Comparing Bone Conduction Headphones - Shokz and Suunto

Bone conduction headphones are everywhere, but why? Are they better than traditional in-ear technology? How do they work? Are they safer, do they still provide a good listening experience? Your questions, answered here, and how you can try them yourself.

What are bone conduction headphones?

Bone conduction headphones (BCH) have been on the market since 2008 and started to gain attention from the athletic community in 2011 as wearers found that they are a safer technology to use when exercising in urban environments. This phenomenon of bone conduction has been known since the 1500’s, thanks to the Italian physician Gerolamo Cardano who discovered that by placing one end of a rod or spear between the teeth, the individual could hear music through the vibrations from the other end which was attached to a musical instrument. Fun fact: this is the same method which Beethoven used to hear the notes of the piano as he played, but he used a pencil.

What’s the appeal of bone conduction headphones?

Since 2013, bone conduction technology (BCT) has gained more traction and is accepted in several different environments. If you plan on running a road race in the UK, England Athletics has approved BCH as the only headphones for use under the UK Athletics Rules of Competition. They are also used in education, law enforcement, manufacturing, construction and the military as, unlike regular headphones, they don’t cover the ear which means that you can still hear your surroundings and remain aware. This open ear design can be more comfortable as you don’t have small buds rubbing against the sensitive inner part of your ear which can damage your eardrums and get sweaty and oily from lack of air flow. 
Listening to a podcast or music while you’re working can be helpful for getting in the zone, but when many of us work in open offices, or communicate with colleagues everyday, wearing large ear-covering headphones or earbuds shoved in your ears can come across as antisocial. It’s a small thing, but it can also be annoying constantly having to take one earbud out to be able to hear what someone says to you for a minute before continuing on with your work when you could just change your focus to them instead. Being able to hear your workout music and remain aware of others around you is a massive advantage for safety and enjoyment when exercise and this is the main reason that BCH have become so popular.

How do bone conduction headphones work?

The main piece of the headphones sits in front of the ear over the temporal bone which transmits the sound as vibration through the skull to the cochlea and auditory nerve where it’s processed by the brain. There is a secondary piece which sits just behind the ear, creating the ear shape which holds the headphones in place. These pieces are connected by a single band which runs around the back of the head and sits just above the base of your skull and joins to the other side. There are no additional cables thanks to Bluetooth, so you can slip them over your ears and get going. 

What are the disadvantages of BCH?

Because the headphones are an open ear design, this means that audio can leak and you actually miss out on some of the sound quality which you would have with ear-covering headphones. In particular, the bass can be weak which lessens the overall sound experience. 
Again, the nature of BCH is that the sound is not isolated, meaning that if you’re in a loud environment you can still hear everything else happening around you which can detract from your audio experience and doesn’t protect your ears. 

Which brand of bone conduction headphones are the best?

There are several different brands who make headphones with bone conduction and we currently stock two; Shokz and Suunto. 

Shokz:
Formerly known as AfterShokz, Shokz specialises in bone conduction technology and have become the most well-known brand for the technology, featuring multiple products depending on your setting and needs. Along with everyday models, there are also models specific for working in an office (they come with an adjustable microphone for a more direct sound), swimming and a smaller size for kids. 

Suunto:
You may have already heard of Suunto for their rugged watches, compasses and GPS devices, however they also have their own open ear bone conduction headphones.

When comparing the two demos we have in store, who was the winner and why? 
Overall, Shokz were the winner due to their lightweight design and a thinner band which make long-term wear more comfortable. The band is also more flexible than the Suunto model which was noticeably more rigid and less comfortable. The front ear piece which connects to the temporal bone was thicker than Shokz and while it didn’t appear to make much of a difference, when wearing the Suunto headphones they were less streamlined and stuck out slightly, not laying flat against the head and minimising the overall audio experience. 

This was our experience, but we welcome you to come in and try the demos for yourself to figure out which brand you prefer. Either way, we hope you have an enjoyable listening experience and stay safe when exercising.