Panasonic Open-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones Review

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably heard of two types of headphones. Over-the-head headphones covering the entire ear can offer comfort and excellent sound quality, but they’re bulky to wear and transport. That makes them cumbersome to use while exercising or working. They can also cost $100 or much more.

In-the-ear headphones or “ear buds” are significantly less bulky and work well for everyday activities, but many folks find them uncomfortable to wear or have trouble keeping them in place. I’m one of them. I can’t get ear buds to stay in my ears, and they always feel uncomfortable to me.

Panasonic now offers an alternative to standard headphones or ear buds with their Open-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones (model number RP-HGS10-W).

This post may contain affiliate links; please read my disclosure here.

Panasonic RP-HGS10-W Open-Ear Bone Conduction headphones offer the best of both worlds. They’re small, light and easy to transport like ear buds, making them a fantastic choice for running, walking, working, biking and many other activities. Plus, they offer the sound quality of over-the-ear headphones, without the jaw-dropping price often associated with high-quality headphones.

What’s even more unique about the Panasonic Open-Ear headphones is their ability to block out extraneous noises while letting you hear important sounds like traffic noises such as sirens and horns, kids yelling for you, timers going off and cats demanding your attention. Most headphones advertise their noise canceling capabilities, but blocking too much noise can be dangerous if you’re running, walking or biking outdoors. It can also prove annoying to your coworkers (and boss) if you can’t hear their voices over your music.

The Panasonic Open-Ear Bone Conduction headphones felt a little awkward when I first put them on, since my ears expected something to go over them or into them. However, my ears quickly adjusted to them, and they began to feel not only comfortable but like they weren’t even there.

Then, I enjoyed listening to great sound quality from music and videos through the headphones. (You can check out my YouTube playlist of happy songs at this link.) The Panasonic headphones’ clever bone conduction technology sends music from your cheek bones to the inner ears, unlike standard ear buds or headphones which usually blast music straight into your ears.

The headphones, which retail for $79.99, come in pink, light gray or green colors, with reflective strips on the sides and back for better visibility in low-light conditions. I found them light and easy to put on and take off. They boast a strong, lengthy cable that resists tangling, and they’re water resistant as well, so you can use them outdoors, rain or shine.

I received a demo device for the purpose of this honest evaluation.

If you enjoyed this post, could you please click here to give it a G+1?

Don’t miss all the latest tips, giveaways, reviews, deals and more. Subscribe to weekly email updates here!