These are, by far my favorite headphones for any kind of exercise. This is my thorough and honest review.
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What Are Bone Conduction Headphones?
The Aeropex Aftershokz headphones are bone conduction headphones. That means that they vibrate the bone in front of your ear and transmit sound through the bones in your skull instead of your ear canal. Oddly enough, the sound gets to your ear drum and you’re able to hear what’s playing.
Now, yes, the bass is not as deep. Any headphones with bone conduction are not going to have the same clarity as an over-the-ear set of top-end brand headphones.
But there is SO MUCH you can do with these headphones that you may never go back to the regular ones you shove in your ear.
You Can Hear Things Around You
If I am out running, I want ambient sound. For me, this is a safety thing. I like to know if a dog is running up behind me, or if a car is coming or if someone else starts running up behind me.
You gather a lot of information about your surroundings just from listening to things. You may run by a kid crying or a family arguing and not know about it. We also usually run in our own neighborhoods and I find that it is good to be aware of the area in which I live.
It’s not my goal to shut my neighborhood out.
The Aftershokz Aeropex Are Waterproof
Yep, these guys are rated IP67 waterproof (not for swimming).
That means that they are basically good for everything but swimming. These days, I feel like everything should be waterproof, kid-proof, tamper-resistant, and able to be used in low and high temperatures.
We’re in the future, aren’t we?
Wearing Aftershokz Aeropex in the Shower
These headphones are perfect for the shower. I have no complaints when it comes to this point. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and it is nice to just keep listening while I’m in the shower.
Wearing Aftershokz Aeropex in the Rain
I would have absolutely no problem taking these out in the rain. After using them in the shower for about a year now, they are holding up and I’ve had no problems. Running in the rain would be much less water coming into contact with it, so I would have no problem doing it.
You may want to consider finding a way to waterproof your phone, though. Even if it is in your pocket.
Wearing Aftershokz Aeropex in the Pool
These are not rated for underwater use… but I tried it anyway.
Bluetooth signals do not travel under water. I’ve jumped in the pool and my song stops the moment my head goes under water. I then hear the disconnection beep telling me it lost the signal. When my head comes up, it connects and the music starts playing again.
Aeropex also makes headphones for underwater use. This model stores music in the headphones themselves so that there is no Bluetooth signal necessary.
If you are a regular swimmer, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider trying them out.
But for most pool activities, these are really nice. I’ve spent a good part of the summer wearing them next to the pool and tanning while listening to audiobooks.
Wearing Aftershokz Aeropex in the Gym
These are my number one gym headphones.
Biggest reason: ambient sound.
I need to hear what is going on around me. It’s not fun having to say “Hey! Hey, buddy! Hello!” just to get someone’s attention who is standing right next to you.
The gym can be a dangerous place. People lift heavy weights and accidents happen. If another member of the gym says “Watch out!” and you’re jamming to Pearl Jam too loud – there goes your toes.
It’s also rude, in my view to walk around a public place and block everyone out. Gyms like that are just odd to me. Gyms should have a community feel to them.
Wearing Aftershokz Aeropex While Working
Sometimes there is a balance that needs to be met. You don’t want to fully block out your environment, but you want to turn down the volume on it. So, you put on some tunes or a waterfall noise or whatever and turn it on. Then you can still hear a co-worker (or a child) if they need to get your attention, but you’re not totally hit by every noise they make.
Phone Capabilities of Aftershokz Aeropex
These work perfectly when I’m on Zoom or making a phone call in my classic ride so that it is hands-free and legal.
I prefer them over an in-ear option. You’ve also got to have an awareness of your environment when you’re driving.
Ambulance sirens, horns, tires screeching – these are all noises you need to be able to hear. Wearing something that blocks out your ability to hear the environment is a danger to yourself and others.
Complaints About Aeropex Aftershokz
Before I bought these, I read a lot about the loud beep that it makes when turning volume up or down. At first it didn’t bother me, but then it did. It honestly kind of depends on my mood. If I’m hanging out in a quiet room and I’m all relaxed it annoys me. When I’m out and about and running and doing things, I’m fine with it. This loud beep has apparently been fixed in the newer models.
Accidental redial. I wish I could disable the “press twice to redial last caller” feature. I’ve been in the shower listening and paused at one point, then started back. I accidentally pressed the button twice and heard, “Redialing last caller.” Not a situation you want to be in. But, just be careful when you’re listening in the shower or switch it to your computer so that there is no redial.
Lying down on your back. This really isn’t a big complaint, but I’ve got to include it here to have an actual comprehensive review. Let’s say that I’m lying down on my back to do bench press or any abdominal exercise. I’ve got to move the back of the headphones up so that they don’t get dislodged from their usual position.
Packaging
The packaging is high quality.
With the headphones, you get ear plugs. When using bone conduction headphones, you can actually hear better when no other sound is traveling through your ear canals. This way, if you are in need of shutting out the ambient sound, you’re covered. Any ear plugs will do, but the ones provided are nice and fancy. But I always prefer to use disposable ear plugs anyway.
Charging cable. One end is USB and the other is a magnetic attachment that snaps on. It’s very easy to put it on and take it off. The only thing you need to be aware of, is if it is wet from running outside, being around the pool, or wearing them in the shower – just make sure the connection is dry so that it doesn’t cause an electrical short.
Carrying case. If you’re going on vacation and want all items in one spot, throw them in the nice case.
User guide. This is helpful and detailed. Standard user guide.
Shokz headband. I’ve never used it.
Conclusion
Hands down, these are my favorite headphones.
These are the most versatile (and most durable) headphones I’ve come across. If they get dirty, you just wash them off. They don’t go in your ear, so they don’t get ear wax on them.
I’m sure that, at some point, these will die or break or something and I’ll update this post to document what happened. But I’ve had them for about 12 months and used them almost daily, and I’ve had zero problems.