Bone conduction headphones are made for people who want audio without shutting out everything around them. They’re especially useful for runners, cyclists, swimmers, and anyone exercising outdoors, where hearing traffic, other people, and your surroundings can matter as much as the music.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are our top pick for 2026. They sound better than most bone conduction headphones, last up to 12 hours, and stay comfortable during longer workouts. The lighter OpenRun is a better fit for dedicated runners, while swimmers should look at the OpenSwim Pro. We’ve also included options for triathletes and anyone who wants to spend less.
Bone conduction works differently from regular earbuds and headphones. Instead of sending sound through your ear canal, these headphones use vibrations that travel through the bones around your ears to the inner ear. You won’t get the same bass, detail, or isolation as a conventional pair of headphones, but that trade-off is what keeps your ears open.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are our favorite bone conduction headphones because they do more than most to improve one of the category’s biggest weaknesses: sound.
Shokz uses a combination of bone conduction and a small air-conduction speaker in its DualPitch system, with the extra driver helping fill out the low end. In our review, we found that the OpenRun Pro 2 produced noticeably more bass than earlier Shokz models without giving up the open-ear design.
They’re also comfortable enough for long runs, rides, and workouts, while the 12-hour battery should cover most training schedules without much thought. USB-C charging is another welcome change from the proprietary connector found on older Shokz models.
The main trade-off is water resistance. IP55 is fine for sweat and rain, but the standard OpenRun offers stronger protection. For most people, the better sound and longer battery make the Pro 2 the stronger all-round choice.
Dedicated runners may actually prefer the regular Shokz OpenRun over the pricier Pro 2.
At about 26 grams, they’re lighter, and the IP67 rating gives them better protection against sweat and bad weather. The flexible wraparound frame also stays secure without pressing anything into your ears, which becomes more noticeable the longer you’re out.
Battery life tops out at around eight hours, and a 10-minute quick charge can give you roughly another 90 minutes of listening. That’s shorter than the Pro 2, but comfortably enough for most runs and training sessions.
Digital Trends has continued recommending the OpenRun for runners in 2026. The regular OpenRun is the better fit if lower weight and stronger water resistance matter more to you than richer sound and longer battery life.
Swimming is where wireless audio gets awkward. Bluetooth doesn’t travel reliably through water, so the Shokz OpenSwim Pro get around the problem by combining Bluetooth with 32GB of onboard storage.
On land, you can use them like normal Bluetooth headphones. In the pool, you switch to MP3 mode and play music stored directly on the headset.
The IP68 rating makes them suitable for submersion, and the wraparound design stays put well while you’re moving through the water. In our testing, the OpenSwim Pro were especially impressive underwater, where the audio actually improves once your ears are submerged.
They’re more specialized than the rest of the lineup, but swimmers are exactly who they’re built for. If you want music during laps without juggling a separate device, the OpenSwim Pro remain the strongest choice here.
The Nank Runner Diver2 Pro are the better fit for athletes whose training doesn’t stay in one place.
They’re built to move between running, cycling, and swimming without forcing you to swap headphones along the way. Bluetooth handles workouts on land, while 32GB of onboard storage takes over when you’re in the pool. Nank rates them IP69 and specifically markets them for prolonged water use.
That’s where they separate themselves from the OpenSwim Pro. Shokz is the safer pick for someone who mainly swims, but the Runner Diver2 Pro make more sense if swimming is only one part of a larger training plan.
For triathletes who want one headset that can cover training on land and in the water, that versatility earns the Nank a place on this list.
The Shokz OpenMove are a relatively inexpensive way to find out whether bone conduction works for you.
They’re lightweight, rated IP55 against sweat and splashes, and charge over USB-C. Bluetooth multipoint is a nice bonus too, especially if you want to use them with more than one device outside workouts.
The compromises show up in battery life and sound. Six hours is noticeably shorter than what you get from the OpenRun models, and the audio is less refined than the OpenRun Pro 2. At this price, though, those limitations are easier to live with.
They make the most sense for walking, casual runs, gym sessions, podcasts, or anyone buying their first pair of bone conduction headphones. If you know you’ll be training several times a week, spending more on the OpenRun is probably worth it.
Start with how you’ll actually use them.
For running and cycling, weight, fit, and water resistance matter more than chasing small differences in sound. For swimming, make sure the headphones are designed for submersion and include onboard storage, since Bluetooth streaming isn’t practical underwater.
Battery life ranges from around six hours on cheaper models to roughly 12 hours on premium options. Quick charging can be just as useful as maximum runtime if you regularly discover a dead battery right before heading out.
Sound is the other big consideration. Bone conduction headphones keep your ears open, so they don’t deliver the same isolation or low-end punch as regular earbuds. If sound quality matters more than hearing what’s around you, conventional headphones are usually the better buy.
For more detail on the technology, Digital Trends has a separate guide explaining how bone conduction headphones work.
For running, cycling, walking, or gym workouts, probably not. Your headphones can stream audio from your phone over Bluetooth.
Storage becomes much more useful for swimming. Models such as the Shokz OpenSwim Pro and Nank Runner Diver2 Pro can play files directly from the headset, so they don’t need to maintain a Bluetooth connection to your phone.
For running and gym workouts, IP55 or better should generally be enough for sweat and occasional rain. The Shokz OpenRun is rated IP67 for stronger protection.
Swimming is different. Look for a model specifically designed for submersion rather than judging suitability from the IP number alone. The OpenSwim Pro is rated IP68 and built specifically for swimming, while Nank rates the Runner Diver2 Pro IP69 and markets it for extended water use.
Don’t assume something described as “water-resistant” belongs in a pool. Check both the rating and the manufacturer’s guidance before taking it underwater.
Both leave your ear canals open, but they produce sound differently.
Bone conduction headphones use vibrations that travel through the bones around your ears toward the inner ear. Open-ear headphones use conventional speakers positioned close to the ear without sealing the ear canal.
Open-ear models usually have an easier time producing fuller sound, while bone conduction designs are better suited to certain sports and swimming use cases.
Paulo Vargas is an English major turned reporter turned technical writer, with a career that has always circled back to technology. He got his start covering consumer tech as a journalist, writing about gadgets, apps, and the rise of Android when flashing custom ROMs was still a badge of honor. Over the years, his work has ranged from gadget reviews and magazine features to film criticism, small-press zines, and in-depth documentation for global software companies.
Today, Paulo focuses on making complex tools easier to use, whether that means turning technical features into clear guides or cutting through marketing fluff to show readers what really matters. Outside of writing, he spends his time playing modern pixel RPGs, but steers clear of first-person shooters since they make him nauseous. Besides, he’s always been more at home with words than crosshairs.
Apple has just launched its latest iPad mini with a notable set of upgrades, including an OLED screen, improved speakers, and a more resilient build. It also gets a new chip, and the whole package costs $200 more than its predecessor. But if you look closely at Apple’s online store, you’ll realize that $699 isn’t enough to get you the most powerful version of the A20 Pro chip inside this tablet. In fact, even if you pay $800 for the 256GB model, you still won’t get the beefiest variant. Only when you jump to the 512GB trim, which costs an absurd $999, do you get the most powerful flavor of the A20 Pro.
The $999 model gets more than extra storage
Ahead of its October 28 “Pro and Tell” event, Apple has refreshed the iPad mini with an OLED display (the first for the mini line), the company’s latest in-house, Pro-grade chipset, and something else that made me read twice: an Acoustic Display design.
The iPad mini (8th generation) starts at $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for cellular variants. Pre-orders start October 28, 2026, and general sales begin November 6, 2026.
Apple has sent out invites for an event on October 28 in Los Angeles, and if the rumor mill is right, it's going to be a big one for Mac fans.
The MacBook Pro could get its biggest overhaul in years