Yes they just work better for cycling. I also have AirPod pro’s but I save those for walks and the gym. I have the Shoks and they work amazing. I can hear traffic and talk to the person next to me if I am on a group ride. They are also seem more durable for cycling. Never a chance of them falling out of your ear. They don’t sound as good but get the job done. Answer from Striking_Cake9913 on reddit.com
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Soundly
soundly.com › blog › bone-conduction-headphones-safety
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe?
But, are they better than regular headphones? Let's look at what you need to know about this emerging tech. There are times when bone conduction is better, for example, when needing to hear your surroundings. Other times, blocking out background noise and using noise-canceling headphones is advantageous. A compromise? There are also products, such as the AirPods ...
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Soundcore
soundcore.com › home › blog center › headphones blog › are bone-conduction headphones safe? what you need to know
Are Bone-Conduction Headphones Safe? Unveiling the Truth
September 9, 2025 - When questioning, "Are bone-conduction headphones safer than earbuds," the answer is yes. Traditional earbuds that nestle within the ear canal can potentially lead to compacted earwax, blockages, or even infections from trapped bacteria.
People also ask

Are bone conduction headphones safer than traditional earbuds?
Yes. Bone conduction headphones bypass the eardrum and transmit sound through the bones of the skull, reducing the risk of hearing damage and making them safer for prolonged use compared to traditional earbuds.
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ngearsafe.com
ngearsafe.com › blogs › open-ear-headphones › bone-conduction-headphones-side-effects
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe? Myths & Truth Explained
What are the best bone conduction headphones?

The Aftershokz Aeropex are the best bone conduction headphones: they use Bluetooth 5.0 technology, has an eight-hour battery life, and are IP67-rated. To learn more, check out our list of the best bone conduction headsets.

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soundguys.com
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bone conduction headphones: gimmick or godsend?
Bone conduction headphones: Gimmick or godsend? - SoundGuys
Are bone conduction headphones safer for jogging near cars?

In theory, yes: because your ear canal is unoccluded, outside noise can make it to your inner ear much more easily than it would if you were wearing headphones or in-ears. However, you still need to listen at a responsible volume, as your brain can make it harder for you to hear certain noises if you’re listening to loud music. Remember, auditory masking takes place in your brain, not your ear.

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soundguys.com
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bone conduction headphones: gimmick or godsend?
Bone conduction headphones: Gimmick or godsend? - SoundGuys
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Forbes
forbes.com › forbes homepage › innovation › consumer tech
These Bone Conduction Headphones Are Better Than AirPods For Working Out
December 31, 2024 - While they're bulkier than earbuds (they're usually connected via a band that loops around the back of your head) I find that they're comfortable during long workouts and are even compatible with hats and bike helmets. In addition to not reducing your ambient hearing, bone conduction headphones are great for people like me who have sensitive ear canals that are irritated by earbuds.
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Soundcore
soundcore.com › home › blog center › headphones blog › bone conduction headphones vs earbuds: which to choose?
Bone Conduction Headphones vs Earbuds: Which Is Better?
October 9, 2024 - Bone conduction headphones are safer than earbuds. If you are looking for a pair, then, the H2O Audio Multi-Sport is a good choice. This device has one of the highest waterproof ratings in the category at IPX8.
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SoundGuys
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bone conduction headphones: gimmick or godsend?
Bone conduction headphones: Gimmick or godsend? - SoundGuys
June 6, 2025 - Yes, bone conduction headphones are no less safe than any pair of headphones or earbuds that go in or over your ear, with the added benefit of remaining aware of your surroundings.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/cycling › any advantage getting bone conduction headphones when one already has an airpods pro?
r/cycling on Reddit: Any advantage getting bone conduction headphones when one already has an AirPods Pro?
July 27, 2025 -

I have a pair of AirPods Pro already which I use daily. They are not the latest versions (I think they are about 4-5 years old) but they have transparency mode.

Assuming the AirPods can stay secured in the ears and using transparency mode, are there still any advantages getting some of those bone conduction headphones, such as those from Shokz? I will be using them mostly for audio books, podcasts and online radios.

I did try the AirPods while cycling once and they worked fine except that during the trial I was quite worried about them falling off for the whole time. I can see something like imagine a Shokz Open Move (which is what I am looking at) will be more secure, but apart from that I am not sure what else can be gained using them instead of my AirPods Pro?

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YouTube
youtube.com › hearsoundly
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe? Audiologists Weigh In. - YouTube
Bone conduction headphones are surging in popularity. In this video Dr. Amy Sarow takes a look at their potential impacts on hearing health.
Published   June 14, 2023
Views   53K
Find elsewhere
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Hearing Health & Technology Matters
hearinghealthmatters.org › home › bad to the bone headsets
Bone Conduction Headsets: Bad to the Bone
December 1, 2024 - One of the significant advantages of bone conduction headsets is their safety aspect, as they do not isolate the user from the surrounding environment like air conduction alternatives.
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Shokz
uk.shokz.com › blogs › guides › how-safe-are-bone-conduction-headphones
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe?
These are not only safer to use than other types of headphones on the market today, but they also allow you the benefit of having more situational awareness when you're using them.
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NG EarSafe
ngearsafe.com › blogs › open-ear-headphones › bone-conduction-headphones-side-effects
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe? Myths & Truth Explained
Yes, they bypass the eardrum and reduce the risk of hearing damage making them safer for prolonged use. Bone conduction tech isn't a universal solution for all deaf individuals, but for those with certain types of hearing loss, it 's a superhero ...
Published   October 31, 2025
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Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
journals.lww.com › thehearingjournal › fulltext › 2012 › 06000 › letters__the_truth_about_bone_conduction_earphones.12.aspx
Letters: The Truth about Bone-Conduction Earphones : The Hearing Journal
The fact that these earphones use bone-conduction transducers does not inherently make them any safer than any other earphone, as bone-conducted sound is transduced by the cochlea similarly to air-conducted sound.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/hearingloss › is bone conduction headphone safe?
r/HearingLoss on Reddit: Is bone conduction headphone safe?
December 29, 2022 -

I am thinking of: Since bone conduction headphone vibrates our cheekbones to transmit the sound directly into our cochlear, which, unlike the eardrum, has no nociceptive nerves, so, it actually makes it harder for us to spot the volume has exceeded decibels that the ears can tolerate. If so, can the bone conduction earphone still be a better option when you want to take care of your hearing? Can anyone tell me if am I correct on this, so I will decide whether to get a pair of bone conduction or not :D

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Audiologist here who uses bone conduction headphones. They are no less safe than any headphone that goes in or over your ear. I like bone conduction for the safety factor of when I bike or lift weights, I can still hear what's around me for safety (but some people don't like that and that's fair!) All that matters is the volume of listening to them. You can tell when bone conduction is too loud because you physically feel the headphones vibrating (and that's quite annoying to be honest). So it's not less safe volume wise, but for safety wise I love them and recommend them!
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The main way we can tell how loud something is by just hearing it via the working of the cochlea (which bone conduction headphones would stimulate also). The nerves in the ear drum and middle ear are there mainly to provide information about local issues (like pain in case of infection or signals that can change how much you salivate etc.) and not so much about sound or sound protection. There are pain pathways in the cochlea too if you are worried about that, although hopefully you’ll feel things are too loud before it gets to engaging those pathways. So BC headphones shouldn’t be less safe for any of the reasons you mention. That said one caveat with BC headphones is that because your ears are open, you get very little background noise reduction (like you might get if you wore a insert earphone that partially acted like a earplug). So if you tend to be in noisy environments while listening via the BC headphones, you might have a tendency to turn up the volume more than you otherwise would. You can avoid that by wearing regular earplugs when using your BC headphones in a noisy environment. On the upside, using foam earplugs with BC headphones can give you at least as much noise reduction (or more if earplug fit is good) as high-end active noise-cancelling headphones. So you’d have gotten yourself a low tech but super effective noise-suppressing headphone system.
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Kinglucky
kingluckyshop.com › blog › detail › 48
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safer Than Earbuds?
Their ability to maintain environmental awareness renders them safer in high-risk environments. Regarding comfort and hygiene, bone conduction headphones exhibit superior attributes, particularly for individuals susceptible to ear infections ...
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Zygo
shopzygo.com › blogs › blog › are-bone-conduction-headphones-safe
Are Bone-Conduction Headphones Safe? – Zygo
March 15, 2024 - The short answer is yes! Bone-conduction headphones are just as safe, if not safer, than any other type of headphones.
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Nagish
nagish.com › post › are-bone-conduction-headphones-safe
Bone Conduction Headphones: Everything You Need to Know
July 5, 2025 - Shokz bone conduction headphones are available in several colors and use two ground-breaking technologies, Bone Conduction Technology and Air Conduction (DirectPitch) Technology, to transmit sound to your ears without obstructing them.
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H2O Audio
h2oaudio.com › home › news › these 7 bone-conduction headphones are a safer, less-gross alternative to earbuds: well & good
These 7 Bone-Conduction Headphones Are a Safer, Less-Gross Alternative to Earbuds: Well & Good
December 21, 2023 - Unlike traditional headphones, bone-conduction headphones bypass your ear canal and eardrum by sitting on top of your jaw and cheekbone and transmitting sound vibrations directly to your inner ear. They’re attached by a band that fits around your head. “Because all of the bones in the head are connected, when this area is vibrated the signal is transmitted directly to the inner ear,” Reisman says.
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Avantree
avantree.com › home › are bone conduction headphones safe to use?
Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe To Use? – Avantree
Bone conduction headphones are generally safe when used responsibly. They transmit sound through cheekbone vibrations, bypassing eardrums entirely—ideal for maintaining situational awareness during runs or cycling. Risks like prolonged vibration exposure or improper fit exist but are mitigated ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/headphones › is bone conduction earphone healthier for your ear?
r/headphones on Reddit: Is bone conduction earphone healthier for your ear?
January 30, 2024 -

Im a college student who live with roomates, and as a result I wear earphones everyday for around 6 hours (roughly 40-60% volume), which is 6x longer then doctors reccomend. I would notice that after 2 hours or more my ears would become hot and red. Although this would dissapear after 1 hour of not using earphones, I am worried that this habit will lead to some long term hearing problems. Im wondering whether bone conduction can help with my situation?

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Quora
quora.com › Are-earbuds-such-as-Aftershokz-that-don-t-actually-go-into-the-ear-canal-safer-for-one-s-hearing-health-than-AirPods-and-other-similar-earbud-and-why-or-why-not
Are earbuds such as Aftershokz that don’t actually go into the ear canal safer for one’s hearing health than AirPods and other similar earbud, and why or why not? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): Yes. Despite all the claims that they are the same, they are not. Bone conduction headphones have a unique feature that traditional earbuds and headphones do not have with respect to loudness: they generate uncomfortable ...