Best Bone Conduction Headphones 2023

 If you are familiar with the concept of bone conduction and you just want to find the right pair of bone conduction headphones, you can immediately jump to our list of best bone conduction headphones in 2023. You will find some great options here.

In the end, we are going to discuss all the important features that you should take into consideration when buying bone conduction headphones and warn you about some common issues you might experience while using this type of headphones.

Bone Conduction VS Air Conduction

There are two different ways of sound conduction – one traditional and ‘’more logical’’ called air conduction and the other, ‘unusual’’ way called bone conduction. When a sound wave is conducted through the air, that wave has to travel from the sound source, through the air, to your outer ear, and then through middle and inner ear, all the way to cochlea. The sound wave is then being transformed into an electrical signal and sent to your brain. The path is much shorter when the sound is being conducted through bones but the source of sound needs to be in contact with your head (it usually rests on your temporal bones) in order for the sound vibrations to travel through these bones, directly into your inner ear. That way, outer and middle ear are being bypassed. This fact gives you a hint on who is going to be very happy with bone conduction headphones. All the people suffering from different types of outer and middle ear damage will find these headphones very helpful.

Long story short, the most important differences between air conduction and bone conduction are:

Bone Conduction Through History

Bone conduction technology is almost 2 centuries-old technology. There’s a story about Beethoven, famous German composer. As you probably know, he was deaf. In order to hear the music, he used a wooden stick. The stick was attached to the piano, and he was holding a stick with his teeth while playing the piano. That way, all the sound vibrations went from piano, through the stick, and then through his jaw bones, to his inner ear and he was able to hear it. That was probably the first recorded application of bone conduction technology (of course, Beethoven didn’t call it bone conduction).

After military application, bone conduction technology was then applied in medicine. In 1977, a hearing aid device called BAHA was implanted for the first time into a human skull. BAHA device uses bone conduction technology and allows people with all kinds of hearing damage related to middle ear, ear canal, eardrum, and outer ear to hear again. Up until today, this is the most useful application of bone conduction technology.

Who Needs Bone Conduction Headphones?

if you have normal hearing, and you are looking for a pair of headphones for cycling, running, or for any other outdoor, or even indoor activity (like office jobs) and you need something that would allow you to stay aware of your surroundings, you might be happy with bone conduction headphones. Your ears will be open, you will hear everything around you, but you will also hear the music (or rather feel the vibrations). The sound quality won’t be perfect and you won’t be immersed in music, but if staying aware is your priority, you won’t be disappointed.

The Best Bone Conduction Headphones on the Market 2023

1.Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headset phones

This is the most configured bone conduction headphones on the market
Wissonly bone conduction headphones are the first brand I started to contact. When they recommended it on the online crowdfunding platform, I noticed it, after saw that many people were recommending, and I bought it. This Hi runner I used for a few months, and the overall performance was better than I expected.
Some bone conduction headphones leak sound, and you know that I take privacy very seriously, so I'm very concerned about anti-sound-leakage technology. Wissonly Hi Runner does a very good job in the field. Its body is sealed, and through structural optimization and algorithm adjustment, its sound leakage is minimized. The official claim they can eliminate 90% of sound leakage. I do not have professional equipment to test, but I have tried and found that at 60%-70% volume, the sound is completely inaudible at a distance of 1.5 meters, which makes me very satisfied. I have actually compared it with other bone conduction headphones, and the Wissonly Hi Runner has currently the best sound leakage reduction solution in bone conduction headphones.
The Wissonly Hi Runner is also particularly comfortable in the wearing experience. Because the material of the whole machine is high-tech hypoallergenic silicone, and it is coupled with the ergonomic design that conforms to the structure of the human ear, so that users will not bring any burden to the ear under long-term wear.
Sound quality as the core performance is undoubtedly worth mentioning. Hi Runner uses a large-sized vibration unit, the sound range is wider, the sound is more three-dimensional and deeper, so the sound quality is undoubtedly very good. And it is also equipped with a Bluetooth 5.0 chip, the connection is more stable. And it will not be disconnected when used, which is a good experience. The Wissonly Hi Runner also comes with 32GB of built-in storage that can store 5,000 songs, so you can use it completely as an MP3 player to enjoy music without your phone when you go out for a run.

2. AfterShokz Aeropex Open-Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones with Sport Belt

AfterShokz Aeropex is the latest and most advanced AfterShokz’s product. Compared to the predecessors, Air and Titanium, Aeropex headphones are lighter, more durable (IP67 certified), and have upgraded battery, Bluetooth, and transducers. So, it’s fair to say that they are currently the best bone conduction headphones on the market. However, just like all the other AfterShokz headphones, Aeropex headphones have all the common flaws. The sound quality is not amazing and the mic can’t handle loud environment.

In terms of design, Aeropex headphones are fairly similar to Trekz Titanium and Air. The biggest difference, design-wise, is the difference in the earpieces. They are not squarish anymore, and they look a bit more sophisticated. The manufacturer also eliminated those venting ports on the earpieces (the idea was to reduce the leakage). The Aeropex headphones are also lighter than any previous model (less than 1oz).

3. AfterShokz Air AS650MB Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones

You will see this brand popping up over and over again. And it’s not the problem with our list. Look at any other list, there are always at least two pairs of AfterShokz headphones and that’s inevitable. AfterShokz is, at the moment, the best brand when it comes to bone conduction headphones.

AfterShokz is a Chinese company. During the 1990s and 2000s, AfterShokz made bone conduction headphones for Chinese Armed Forces. In 2012, AfterShokz introduced the first pair of bone conduction headphones made for civilians. These were named AfterShokz Bluez.

We have decided to start from the latest and most expensive AfterShokz model called Trekz Air. These are definitely one of the best pairs of bone conduction headphones you can find but even they are not perfect and you might experience some issues while wearing them (and you won’t be perfectly happy with the sound quality).

4. AfterShokz Titanium AS600OB Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones

You already know what is AfteShokz, so we won’t repeat that. Trekz Titanium headphones are predecessors of the first pair of headphones on this list (Trekz Air). They are similar to Trekz Air with a couple of noticeable flaws but also with one important advantage. They are slightly less comfortable but they sound a little bit better (they are, in fact, our favorite among bone conduction headphones).

This is the first wireless model by AfterShokz that was made of titanium. The neckband is coated with silicone. These headphones definitely look a bit sturdier and more massive than Trekz Air, but to be honest, the difference is not huge. This is definitely a pair of headphones that could withstand heavy use during long periods of time without any issue. The neckband is also bendable and you can twist it as much as you want.

5. Vidonn F1 Bone Conduction Headphones Bluetooth V5.0

Vidonn F1 is just another generic brand. This exact model is also available under the names Borofone, Oannao, etc. It’s priced under $50 and, for the price, it doesn’t offer much worse performance than the AfterShokz headphones. Like all the bone conduction headphones, Vidonn F1 headphones feature a recognizable around-the-neck design with controls on the right arm and two small earpieces with bone conduction transducers.

The neckband is a little bit thicker than on the AfterShokz headphones. It’s also made of titanium and wrapped in silicone. The headphones are IP55 certified and feel very solid, which makes them perfect for workouts and other physical activities.