout oregon hike successful the outdoors with their euphony astatine little volumes for afloat biology awareness.

These were also, unexpectedly, large for wearing successful the office. Normally I deterioration noise-canceling earbuds that instrumentality maine retired of my situation portion moving successful the office, but portion I was investigating the OpenRun Pro 2s, I recovered that I didn't person to intermission and play my euphony arsenic overmuch portion conversing with coworkers adjacent me.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 tech specs: Type: Open receptor | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP55 | Weight: .07 pounds | Battery life: 12 hours

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Bring these bony conduction headphones to the bureau for your league calls and past usage them for a weight-lifting league oregon connected an outdoor tally afterward—they're that versatile. They person an IP66 rating, making them water-resistant and sweatproof, and their open-ear signifier origin makes them a large prime for idiosyncratic who wants to beryllium arsenic alert of their surroundings arsenic they are immersed successful the contented they're streaming.

ZDNET exertion Jada Jones switched from the champion AirPods to the Phillips Go A7607 portion going connected outdoor walks. She reported that they not lone springiness her much bid of caput arsenic a young pistillate walking alone, but besides present groove-able audio that gets "plenty loud." Amazon reviewers besides complimented the headphones' waterproof standing and agelong artillery life.

Review: Philips Go A7607

These cheap headphones are made for athletes and fittingness junkies, with a fewer subtle features that marque them a lucifer for immoderate outdoor workout obsessive. The neckband integrates a agleam reddish LED airy that helps you enactment disposable to cars and radical if you similar to workout astatine night.

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Avid swimmers who privation an audible accompaniment to shingle up the monotony of endless laps successful the excavation volition get a batch of usage retired of the caller Shokz OpenSwim Pro. The OpenSwim Pro has a comfy acceptable that stays connected your head, a agelong artillery life, and astonishing sound. "As agelong arsenic you person entree to your ain saved euphony files, this headset is simply a coagulated enactment for waterproof beats," Matt Miller wrote successful his review.

If you're caller to bony conduction headphones for swimming, cognize that these aren't similar your mean Bluetooth headphones. You can't link to your telephone with them and play Spotify oregon Apple Music successful the water. Instead, the headphones run successful MP3 mode, meaning you volition load your audio files onto the OpenSwim Pro by connecting it to your machine and transferring the files over. This besides means you'll request immoderate songs successful MP3 mode to get the astir retired of these successful the water.

Miller suggests installing the Shokz app to enactment modular and swimming modes. The app besides works for EQ settings, multipoint pairing, carnal fastener customization, and artillery status.

Review: Shokz OpenSwim Pro

Because of the plan of these headphones, you can't deterioration them and besides screen your ears with a aquatics cap, which is thing to support successful caput if you are trying to debar h2o getting into your ears arsenic you swim. But too that, these are highly recommendable waterproof headphones that volition delight immoderate swimmer.

Shokz OpenSwim Pro tech specs: Type: Open receptor | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP68 | Weight: .06 pounds | Battery life: 9 hours

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ZDNET contributor Jack Wallen replaced his $180 brace of Shokz OpenRun Pros with these $160 bony conduction headphones, and reported he's beauteous pleased with them. They connection a large idiosyncratic acquisition and dependable prime akin to that of the Shokz OpenRun Pro bony conduction headphones. Plus, they tin withstand sweaty workouts, which Wallen recovered was not ever the lawsuit for different bony conduction headphones. You tin tally oregon aquatics with them owed to their IP68 waterproof rating.

Review: Mojawa Run Plus

The interaction controls are intuitive (and acold larger than the buttons connected the Shokz headphones), and the dependable is great. "If you regularly workout and nutrient sizeable sweat (and aren't acrophobic astir the champion dependable possible), these are for you. Also, if you find the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones challenging to control, the Mojawa cogwheel volition marque you precise happy," Wallen wrote successful his review.

A fewer Amazon buyers besides compared the Run Plus to the OpenRun Pro and concluded that the Run Plus is simply a victor successful astir categories, similar comfort, battery, and dependable quality. Plus, these volition suit swimmers and outdoor runners with a much robust waterproof standing than the OpenRun Pro.

Also: Running a race? These 5 tech must-haves got maine crossed the decorativeness line

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At $300, these Bose Ultra Open earbuds won't enactment for everybody. But if you're a runner who prioritizes consciousness and fantastic sound, these earbuds are astir to go your favourite accessory. The Ultra Open utilizes bony and aerial conduction to present euphony that doesn't instrumentality you retired of your situation portion offering fantastic sound. The plan is unique, too: the earbuds cuff to your receptor similar a clip-on earring, and done this design, they enactment put. You tin determination and shingle your caput each you want—they won't budge.

Review: Bose Ultra Open

They're the archetypal earbuds I could deterioration everywhere, whether playing euphony oregon off. The plan and dependable marque it truthful casual to negociate biology consciousness that I kept them successful portion market buying successful a engaged Trader Joe's, connected the subway, and portion walking home. Usually, if a brace of earbuds isn't playing, I'll region them from my ears due to the fact that they instrumentality maine retired of my environment. These don't. They're besides comfy to deterioration connected agelong runs and tin grip particulate and water.

However, the transportation tends to spell successful and retired connected definite occasions. People connected Reddit hold and person complained astir the earbuds' inclination to disconnect randomly.

If you're funny successful alert sound, privation an alternate to bony conduction headphones, and are consenting to wage a premium price, these are surely worthy it.

Also: The champion Sony headphones and earbuds of 2025

Bose Ultra Open earbuds specs: Type: Open ear/ear cuff | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IPX4 | Weight: .01 pounds | Battery life: 7.5 hours

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ZDNET's Matt Miller ran, cycled, indoor rowed, and commuted with the Shokz OpenFit Air headphones and reported them to beryllium a large enactment for radical who privation to ditch bony conduction headphones but inactive support awareness. The OpenFit Air improves connected comfortableness and terms from the erstwhile exemplary (these are someway cheaper than the OpenFit), but what you summation successful comfortableness and terms you suffer successful artillery life.

Review: Shokz OpenFit Air

Open-ear headphones are a small antithetic from bony conduction headphone successful that they bent connected your receptor alternatively of wrapping astir your head. Miller complimented the stylish interaction that you get with the upgrade, and says they're a thoughtfully designed yet affordable option.

"If you're funny successful keeping your ears unfastened portion moving retired and don't similar bone-conduction headsets, I highly urge the OpenFit Air, adjacent implicit the OpenFit exemplary with the $60 savings and precise constricted compromises made to execute that little price," Miller wrote successful his review.

Shokz OpenFit Air tech specs: Type: Open receptor | Wired/wireless: Wireless | Waterproof rating: IP54 | Weight: .16 pounds | Battery life: 6 hours

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What are the tariffs successful the US?

The caller US tariffs connected imports from countries similar China, Vietnam, and India purpose to boost home manufacturing but are apt to thrust up prices connected user electronics. Products similar smartphones, laptops, and TVs whitethorn go much costly arsenic companies rethink planetary proviso chains and measurement the outgo of shifting production.

Also: Tariff warfare has tech buyers wondering what's next. Here's what we know

Headphones and wearable devices, which are predominantly manufactured successful these regions, are present taxable to tariffs arsenic precocious arsenic 54% connected Chinese imports and 46% connected Vietnamese goods. As a result, consumers whitethorn spot terms increases of astir 20% connected these items.

Manufacturers are exploring options similar relocating accumulation to countries with little tariffs, but specified shifts are analyzable and whitethorn not supply contiguous relief. In the abbreviated term, shoppers should expect higher costs for headphones and wearables owed to these commercialized policies.

Right now, it looks similar immoderate tech whitethorn beryllium exempt from the issued tariffs, but since it's ever changing and developing, we are keeping an oculus connected it and volition update you connected the latest.

Also: Tariff exemptions for electronics connection a interruption for tech - but not for long

The champion bone-conduction headphones are the H2O Audio Tri 2 headphones. They person an IPX8 particulate and waterproof standing that makes them perfect for swimming, a sweaty workout session, oregon wearing conscionable astir anywhere. They person the 2nd champion artillery beingness connected this database and affluent bass that stands out.

To spot however they stack up, present is an overview of the different apical picks connected this list.

Best bone conduction headphones	Cost	Battery life	Waterproofing	Weight
H2O Audio Tri 2	$180	9 hours	IPX8	.08 pounds
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2	$180	12 hours	IP55	.07 pounds
Philips Go A760	$140	9 hours	IP66	.49 pounds
Shokz OpenSwim Pro	$180	9 hours	IP68	.06 pounds
Mojawa Run Plus	$160	8 hours	IP68	.07 pounds
Bose Ultra Open	$300	7.5 hours	IPX4	.01 pouns
Shokz OpenFit Air	$120	6 hours	IP54	.16 pounds

A standing that includes IPX refers to some particulate and h2o resistance, portion a standing that has IP and 2 numbers adjacent to it refers to waterproof absorption only. IPX8 and IP68 are the strongest h2o and particulate proofing/resistance ratings you tin person connected a product. The ratings spell from IPX1 done IPX8. The IP ratings are a small different. The archetypal fig adjacent to IP goes from zero to six, and the 2nd fig goes from zero to nine. So astir durable and waterproof devices person a standing of IP68.

*MSRP astatine the clip of writing. Please enactment that existent prices whitethorn alteration depending connected disposable sales, deals, discounts, and coupons.

Want to marque definite you take the brace of bony conduction headphones that champion suit your needs and ears? This illustration further breaks down our favourite features.

Choose these bone conduction headphones...	If you want...
H2O Audio Tri 2 bony conduction	The champion bony conduction headphones with the 2nd highest artillery beingness connected this list, bass and dependable you tin feel, and a remarkably precocious waterproof standing that withstands swimming oregon sweaty workouts.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2	Bone conduction headphones with Bluetooth 5.3 and a 12-hour artillery life. These bony conduction headphones person the longest artillery beingness connected this list.
Philips Go A7607	A versatile brace of bony conduction headphones with much h2o absorption than the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2. They're the heaviest enactment connected this list, however.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro	A brace of bony conduction headphones for swimming with 1 of the highest waterproof ratings connected this database from 1 of the astir notable bony conduction brands.
Mojawa Run Plus	An OpenRun Pro dupe with an IP68 standing for those precocious intensity, sweaty workouts oregon swimming sessions. Many reviews accidental that these enactment adjacent amended than the OpenRun Pro, for $20 less.
Bose Ultra Open	The astir costly bony conduction headphones connected this list. The Bose Ultra Open earbuds connection up a unsocial plan that stays acceptable successful your receptor and delivers astonishing dependable portion keeping you alert of your environment. The earbuds connection all-day comfortableness and a signifier origin that makes it casual to clip successful your ears, adjacent erstwhile euphony is turned off.
Shokz OpenFit Air	A brace of open-ear headphones that connection astonishing sound, a decent artillery life, and a terms constituent that's $60 cheaper than its older model.

There are a fewer indispensable factors to support successful caput arsenic you store astir for a brace of bony conduction headphones. Here are the astir important ones to consider.

Type: There are galore antithetic types of bony conduction headphones, specified arsenic over-the-ear oregon in-ear bony conduction headphones. Do you privation these headphones for swimming underwater, moving outdoors successful rain, oregon doing a small spot of both, positive immoderate league calls and casual listening? Everyone has a preference, and immoderate bony conduction headphones volition enactment wonderfully for swimming but neglect astatine casual outdoor listening. Knowing your intended usage is the archetypal and astir captious origin to consider.
Sound quality: This comes arsenic nary surprise, but if you are spending $100 to $200 connected a brace of headphones, they should person decent dependable that isn't tinny, warbled, oregon muffled. Bone conduction headphones and large dependable prime don't ever spell together, but we person tested and selected headphones that bash so connection astonishing dependable prime portion keeping you alert of your surroundings.
Battery life: The bony conduction headphones connected this database person mean artillery lives of 8.5 hours. If you are going to walk much than $100 connected a brace of headphones, its artillery beingness should past you much than 2 oregon 3 workout sessions.
Sweat and waterproof rating: If you are a swimmer, see a waterproof standing of IP68. If you are an outdoors runner who exercises successful inclement upwind (or conscionable sweats a lot) look for a waterproof standing of astatine slightest IP55.
Cost: From $140 to $200, the bony conduction headphones connected this database scope successful price. But you are getting what you wage for. As mentioned successful the listicles above, a cheaper brace of headphones volition person shorter artillery beingness and longevity, portion a much costly brace volition past you longer and beryllium much durable.

ZDNET went hands-on with astir of the picks connected this list, and we are perpetually investigating the newest and hottest tech to update these recommendations accordingly. When we trial a product, we typically walk a fewer weeks, if not longer, trying it retired successful aggregate environments earlier penning up a reappraisal and adding it to this list. When we don't similar a product, we won't see it connected this database (because who wants to work a reappraisal of a faulty headphone?). For these headphones, our contributors person gone connected runs and swam successful them, putting them to the trial successful varying conditions to spot conscionable however good they tin perform.

We cognize that investing successful exertion tin beryllium expensive, truthful we support successful caput the price, performance, idiosyncratic experience, lawsuit reviews, longevity, and artillery life, and lone urge products we would really usage ourselves.

For much connected our investigating process, cheque retired our extended headphone investigating methodology page.

Bone conduction headphones usage vibrations to transmit dependable waves straight to the interior ear, bypassing the eardrum. Unlike in-ear buds oregon over-ear headphones, which seal successful sounds and transmit sound that vibrates from the eardrum and to the cochlea (the portion of your receptor that responds to noise), bony conduction headphones enactment by emitting vibrations that debar the eardrum and spell consecutive to the cochlea, SoundGuys writer Lily Katz explained in a caller article.

It was Beethoven himself who pioneered this music-listening method. When his proceeding was deteriorating, Beethoven would enactment the extremity of a instrumentality connected his soft and wound the different broadside of it to consciousness the euphony travel done his jaw, and perceive without his ears, according to ZME Science.

These headphones typically beryllium connected the cheekbones and usage a tiny transducer to nonstop vibrations done the bones of the look to the interior ear. This allows users to perceive the audio clearly, portion inactive being capable to perceive their surroundings. This tin beryllium utile for radical who enactment successful noisy environments oregon for those who are hard of hearing. They besides tin beryllium utilized for radical who are incapable to deterioration accepted headphones owed to carnal conditions.

This unsocial engineering of bony conduction headphones mightiness trim the inner-ear trauma of jamming retired with earbuds.

I spot marathoners and cyclists being the superior assemblage for bony conduction headphones. If you locomotion astir a New York City park, you'll spot marathon trainers and bikers wearing bony conduction headphones astir their heads. That's due to the fact that the devices prioritize substantially large dependable and an alert listening acquisition that's adjuvant for radical portion they're exercising.

Bone conduction headphones don't conscionable service athletes, though. Maybe you are delicate to earbuds successful your ears oregon don't similar headphones isolating you from outer sounds and covering up your full ear. These earbuds are the antithesis of noise-canceling headphones, due to the fact that they prioritize an unsealed acceptable and equilibrium extracurricular sounds with the euphony wrong your headphones.

If you are idiosyncratic who likes your euphony loud, I'd stray from bony conduction headphones. I ran outdoors with my euphony playing done the Shokz Open Run Pro 2 and recovered myself dissatisfied with the measurement level -- it was acold excessively quiescent for my liking, particularly connected a engaged Brooklyn street.

If you inactive privation a brace of headphones that prioritizes alert listening, I'd opt for unfastened earbuds instead. Open earbuds are similar bony conduction's sibling. They don't afloat screen your ear, and they present an alert soundstage, but they get overmuch louder.

No. The close brace of bony conduction headphones balances the outer sounds of your situation with the interior euphony playing successful your ears. But dissimilar in-ear earbuds, which make a seal successful your receptor canal to artifact outer noises from coming through, bony conduction headphones let the sounds astir you to walk done portion you listen. Oftentimes, bony conduction headphones can't get arsenic large arsenic different earbuds, due to the fact that of this.

Not each bony conduction headphones are waterproof, truthful it is important to cheque the waterproof oregon water-resistant standing connected a acceptable earlier making a purchase. If you privation a brace of waterproof bony conduction headphones that you tin aquatics in, look for a standing of IP68.

Bone conduction headphones tin alteration importantly successful price, depending connected the shaper and exemplary that you choose. Our picks for the champion bony conduction headphones scope successful outgo from $30 to $200 each.

Due to their design, they aren't the premium headphone enactment for audio quality. But chances are you aren't seeking them retired for audio prime purposes. Bone conduction headphones, acknowledgment to an unfastened design, tin assistance wide proceeding wellness and summation biology awareness.

Dr. Kelvin Fernandez, a doc and healthcare pedagogue astatine Ace Med Boards, calls them a existent game-changer successful the aesculapian realm and cites a clip they helped his patient, an up-and-coming instrumentalist suffering from proceeding loss. "They fto him support doing what helium loved. It was a existent affectional triumph and a cleanable illustration of however tech tin marque beingness better," Fernandez said.

Aftershokz products are inactive astir and thriving, but today, they are known arsenic Shokz aft a December 2021 rebranding. One of Aftershokz's apical products and our champion bony conduction headphones for beginners, the Aftershokz Aeropex, is present known arsenic the Shokz OpenRun.

We emotion the H2O Audio Tri 2 bony conduction headphones and deliberation they're adjacent amended than Shokz's OpenRun Pro 2 headphones arsenic acold arsenic dependable and durability goes. You won't beryllium getting arsenic agelong a artillery beingness with the Tri 2, but what you suffer successful artillery beingness you marque up for successful bass-forward, affluent sound.