Picking a headphone is tricky. You need it to be loud enough to cut through street noise, but not so loud that it leaves you exposed to road accidents. The good news is that the choice is no longer between complete sensory isolation and noise beyond belief.
The landscape of audio technology comprises three distinct categories: skull-vibrating bone conduction systems, open-ear hooks that sit in your ear canals, and traditional earbuds. We have compiled budget and premium options for each category to deliver the best performance, regardless of price.
Bone Conduction Headphones
Sound is just air vibrating, but it's a bit hard to believe until you see it in action or, in this case, hear it. Mechanical transducers vibrate atop your skull and through your cheekbones, and bypass your eardrums altogether. The result is still the same. Your brain still perceives vibrations as usual.
The best part is that your ears are completely open to hear approaching traffic, sirens, or people talking to you. Generic white-label products also plague the market for under $30. However, we’re not including those on the list, as they are neither weather-resistant nor do they have good battery life.
The Luxury Option
Priced at $179.95, the SHOKZ Open Run Pro2 is available in two sizes: the mini and the standard. For that price, you get bone & air conduction headphones that are IP55-rated for Water Resistance and feature a 12-hour battery life. Unlike previous generations of headphones, these headphones utilize both forms of sound conduction to prevent the “buzzing” feeling that plagued earlier iterations.
The Budget Option
The Raycon Essential Open Earbuds cost $79.99. At that price, you get to ditch the “crown” design that wraps around the back of your head for two individual buds that you’d use in each ear, maybe even one at a time. These headphones are IPX5-rated, meaning they are technically water-resistant rather than waterproof. It is still okay to use in light rain. Raycon estimates that these headphones can run for 36 hours on a full charge.
Over-the-Ear/ Open-Ear Hooks
Although often associated with running, this style of earphones is perfectly compatible with cycling too. In this type of construction, hooks sit snugly around or inside your ear. They also leverage tiny directionally attuned speakers to play the sound just over your ear canal without ever fully blocking it. So you can hear the people and things around you, but they can’t hear what’s playing in your ears.
The Luxury Option
The Oladance OWS Pro will set you back $229.99. For that price tag, you get an open-ear audio set-up with 16.2 mm dynamic drivers for clear, loud sound and IPX4 water resistance. It also features a 16-hour battery life.
Built on an ultra-durable titanium frame, these hooks wrap around your ears to stay perfectly high at any speed. The OWS Pro also features incredibly wide, dedicated amplifier chips and onboard software. The software automatically recognizes and tunes out wind noise to keep navigational cues and call audio as clear as possible at higher speeds.
The Budget-Friendly Option
At $39.99, the Anker V30i Open-Ear headphones are cheaper but can do much of what the OWS Pro can. They feature a 14.2 mm driver and are IPX5 water-resistant. The headphones can also run for 12 hours on a full charge. The V30i emphasizes lightweight comfort with the water resistance of premium players. The hooks are soft and will comfortably sit beneath helmet straps when riding.
Inside-the-ear Headphones
These are the most commonly found types of headphones. The in-ear buds use a silicone tip to seal off your ear canal. For safe riding, you must rely on the internal software’s “transparency mode,” which is usually controlled via app or physically on the buds themselves. We’re choosing to ditch the typical ecosystem-friendly picks like the Apple AirPods Pro or Samsung Galaxy Buds because they are okay for audio quality but lack safety features and battery life.
The Luxury Option
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 waterproof costs $299. For that price, you get 6mm drivers, IP68 waterproof buds, and an IPX5 waterproof case. With active noise cancellation on, you can expect an 8-hour battery life. These buds are covered with a slick silicone layer to ensure adhesion even during the sweatiest and rainiest rides. Unlike touch pads on the AirPods that go haywire when touched by a wet surface, the Jabra relies entirely on foolproof physical buttons to control the buds.
The Budget Option
Priced at $99.95, the JBL Endurance Peak 3 offers performance at a reasonable price. Constructed from aluminum and plastic, this IP68-rated waterproof earbud can deliver up to 50 hours of playback. While it does not have ANC, its ergonomic tip is designed to block out most sounds while leaving enough room to hear what counts, like traffic. It also features a 4-mic system to ensure crisp sound delivery to whomever you’re talking to, irrespective of the audio conditions around you.
What’s The Verdict?
We can answer that with a question - how do you want to interact with your environment?
Bone conduction headphones are the clear frontrunner if you’re commuting or riding in an unpredictable dynamic environment. On the other hand, severe downhill riding with howling winds but relatively predictable traffic, isolating your senses is the best bet, so consider ANC-enabled in-ear headphones. Don’t want to buy two pairs but still want to enjoy both riding styles? Choose hooked over-the-ear headphones that offer all the sound isolation of in-ear buds while still giving you the awareness you get with bone conduction headphones.
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