Our Verdict
Poor for mixed-usage. The AfterShokz Trekz Air were designed as sports headphones, and their unique bone conduction technology and openness make them a bad choice for office work and commuting. Their sound profile is actually better than what it measures, but they are not meant to be critical listening headphones. They also have too much latency for TV and gaming uses.
- Open design good for outdoor sports.
- Stable and portable.
- Bass and treble delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to positioning.
- Mediocre-at-best sound.
- High leakage.
Bad for neutral listening. Without having sound directed into the ear canal and using bone conduction, you don’t hear the bass, you feel it. Our measurements aren’t accurate for now because they were our first bone-conducting pair and didn't measure as typical headphones. They sound better than what the scores reflect, but overall, their sound quality is not good enough to be considered neutral listening headphones.
Inadequate for commuting and traveling. By design, they don’t isolate any noise, so you’ll hear everything from engine rumbles to ambient chatter in public transports. They are also open and leak a lot, which will be annoying for people around you since they can hear what you are listening to.
Decent for sports. The AfterShokz Trekz Air are very breathable since there’s nothing covering your ears and their design also makes them stable for most activities. They are very lightweight and decently portable. If you’re a runner or cyclist who’s concerned about cars in the streets, their bone-conducting design will be a good fit for you since they don’t isolate noise but allows you to have background music while training.
Poor for office use. Their design doesn’t block any noise, so if you’re looking for headphones to help you concentrate on your work, these are not it. They also leak quite a lot, so your coworkers will be able to hear your music.
Bad for gaming. The microphone is mediocre, and they don’t isolate any sound if you want to feel immersed in your game. The AfterShokz Trekz Air also have too much latency to be suitable for gaming since what you’ll hear won’t match what’s on the screen. They also can’t be used wired with console controllers.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Nov 07, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Nov 05, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The AfterShokz Trekz Air are decent sports headphones with a unique design that uses bone conduction to make you feel the bass instead of hearing it. Their build is comfortable and stable enough for most sports but might need a few adjustments from time to time. They are designed for outdoor use so you can have background music while running or cycling and still be aware of what is going on around you. They are a very niche pair of headphones, and when compared to other sports headphones below, the Trekz Air are the only one with bone conduction. See our recommendations for the best headphones for working out, the best wireless earbuds for running, and the best Bluetooth earbuds.
The AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction are an upgrade over the AfterShokz Trekz Air Bone Conduction. They're both bone conduction headphones, but the Aeropex have a much better control scheme, a longer battery life, and are rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. On the other hand, the Trekz Air use a standard micro-USB charging cable as opposed to the Aeropex's proprietary cable.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone Conduction are better bone conduction headphones than the AfterShokz Trekz Air Bone Conduction. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the OpenRun Pro have a longer-lasting continuous battery life, a companion app, and a better carrying case. They also support Bluetooth 5.1, and their mic delivers better overall performance.
The Jaybird Freedom 2 Wireless 2017 are better and more versatile headphones than the AfterShokz Trekz Air Bone Conduction. The Jaybird are more portable, and since they are closed-back in-ears, they isolate ambient noise and don’t leak much. However, the AfterShokz are designed for runners and cyclists who want to hear what’s going on around them. With their bone-conducting design, the AfterShokz have a better soundstage and act more like background music while you train. They also have better battery life than the Jaybird.
The Apple AirPods (1st generation) are open headphones that don’t isolate much noise and are more versatile than the AfterShokz Trekz Air Bone Conduction. The Apple sound quality is better, and the case gives you up to five extra charges, for a total of around 25 hours of battery life. On the other hand, the around-the-head design with over-ear hooks of the AfterShokz is more stable for sports, and they have more on-the-go controls on the headphones. The Apple are a lot more portable but have a worse wireless range.
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