Bone conduction headphones let you jam without blocking out the world

Instead of going in your ears, these headphones from Aftershokz use bone conduction technology so that you can listen to music while still hearing everything from the outside world. — dpa

Many headphones tout their ability to tune out the rest of the world for good reason: Do you really want to hear that baby crying or that couple arguing on the train after a long day at work?

Thus Aftershokz's concept of wireless headphones that don't go in your ears, leaving them free to pick up on exterior sounds, elicits some rightful scepticism.

But for those situations where you shouldn't totally lose yourself in your music – biking home through traffic, lifting weights in a crowded gym, jogging in a busy neighbourhood – these headphones provide a welcome soundtrack to everything happening around you while allowing you to stay aware.

The technology itself is, and looks, cool. Sound is transmitted through little "bone conduction" tabs that loop over your ears and sit on the little flaps that extend over your ear hole.

The quality of the sound itself on the Aftershokz Aeropex we tested wasn't great, and music and podcasts have an underwater feel, meaning you shouldn't buy these headphones if sound quality is a priority.

And with nothing blocking out sounds, you also won't hear much on a busy highway or when an ambulance passes, for example. Then again, you might say keeping you alert in traffic is exactly the point of these headphones.

The headphones take sweat well and are light and welcomingly discreet. The Bluetooth connection is smooth as long as you're in the same room as the device; the leash starts to tighten when you head a room over. With eight hours of battery life, the device only needed to be juiced up once every few days with a magnetic USB cable.

Retailing for between US$80 (RM335) and US$160 (RM670) with varying features, the pricing is right up there with Apple's wireless Airpods.

And yet for cyclists, swimmers or anyone who wants to hear what's going on around them, as well as people who are uncomfortable wearing earbuds, these headphones are still one of the only ways to properly hear two worlds at the same time. – dpa