The Naenka Bone Conduction Runner Pro Wireless Waterproof Headphones are a good shape and nicely constructed, but the sound quality and volume are too weak to be effective on the bike. While marketed for 'sports' (including cycling) in general, they're probably better suited to the runners in the name.
These follow the familiar layout: the two speakers sit just in front of your ears without blocking them, the controls are just behind your right ear, and a band wraps around the back of your head.
Naenka has managed to keep it all relatively thin too, which is very useful for cycling with its helmets and glasses. Above the ear these rise 5.2mm, leaving more than enough space.
> Buy these online here
Control is via three buttons: an on/off button, a plus button, and a minus button. The on/off also switches between Bluetooth and MP3 modes. I found both modes effective, with MP3s that I uploaded playing without a hitch, and the Bluetooth connection to my phone not dropping once during the test period.
One thing that these headphones really sell themselves on is their waterproofing, what with them being IP68 rated – they can survive even in 3m of water. I can't though, especially not on a bicycle, but neither very sweaty rides (on lovely dry land) or torrential downpours caused them any issues.
Low life
The battery life claims are vague, with the Naenka website saying 240 hours on 'standby' and the product documentation saying 'six hours at 65% volume.' I had to use these headphones at 100% for pretty much the entire review, and needed to charge them after around four hours of use.
By contrast, the cheaper Aftershokz OpenMoves offer six hours of continuous playback.
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Charging is done via a magnetic charger via a USB port, and takes about two hours. One unfortunate thing with everything this waterproof that I've tried is that the charging leads are proprietary, so if you lose your cable or forget it, you can't charge them.
At the moment this is something that essentially all waterproof electronics suffer with, but is nonetheless pretty annoying.
Uneasy listening
The sound quality is not as good as similar headphones I've used, specifically the Aftershokz Trekz Titaniums that have been a staple of my commutes for the past five years. The bass doesn't really have much punch so music doesn't sound great, and the treble is too quiet, so I often struggled to hear spoken words too.
Travelling at speed, wind noise can easily make it impossible to hear, which – when combined with traffic noise – means that use in urban areas is difficult.
Value
The RRP of these is $149.99 – currently around £111 – which is middling for this kind of thing, if rather high for the performance. The £79.95 Aftershokz OpenMove Wireless Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones beat these for sound quality and volume, for instance, though on the downside they're only rated to IP55.
For £149.95 you could go for the AfterShokz Aeropexes, which offer superior sound quality and battery life, and are also totally waterproof, though they lack MP3 storage for phone-less use.
If you don't mind having your ears blocked, the 15g HolyHigh Wireless Earbuds last ages on a charge, are very waterproof and work brilliantly for £36.99. They also have a mono mode so you can at least keep one ear open.
Overall
These headphones actually have a lot going for them – they are well specced with great waterproofing, a comfortable design, and the option of MP3 playback. However, the sound quality is simply not up bike use, and the battery life isn't great either; for cycling, if not for other sports, these positives are unfortunately irrelevant.
Verdict
Well built and promise much, but sound quality, volume and battery life are all too low for serious cycling use
Make and model: Naenka Bone Conduction Runner Pro Wireless Headphone Waterproof
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Naenka says, 'RunnerPro unitiates the new age of unlimited sporting.'
I don't understand what this means, let alone agree with it. But these are waterproof, bone-conducting headphones that don't block your ears.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Both IP68 and IPX8 waterproofing are claimed at the Naenka website, while 'IPX8 industrial-grade waterproof' is claimed at Amazon. In both these Ingress Protection ratings, 8 indicates it's waterproof even in 3m of water for long periods. The 6 or X, on the other hand, means it's either totally dustproof or hasn't been tested for dustproofing at all.
8GB memory onboard
Bluetooth 5.0
Charge time: ~2 hours
Play time: ~6 hours at 65% volume
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
The quality of construction is fairly good, with a decent amount of flex in the band and a thin build over the ears.
Rate the product for performance:
5/10
The sound quality isn't up to what it should be at this price.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Feels well made, and given the waterproofing, it's likely to last.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
7/10
I had no issues on rides over several hours.
Rate the product for value:
4/10
You can get better sound for similar money.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Their vulnerability to wind noise and low sound quality means that – especially around traffic – it's often a challenge to hear them.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The physical design is really good.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The sound quality is poor compared to others on the market.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The RRP of these is $149.99 – currently around £111 – which is middling for this kind of thing, if rather high for the performance. The £79.95 Aftershokz OpenMove Wireless Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones beat these for sound quality and volume, for instance, though on the downside they're only rated to IP55.
For £149.95 you could go for the AfterShokz Aeropexes, which offer superior sound quality and battery life, and are also totally waterproof, though they lack MP3 storage for phone-less use.
If you don't mind having your ears blocked, the 15g HolyHigh Wireless Earbuds last ages on a charge, are very waterproof and work brilliantly for £36.99. They also have a mono mode so you can at least keep one ear open.
Did you enjoy using the product? No
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? No
Use this box to explain your overall score
With worse sound quality, lower volume and a shorter battery life than their competitors, it is hard to recommend these for cycling use.
Age: 33 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
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