Suunto’s new headphones finally made me appreciate bone conduction

For me running in the city, wearing noise-canceling earphones hasn’t been that important. I’ve used open-ear earphones a bit, but I mostly ran in well-lit parks, where the biggest danger was avoiding goose droppings. In the suburbs, it’s a different story. I was recently nearly hit by a Range Rover going more than 10km over the speed limit. I couldn’t hear anything, even though I had my headphones in ambient mode.

So over the past two months, I’ve been testing the $199 Suunto Wing and the $149 Suunto Sonic.

Both the Wing and Sonic are bone conduction headphones, a category long dominated by Shokz (formerly AfterShokz). The Sonic is a more basic entry-level device, while the Wing has a few extra features, including LED lighting, a portable power bank, and head motion control. The Wing also has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, slightly better than the Sonic’s IP55 rating.

Bone conduction works by transmitting sound vibrations through your cheekbones instead of through the air into your ear canal. Some athletes swear by bone conduction because it keeps your ears open, allowing you to hear more of your surroundings than any transparent mode. (As a bonus, it also helps people with hearing loss hear audio.)

I’ve known all this for a long time, but to be honest, I’ve never paid much attention to bone conduction until now. My previous AfterShokz headphones were far from comfortable, but the real problem was that I rely on bass-heavy running playlists. So bone conduction? The bass isn’t the best. Still, nearly being crushed by a speeding Range Rover was reason enough to give bone conduction another try.

On the first point, I was surprised at how comfortable both the Sonic and the Wing were to wear. My previous AfterShokz headphones had a wraparound neckband that dug into my skin and hurt my smaller ears, making them an uncomfortable fit. These headphones also have a wraparound design, but I didn’t find them uncomfortable. They stayed secure while I was running or walking. Plus, the over-the-ear portion is thin enough that I didn’t have any issues wearing glasses or a headband, something I’ve had issues with other open-ear headphones, like the chunky ones. Bose Sport open earphones.

The bass is still not amazing, but I was surprised at how much better the sound quality was on the Wing and Sonic compared to the first time I tried bone conduction headphones.Megaverse” is my Beats Fit Probut it was enough to perk me up. After a few weeks, I stopped noticing the difference. (It also helps that Suunto offers a variety of sound profiles, including an outdoor mode that adds a bit more bass.)

However, while the sound quality was better than expected, these are bone conduction headphones, so they are not suitable for noisy environments. I was hoping they would be fine for everyday use on my commute, but unfortunately listening to audiobooks or podcasts while riding the noisy subway or passing honking taxis was not a very good experience. I had to turn up the volume, which resulted in strong vibrations until the front part hit my face. Also, these are not the first headphones I would pick up if I were to run a race with a cheering crowd. The Suunto headphones are a bit pricey at $149 and $199, which is a bit disappointing. For reference, Shokz headphones cost between $80 and $180.

Price is also one of the reasons I’d go with the cheaper Sonic of the two. Not only is the sound quality the same, but the Wing’s extra features just didn’t sit well with me. The LED lights are nice, but I found them hard to see behind my hair. (Plus, I wasn’t a big fan of the Wing’s gamer Kylo Ren vibe.) As for the Wing’s head-motion controls, I was never able to get them to work reliably. Nodding or shaking your head is supposed to answer or hang up calls and skip songs, but I got some funny looks from people around me when I ran off shaking my head furiously to skip to the next song.

The Wing didn’t impress me with its battery life either. Both devices have an estimated 10 hours, but the Wing also comes with a power bank that can charge it for another 20 hours. That’s great, but is it worth an extra $50? For me, it’s not. I mostly run 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a week. The Sonic lasts about a month before needing to be charged. As for waterproofing, the Sonic’s IP55 is good enough for sweat and rain, but the Wing’s IP67 rating isn’t good enough for the pool. (Another bummer for swimmers — neither has onboard storage, and Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater.)

So, my personal search for an open-ear workout headphone alternative to the Beats Fit Pro continues. Don’t get me wrong, having tried the Sonic and Wing, I have a better understanding of bone conduction headphones and why so many people are clamoring for them (calling the latest Shokz a “must-have”). they I’ll give it another go, I’m too obsessed with bass drops to say my exploration ends here.