Bone conduction headphones make a perfect Xmas gift for fitness fanatics — and they're discounted right now
Spoil the gym-junkies in your life with some Shokz headphones
It's been said that once you've experienced bone conduction headphones, you'll never want to go back to in-ears. Unlike regular earbuds, which block your ear canals by design, bone conduction headphones boast an open-ear delivery system, leaving your ears free to hear the world around you with no muffling or loss of volume.
To achieve this, a pair of bone conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 actually sit on your upper cheek bones, sending vibrations right to your cochlea where they're transformed into electrical signals by the auditory nerve. In other words, bone conduction takes audio directly to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum entirely.
As you might imagine, this makes bone conduction headphones ideal for sports and fitness junkies, as they provide an unmatched level of environmental awareness, allowing wearers to run, swim and workout at the gym without cutting themselves off from the outside world. On top of this, they can be more comfortable and hygienic than in-ear headphones, as they don't actually go inside your ear canals.
Shokz is one of the leading names in sports headphones, boasting numerous options which are suited for specific activities. Best of all, the brand has slashed prices on its OpenRun and OpenSwim bone conduction headphones, making them ideal Christmas gifts for sporty friends or family members.
You can check out our highlights from Shokz's Christmas sale below, or browse the full range of discounts yourself at Shokz.
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Save AU$70
Thanks to an excellent 32% discount, Shokz's OpenRun are now the company's most affordable bone conduction headphones leading into Christmas. As the name suggests, the OpenRun is ideal for running and other outdoor activities. It boasts an IP67 rating, making them sweat and water resistant, which is a boon for intense workout sessions. With up to 8 hours of battery life, the OpenRun also offer a quick charge option to get you up and running again in no time. Check out our 4.5 star review for all our thoughts on these.
Save AU$30
Keep the tunes going even while you're swimming with the Shokz OpenSwim Pro, now discounted by 10% in time for Christmas. Engineered for both water and land, the OpenSwim Pro boasts an IP68 rating, meaning they're waterproof up to two metres. Along with Bluetooth connectivity, the OpenSwim Pro also comes with 32GB of storage to hold up to 8,000 songs, meaning you don't even need your phone nearby to keep the music pumping. Need more convincing? We gave them 4.5 stars in our review.
Save AU$60
Tacking a different tack to the bone conduction headphones listed above, the Shokz OpenFit are true wireless earbuds which offer an open-ear concept. This allows the OpenFit to send directed audio into your ear without being inserted into your ear canals, allowing you to maintain environmental awareness. Dubbed DirectPitch, this technology makes them well-suited for workouts at the gym. Thanks to a dolphin arc ear hook that adapts to different ear shapes, these buds offer a secure fit without sacrificing comfort. With up to 7 hours of listening time per charge, you can get a total of 28 hours with the included charging case.
Alternatively, you could opt for the excellent Shokz OpenFit Air, which received 4.5 stars from our colleagues at Tom's Guide in their review. A slightly more affordable option with a warmer sound signature, they're now only AU$199 AU$159.
If you have family or friends who lead an active lifestyle, Shokz headphones can help you sort out your Christmas shopping — especially with these substantial festive season discounts. With options for runners, swimmers and gym junkies, Shokz headphones make for fantastic Christmas gifts.