Everything you need to know about the best bone conduction sunglasses on the market today.
| Name | Lenses | IP Rating | Battery Life | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOCALSKULL Alien Bone Conduction Sunglasses Best Overall | Replaceable lenses (1 pair polarized, 2 pairs transparent) | IP67 | 300 hours standby time; 3-4 hours playback | BUY |
| QZT Electronic Bone Conduction Glasses Strong Runner-up | Replaceable transition lenses (photochromic and anti blue light) | IP66 | 7 days standby time; 4 hours playback | BUY |
| Eken-G1 Bone Conduction Sunglasses Best Budget | Replaceable lenses | None indicated | 80 hours standby time; 6 hours playback | BUY |
| COOYEE CY01S Bone Conduction Sunglasses Most Reliable | Replaceable lenses | IP54 | 400 hours standby time; 6-7 hours playback | BUY |
How to Choose the Best Bone Conduction Sunglasses
Bone conduction sunglasses are certainly a great idea in principle-eye protection, open-ear listening, and a hearing aid, all in one stylish package.
However, bone conduction sunglasses aren’t for everyone, and choosing the wrong pair could result in an unsatisfying experience and a waste of money. If they’re inconvenient, easily breakable, or have a short battery life, you won’t find them enjoyable to use.
That’s why we’ve put together this buyer’s guide to help. In this article, we’ll help you figure out which features of bone conduction sunglasses matter most to you. We’ll also list our top recommendations for bone conduction sunglasses for you to pick from.
So, what questions should you ask yourself when choosing bone conduction sunglasses?
Do you have hearing disabilities?
Bone conduction technology is used in several hearing aids to bypass the obstructions that cause conductive hearing loss.
As such, bone conduction sunglasses make a great option for those with hearing impairment who want to enjoy their audio, especially while they’re outdoors.
On the other hand, bone conduction won’t make a difference in sensorineural hearing loss. This hearing loss usually happens when the delicate hair cells in the inner ear are damaged due to aging, illness, or overexposure to loud sounds. But it can also occur because of problems with the nerve pathways leading from your inner ear to your brain.
Bone conduction still needs a functioning inner ear to transmit sound, so it acts no differently from normal headphones.
Do they have optional/replaceable lenses?
The value of bone conduction sunglasses lies in their frames and audio technology. However, if the lenses get scratched or broken, the sunglasses will be unwearable, despite the technology you bought them for remaining intact.
Consequently, this means that replaceable or optional lenses are a necessity. They’re cheaper and better for the environment, which is an issue in the glasses industry as many frames are not sustainable.
This feature not only lets you switch between lenses depending on how bright outdoor conditions are but also makes the sunglasses accessible for those who need prescription lenses.
Additionally, since bone conduction sunglasses are primarily used outdoors, they should come with polarized or transition lenses. Having the choice between the two makes your sunglasses more versatile, as you can switch lenses depending on your needs.
Here are the differences between polarized and transition lenses:
- Polarized lenses: These lenses protect your eyes from sun damage by blocking and scattering intense light, glare, and reflections.
- Transition lenses: The UV-sensitive dye that coats these lenses darkens when exposed to sunlight. This means they are clear indoors but will appropriately darken when you step outside. They are convenient, as you don’t have to switch out your lenses, and they will protect your eyes from UV rays.
Are they durable enough for outdoor use?
If you plan to use your sunglasses outdoors, they’ll need to be durable enough to withstand weather exposure and potential rough handling or accidents. For this, there are three factors you should take into account:
- IP rating: An IP rating is the tested level of resistance a product has to dust and water. For your sunglasses to stand up to rain and sweat, you should look for a rating of IPX4 or above.
- Materials: To ensure protection against the wear and tear of regular use, go for bone conduction sunglasses made from sturdy materials like TR90, nylon, titanium, and steel alloy.
- Warranty: A good warranty will protect you from the costs of replacing faulty devices. When it comes to warranties, the longer, the better, although most of the sunglasses on this list don’t offer a warranty of more than a year.
How long will the battery last?
Long battery life is essential for bone conduction sunglasses, especially if you plan to use them outside or on the go. Not to mention that recharging your sunglasses every few hours is inconvenient and often impossible if you’re out in the wild.
The bone conduction sunglasses on this list offer four to eight hours of battery life, but most don’t come with a fast charge function. However, four hours of playback should be enough to keep you covered for long hikes without needing to charge them.
Are they convenient to use?
Bone conduction sunglasses should be convenient to operate, or you won’t want to use them regularly. It’s annoying to have to reach for your phone whenever you want to change the volume, skip a track, or fiddle around in your Bluetooth settings to connect the sunglasses.
Here’s what you should look for when considering convenience:
- Controls: You’ll want easily accessible controls on your sunglasses for maximum convenience. These usually come in the form of buttons or touch sensors on the arms of the glasses. In addition, having access to a voice assistant is also useful.
- Connectivity: You don’t want to mess with your settings every time you want to use your sunglasses. This means it’s useful for the glasses to stay connected to your device. In this case, the best option is the latest version of Bluetooth 5, as it is reliable and has the longest range.
Should you buy bone conduction sunglasses for comfort and sound quality?
In short, the answer is no. Bone conduction sunglasses are designed to be open, so you’ll never get the same sound quality as regular headphones. There will always be interference from ambient noise.
Bone conduction sunglasses are also prone to sound leakage. This will affect your listening experience and may potentially annoy those around you.
Additionally, bone conduction sunglasses struggle to produce the full frequency range of sound because they transmit audio through your skull via vibrations. As such, they are limited in a way that air conduction headphones are not.
Bone conduction sunglasses aren’t great when it comes to comfort, either. They’re bulkier and heavier than regular sunglasses, which you’ll notice after wearing them for long periods.
Bone conduction sunglasses aren’t a replacement for normal headphones just yet. They’re specifically for those who want the two-in-one functionality of sunglasses and headphones.
4 Best Bone Conduction Sunglasses in 2023
VOCALSKULL Alien Bone Conduction Sunglasses
Key features
- Lenses: Replaceable lenses (one pair polarized, one pair transparent)
- Battery life: 300 hours standby time, 3-4 hours playback, 4-5 hours calls
- IP rating: IP67
- Warranty: 1-year warranty, 30-day return or exchange
- Controls: Buttons
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1
- Weight: 35 grams
- Mic: Yes
The VOCALSKULL Alien Bone Conduction Sunglasses have a sleek, modular design that makes them highly adaptable to your needs. They also have decent battery life and a high IP rating, making them our best overall pick.
These sunglasses are quite versatile and come with polarized lenses available in three choices of color (green, blue, or gray). They also have a pair of transparent lenses that you can use as molds for prescription lenses.
You can use the physical buttons on the underside of the glasses’ arms to control music playback and volume and manage your calls. This is also where you’ll find the micro-USB charging port. The port is covered by a rubber flap, keeping the sunglasses water-resistant.
These sunglasses come with foam earplugs, which can improve sound quality by blocking out ambient noise. However, this comes at the cost of removing the open-ear feature of most bone conduction sunglasses.
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QZT Electronic Bone Conduction Glasses
Key features
- Lenses: Replaceable transition lenses (photochromic and anti blue light)
- Battery life: 7 days standby time, 4 hours playback
- IP rating: IP66
- Warranty: Not indicated
- Controls: Buttons and voice assistant
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Weight: 42 grams
- Mic: Yes
The QZT Electronic Bone Conduction Glasses are our runner-up pick because they cover all the basics for an enjoyable listening experience. Although they lack the extra features and lightweight build that placed the VOCALSKULL Alien sunglasses at the top of the list, they’re still an excellent pair of bone conduction glasses.
Though they are technically tinted glasses, not sunglasses, the included UV420+ transition lenses should shield you from the worst of the sun’s glare. However, if you want something stronger or need a prescription, you can purchase replacement lenses from a company like Lensology.
These glasses have a higher IP rating than the previous option on this list and are resistant to water and dust. They are made from a bend-resistant TR-90 material with brass hinges for a more solid build. These factors make them a great choice if you’re looking for more durable glasses.
The QZT Smart Glasses have a button-activated voice assistant for hands-free calls or navigation. And with Bluetooth 5, you can stay connected for up to ten meters from your device.
These glasses have the shortest battery life of all the options on this list at four hours. However, with their magnetic charging system designed for convenience and a charging time of 1.5 hours, we didn’t find it much of an inconvenience.
Eken-G1 Bone Conduction Sunglasses
Key features
- Lenses: Replaceable lenses (non-polarized; UV protection, anti-glare)
- Battery life: 480 hours standby time, 6 hours playback, 8 hours calls
- IP rating: Not indicated
- Warranty: Not indicated
- Controls: Buttons
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Weight: Not indicated
- Mic: Yes
The Eken-G1 Bone Conduction Sunglasses are our best budget option because they offer everything you need for a lower price. Although they lack most of the convenient features of the other bone conduction sunglasses, they are functional for a low cost.
Moreover, these glasses are durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of regular use thanks to their TR-90 build. And with an enormous battery life of 6-8 hours, you should be able to use them for long hikes or outings without any problems.
In addition, they come with UV400 protection resin lenses, which will protect your eyes from harmful UVA and UVB rays. The included lenses are non-polarized, but the glasses are designed with replaceable lenses, so you can always switch them out.
The bone conduction pads are adjustable, so you can reposition them until you find the best fit. Additionally, this should help you get the best possible quality of sound.
These sunglasses come with multi-point Bluetooth connectivity, which lets you pair with multiple devices simultaneously. This can be useful when you want to switch between devices without going into your settings.
COOYEE CY01S Bone Conduction Sunglasses
Key features
- Lenses: Replaceable lenses
- Battery life: 400 hours standby time, 6-7 hours playback, fast charge function (45 mins)
- IP rating: IP54
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
- Controls: Touch controls and voice assistant
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
- Weight: 41 grams
- Mic: Yes
The COOYEE CY01S Bone Conduction Sunglasses are our top pick for reliability and convenience. This pair uses the highest Bluetooth version among all the other options in this list, so you can expect a solid wireless connection and a smoother pairing process. They also have decent durability while still looking stylish enough to wear on any occasion.
The replaceable lenses let you easily switch out lenses depending on your needs. This means you can use them as sunglasses, reading glasses, or prescription glasses, making them versatile for every aspect of life.
These glasses are made from TR-90 thermoplastic and metal, which gives them a good amount of durability. They’re also adjustable, as you can alter the tightness of the arms behind your ears. Additionally, we found the silicone bone conduction pads to be comfortable and discreet.
The audio and call quality that these glasses deliver is good, making them useful for work or personal calls. Moreover, the magnetic fast-charge feature lets you use the glasses for hours with only a short break for charging.
Convenient, easy-to-use touch controls allow you to control playback and manage calls. In addition, the glasses have a voice assistant function that is helpful when you’re on the go.