Review: Shokz OpenMove – Bone Conduction Headphones

I like listening to music when going to the gym or cycling. One problem I’ve found with normal headphones and earbuds is that they shut you off from the rest of the world. I don’t always want to be in my own little world at the gym or cycling. Shokz bone conduction headphones allow me to listen to music while being aware of my surroundings.

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SHOKZ OpenRun Bone Conduction Sports headphones, IP67 Waterproof bluetooth earphones for running, work out(Black)

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What Are Bone Conduction Headphones

Simply put, bone conduction headphones do not go over or in your ears; they sit just in front. The sound is transmitted through your skull rather than directly into your ear drum. This means you can still hear other sounds, not just the music playing.

Below is a picture of me wearing a pair of Shokz OpenMove headphones.

The black bit in front of my ear is the speaker, and the black part behind my ear is the battery and the control buttons.

Information About Shokz OpenMove Headphones

The Shokz OpenMove headphones use Bluetooth to connect to devices. The Bluetooth pairing process is pretty simple. Once paired, the connection is stable.

They do not have a built-in music \ MP3 player, so you must connect them to another device like your phone or watch. I don’t like taking my phone to the gym, so I connect the OpenMove headphones to my Huawei Fit 2 smartwatch.

The music can be controlled using buttons on the OpenMove headphones; see the picture below.

The Shokz OpenMove headphones are not waterproof, but they are sweat and rainproof.

Shokz claims that the headphones take 2 hours to fully charge and last for about 6 hours of playtime. I would more or less agree with the times. If you like your music loud, expect a shorter playtime.

The headphones have a standard USB C port, which can be charged using any current Android phone charger. I think Apple iPhones have or will soon use USB C to charge their devices as well.

The headphones have a built-in microphone to be used for phone calls. When I first got the headphones, I played about making a couple of phone calls, and they seemed to work ok. I’m not sure what the call quality would be like if you used them while exercising or out on a bike ride.

What’s In The Shokz OpenMove Box

• OpenMove headphones
• USB charging cable (no mains plug)
• Pouch
• Stickers (customise headphones)

Positives Of Shokz OpenMove Headphones

1. Fantastic customer service – I had my first pair of Shokz OpenMove headphones for about nine months when the power button wouldn’t always work. I submitted a ticket to the  Shokz support website, and about three days later, I got a new pair.
   
   There were no dumb questions or unnecessarily complicated processes. I just entered my name, address, and headphones’ serial number and uploaded a copy of my invoice and a short description of the problem- that was it!
   
   The headphones come with a 2-year warranty, which includes the battery.
   
   
2. You can hear other sounds around you while still being able to listen to music. This is probably the most significant advantage of bone-conduction headphones. If you turn the volume up high, it does block out other sounds, and you can only hear the music playing through them. Turn them down a few clicks, and you can get to a happy medium when you hear your music and external sounds.
   
   
3. Great for sweaty people – I sweat quite a lot when exercising and in the past, when I used earbuds, I found they would pop out of my ears due to all the sweat. I also find it unpleasant to wear earbuds or headphones when sweating. I don’t get these problems with the Shokz OpenMove headphones.
   
   
4. Comfortable and lightweight – The OpenMove headphones only weigh about 30 grams and gently squeeze against your skull. You hardly notice you’re wearing them. They stay in place when moving about, so you don’t need to adjust them constantly.
   
   
5. Reasonable sound quality – I think most people will find the sound quality perfectly adequate. I mainly listen to pop and dance music, and I think both these genres sound fine.

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SHOKZ OpenRun Bone Conduction Sports headphones, IP67 Waterproof bluetooth earphones for running, work out(Black)

£89.00

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Negatives Of Shokz OpenMove Headphones

1. The band around the back of your head can get in the way. This is especially true when wearing a bicycle helmet, where I have to spend some time positioning the headphones.
   
   
2. Sound quality – As mentioned previously, the sound quality is reasonable. If you’re an audiophile, these headphones are not designed for you.
   
   
3. Vibrations – The headphones vibrate at high volume and with very bass-heavy music playing, causing a tingling sensation, which is a little annoying.
   
   
4. No built-in MP3 \ music player – The OpenMove headphones aren’t particularly cheap, and I think that Shokz should include a built-in MP3 \ music player. The only Shokz headphones with a builtin MP3 \ music player are the expensive OpenSwim headphones
   
   
5. No Adjustments – The OpenMove headphones do not have any adjustments. It’s one size fits all. They fit perfectly for me, but I imagine they may not fit well if you have a very small or very big head.

Shokz OpenMove Alternatives

Cheap Bone Conduction Headphones
 Before buying my Shokz OpenMove headphones, I started off with some cheaper, unbranded bone-conduction headphones. Which were not too bad considering they only cost £25. I used them regularly for about 2 months. Unfortunately, I lost the bespoke charging cable, which I was unable to get replaced.