AfterShokz Open Ear Headphones Review + United Relay of America Alicia Keys Event
The United Relay of America will be the world’s first triple-route, coast-to-coast non-stop running relay! Runners will start from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and meet in New York City, carrying three batons nearly 12,000 miles in the three unbroken chains. Awareness and $1.5 million will be raised for many different charities, including children’s hospitals across the country.
What is the United Relay of America?
- Between the three unbroken chains, 9,000 runners will run over 1,200 stages in 39 days totaling 12,000 miles across 33 states!
- Start dates/locations: Seattle on April 27, San Francisco on May 4 and Los Angeles on May 8. The three relay routes span from the west to the east coast, uniting at Prospect Park, New York City on June 4, 2016.
- Registered runners and supporters will receive an exclusive 20% discount on safe, bone conduction headphones from AfterShokz. Plus, 5% of every purchase made will be donated to the United Relay of America Fund through June 2016.
- 100% of United Relay of America Fund proceeds go directly to the charities.
Meet Alicia Keys!
Alicia Keys is supporting the United Relay of America and wants to meet you! All you have to do is sign up to a run a stage and you’ll be automatically entered into our once-in-a-lifetime prize draw to meet Alicia during a two-night stay in NYC with flights included.
The winner and a friend will also receive a FREE pair of AfterShokz headphones and a goodie bag including an exclusive United Relay t-shirt signed by Alicia Keys!
Increase your chances of winning:
• 5 points for signing up to an empty stage
• 4 points for signing up to a Standard Stage
• 3 points for every $100 you raise
• 2 points for recruiting a friend to run
• 1 point for signing up to a Group Stage
Each point represents the number of times your name is entered into the prize draw. You can see a running total of your points within your United Relay Dashboard.
Learn more about AfterShokz below.
AfterShokz Open Ear Headphones Review
When I ran cross country and track and field in high school, I never listened to music during my runs. In the last year or so, I started to listen to a CD player before a race to get pumped up, but never during the run. It was more of a convenience issue (iPods weren’t around yet). Since I started running again a few years ago, I couldn’t go out for a run without music.
Problem
The problem I had was finding a pair of headphones that could withstand the beating I would put them through on runs. I went through multiple pairs simply because my sweat would get into one of the earbuds. And then on local runs on the streets or trail runs surrounded by dangerous animals, I would usually keep one earbud off to be able to hear around me. None of those were ideal situations. It’s true that more and more companies are coming out with sweatproof headphones, but what about being able to hear around you? Sometimes when I’m at work, I won’t wear my headphones but just keep them around my neck and play music louder than normal so I could hear the headphones. Not to sound too much like an infomercial, but ‘there has to be an easier way!’
Solution
And there is, with the AfterShokz Open Ear Headphones! These headphones have literally solved all the problems I’ve had trying to listen to music while running. And the secret formula was to create headphones that transmitted the music through bone conduction technology (seriously, music through your bones) instead of directly through your ear drums, canal, etc. I have no idea how the science behind it works, but after testing them out firsthand, I can confirm that it does. And if you don’t buy into it, just know that the upcoming Google Glasses that everyone is talking about also uses bone conduction technology to transmit sounds from the device.
The problem I have with open ear headphones is that if music is loud enough, people nearby may be able to hear. I’ve tried these headphones at various volumes and unless you have them at full blast, you shouldn’t really have to worry about that. I tried them first at home and was able to listen to music while still being able to listen to the sounds of the TV as well as other people talk. When I went out for a run this morning, the music was loud enough so I could hear everything, but I was still able to hear all the cars driving nearby as well. This will be perfect on trail runs as well for those single track courses where runners might try to pass you from behind, so you need to hear them warning you.
Product Details
- Open ear design—nothing inside or covering the ears that could potentially block ambient noise, from nearby conversations to important warning sounds. Traditional over-the-ear headphones and in-ear buds cannot offer critical situational awareness like this!
- Lightweight, ergonomic design offers unmatched comfort when worn for extended periods of time. In comparison: over-the-ear headphones press ears against the head and typically make them feel warm or sweaty after a while; in-ear buds have to be pushed into the ear canal, usually repeatedly, often becoming uncomfortable when worn at length.
- The smooth wraparound headband curls over the ears securely, providing the stability necessary to stay in place during most any activity. Of course, they’re also sweat and moisture resistant. (Note: headband is 1/2″ larger than previous models to accommodate more head sizes.)
- Reflective silver safety strip across the back of the headband provides increased visibility in darkness. Smooth matte black exterior has a more appealing style (versus two-tone previous models).
- A small in-line control box, strategically positioned to secure to clothing for easy access, offers complete functionality so users can keep mobile devices safely tucked away during activity—power the unit on/off, adjust volume levels, play/pause/advance music and make/take phone calls.
- They come with a hard case that protects the headphones when not in use and stores charger and other small personal items—zips completely closed so nothing is lost.
Issues?
The only concern I had while test these is are around the control box. I don’t really like the clip, I’d much prefer those hinge clips (like a clothespin), but it’s actually not that big of a deal. When I first tried to clip it on my shirt, I tried putting in the middle, near my stomach. But after running with it for a few seconds, it slipped off. I believe the only place you’re supposed to clip it to is to the neck of your shirt (which makes sense because that’s where the mic is for the headset). The only problem I have with that placement is my sweat might get into the mic and break.
The other potential issue is the battery life. According to the manual, the AfterShokz offers 12 hours of playback time. I tested it out at home for a few hours before finally trying them out on a run this morning. Unfortunately, the battery died within a mile into the run! I’m pretty sure that I did not use it for a full 12 hours, I’m just hoping the battery wasn’t completely charged when it first arrived. It does charge pretty quickly though (2 hours), so that’s a plus.
Conclusion
I was really skeptical when I heard about these headphones, but it more due to the fact that I had not heard about bone conduction technology before. After testing the AfterShokz first hand, I can without hesitation recommend these to anyone looking for open ear headphones to use while being situationally aware. I am amazed at how light and well designed they are. I’ve tested and used dozens of earbuds and headphones before, but these are very special and are definitely going to be my daily use headphones from now on.
Just FYI the CMO of AfterShokz participated in an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit, which was pretty cool. He had some really insightful responses as well as some lighthearted and humorous ones too. Check it out!
Where to Buy
