Are Bone Conduction Headphones Any Good for Cycling?
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- The new OpenSwim Pro are the latest flagship headphones from Shokz and while designed to be totally waterproof for swimming they are a good multisport headphone for an including cycling - especially if you ride in the rain!
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I love my bone conduction shokz, I ride with them 3-4 times a week. My first pair did stop working on me, but the company warranted it without any question and sent me a new pair. A really great company and customer service to work with.
I should think so for the price of them
@@pj9375 I was able to get mine 50% off at Sam’s club so I would say shop around?
Same thing here. Had a minor issue about 9-10 months in (rubber cover peeling off), and they replaced them no questions asked.
I have shokz, they are great for podcasts. Music quality will remind people my age of the 1970's car with one speaker in the back window with AM radio cranked. I think another youtube channel (cycling weekly) reviewed multiple cheap products worth trying out and they had a Shokz alternative at 1/2 the price. I would probably try those.
So that has been my experience as well, but given all the great reviews I thought it was just me.....!
Thanks Shokz for finally making the swim model with bluetooth. Converting files to MP3 is a necessary evil with most of these swim-rated headsets. If these don't even sound better than the Run-Pro and you don't need the MP3 mode, my anatomy and pocketbook also agree about looking elsewhere.
Saw that they are finally released and bought them right away. Listening to this video with them right now. They are my very first pair of bone conducted. So amazing to talk with someone and listen to music in the background with almost not feeling you are wearing headphones.
I have an older model and didn't know about the swim ones. I'll check them out. Thanks, mate.
Some hours ago I was searching online for one of those. Excellent timing!
For those thinking of purchasing Shokz they are worth it. An exceptional battery life as well
Hi, can you receive audio alerts from a wahoo through these headphones?
@@Mysixshooter don't think so. I have a wahoo and Since Both the wahoo and shokz are coupled to the phone instead of to each other, i never noticed the sound of the wahoo in my shokz
I am not sure about wahoo but with garmin I do get sound notifications during my runs and rides directly through my shoks which are paired to my phone
Absolutely not. They sound like absolute crap. Forget about music sounding anywhere near good and audiobooks and podcasts are barely audible. Get a regular wireless earphone for sports with ANC and passthrough and will sound way better and still not block out sounds like traffic.
Thank you yet again David. You persuaded me 2 years ago for the Aftershokz aeropex (currently listening to your video using them) and ever Since i am using them daily, when cycling to and from work, and when working I connect them to my DECT device. Calls are crisp and clear. Only when playing loud music with low frequencies they can vibrate. In the meantime I bought a pair of shokz for my wife and parents and bought myself a pair of openfit. Though better sound quality, they fit somehow less well. Anyway thank you again for showing yet another useful product. Keep up the good work, watched every single video of you the last 3 years 👍
Thanks for the lovely words 😎
I have 3 pairs of Shokz, one for work, one for the bike and one for my my other electronics as needed. They are fantastic.
Very nice!
I have 2 pros, 1 mini one regular size. I swap them around for work and cycling. If I cycle with a neck gaitor then i use the mini mandatory to fit proper for cold rides. I like the mp3 mode tho if I didn't feel like getting calls while I'm riding which I hate. But I should just use airplane mode since I already have downloaded music on my phone. I wonder how hard and how long does it have to rain to actually damage the open run pros
@@evanm.2300 Living in the southeast US, I have been caught in so much rain with mine, but yet to have any issues. My first set I picked up in 2020 what they called Aeropex , same as the openrun, are still running great, and I still see nearly the same battery life of what the OpenRun's get.
I ride using my phone as a cycling computer using "Cadence" app, and the best feature for me besides music, is the super clear loud tone from a Garmin Varia or some other radar. I ride a lot of rural roads, so I will generally be on the traffic lane and off the shoulder, because generally there isn't one. Even if there is, this loud alert right through the headphones (yes it is prioritized over music, so it briefly suppresses the music volume while it plays the tones), I have plenty of time to move over as far as possible without having to shoulder check constantly. And for me, that is a huge deal having fused vertebrae in my neck that limits how far I can turn my head. For me, the combo of a Varia and Shokz is a complete game changer for riding on the road.
Great app, i use it same. I have super cheap similar looking headphones that only have a speaker near Your ears - i agree 100% about hearing Varia radar notifications :) and thinking about real bone conduction headphones :)
You may have just answered my question, I have a wahoo and Varia and I was hoping to get the audio alerts through these headphones rather than announcing the alerts to everyone in earshot. 👍🏻🚴🏻
You should be careful if you mount your phone on your bike, supposedly vibrations can ruin the optical image stabilisation in the camera.
@@Spacemonkeymojo I have insurance on the phone. Also, I have an out front mount by KOM Cycling and my iphone 13 Pro Max in a silicone case that has an epoxied Garmin mount plate on the back. 2.5 years and over 10,000 miles of riding, and a lot of super rough off-road, and no issues. 🤷♂
How else can you get Varia alerts to play through the Shokz? I use my Garmin bike computer for metrics etc. Do I need to use the Varia phone app?
I have the last iteration of them. I don't use them for anything except when I'm on the bike. The bass on mine are bad, but that's okay when I'm riding. Might try out the new ones based on your review. Thanks!
Shokz bone conduction headphones rule with a very nifty trick up their sleeves when wearing hearing protective ear plugs as well - the sound actually becomes deeper than most in ear headphones for the same volume levels. I live with them on when training, commuting, very very handy when traveling overseas . Basically my in ear headphones are just gathering dust these days and my over ear noise cancelling head phones are used for around home and on planes only.
How do you manage those BEEPS while wearing earplugs????
Hi David
I would never listen to music whilst out riding but looks good for turbo training 👍🚴♂️
You can use these for outside rides. Your ear remains open, so you hear other vehicle, people, etc. Safety is not compromised. I will never use an in-ear or over-ear headphone for outdoor rides.
@@imranwahid11 I would disagree. The fact they don't fully block your hearing doesn't mean they don't affect it. Having music playing is just one more thing making noise when you should really be focusing on your surroundings. To each their own in any case.
What Brand are the shades? Loving them.
😂Always a joy to see a youtuber that takes the time to answer comments
bone conducting sony walkman nw-ws625... all for it, love the standalone feature with mp3 music.
Hey David my question is, I have a wahoo and Varia, can I receive the audio alerts through these headphones rather than announcing the alerts to everyone in earshot. 👍🏻🚴🏻
I ride with Shokz every time I go out. Love ‘em.
I use an ear plug in one ear with my shokz to help with the volume, especially for audiobooks. The volume has always been the issue for me otherwise.
I’m extremely happy with my shokz. They’ve obviously not giving the best sound quality but they shouldn’t be compared with iem’s. They serve a different purpose. I’m a sucker for audio quality and own some pretty high end (c)iems, but to exercise without having the ear channel obstructed is awesome. No inner ear getting soaked with sweat and still being able to listen to music.
Try the Open Comm if it must be Shokz.. Otherwise look at the G7 on Ebay if you want better sound quality... Mairdi is better too.
@@cheekbones2 no need. Very happy with these ones and no intention to change. They work perfectly for their intended purpose.
They are my only waterproof headphones/earbuds so I use in the spa however riding don't expect top quality music without units that can block the wind noise (and unfortunately the sound of approaching vehicles)
Thanks for making the video! I am a triathlete and would be interested in wearing them for all three disciplines. Regarding the non-adjustable one-size-fits-all design though, I noticed in your video that the strap at the rear was hanging in free space behind your head by a cm or so. Seems like if you had a swim cap on (which most open-water swimmers wear, as it helps boaters see you in the water), the strap would need to be underneath the skin-tight cap to keep from falling off, and the cap would push the speakers forward, well ahead of the optimum bone-conduction area just in front of your ear. Any chance you can put a swim cap on to see if that concern is real?
I think the minis work well for most people. You know if you've a superior head, and if you should stick with the regular size.
I had a 200km Audax just this last Saturday and I knew it was only going to be around 30 riders, so I thought I would purchase Shokz for some audio company for the quieter sections of the route.
Firstly they are just as dangerous as normal headphones at high volumes! If you crank them up and perhaps its also a bit windy, I was then unable to hear vehicles behind me or what anyone was saying to me. So for me at least I had to curb my enhtusiasm in regard to cranking them up because even with open-ear-holes, the sound overloads my auditory input capability.
However, they were ultra comfortable, hardly noted they were on me for the full 200km ride. I also found at lower volumes I was totally happy with having some music I could sing along to without it impacting my hearing.
I use a single Pixel Buds ASeries, always the right one due to the European circulation rules. In that way I have 1 ear always open to hear the road and on the right side the audio is still available because the design is doesen't require to push the buds completely in ear.
I absolutely love my shokz ❤
why specifically shokz ? there are ton of other options.
Shokz are the only headphones that have lasted me on the bike. All the others I have used have died fairly early due to sweat and rain, which I think got into the works through the charging port.
Shokz use a magnetic charging cable, so there are no electrical openings.
The regular OpenRuns might be better value than the Pros.
I have both, and I suspect that on hot and humid rides a little sweat gets into the Pros speaker cavities through the grilles. There's no damage, but I think the moisture creates a little bit of background buzzing until it dries off. That's not the case with the completely sealed regular OpenRuns.
That said, the Pros offer about 2-hours more battery life, which is useful if you do long rides or go bikepacking.
The only issue with Shokz is the proprietary cable, but I reckon it's worth the tiny extra hassle.
Also, you can buy little plasatic USB-C-to-Shokz adaptors for a couple of US$ each. Get a few, zip-tie them onto your USB-C cables, and you are good to go.
BTW: Same applies to Garmin watches.
Cheers
Got mine since 1 week and it seems to deliver the promise for listening music on MP3 format, but does anyone knows how to transfer Podcast or Audiobooks on the Open Swim Pro please?
What about people who wear hearing aids, how good are they with aid fitted?
Suddenly, they are all over the place. I use them to keep up my Chinese while riding for a couple of hours. Mine are a few years old -- my only complaint is the proprietary, and slightly weird, charging cable. It's one more cable to keep track of... Important to note the whole point of these is safety -- they don't plug your ears and allow you to hear what is around you. If you want the very best sound quality, this isn't the best choice. But they are great for long bike rides so you can listen to something but also be aware of what's going on around you.
hows your language learning journey going and do you think doing it while cycling is just as decent as someone sitting down and watching the video version?
@@shinobusensui9395 Depends on where you are in learning, in my opinion. Since I’m already fluent I just use it to keep some high level Chinese in my ear. If you’re in the earlier stages of learning there’s no substitute for focusing all your attention.
@@jazzfan7491 thanks for the solid advice
Could these work for someone with an industrial hearing loss? I struggle to hear stuff when there is background noise.
Probably not, unfortunately. But it would depend on the nature of the injury. If it's a damaged eardrum then these would probably help a lot, since they transmit the sound to the ear later on.
To my uninjured ears it's harder to hear these in a noisy environment than other sound sources, maybe something to do with ho my brain processes sound, but it's easier to hear a conversation in a noisy room than something on my shox
@@galenkehler Thanks so much.
I disagree, at least give them a try. Many bike or running shops have SHOKZ displays with demo phones hooked up and playing. If you can’t get a free demo take the plunge, gamble on a set. Open Run Pros are the best and worth the extra, but Open Moves are almost as good for half the price. I have a collapsed ear canal from cancer treatment (radiation) and BonePhones let me enjoy stereo. Also great for television, Bluetoothed up you can turn the television speakers off and hear everything. If they don’t work you’re out a bunch less than hearing aid$
I have several of these and they’re great except when exposed to wind . Road biking with these is almost useless but Wearing a buff helps .
There a ton off similair designs that work as well for a quarter of the price
Jabra Elite 8 Active - IP68, sound amazing, stick in the ear well if you put 'em on well. Noise cancelling is good, but not so amazing a car will kill you. You can swim with them(though Bluetooth doesn't travel thru water well). I routinely listen to podcasts in the shower with them on.
Yep used them for years wouldn’t be without them.
I switched from wired earbuds (only use one bud in the non-roadside ear so I can hear traffic around me) to an earlier version of Shokx headphones but eventually switched back to wired earbuds because: 1) wind noise (not road noise) is a problem at speeds over 16 mph such that I always have to use the Shokx at its highest setting (wind noise at speeds >25 mph is too much to hear podcasts). 2) the Bluetooth connection to my iPod Nano (yes, mine still works) drains the battery much faster (of course) than using a wired earbud. #2 can be overcome by using an iPhone as the audio source, but that doesn’t address #1.
If you complain for wind while riding a bike and not being able to listen to music maybe your priorities are not set right, yeah you hear the wind but not as much as in ear buds, lil sacrifices to help you keep riding
@@ingheniebrio - no complaining. Just info for people who might want to know about issues of wind noise when using Shokx. Enjoy your rides. I enjoy mine.
What do you know, I was just looking at a pair of these in the last 24hrs. Wonder what the cheaper alternatives like from Amazon. Seen them for
Lots of reviews of those on CZcams
ive got some that i picked up for about £20 in asia. They work ok and are fine as long as there is no background noise like strong wind or traffic. Not great for music but fine for podcasts
Briefly, I've tried dozens ..Ebay.. G7(no MP3 though)
I bought the Hamnerbone ones on Amazon. 30 quid and do the job. Would be intrigued to see how they compare to the 160 shockz pros. Can they be 4+ times better?
I use my Shokz (OpenRun Pro) to listen to directions from my Garmin 1040.
How do they affect the fit of cycling glasses since the loop over the ears?
No interference in my experience
@@davidarthur thanks
Yes i use them all the time much better than ipod pro, which block most sounds out and keep falling out.
I use them all the time while cycling. I have a countdown timer on my iphone that beeps every 15 minutes to remind me to drink, which I have paired with the headphones.
Getting a pair of Shokz was the best investment in my riding experience ever
What's sunglasses and helmet Dave ?
HJC helmet and some cheap shades from Temu for an upcoming video (you won't believe how cheap they are...)
Does it feel comfortable if wearing them with helmet and sun glasses?
Yup
I have bone conduction headphones, I like them and I believe they're safer as you can hear your surroundings on the road
A completely separate question for you here Dave. What’s the best carbon wheels to buy in your opinion for my Canyon Endurance CF7. And although I run 105 can I exchange my disc brakes for better ones. I have a decent budget for wheels. Been looking at Shimano Ultegra, Bontrager and Hunt. Wanted DT Swiss but I’d need to win the lottery!
I've been using the Ultegra 36 wheels for several years and very happy with them, understated but good performance. Hunt wheels are wider which is a good trend for wider tyres. For brakes, could be worth trying some upgraded brake pads first say SwissStop?
@@davidarthur thanks for replying David. I’ve read about the Shimano Ultegra 36, but they’ve had bad reviews. Watch a couple of your old videos and I think I’m swaying more to the Hunt 44’s, but also like the look of the Prime 44’s, but think I’ll end up with Hunt wheels. As for brake pads what if I got the Swiss stop brake pads and new brake discs. Could that work?
I love mine, it's like when you listen to the radio, but it's in your head. The battery life is unreal and the sound is great for the technology. The base isn't the same as in ear, or over ear headphones... but that come with the conduction tech, not the product.
Not great in the wind. Best though is when touring it will interrupt with verbal directions using Komoot on Google maps navigate.
your phone is doing the muting, not the headphones
Yes.
I love my shokz except for the fact that the rubber coating wears off.
Cheaper alternatives with better sound are available. Thanks Shokz for getting the ball rolling.
Got some shokz and don't think they're as good as the hype. Maybe it's my head though 😂 but just rather ride without now. Got them for my commute to listen to a poddy or the news and just don't sound great. Have to have the volume high enough to hear and it just sounds pump.
I use bone conducting phones and they aren't as fancy as these but ok. Beware that some claim to be bone conducting but are just close to ear types.
Tried shokz but the sound just wasn’t good enough. It didn’t let me hear my surroundings any more than my AirPods but had lower quality sound
nah bones are just extra weight. i removed my bones. 😀
If it’s not carbon fibre I don’t want it
🤣!!!!@@Julian_Kurt
How much do they weight !? 1 kilogram !?
Yes.
I just bought the OpenSwimPros. They are incredibly comfortable, incredible sound, allows you to remain in conversations.
They connect to 2 devices which I absolutely love!
You can also easily wear sunglasses with them with no problems.
They’re my personal favorite headphones ever.
Do you have any problems wearing hats as well? Also, these seem to make a lot more sense than the openrun pro at the same price point
Don't forget they're great for Zwift as well if you live in a house with liittle ones you might not want to wake up by having TV audio echoing through the house too early or late or if you want to listen to music you don't need your kids repeating. the words to . . .
Your understanding of the noise canceling is wrong. It is not speaker noise canceling. It is microphone for phone calls.
I use my shokz every time I ride.
MP3 storage is good for swimming. Problem is the current music consumption model doesn't make it easy for you to actually 'own' music anymore.
For cycling I prefer to go full deaf mode with foam buds and rely on my radar.
I wear my shokz all day. I forget they're even on my head
Actually if you want the BEST sound quality and you are not swimming the Open FIT are the way to go.
No one having problems with wind noise at higher speeds 🙄 i can not use them for cycling
I have tried a few different brands, including the Shokz..... and ALL of them, from budget to mid-tier units are TERRIBLE for music. They do work well enough for Audiobooks, Podcast and the like. However, I have returned every pair I purchased. Apple AirPods or Venture Monk's tiny wired earbuds (attached to a small FiiO-brand bluetooth DAC/AMP) while requiring in-ear placement, have much better fidelity and allow me to easily take phone calls if I need to...and have proven to be very inconspicuous.
Neat tech, but they definitely do NOT sound like in ear buds. You don’t need to be an audiophile to hear this.
Yes, the older Open Run Pro is much better for sound quality and bass, its 9th generation. Only buy the new model swim pro if you must use it in water, otherwise there is NO point really to pay more.
The advantage of the Swim version is the multipoint connection
I fundamentay disagree with part of this review(advert?), I love my Aftershokz Aeropex(renamed to the Shokz Open Run), but the audio quality is kinda bad. That is because of the nature of bone conduction, you just can't get the same fidelity. They don't sound terrrible, but a £20 pair of KBEar KS1's sound significantly better, from bass to the highs everything is better.
I do highly recommend the Openruns, for cycling or running. The tech for bone conduction is cool, and being able to hear your surroundings is amazing, they are incredibly comfortable and easy to listen too(you don't have ear buds stuck in your ear cannals). But go in knowing that the bass and highs(like cymbals) are much quieter and can be easy lost in wind or noisy environments.
Shokz pay Dave. Dave make video. Dave even put underwater! Viewers buy Shokz.
The newer Openrun Pros have greatly improved bass quality, but I know what you're saying - it does have limitations compared to in ear headphones
@@davidarthur and I quote "... the sound quality to my ears is as good as any in-ear headphones." Either you have bad hearing(could be a possiblity, and bone conduction is great for people who do have bad hearing), or you haven't used half decent headphones in a while. Bone conduction simply can not do what in-ear headphones do. This can be easily experienced, but putting your fingers in your ears with the Openruns playing music(the bass and the highs become significantly clearer).
And yes, I have tried the Openrun Pro, I returned them because at £160 it was not worth paying for the slightly better bass while my current pair(my 2nd pair of Openruns) are working flawlessly. I love the tech, and I will buy a replacent when mine eventually die.
And I don't want to sound like too much of a tit as I do enjoy your content, and agree with most of the content in the video. But the point you made on audio quality is factually wrong because of the limitations of bone conduction, and I think suggesting they are as good as ear buds is misleading(you just admitted they have limitations).
@@OrgunDonor thanks for clarifying.
Not sure why everyone gets so het up about people listening to things when cycling - so long as you are sensible with the volume, you can still hear everything, including car tyres and engines behind you, it just takes the edge off them for you .. car drivers sit in hugely insulated cars, and motorbikers are told to put ear plugs in to protect their ears ....
Pair it with a radar and you don't need to hear anything.
@@petef15 Really?? When out on the road, and as a vulnerable road user, you need all your senses to avoid danger......
People want to hear the car hit them.
I want them for rides on our rail trail. I wouldn’t use them on busy roads.
For me, personally, I use in-ear buds to reduce the constant wind noise. Music on very low and I can hear plenty going on. Luckily for me, I only have to ride rural country lanes, no town or city riding and on the roads only. I can’t imagine riding for hours without BBC Sounds Pace Setter playing. I don’t feel any more or less vulnerable with buds in, cars are very loud all the time. I think people who argue against music while riding either haven’t tried low volume beats, or think people that do it are wearing over-ear-noise-cancelling-cans in total isolation. Music during exercise is also scientifically proven to increase performance and reduce fatigue. But cutting down wind noise is awesome.
I got a pair of these and while they work very well, the sound quality is shithouse. Don’t bother people.
With glasses and helmet straps, in my experience bone conduction headphones don't work very well. They prevent the headphones from making good contact with the side of your head, meaning you can't hear them well.
Naaaahhh!!! Good for walk and running. Once a ride with them the breeze cancel most of the sound.
Wearing headphones, even bone conduction ones, while you're riding on roads is just not a great idea imo. Even without blocking your ear canals these do in fact affect your ability to hear your surroundings and they add a distraction for your brain to worry about when you should really be paying attention to the road.
I have been wearing headphones on my bke for 30 years never been a problem
@@wordupcornflake you being lucky doesn’t make your choice wise. In my state wearing headphones that cover both ears while riding a bicycle is illegal. I wouldn’t dream of riding without full access to my sense of hearing but you make whatever dangerous life choices you like. 👍🏻
@@Thezuule1 lovely stuff
Nice. F&£k Spotify though…
IMHO bone conducting headphones are utter crap for outdoor use. When cycling wind is created when you move so no matter the weather I find them unusable.
I’ve never even heard of bone conduction headphones. Guess I’m out of the loop.
Shokz sound like crap, Oladance are much better
Drowning out one's surroundings while on a bicycle is one of the dumbest things ever. Darwin rejoice!
Sound is crap :( (it just speaker near your ears - not sure why they say it's via bones), try very hard to use these - but I sold them, and get back to AirPods. Big disappointment
For what they are i have to disagree, i think the sound is fairly good. Certainly not the same as the best in ear but good enough for sports.
The sound it's not crappy, maybe you use other kind of bone conduction headphones, the way to know if they really are bone conduction is easy: just put earplugs if you still listen to music they are real bone conduction, if you don't hear anything then you just have open ear speakers.
Came from Bose sport headphones and to be honest I love these bone conduction ones for my trainings.
@@ingheniebrio original shox, do test: you just take headphone in air and you will hear music - no touch to bone. This is just speaker near your ears, and very bad quality - it's like listening your friend headphone from distance
You can still hear them from up close but when you put them on the sound is MUCH clearer and louder without changing the volume, therefore there is bone conduction happening.
After an abnormal recovery from cancer including enough radiation to collapse my left ear canal I had accepted partial deafness. The book ‘Origin’ by Dan Brown features bone conductive headphones in the storyline, never heard of them so I tried a pair of Shokz Open Run Pro……first thing I’d heard in stereo in several years. Needless to say I’m an enthusiast, use them with Sirius XM streaming while riding, connect to the television for motor racing (finally can follow a MotoGP without my nose pressed to the leaderboard) and have found tons of new music on Utube. The audiologist sold me on $7,200 hearing aids which I use about 1/3 as often as my BonePhones. Going on 3 years with my original set of Shokz.