I stopped listening to music on my runs sometime last year—although I love listening to music, I wanted to be more aware of all the other sounds around me during my runs. When I read about the bone conduction technology used in the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium headphones, I was intrigued. When I had to opportunity to try them out, it was a no brainier. There are two different sizes, regular and mini, and based on their guidelines, I opted for the mini. I loved all the colors and couldn’t decide—after texting a few friends to get their opinions, I decided on the pink.
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How do they work?
The AfterShokz headphones work with bone conduction technology. According the their website:
"Bone conduction is a natural part of the hearing process—sound travels through our eardrums and bones simultaneously. We've taken the concept to the next level through development of a suite of proprietary audio technologies and design patents. The result: headphones that deliver unrivaled situational awareness and comfort.
Transducers guide mini vibrations through the cheekbones to the inner ears, delivering sound without plugging or covering them."
Put simply, you will "hear" the sound through your cheekbones, thus leaving your ears free to hear the other noises around you. This allows you to #BeOpen on your runs or other fitness activities.
When I received the headphones in the mail, I was excited to try them right away. After unpacking them, I charged them completely and set them out with my running clothes for the following morning.
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| The headphones come with a case, charging cord and ear plugs. |
When I got to my running destination the next morning, I powered up the headphones and they quickly connected to my phone. I put them on, placing them over my ears, trying to get a comfortable position with my trucker hat and sunglasses. These headphones fit a little differently than standard headphones or earbuds and it did take a bit of adjustment to make sure they were comfortable.
When I used them on my first run, I was honestly surprised at how clear the sound was. I truly was able to listen to my music and hear the other noises going on around me. I often run at trails with mountain bikers and I found a level of comfort knowing that I would be able to hear their "On the Left" warnings or bells/horns. The only downside to this was hearing all the wind that is normally blocked out by headphones that go into your ears.
The Trekz Titanium headphones use Audrey Says voice prompts and it was nice to have the connection confirmation with you turn them off or on. She also gives you a warning when the need to be charged-- I was quite impressed with the battery charge. The headphones are listed as having 6 hours of charge time, but I feel like I got more time than that on a single charge. Over a two week time period, I only charged them once and I used them on ninety percent of my runs. When they are connected to my phone, a headphone icon with battery charge is displayed which makes it nice-- no one wants their headphones to die during the middle of their run.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the headphones. I found myself using them more than I thought I would, although I do find them more comfortable when I'm not wearing a hat. I even wore them a few times at home to listen to podcasts while I was doing chores-- there were times I even forgot I had them on. The longest run I used them on was fifteen miles so I am not sure if the would start to bother me on any longer runs. However, they are compact enough to fit into my Orange Mud pack so it would be easy to take them off and put them away during a run.
I do a lot of trail running so I appreciated that I was able to listen to music and hear the critters around me-- it's snake season in Southern California and I definitely don't want to miss the warning of a rattle! They are also sweat resistant which is great for every type of runner, especially during the summer months.
Want to win your own pair of AfterShokz Trekz Titanium? Find out "How to Have it Both Ways on Your Run" and enter to win here.
Don't want to wait to find out if you win? Order you AfterShockz Titanium Trekz here- use the code SWEAT at checkout and they'll send you a free stainless steel water bottle with your order.
What type of headphones do you run with?
Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1
