The best bone conduction headphones in 2024

At roughly half the price of the AfterShokz Aeropex, the AfterShokz Trekz is a great money-saving alternative. While they are a tad heavier than the Aeroflex, weighing 36g rather than 26g, they sound just as good. The IP55 rating gives you peace of mind when running in the rain, and the six-hour battery life is enough for a week of training. The inbuilt mics are good at cutting out background noise too, in case you get a call when you're on the go. These headphones are recognised by the England Athletics organisation and are allowed to be used in open road races.

Real customer review: "Where do I start. I have been using Aftershokz headphones for some time now. After running with normal in-ear headphones and nearly ending up under a car along a country lane, I carried out some research and found this company. I thought the Air model was good and enjoyed them for my running, working out in the gym cardio or weights and now the cycle ride to work.

"The new Aero model is far, far superior to the Air. The sound is much clearer and sounds meatier. Plus the bass has been improved, which is great as when training I always listen to Spotify Run N Base 170-175 BPM and the Aero's make the playlist sound great.

"I even forget I still have these on due to their lightweight and even walked into the shower with them on, thankfully they are IP6. Well done Aftershokz, keep up the good work!!"

The AfterShokz bone conduction headphones wrap around your neck and blast crisp stereo audio directly through your cheekbones, thanks to the PremiumPitch+ tech.

Real customer review: "Let's get the obvious out of the way. If you are used to a decent pair of cans or in-ear beasts, the sound from the AfterShokz is going to disappoint. However, to buy them to listen to on the train or indoors would be pointless. Their purpose is for those on the move and the more moving the more they make sense.
"The build quality is excellent and for me, they sit nicely over my ears. I bought them to help when I cycle to help with road awareness. For this purpose they are perfect. My helmet straps help to anchor and push the pads against the bones in my cheek/ear canal which improves the sound. Overall I'm very pleased. Charge and battery time appears to be as advertised and the Bluetooth rock solid."

Another premium outing for AfterShokz, the Trekz Air refines the technology found in its brilliant cousin, the Trekz. Designed for intense workouts, the frame that sits on the back of your head will stay secure and in place. At 30g, it's lighter than the standard Trekz, and the price has it sitting between that model and the Aeropex - the pick that's right for you is all dependent on your weight preference.

Real customer review: "I'm an inline skater and have had my eye on this type of headphones for over a year and have always wondered if these would suit my lifestyle. In most cases, I would say yes! They are comfy, lightweight and when I'm out and about I sometimes forget that I'm wearing them. It's a different type of listening experience from other headphones or earphones, so you can't really compare sound quality. If you're wanting a wide audio range with a lot of bass and high fidelity, get a pair of headphones.

"If you want something that lets you feel like you're immersed in the outside world, but would also like your music to be floating around with you, these are just for you! The only issue I've run into is the noise leakage you get when listening at a high volume. Don't use these in a library or somewhere very quiet, as you'll annoy everyone around you unless you listen at a very low volume. It's worse than those old iPod earphones."

These conduction phones are IPX4 waterproof, allowing them to stand up to blood, sweat, and tears, as well as the occasional drizzle. They're a great alternative to an AfterShokz dominated market and are certainly more affordable. Just note the sound isn't as good.

Real customer review: "Ordinarily, I wouldn't dare to wear headphones while cycling, however as a Deliveroo cyclist I need to know the location of the restaurant I'm collecting from or the customer I'm delivering to - sometimes in areas I'm not familiar with. I have a phone mount but dislike looking away from the road to look at my map. The solution - get a pair of these headphones and set my Google Maps to have audible sat nav-like instructions, that way my eyes never leave the road.

"The audio quality is alright. Your music's audio quality will be impacted by noise from your surroundings (by design) like wind, especially when cycling. I don't think it's fair to compare the headphones in this regard to ordinary headphones because isolated or noise-cancelling headphones don't have this disadvantage. The audio is crisp if a little bass-absent. The headphones do leak quite a bit of sound, so they aren't for use in quiet shared rooms.

"The fit could be better - the band around the back of your head is so big compared to my head. It would be much better if it came in various sizes or this was adjustable. It means that unless I have the headphones in exactly the right position, looking up/down/left/right can cause them to get knocked out of place by my jacket collar. Overall I love these headphones. There are some ways they could be improved, but I don't see anything else in this kind of price bracket that would be better. They are a Deliveroo/Uber Eats/cycle courier must-have."