It’s time to come clean. I’m an uber paranoid runner. I think all humans are going to kill me and all wildlife is going to chase me and attack me with their cloven hooves. As such, if I run with music, it’s with one earbud in (never two) and at a very low volume. I sometimes turn up the tunes when I’m running with my dog but usually it’s always low. The main reason I run with my phone and earbuds at all is so I can quickly make a phone call should I ever find myself in a precarious situation. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t wear the earbuds.
Great! Now that you know that about me, I’ll tell you about this amazing product I’ve had the privilege to try out — AfterShokz Trekz Titanium bluetooth/wireless headphones.
This post is sponsored by AfterShokz through my affiliation with FitApproach and the SweatPink community. All opinions and reviews are my own.
AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Review
It’s taken me a while (okay, years) to get on the bluetooth/wireless bandwagon. But — time to come clean, again! — I can’t stand earbuds. You know, the kind that most people wear that goes inside the ear canal? Just the thought of them gives me the heebie jeebies. As such, I’ve only ever worn my Apple iPhone earbuds. The first pair I had sat right outside the ear canal. They’re flat and don’t go inside the ear very far at all. I’m sure if you have an iPhone you know which ones I mean. Then came the newer version that protrudes a little bit in the ear. This is okay for me, but bordering on inappropriate. I can’t do any of the SkullCandy ones or any of those other fancy earbuds. And when bluetooth/wireless first became popular, they were all earbuds that went inside. IIIIIICCCCKKKK!!!!! Just no.
I don’t have many quirks but with this one I stand firm. Enter bone conduction…
Bone Conduction Technology
Years ago, my brother was working on an app for Google Glass. Google Glass was a sci-fi glasses-style contraption that let you see things on a tiny screen on the rim of the “glasses.” For sound, it used this amazing new technology called bone conduction.
What exactly is bone conduction?
Bone conduction uses vibrations on the bones of the skull to transmit sound to the inner ear. It’s amazing because it works without covering your ear canal and it can be used for people with normal or impaired hearing.
Google Glass was revolutionary and very cool. Unfortunately it never took off, but the technology stuck.
AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Review
I had seen reviews and mentions of AfterShokz headphones for a while but honestly, I thought they were just run-of-the-mill bluetooth/wireless headphones. I didn’t realize they used bone conduction until I was doing a review for something entirely different and unrelated. Needless to say, when the opportunity to review them for SweatPink arose, I jumped at the chance. Not only is bone conduction a really amazing technology, but these headphones fit my entire bill of what I needed in a headset. After my first run with them, I knew I found my match. In fact, I loved them so much from the start that I bought my husband a pair within a couple days of reviewing them for this post.
Below I’ll review all the important stuff for you — and then you can make your own decision on whether you’d like to try out AfterShokz, too.
Fit
There are two sizes of the Trekz Titanium. Regular and Mini. To find out which size you wear, you print out a piece of paper and hold it up ear-to-ear. Super easy. I could probably wear the regular size but I ended up choosing mini and they fit perfectly. In hindsight, I should have gotten regular so my husband and I could share but I’m happy to have my own pair. 🙂
Ease of Use
Out of the box, these headphones are very simple to use. Plug them in to charge. When the blue light appears, unplug and follow the prompts to pair with your phone. I was up and running within an hour of opening the package — and that includes charge-time.
Out of the box!
Listening to music and podcasts is a cinch. Volume control is easily accessible and making calls is very easy as well. Figuring out how to “work” these isn’t even a thing — they’re intuitive and effortless.
Sound
You’d think using bone conduction and not in-ear earbuds would sacrifice sound quality. But you’d be wrong. The only time I can even notice a difference is if I yawn while I have them on. But how often do I yawn while running? I suppose if you’re yawning a lot while you’re on a plane or something it could get annoying. But that begs the question: how well are you paying attention to what’s coming out of the earbuds if you’re half asleep anyhow?
Sounds great.
Comfort and Wearability
The Trekz Titanium headphones are very comfortable. They sit right on the outside of your ear. There’s no pressure, no achiness as a result of earbuds being crammed in the ear canal, and after a few minutes you won’t even notice they’re there.
I would list pros and cons, but I literally have nothing bad to say about the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium headphones. I feel safer wearing them than wearing earbuds. They don’t cover the ear canal so you can still hear everything around you. Plus it’s very simple to make a phone call while on the run, and no cords to get tangled in. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try these headphones out because they’re a huge game-changer for me.
If you’re on the fence about bone conduction and bluetooth/wireless technology, I hope my review helped clear some things up. I highly recommend the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium headphones.
Click here to learn more about AfterShokz.
Want to win a pair of your own? Enter a giveaway here!
Ready to buy? Click here and get your free water bottle with purchase! Use code SWEAT at checkout.
Got questions? Post them below in the comments and I’ll answer as best I can!
xo
TALK TO ME!
Have you tried bone conduction headphones?
Be honest: do you have a weird ear canal aversion like me?
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