The Shokz Titanium Cordless Bluetooth Open Ear Bone Conduction Headphones are perfect for cyclists who want music while still being able to hear the traffic around them. Here is my review of these excellent headphones, which are now my go-to cycling headphones.
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Video Review of the Shokz Titanium Headphones
This video provides a balanced review of the Shokz Titanium headphones, and the reviewer has a marvelously soothing voice!
These fascinating and innovative earphones are new on the market. They are cordless (Bluetooth) headphones that conduct sound to you via vibrations on your cheekbones, instead of by plugging up your ears. This makes these headphones well suited to people listening to music while vulnerable to traffic, such as cyclists.
The new CORDLESS Shokz Titanium Bluetooth open ear bone conduction earphones are a great idea for headphone safety, and have been very well designed, using the latest bone conduction technology. This review will help you decide if you want to try this new technology.
The great thing about the Shokz Titanium headphones is that they leave your ears completely open – they are open-ear earphones. I guess they should really be called cheekphones, not earphones, as they don’t go in your ears. They work by conducting sound waves through your cheek bones, with nothing at all plugged into your ears. Your inner ears then process the sound.
Bone conduction headphones are my personal choice, satisfying my desire to listen to music on my long commute without compromising my ability to hear what is going on around me.
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Shokz Trekz Titanium Headphones are Cordless and Open Ear
My Shokz Titanium headphones have turned out to be my ultimate cycling headphones. This is because they are completely safe for cycling in the traffic, as they are both open ear and Bluetooth. I am just not safe with corded headphones, as I am unbelievably clumsy. Using corded headphones on my bike has resulted in disasters, including smashing my iPhone 4 into 4 pieces after my headphone wire snagged on my brake levers.
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That leaves Bluetooth as my only option for headphones while active (I only use corded headphones in the relative safety of my bed now). I use these Shokz Titanium headphones exclusively for cycling. My ears are open (for my safety), and there are no cords (for my phone’s safety). The headphones rest against my skin, just in front of my ears. At first the vibration felt slightly ticklish, but I soon got used to it.
New Titanium Frame on the Shokz Titanium headphones
The other big innovation with Shokz Titanium earphones is the titanium frame. Shokz chose titanium for strength, durability, and flexibility. It took me a little while to get used to them, because the titanium is stiffer than rubber. However, I find I can drape them down towards my neck, so they don’t have to be under my bike helmet, and then they work just fine. What I really like about them is that they are very lightweight, so I hardly notice them when I am wearing them.
And the Shokz Titanium have recently become available in a range of colors, including PINK! Who knew you could have pink titanium?
Using the Shokz Titanium Headphones
The communication technology on these headphones is great, with a female voice called Audrey who talks you through everything, such as pairing. She also keeps you updated on battery status. Battery life is very good. Tiny controls next to your right ear enable you to stop and start music, as well as skip forward (but not back).
Quality of the Sound on the Shokz Titanium Headphones
I am not going to tell you the music is the same quality as something like the Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones (my current favorites for off-the-bike use, because the sound is simply awesome – but they are not suitable for cycling as they exclude almost all other sound). It’s a different technology, and I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the quality of the music to be quite as good. However, it is a compromise I am more than happy to make, as it enables me to listen to reasonable quality music safely. I hear my music just fine, and the quality of the sound is more than acceptable to me. I don’t even remember that it is bone conduction while I am wearing them.
Please share: how to choose the safest headphones for #cycling! https://t.co/8xX8Zc7yxT pic.twitter.com/AxWv7Dk5T2
— Average Joe Cyclist (@AvrgeJoeCyclist) February 17, 2017
Making Phone Calls on the Shokz Titanium Headphones
The headphones have built-in dual noise-cancelling microphones for making phone calls. These work just fine, except if you are cycling at high speed around thundering traffic, when it becomes hard for others to hear you, despite the fact that the noise-cancelling works well for average situations. Similarly, I never have a problem hearing others, unless the ambient noise is extreme.
Bottom Line on the Shokz Titanium Headphones
For safety from traffic and clumsiness, the Shokz Titanium Headphones are highly recommended. It may take a little while to get used to the unusual way of hearing the sound, but it is well worth doing, so that you can be safer while cycling close to traffic.
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