AFTERSHOKZ OPENMOVE HEADPHONES – REVIEW

Who doesn’t love a running headphone? Especially from such a reliable, innovative brand such as Aftershokz. With their new release of their OpenMove headphones, I was kindly gifted a pair to try out and review.

Now if you have followed me on Instagram or followed my blog, I have always worn Aftershokz headphones, previously using the Trekz Titanium & Xtrainerz – I have used their headphones for several years now, so I was excited to get to try out their new product.

The new headphones have been introduced for all people on the move; not just their usual audience of pro-athletes. The aim with OpenMove is to bring the top-of-the-range technologies to a new audience so they can experience the benefits of open ear bone conduction headphones for the first time.

Holding Aftershokz OpenMove

Bone conduction technology

So, what is bone conduction technology? The headsets generate mini vibrations that travel through your cheekbones and deliver sound directly to your inner ear (cochlea), bypassing the eardrum. This means you don’t need to plug or cover the ears to listen to your music, you are left with an open-ear design that leaves you free to experience the sounds of the natural world around you.

In Aftershokz research, they found that the number of pedestrians who have been injured while wearing headphones has more than tripled in six years – because headphones they were wearing were isolating them from their surroundings.

OpenMove headphones allow the sounds of traffic, cyclists, runners and more to be heard at the same time as the listener’s preferred music. It’s a completely dual listening experience!

For any first timer using the technology, it can feel really weird when you first have the sound playing, but still having full conversations. You can’t feel the vibrations, but you certainly feel the music.

Headphones

With over 6 years of technology advancement, Aftershokz have been developing the bone conduction technology and added the latest Bluetooth chip into one headset. OpenMove has been designed by a group of young engineers, with an average age of 27. Everyone involved with the project has an interest in sports and follows an active lifestyle, so from their own personal perspective, they understand the needs and wants of young people on-the-move. A slick design, the OpenMove features:

Patented PremiumPitch 2.0™ bone conduction technology that delivers superior dynamic stereo sound. Meaning you can stay connected with more powerful bass loud volume, and less vibration.
IP55 waterproof rating to withstand even the heaviest rain and sweat.
6-hour battery life with 10-day standby time.
3 EQ modes, standard for outdoor use, human voice mode for crystal clear sound, best for audiobooks & podcasts, and ear plug mode: to use on trains, aeroplanes and more.
Lightweight at only 29g, OpenMove are made for uncompromised comfort.
Easy to pair systems, 1 pair of headphones for 2 devices, you can easily switch between a PC and your smartphone
Bluetooth technology that provides a quick and stable connection. Range of up to 33 feet (10 meters)

Adding on to this, if you have never used the product before, or any of this style of headphones, it can take a few tries to get them comfortable on your head. To get the right positioning with the headphones. They are built in order to give maximum comfort, but it’s not always correct first try. Even now when I am wearing them when I am running, sometimes I don’t put them on the right way and it’s like woah, my hairs getting caught on them – as soon as you adjust, it is all good. Practise makes perfect, you will definitely get so used to having the bit around the back of your head in no time.

My experience

So, I currently run in the Aftershokz Titanium, most of my experience will be in comparison these headphones. I am not going to compare against the Xtrainerz as they are specific for swimming and have a different function, you can check out the review here. I am used to the feeling of the headphones around the back of my head, often forgetting I even have them on. I had one time I had been racing, and forgot to take them off, realised I still had them on a hour after I had finished!

Comments/pros

– One thing I immediately noticed with the headphones was that they were lighter than my Titaniums, and far less noticeable when I put them on my head.

– The sound quality is great, even when out on a run, I don’t struggle to hear songs, and still feel safe with hearing the outside world

– The loop around the back of the head is a lot thinner than the Titaniums, so when you tilt your head back, they do touch the back of your head, but doesn’t feel as heavy/thick.

– I have seen 4 choice of colours, but on the website there is currently only 2 available, Alpine White & Slate Grey

– They immediately connected to my phone when I turned them on. If they are brand new, they will be in pairing mode automatically and will come up as ‘Open Move’ on Bluetooth options. It will say “connected” once you click on it. If this option doesn’t come up, you simply pop it into pairing mode (all explained in the instructions), and it will come up.

– It is very easy to change to the next track, two clicks of the button, and the track changes. The same as trying to pause your music, just one click this time and it will pause your music.

– The sound quality is great, it’s very clear and crisp! I have particularly used them out running & cycling.

Comments/cons

– Depending on how loud the music is, you can still hear it externally. It is faint, so if you were on public transport, it wouldn’t be noticeable, but if you were in a quiet room, people would definitely be able to hear what you are listening to.

– I currently have the white pair, and in terms of sweat/water/dirt – I am not sure how it is going to fair up colour wise. Whether they will become dirty, but that is something that I will have to keep an eye on later down the line

– The time it takes to change the song from when you click the button is a little bit slow.

– If there is low bass on a song, you can feel it on your head. Which can be a little bit funny/distracting.

– My other note is that, at first, they are quite tight on the ears. This will become lose as I continue to wear, but I think for the first few times using, I wouldn’t be able to use for longer than a few hours. This was the same case with my Titaniums, so just more use and they will become a bit loser.

Aftershokz OpenMove

Overall

I really like the OpenMove, I think that can also be down to the fact that I have always liked the Aftershokz technology. They feel lighter than the others, have a slick feel to it, and sit comfortably on my head.

I can really see how Aftershokz are trying to open up the headphones to a new audience, where they’re not just solely focused on athletes, by improving the Bluetooth technology, and adding the 3 EQ modes for outdoor use, podcast use, and headphone mode, really add some great features. With these said, I do find them very similar to the Titianium, in terms of wear and function for myself, just that they weigh less & have a few more features. I will say, I will definitely continue to train with the OpenMove from now on, the new release really shows that Aftershokz are upping their game.

Whether, listening to a podcast while walking to work, relaxing with music during your daily yoga session, or heading out for an evening run, it feels good to enjoy your headphones in complete comfort whilst maintaining awareness of your surroundings.

The new OpenMove packs powerful bone conduction technology with open ear design, plus the latest Bluetooth, in one powerful headset, for only £79.95. If you are looking to buy a pair of headphones – check them out here!