![\"(Photo\/Matthew](\"http:\/\/setupjunkie.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/DSC_3178-700x466-1.jpg\")
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While bone conduction sounds <\/strong>futuristic and intimidating<\/strong>, it’s actually a realistic and comfortable alternative to earbuds or over-ear headphones.<\/strong> Since 2021, we have tested nearly two dozen of the best bone conduction headphones<\/span>, choosing the best the market has to offer and comparing them side-by-side to assemble a list of the 13 most worthy pairs available today. <\/p>\n Our testing isn’t skin-deep either, as we weighed important differences in audio quality, connectivity, battery life, weight, and durability. Our experts have run, swam, and even lifted weights in these headsets, and whether you need the all-around performance of the Shokz OpenRun Pro<\/a><\/strong> or something a bit more budget-friendly like the YouthWhisper<\/strong> Lite<\/strong><\/a>, we’ve got the spread covered.<\/p>\n For some solid advice on how to choose the right model, check out our Buyer\u2019s Guide<\/strong><\/a> and Comparison Chart<\/strong><\/a>. We\u2019ve also compiled a Price & Value<\/a> section that\u2019ll help you get straight to the point when it comes to bone conduction headphones. <\/p>\n Editor’s Note: We updated our Bone Conduction Headphones guide on September 9, 2024, to add the Shokz OpenRun Pro<\/a><\/strong>, the latest iteration from the brand and likely the best effort yet. We also added a Price & Value section to illuminate the differences between spending a bit or really investing in your workout audio.<\/em><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClass-leading battery life<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQuick charging adds 1.5 hours of play time in 5 minutes<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTop notch bone conduction sound quality<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIntuitive button setup<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPerfect for all forms of exercise<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpensive<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNot fully waterproof<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Bone conduction headphones just keep getting better, and after a solid summer in the Colorado alpine with these, we’re convinced that the Shokz OpenRun Pro<\/a><\/strong> ($180) is the best effort from the brand so far. Here’s the low-down on why the OpenRun Pros are the best available today: superior audio quality and a battery life that is not only class-leading but tacks on an hour and a half of play-time in just 5 minutes of charging.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Now in its ninth iteration, Shokz’s new ‘TurboPitch’ tech bumps up the bass, and while it’s not a groundbreaking shift, comparing audio quality between these and the\u00a0OpenRun<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is noticeable to mos<\/span>t. The low end is typically what audiophiles find the most lacking when it comes to these types of headphones, so the effort is appreciated. Across the board, we find Shokz consistently hitting the mark with sound quality, with Suunto a close second.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The battery life on the OpenRun Pros is the other big deal, and a run time of 10 hours is enough to sneak in a 50-miler if you’re quick. For the rest of us, it’s enough to work out with and only need to charge once a week or so. These headphones don’t mate with a portable power bank like some of the others we’ve tested, but the quick-charge functionality takes care of that handily: in our testing, we confirmed 1.5 hours gained for 5 minutes of charging \u2014 a testament to rapidly advancing battery tech.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n We stuck these headphones on Ian Atkinson, an ultra runner out of Colorado who has had difficulty in the past finding a set of exercise headphones that don’t make his ears go numb after a few hours. “I took my OpenRun Pros out on some big 10+ hour days in the alpine this summer, and was surprised to find myself wearing them from start to finish,” Atkinson said. “This newest iteration is 20% smaller than previous models and fits my head perfectly as a 6\u20190\u201d human.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Surprisingly, the only thing non-pro about the OpenRun Pros is the water resistance, which at IP55 is solidly sweatproof but not ready for laps in the pool. If you’re a triathlete or plan on ofte<\/span>n swimming in your bone-conduction headphones, we recommend swinging for the\u00a0H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sports<\/a>, an IPX8-rated option that can load playlists from your streaming services for phone-less swimming. For most of what we use these types of headphones for, however, sweatproof is typically sufficient.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n If you’re after a no-nonsense, simply-going-to-work pair of bone conduction headphones, Shokz has certainly put its best ear forward with the OpenRun Pros<\/a><\/strong>. We greatly appreciate that the brand continues to push the quality envelope when it comes to audio quality, and shoehorning in even more battery life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOutstanding price-to-performance<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEasy to navigate buttons and menu sets<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQuite lightweight at 25 grams compared to others we've tested<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMultipoint Bluetooth pairing<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUSB-C charging<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBand is a bit stiff around the ears<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIP54 rating isn't waterproof, only splash resistant<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n At $40, the YouthWhisper Lite<\/strong><\/a> were by far the best price-to-performance headphones we tested. The Bluetooth connection was quick, the fit good, and they worked well from the get-go. The audio quality, while not the best in our review, was good enough to warrant all-day use, and once we got used to the audio prompts (a bit bass-heavy), the sound quality was pretty good for such a budget price.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Once running, they worked great. The button action was easy to use and navigate. In terms of comfort, they are somewhat firm as compared to the Shokz OpenRun<\/strong> Pro<\/strong><\/a>, but not so much that we wanted to take them off. It\u2019s worth noting that these are only sweatproof, not waterproof, though the headphones recently got an upgrade in this regard, and are now IP65 sweatproof.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n On a full two-hour charge, the YouthWhisper headphones can last up to 6 hours, which, while its a bit limited compared to the 10 hours the Shokz OpenRun Pro and Suunto Wing<\/a> can accomplish, is still decent enough to cover a weekday workout or two, or most of a weekend adventure. Now a few years into use with these headphones, we have noticed the total run-time has been a bit foreshortened as the battery has worn out. For the price, however, it’s a fair tradeoff.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Impressively, these headphones also offer multipoint pairing \u2014 allowing you to connect to multiple devices, such as your phone and watch, to both listen to audio and head direction prompts. This is functionality not typically seen at this price point, so it’s an outsized value, considering. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n In our past experience testing headphones, all the budget options will have a shorter lifespan than the more expensive ones. That being said, the YouthWhisper Lites<\/strong> <\/a>are more than $140 cheaper than our top pick, and if you need a set you won’t worry about losing (or crunching), these can make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe Best Bone Conduction Headphones of 2024<\/h2>\n
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\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\tBest Overall Bone Conduction Headphones\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShokz OpenRun Pro\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t\tSpecs\t<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t10 hours<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t29 g<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIP55<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDual mics (noise-canceling)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBluetooth 5.1<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\t![\"Product](\"http:\/\/setupjunkie.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/BestOverall_2024.png\")
\n\t\t![\"The](\"http:\/\/setupjunkie.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/OpenRun-Pro-Headphones.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t\tPros\t\t<\/h4>\n
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\n\n\t\t\tCons\t\t<\/h4>\n
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\n\tCory Smith<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t$160 at REI<\/a>$160 at Amazon<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\tBest Budget Headphones\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYouthWhisper Lite Bone Conduction Headphones\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t\tSpecs\t<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 hours<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t25 g<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIP65<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYes<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBluetooth 5.0<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/setupjunkie.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/YouthWhisper-Bone-Conduction-Headphones.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t\tPros\t\t<\/h4>\n
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\n\n\t\t\tCons\t\t<\/h4>\n
\n\n
\n
\n\tCory Smith<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t$36 at Amazon<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"The](\"http:\/\/setupjunkie.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shokz-OpenRun.jpg\")
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