With AfterShokz Air, you can stay in the loop on everything that is happening around you, whether you’re running, cycling, or engaging in other outdoor activities. These headphones use vibrations rather than delivering music directly to the ear. As a consequence, the bass seems to feel rather than be heard in the headphones.
While actively participating in sports, athletes with these headphones can monitor what is going on around them while enjoying background music. However, Other than this, they don’t provide outstanding sound quality.
The purpose of this Aftershokz Air review is to tell you about the key features and specifications you should consider when deciding whether to purchase these headphones.
Design, Build and Safety of Aftershokz Air
| Brand | Aftershokz |
| Ear Placement | Open Ear |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Item Weight | 1.12 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.92 x 3.94 x 1.89 inches |
These are not earphones at all. Instead, they are speakers, a key feature of the Aftershokz Air. These little bone conduction devices are called OpenFit, and even though they let you hear what’s going on around you, they have an additional safety feature; a button that mutes the sound.
Aftershokz Air headphones are more like head-back earphones rather than regular neckbuds. Although they are designed for durability, they are pliable. Despite being made up of a lot of titanium, they can withstand quite a bit of twisting and twirling when being used.
In addition to these headphones being able to fit around the neck, they can also fit into pockets, and they can be balanced on a hook, making them an ideal fitness accessory. In addition, they are also waterproof and are rated at IP55.
However, it must be noted that despite its unique design, the Aftershokz Air is very lightweight, weighing just 30g. Despite the silicon covering on the Aftershokz Air, it tends to stay in one place when moved, no matter how much you move it. They are almost unnoticeable when they move.
As a result of our testing, we found that the Aftershokz Air fitted comfortably between two small dimples situated at the top of the jawbone. Overall, we were impressed with the design.
Obviously, the Aftershokz Air can also be used for hands-free calls, as you might expect. Every speaker comes pre-installed with a noise-canceling microphone to make calls as hushed and ambient noise-free as possible.
Performance of Aftershokz Air
There are two small housings that are attached to the Aftershokz Air on each side. The housings contain the battery and controls, but they also play an essential role in keeping the device in place on the user’s head.
There are two buttons on the device’s right side that control volume and allow you to send a tone to the speakers each time you press the button. The tone is louder when the volume is set to maximum. An important thing to consider is that open-ear headphones have the disadvantage of sound leakage, so it is important to keep that in mind.
However, the problem doesn’t appear that big; people in your vicinity can hear what you listen to if it’s played loudly, but only in very quiet environments. Having these in the office, on the other hand, means that you can listen to music with no worries about missing orders.
In terms of sound, these headphones are good enough to use at the gym or the office and are much fuller sounding than the Shokz Titanium headphones; however, they are not as good as a regular set of headphones or earphones.
Additionally, we tested them in a busy city center and found them too low in volume and bass when surrounded by lots of extraneous noise or blustery environments. If you put the Aftershokz Air on full volume, your jawbone will vibrate a little bit, giving you an odd feeling of having a solid tickle in your ear.
If you are using them for commuting, you should probably stay away from them and use them instead for jogging or exercising, where they can be used at a lower than full volume without being ticklish.
Battery Backup of Aftershokz Air
The Aftershokz Air’s short battery life is one of the most common complaints about this product. This may be due to its ultra-lightweight design; however, it has been found that even just six hours of use is enough to qualify the device for the dreaded day use category.
The Aftershokz Air also includes a fast-charging mode that allows it to charge enough to last for an hour in the gym in just 15 minutes.
The Aftershokz Air has an excellent battery life for fitness use, and it will easily last the vast majority of users for a marathon.
It may not be the ideal solution for someone who does not want headphones for just one use. Particularly if you are looking at this price point, the battery life may not be the ideal solution.
Why Should You Buy Aftershokz Air?
It is interesting to note that most headphones designed for active people, and that claim to block out noise, also have another feature not mentioned on their list of features: they transmit the vibrations produced by your feet as they touch the ground. In the case of Aftershokz Air, you do not have to worry about that, and the sound quality is decent.
Also, they are comfy and have a great fit, they are stable and steady, and they do not move much when running.
I have to credit the designers for carefully weighing and positioning each speaker and component. Using the Aftershokz Air, you can even wear a baseball cap at the same time without it interfering with the device.
Why Should You Not Buy Aftershokz Air?
Although the Aftershokz Air does not have enough volume to cope with noisy outdoor environments, the overall sound quality is not comparable to regular headphones. As soon as you turn them up to full, you will notice that you will get an ear tickle.
Also, you need to take into account the battery problems which a broad audience might experience, which makes them less than perfect. It is essential to understand that these issues originate from inherent limitations in technology and design, making it difficult to blame anyone for them.
Related: You can read Aftershokz Aeropex Review.
Decision Time
Because the Aftershokz Air is equipped with bone conduction speakers, it may not be able to offer ultimate clarity in overcrowded or noisy environments. This is because its bone conduction speakers operate opposite to most headphones that claim to be noise-isolating or canceling.
Although some people might not like the tickle of the ears, there is no doubt that the Aftershokz Air will be beneficial to you at the gym or when you’re out for a run in the countryside.
The Aftershokz Air does not have a problem with bone conduction, but its battery life does not last long enough for us to be concerned. However, thanks to a clever lightweight design, they are so light and un-intrusive that you can forget you’re wearing them.