AFTERSHOKZ TREKZ AIR
£149.99 > Updated, uprated ride-safe headphones
AFTERSHOKZ’S UNIQUE BONE CONDUCTION DESIGN has the huge advantage of not covering your ears. The speaker element sits in front of your ear, on your cheekbone, and vibrations generated by the sealed units conduct the sound. This means you can still hear traffic and everything that’s going on around you.
The latest version is a big step up in quality from the originals we tested a few years back. The finish is cleaner and better quality, and the band, which sits at the nape of your neck, is slimmer and better sprung. It now features a rubber-coated titanium core, so sits in place better too. The sound quality is beefed up, with volume levels equal to standard in-ear phones. The 29g weight is lighter than previous models too. They have decent weather proofing, with an IP55 water resistance rating, covering most instances apart from being fully submerged.
The wraparound shape with over-ear hooks doesn’t interfere with glasses or helmet straps, but you are aware of more stuff going on. The sound transmission works well with both music and spoken word (podcasts),
WE SAY Guilt free and safe audio option when riding your bike
and the ambient noise only overpowers the Trekz once you go past around 28mph; you won’t hear much beyond wind noise when descending. The Bluetooth connection is stronger than other wireless headphones we’ve tried, so even when your phone is in the bottom of a backpack the sound reception is glitch free. Battery life is impressive, we regularly got close to six hours of runtime between charges, and charging takes little more than an hour from empty to full.
The Trekz also operate as a headset for your phone. A multifunction button is located on the left-hand conduction unit – a single press answers an incoming call. Different button press combinations can be used to reject, redial or put into voice dial mode. The call receiver does pick up a fair amount of wind noise, so it’s best to stop when taking or making calls.
The Trekz are the best bone conduction headphones we’ve tried to date, the only issue is that at £150 it’s a serious outlay compared to cheap traditional sports headphones, but you will be riding a lot safer with the Airs.