My Favorite Bone-conduction Headphones Have A 12-hour Battery Life And Are Perfect For Running

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The caller Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are nan follow-up to nan wide celebrated bony conduction headphones utilized by dedicated athletes, for illustration marathoners and triathletes
• They're now disposable for $180.
• The OpenRun Pro 2 are arsenic comfortable arsenic ever, pinch a longer artillery life than their predecessor.
• The measurement of nan headphones could beryllium louder, and nan microphone produces a warbled sound

I'm not moving a marathon this fall, but if I were, I'd want nan latest Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 astir my head. Shokz conscionable released nan OpenRun Pro 2, its latest update to nan OpenRun Pro lineup, and they purportedly connection important upgrades from nan first-gen OpenRun Pro, for illustration reduced vibrations, longer artillery life, and AI-powered noise-canceling and wind-resistance microphones.

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I tried nan OpenRun Pro 2 connected runs and successful nan office, and I'm happy to urge these to immoderate jock who loves exercising outdoors pinch bully sound and afloat biology awareness. Keep reference to find retired why.

If you haven't tried bony conduction headphones, they're a small different from your run-of-the-mill over-ear headphones aliases in-ear earbuds. Runners and cyclists usage them to enactment alert of their surroundings arsenic they workout outdoors because they equilibrium nan sounds of your euphony aliases podcasts pinch nan outer sounds of your environment, whether that's beeping cars connected a engaged thoroughfare aliases chirping birds connected an quiet trail. 

Bone conduction headphones' shape facet intends that sound, a important facet successful a brace of headphones, is simply a little priority. Bone conduction headphones are meant to fresh well, beryllium durable, proviso bully capable sound that you tin perceive and bask while besides staying connected your head, and boast a agelong capable artillery to past a full marathon aliases triathlon. So, dissimilar my different reviews, wherever sound comes first, this reappraisal will beryllium much astir nan different aforementioned factors. 

So, let's statesman pinch comfort. I could deterioration nan OpenRun Pro 2 each time without immoderate issues. They're ray and flexible, pinch a tactile exterior that makes them instrumentality to your head. Wearing them successful nan agency is simply a breeze, and they don't hug my caput aliases build up excessive unit astir my ears.

In fact, you could do tons of things, for illustration market shopping, cooking successful nan kitchen, talking to coworkers, and moving freely without moreover noticing them. One friend moreover told maine she uses her brace of waterproof bone-conduction headphones to perceive to euphony successful nan ablution without disrupting her roommates. 

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While running, nan OpenRun Pro 2 are delightful. The headphones do what you request them to do, staying unafraid connected your caput arsenic you move without sacrificing comfort. I could spot why marathoners who are sweating and moving for 4 to six hours trust connected these lightweight headphones to get them crossed nan decorativeness line.

Shokz improves upon nan discomforting vibrations adjacent nan receptor and jaw that astir bone-conduction headphones wearers experience. I felt nary vibrations whatsoever, truthful that was a win. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Speaking of listening for agelong periods, Shokz upgraded this pair's artillery life from 10 to 12 hours, truthful you get 2 much hours earlier recharging. Not bad. The purported artillery life was successful statement pinch my testing.

Ok, truthful now let's talk sound. The sound is balanced and astir clear. It's still a small tinny, but that's owed to nan build and accuracy of bone-conduction headphones astatine large. My only wish for these headphones is for nan sound to beryllium a fewer notches louder. While moving connected a engaged street, nan sounds of whooshing cars overpowered that of my music.

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This disappointed maine a small arsenic personification motivated astir by a booming, large opus arsenic I run. Then again, cipher buys bone-conduction headphones for immersive sound. Still, I'd surely for illustration to spot louder volumes connected nan adjacent exemplary of these headphones. You'll perceive nan euphony loudly and intelligibly if you're moving aliases cycling successful an situation for illustration an quiet wood path, but you mightiness beryllium disappointed successful busier environments, for illustration a noisy gym aliases a trafficked street.

These headphones are expected to person improved microphones for clear calls, but while sending sound memos to myself, nan audio felt warbly and muddy. I could still perceive myself fine, but it wasn't lucid. Another point I'd for illustration to spot is amended notifications indicating that nan OpenRun Pro 2 person connected to your instrumentality and are powered on. It's nan aforesaid pinch powering off: nan headphones don't look to blink aliases flash to bespeak they've turned off.

ZDNET's buying proposal  

Hardcore marathoners and cyclists will emotion nan longer artillery life, nan comfortable build, and durability of nan Shokz OpenRun Pro 2. I enjoyed wearing these headphones while exercising because they are ray and unobtrusive, cleanable for workouts successful nan parkland and workdays successful nan office.

Plus, nan OpenRun Pro 2 is nan aforesaid value arsenic nan OpenRun Pro, but has much artillery life. It's a no-brainer to spell for nan updated brace if you want headphones that will past a fewer much hours while biking up a hilly way aliases finishing your first marathon.