3 causes I solely use bone-conduction headphones for working

True wireless headphones get all the excitement today. It appears there is a new pair of workout-friendly headphones or earbuds on the cabinets each week. I’ve examined my justifiable share on exercises and runs, however for working and biking particularly, I’ve determined to stay to a barely much less in style headphone format: bone-conduction.

Most headphones transmit sound by way of the air to our eardrums. They both sit over the ears or lodge inside them, blocking the ear utterly. Bone-conduction headphones, however, transmit sound by way of vibrations alongside your cheekbones with nothing within the ear in any respect. Meaning sound bypasses the eardrums and goes on to the inside ear.

This is not some fancy bit of recent know-how, both. It is the identical approach that sea mammals hear underwater and the way Beethoven made music after he misplaced his listening to.

Whereas bone-conduction headphones have been round for some time, I solely began utilizing them lately. After receiving a pair for overview final summer time, I gave them a strive on my runs. I used to be pleasantly stunned by the expertise and have been utilizing them solely ever since for a handful of key causes.

1 Situational consciousness

Be well mannered and conscious of others

As a result of bone-conduction headphones sit outdoors the ear, they maintain the ear canal open. This implies you can nonetheless hear noises out of your environment. The quantity additionally would not get fairly as loud, making it simpler to listen to ambient noise. That capability to listen to your environment turns out to be useful for a lot of causes, all of them associated to situational consciousness.

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I had just a few runs in a row with conventional earbuds when somebody got here up behind me. I used to be blocking the sidewalk as a result of I run with my canine, and they also needed to wait to get round me as a result of I could not hear them at first. I have been on the opposite facet of that equation earlier than, ready to get round somebody who was in the course of the path or sidewalk and oblivious to their environment as a result of they could not hear past their headphones. It is actually annoying, so I by no means need to be that individual as a lot as I can keep away from it.

Whereas I am carrying bone-conduction headphones, I will hear somebody arising behind me in order that I can pull my canine and myself out of the best way earlier than impeding their progress (normally). It permits me to be much more courteous, which is at all times a very good factor in my ebook.

2 Security

Keep alert, keep protected

As a girl who runs solo (in the event you do not depend my canine), security is a continuing concern. This fear is not unfounded, both, as we have seen in latest information. I’ve personally been adopted on runs, which left me working with out headphones for a very long time as a result of I used to be just too frightened about being unaware of my environment.

Bone-conduction headphones permit me to listen to what is going on on round me, which implies I may be extra alert. After I put on headphones that block out outdoors noise even a bit of bit, I are inclined to let my thoughts zone out and focus solely on the podcast I am listening to. That does not occur almost as a lot once I’m listening to the noises round me. Whereas it is nonetheless not as protected as not carrying headphones in any respect, I no less than am in a position to be extra conscious of my environment in case one thing unsafe is occurring.

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Past girls’s security considerations, cyclists, runners, or anybody in a metropolis may benefit from having the ability to hear their environment whereas carrying headphones. You can hear individuals speaking, horns, sirens, and all common site visitors, which may be essential for avoiding accidents.

3 Consolation on lengthy runs

Nothing in or on the ears means extra consolation

Bone conduction headphones even have an enormous benefit for longer exercises. I’ve small ear canals, so carrying earbuds for lengthy runs wasn’t all that snug. With bone-conduction headphones, the one factor making contact together with your physique is the little bit that rests on high of the ear and the conduction half on the cheek. There’s nothing tight sitting on high of your head or inside your ears, which might make them way more snug to put on for lengthy intervals.

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In fact, the actual pair of bone-conduction headphones and your head will affect consolation stage, however if in case you have points with issues in your ears, tight over your ears, or resting on the highest of your head, bone-conduction headphones may be the perfect various. Whereas I am presently not tackling any loopy lengthy runs (thanks, unhealthy hips), I have been carrying the Shokz Open Run Pros, and I do not discover they’re on my head in any respect whereas out for half-hour to an hour. I’d think about the identical can be true for longer exercises.

The one concern I had about consolation turned out to be a non-issue. The primary time I wore my Shokz Open Run Professional headphones with sun shades, it felt a bit funky as the highest of the headphones overlaps with the temple of a pair of sun shades. This did not show as a lot of a difficulty as I anticipated, although. I rapidly acquired used to it and have not had a difficulty since.

I’ve heard some individuals point out that bone-conduction headphones give them a headache, and there are definitely instances when its good to tune out the world. This fashion of headphones is not for everybody and is not for each scenario. I will follow noise-canceling buds for the gymnasium in order that I can hear my music over the gymnasium’s audio system, for instance.

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However for many who search higher situational consciousness, whether or not for security or to be courteous, or who do not like the feeling of one thing sitting in or on the ear, it is exhausting to beat bone conduction. Personally, I will not return to another fashion for my runs.

FAQ

Q: How do bone conduction headphones work?

Bone-conduction headphones, not like in-ear headphones, transmit sound by way of vibrations alongside your cheekbones quite than sitting within the ear canal and the sound bypasses the eardrums and goes on to the inside ear.