Running & Cycling · The rankings
Best bone conduction headphones for cycling: six neckbands that fit under a helmet and hear the traffic
A bike adds three things a run doesn't: a helmet with a rear dial, 30 km/h of wind, and cars passing at speed. The neckbands ranked here address all three, and one of them lights up.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-checked, not worn by us
#adReader-supported: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never decides a ranking. How we rank · Disclosure
Quick picks
The rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Suunto Wing 2 The cyclist's bone conduction set: IP66, 12 hours plus a 24-hour power bank, LED safety lights that react to your cadence, and head-movement controls so you never take a hand off the bars. | Best for cycling overallBone conduction (neckband) | 8.3 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 2 | Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 The bone conduction pick for most people: the neckband stays put through anything, 12 hours of battery, and Shokz's DualPitch driver adds an air-conduction unit for bass the older models can't make. | Best without lightsBone conduction (neckband) | 8.5 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 3 | Suunto Wing The original Wing keeps the LED lights, head-movement control and the power bank, at IP67 and a lower price than the Wing 2; you lose two hours of battery and Bluetooth 5.3. | Lights on a budget, IP67Bone conduction (neckband) | 8.3 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 4 | Shokz OpenRun Air 2 Lighter and better sealed than the Pro 2 (26.4 g, IP67) with 10 hours of battery and Bluetooth 6.0; you trade the Pro 2's bass driver for a frame you can rinse off. | Lightest under a helmetBone conduction (neckband) | 8.7 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 5 | Shokz OpenRun The long-running standard: IP67, 26.4 g, 8 hours, Bluetooth 5.1. Older tech than the Air 2 at the same list price, but still the pair most runners you know are wearing. | The classic, on a dealBone conduction (neckband) | 8.1 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 6 | Mojawa Run Plus IP68, 29.6 g, 32 GB of storage and a 5-minute quick charge in the under-$100 band. A swim-capable neckband that undercuts Shokz on paper. | Budget, phone-freeBone conduction (neckband) | 8.2 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, built from published specs and cited independent reviews, not our own wear tests. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
Helmet, wind, traffic
Running lists rank by fit and rain. Cycling adds a retention dial at the back of the helmet that wants the same space as a neckband, wind that turns mics and music into noise above about 25 km/h, and the fact that the traffic you need to hear is passing you at 50. Every neckband here leaves both ears open, so the traffic part is handled by design; the ranking is decided by the other two and by what each maker publishes about wind. Ear-hook and clip alternatives are on best earbuds for cycling.
The table
| Evidence | Suunto Wing 2 | Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 | Suunto Wing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP66 | IP55 (dust, sweat and water resistant) | IP67 (power bank IP55) |
| Weight | 35 g / 1.23 oz | 30.3 g standard / 30 g mini | 33 g / 1.16 oz |
| Battery | 12 hours; up to 24 more from the included power bank | 12 hours listening | 10 hours; up to 20 more from the power bank |
| Wind handling | Anti-wind noise to 30 km/h | — | Anti-wind noise to 30 km/h |
| Microphones | — | Dual AI noise-canceling, wind-resistant to 25 km/h | — |
| Controls | Head-movement control plus buttons | Physical buttons | Head-movement control plus buttons |
| Extras | Reactive LED lights; titanium build; -20 to 60 C operating range; Suunto app | — | LED lights; titanium alloy frame; earplugs in the box |
| Score | 8.3/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Evidence | Shokz OpenRun Air 2 | Shokz OpenRun | Mojawa Run Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP67 (dust-tight, temporary immersion); Shokz: not for swimming | IP67 (dust-tight, temporary immersion); not for swimming | IP68 (fully submersible) |
| Weight | 26.4 g standard / 25.9 g mini | 26.4 g standard / 26 g mini | 29.6 g |
| Battery | 10 hours listening | 8 hours listening | 8 hours; standby up to 10 days |
| Wind handling | — | — | — |
| Charging | USB-C, 1 hour to full | Magnetic induction cable (USB-C on blue and black only), 1.5 hours to full | Magnetic induction, 1 hour to full |
| Score | 8.7/10 | 8.1/10 | 8.2/10 |
Under the helmet
A neckband sits at the base of the skull. Most helmet retention systems sit a little higher, and the two coexist on most heads; on some, the dial lands on the band and pushes the transducers off the cheekbones. Lighter and thinner bands (OpenRun Air 2, 26.4 g; Shokz says its frame is 9% smaller than the OpenRun's) have the fewest conflicts. Suunto's bands are 33 to 35 g with a titanium build. Put the headphones on first, then the helmet, then adjust the dial; if it lands on the band, drop the dial a notch.
Wind at 30 km/h
Lights, law and the left ear
The Suunto Wing 2's LEDs pulse with your cadence and flash when you turn your head to check traffic, per Suunto; on the original Wing they run constant or flashing. On a dusk commute that's a visibility aid on the one part of you that faces backward. Head-movement control on both Wings (nod to answer, shake to decline) keeps hands on the bars. Laws on headphones while cycling vary by state and country; some prohibit covering both ears, which an open neckband doesn't do, and some prohibit any headphone. Check yours.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 1
Stock photoBest for cycling overall
Suunto Wing 2
The cyclist's bone conduction set: IP66, 12 hours plus a 24-hour power bank, LED safety lights that react to your cadence, and head-movement controls so you never take a hand off the bars.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP66 |
| Weight | 35 g / 1.23 oz |
| Battery | 12 hours; up to 24 more from the included power bank |
| Charging | Headphones 1 h or less; power bank 1.5 h or less |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, over 10 m; SBC codec |
| Wind handling | Anti-wind noise to 30 km/h |
| Controls | Head-movement control plus buttons |
| Extras | Reactive LED lights; titanium build; -20 to 60 C operating range; Suunto app |
How the 8.3 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 9
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 5
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 8
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 9
- Value (5%)
- 6
What the spec sheet supports
- LED lights that pulse with cadence, a genuine visibility feature for road cyclists
- Head-movement controls: nod to answer, shake to decline
- 36 hours total with the power bank clipped on
Where it falls short
- 35 g, heavier than every Shokz neckband
- IP66, not IP67: heavy spray yes, immersion no
- SBC only; SoundGuys noted excessive vibration at high volume on the original Wing
Skip this if…
…you don't ride or run in the dark; the lights and head gestures are the reason to pay for this over an OpenRun.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Suunto Wing 2
Rank 2
Stock photoBest without lights
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
The bone conduction pick for most people: the neckband stays put through anything, 12 hours of battery, and Shokz's DualPitch driver adds an air-conduction unit for bass the older models can't make.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP55 (dust, sweat and water resistant) |
| Weight | 30.3 g standard / 30 g mini |
| Battery | 12 hours listening |
| Quick charge | 5 min = 2.5 hours |
| Charging | USB-C, 1 hour to full |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, 33 ft range |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | Dual AI noise-canceling, wind-resistant to 25 km/h |
| Controls | Physical buttons |
| Driver / tech | 10th-gen bone conduction (DualPitch: bone + air conduction unit) |
| Sizes | Standard (over 9.25 in head circumference) and Mini |
| Launched | August 2024 |
How the 8.5 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 10
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 8
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 6
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 8
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 9
- Value (5%)
- 6
What the spec sheet supports
- Titanium neckband plus ear hooks: nothing to fall out of an ear canal
- 12 hours per charge and a real quick charge, on USB-C instead of a proprietary cable
- DualPitch adds an air-conduction driver, so bass exists where older bone conduction sets had none
- Wind-resistant dual mics rated to 25 km/h for calls on the move
Where it falls short
- IP55, not IP67 like the cheaper OpenRun and OpenRun Air 2: fine for sweat, not for rinsing under a tap
- Bone conduction still leaks at high volume in a quiet room
- The most expensive of the three OpenRun models
Skip this if…
…you want to rinse the headphones under a tap after a soaked run (get the IP67 OpenRun Air 2) or you train mostly indoors where a sealed earbud's bass would matter more than an open ear.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
Rank 3
Stock photoLights on a budget, IP67
Suunto Wing
The original Wing keeps the LED lights, head-movement control and the power bank, at IP67 and a lower price than the Wing 2; you lose two hours of battery and Bluetooth 5.3.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP67 (power bank IP55) |
| Weight | 33 g / 1.16 oz |
| Battery | 10 hours; up to 20 more from the power bank |
| Charging | Headphones 1 h or less; power bank 1.5 h or less |
| Bluetooth | Dual-device connection; SBC codec |
| Wind handling | Anti-wind noise to 30 km/h |
| Controls | Head-movement control plus buttons |
| Extras | LED lights; titanium alloy frame; earplugs in the box |
How the 8.3 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 4
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 8
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- IP67 headphones, so a rinse after a muddy ride is fine
- Same LED lights and head-movement control as the Wing 2
- Dual-device connection for a bike computer and a phone
Where it falls short
- 10 hours on the headphones alone
- SoundGuys flagged excessive vibrations at high volume
- Suunto doesn't publish a Bluetooth version for this model
Skip this if…
…you want the longest single-charge time; the Wing 2 adds two hours and Bluetooth 5.3 for a modest premium.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Suunto Wing
Rank 4
Stock photoLightest under a helmet
Shokz OpenRun Air 2
Lighter and better sealed than the Pro 2 (26.4 g, IP67) with 10 hours of battery and Bluetooth 6.0; you trade the Pro 2's bass driver for a frame you can rinse off.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP67 (dust-tight, temporary immersion); Shokz: not for swimming |
| Weight | 26.4 g standard / 25.9 g mini |
| Battery | 10 hours listening |
| Quick charge | 5 min = 2 hours |
| Charging | USB-C, 1 hour to full |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | Dual AI noise-canceling, wind-resistant |
| Controls | Physical buttons |
| Driver / tech | 8.5-gen bone conduction (PremiumPitch 3.0) |
| Launched | August 2026 |
How the 8.7 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 10
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 5
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 8
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- IP67 means sweat, rain and a rinse under the tap are all inside the rating
- Lightest current Shokz neckband; Shokz says the frame is 9% smaller than the OpenRun's
- USB-C charging and a 5-minute quick charge
- Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint
Where it falls short
- No DualPitch air-conduction unit, so bass is thinner than the Pro 2
- Two hours less battery than the Pro 2
- Bone conduction leakage and cheekbone buzz at high volume, like every neckband here
Skip this if…
…sound quality is the reason you'd spend more (the Pro 2's DualPitch is audibly fuller) or you need the Pro 2's 12-hour battery for ultra-distance days.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun Air 2
Rank 5
Stock photoThe classic, on a deal
Shokz OpenRun
The long-running standard: IP67, 26.4 g, 8 hours, Bluetooth 5.1. Older tech than the Air 2 at the same list price, but still the pair most runners you know are wearing.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP67 (dust-tight, temporary immersion); not for swimming |
| Weight | 26.4 g standard / 26 g mini |
| Battery | 8 hours listening |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 1.5 hours |
| Charging | Magnetic induction cable (USB-C on blue and black only), 1.5 hours to full |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | Dual noise-canceling |
| Controls | Physical buttons |
| Driver / tech | 8th-gen bone conduction (PremiumPitch 2.0+) |
| Extras | Moisture detector; Shokz says it is fully washable under the tap |
| Launched | July 2019 |
How the 8.1 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 10
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 4
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 6
- Value (5%)
- 6
What the spec sheet supports
- IP67 and a moisture detector: Shokz's own comparison calls it fully washable under the tap
- Same 26.4 g weight as the Air 2
- Proven neckband fit, mini size available
Where it falls short
- 8 hours is the shortest battery of the three OpenRun models
- Proprietary magnetic charging cable on most colors
- 2019 hardware at the same list price as the newer Air 2
Skip this if…
…you're buying new at full price; the OpenRun Air 2 is the same money with USB-C, Bluetooth 6.0 and two more hours. Buy this one on a deal.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun
Rank 6
Stock photoBudget, phone-free
Mojawa Run Plus
IP68, 29.6 g, 32 GB of storage and a 5-minute quick charge in the under-$100 band. A swim-capable neckband that undercuts Shokz on paper.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not worn by us
| Fit system | Bone conduction (neckband). Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IP68 (fully submersible) |
| Weight | 29.6 g |
| Battery | 8 hours; standby up to 10 days |
| Quick charge | 5 min = 90 min |
| Charging | Magnetic induction, 1 hour to full |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Storage | 32 GB built-in |
| Extras | Full titanium construction |
How the 8.2 score breaks down
- Fit security (25%)
- 9
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 10
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 10
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 4
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 6
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 9
What the spec sheet supports
- IP68 and 32 GB at a price the Shokz OpenSwim Pro doesn't approach
- Lighter than the Creative and close to the Shokz OpenRun
- Quick charge, which the Shokz OpenMove lacks
Where it falls short
- 8 hours is two short of the Creative Outlier Free Pro
- Magnetic charging cable
- Fewer independent reviews than Shokz; we cite only Mojawa's own specs
Skip this if…
…you want the brand with the deepest review record and the widest accessory support; Shokz has both.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Mojawa Run Plus
Buyer's guide: bone conduction on a bike
Lights or sound
Suunto for lights and head gestures; Shokz Pro 2 for DualPitch sound and USB-C. That's the whole top of the list.
Rating for rain and road spray
IP66 (Wing 2), IP67 (Wing, Air 2, OpenRun), IP68 (Mojawa), IP55 (Pro 2). Road spray is a jet; all clear it.
Battery for a century
Both Suuntos ship a clip-on power bank: 12 plus 24 hours on the Wing 2, 10 plus 20 on the Wing. Everything else is 8 to 12 hours flat.
Bike computer plus phone
Multipoint on every pick; Suunto lists dual-device connection explicitly. A Suunto watch adds live feedback on the Wings.
How we scored this
Pairs we claim to have worn: none we haven't
Plenty of sites say they ran a hundred miles in every pair on the list. We don't say that, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: classify the retention system (hook, clip, wing, neckband), record the maker's published IP rating, weight, battery, charging, mic and control type from its own product page, cross-reference at least one independent published review where one exists, and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not lab results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Corrections & updates
- First edition.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can you wear bone conduction headphones with a bike helmet?
Are bone conduction headphones safe for cycling?
Which bone conduction headphones have lights?
Do bone conduction headphones work at cycling speeds?
Keep reading
Related on Openear Club
Receipts
Sources
- Suunto — Wing 2 product page, technical specifications (checked 2026-09-21)
- Suunto — Wing product page, technical specifications (checked 2026-09-21)
- Shokz — official product comparison table (checked 2026-09-21)
- Shokz — OpenRun Air 2 vs OpenRun Pro 2 vs OpenRun (checked 2026-09-21)
- Mojawa — Run Plus product page, specifications (checked 2026-09-21)
We haven't worn every pair on this site and we don't pretend to. Specs come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product), independent findings are attributed to whoever published them, and Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.