Bone conduction headphones ‘having a moment’

Bone conduction headphones, in particular, are “having a moment,” Konig said. Rather than sitting inside or on top of the ear canal, bone conduction headphones rest in front of the ear, leaving it uncovered. They transmit audio along the user’s bones and jaw to the ears instead of directly into the ear canal. The headphones also feature a soft band that runs behind the upper portion of the neck to secure them in place and minimize sound distortions.

he exposed ear allows users to pick up on sounds and the environment around them, crucial for safety when doing activities such as riding a bike or jogging. Unlike earbuds, there’s also less concern about it popping out of your ears.

“This [bone conduction] technology has been around for a long time, but it is only more recently bringing benefits to consumer headphones,” said Roberta Cozza, senior director analyst at market research firm Gartner. “The main advantage is the ability to transmit sound without plugging anything in your ear, which means users are more aware of the sound of their surroundings which increases safety.”

She added: “While they look cumbersome, the latest models are very light, and the fit is more comfortable for longer-term wear versus in-ear hearables that can become painful or uncomfortable quickly after a short period of time.”

Although Shokz pioneered bone conduction headphones, a number of brands are now in this market. Beyond consumer appeal, Cozza believes bone conduction headphones could be used by frontline workers who could listen to communications and instruction and at the same time be aware of sounds around them.

“It will be interesting to see how this technology might be used in the future in other wearables, like smart glasses for augmented reality (AR), for example,” she added.

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