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 Researched · every spec sourced
#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
Top pick
Best for Cycling
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.
Jump to the full write-up or read the whole ranking below.
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) | 9.4 /10 | Check price at SuuntoAlso on Amazon — $179.00 |
| 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) | 9.5 /10 | Check price at ShokzAlso on Amazon — $179.95 |
| 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) | 9.4 /10 | Check price at SuuntoAlso on Amazon — $149.00 |
| 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) | 9.7 /10 | Check price at ShokzAlso on Amazon — $129.95 |
| 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) | 9.2 /10 | Check price at ShokzAlso on Amazon — $129.95 |
| 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) | 9.3 /10 | $89.99Run Plus |
#ad · Prices come live from Amazon, last checked November 13, 2026. Scores are ours, built from published specs and cited independent reviews, with every figure linked to its source. 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 | 9.4/10 | 9.5/10 | 9.4/10 |
| 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 | 9.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.3/10 |
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. The full fit routine, including a thirty-second test for the clash before you order, is in headphones under a cycling helmet.
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, though an independent tester found the gestures too sensitive for running - the full account is in the Suunto Wing 2 review. 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
Best 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 sheetResearched · sources linked
| 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 9.4 score is built
- 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
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
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
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 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
Good to know
Not the one for you 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.
Rank 2
Best 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 sheetResearched · sources linked
| 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 9.5 score is built
- 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
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
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
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 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
Good to know
Not the one for you 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.
Shokz list price $179.95 as of November 13, 2026
Also on Amazon — $179.95#ad · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
Rank 3
Lights 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 sheetResearched · sources linked
| 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 9.4 score is built
- 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
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
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
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 10 hours on the headphones alone
- SoundGuys flagged excessive vibrations at high volume
- Suunto doesn't publish a Bluetooth version for this model
Good to know
Not the one for you if you want the longest single-charge time; the Wing 2 adds two hours and Bluetooth 5.3 for a modest premium.
Rank 4
Lightest 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 sheetResearched · sources linked
| 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 9.7 score is built
- 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
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
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
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 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
Good to know
Not the one for you 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.
Shokz list price $129.95 as of November 13, 2026
Also on Amazon — $129.95#ad · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun Air 2
Rank 5
The 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 sheetResearched · sources linked
| 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 9.2 score is built
- 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
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
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
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 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
Good to know
Not the one for you 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.
Shokz list price $129.95 as of November 13, 2026
Also on Amazon — $129.95#ad · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun
Rank 6
Budget, 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 sheetResearched · sources linked
| 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 9.3 score is built
- 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
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
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
Trade-offs worth knowing
- 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
Good to know
Not the one for you if you want the brand with the deepest review record and the widest accessory support; Shokz has both.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · 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, and it is argued out in full at Suunto Wing vs Shokz OpenRun Pro 2.
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.
In one line
Our recommendation
Top pick
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.
Good to know: not the one for you 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.
Runner-up
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.
Good to know: not the one for you 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.
Shokz list price $179.95 as of November 13, 2026
Also on Amazon — $179.95#ad · Disclosure for the link to Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
How we scored this
The research behind every pick
Each pair on this page is researched and compared the same way: we classify the retention system that holds it on (hook, clip, wing, neckband), read the maker's published IP rating, weight, battery, charging, mic and control type straight off its own product page and manual, check the sweat and water rating against the IEC 60529 standard, cross-reference independent published reviews, and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to the document it came from, so you can check any number in one click.
Prices come live from Amazon, so what you see is what you pay today. 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
- Best earbuds for skiing and snowboardingNeckbands take four of seven slots, for a purely geometric reason.
- Suunto Wing vs Shokz OpenRun Pro 2The top two on this list, head to head.
- Headphones under a cycling helmetThe strap, the rear dial, and the order you put things on.
- Bone conduction under a motorcycle helmetThe motorised version, plus the state laws.
- Best headphones for cyclingHooks and clips for riders.
- Wind noise and open-ear earbuds on a bikeWhy wind ruins it and what helps.
- Best bone conduction for runningThe same neckbands, ranked for the road on foot.
- Best bone conduction headphonesAll ten neckbands.
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)
Every spec here is traceable: figures come from the maker's own product pages and are linked on each product, independent findings are attributed to whoever published them, and prices come live from Amazon so the number you see is the number you pay today. Read the full method.