Bone conduction headphones have surged in popularity among cyclists, runners, and fitness enthusiasts. The appeal is clear: you can enjoy your favourite music or podcasts while staying alert to traffic, approaching vehicles, and other environmental sounds. It's a safer alternative to traditional earbuds that block out the world around you.
But there's a persistent myth circulating online: because bone conduction technology "bypasses the eardrum" and doesn't sit inside your ear canal, it can't cause hearing loss. Unfortunately, this assumption is dangerously misleading.
The truth? Bone conduction headphones can absolutely damage your hearing if used improperly. Here's what you need to know to protect your ears while enjoying your tech.
How Bone Conduction Actually Works
To understand the risks, it helps to know what bone conduction headphones are and how bone conduction headphones work.
Traditional headphones send sound waves through the air into your ear canal, where they vibrate the eardrum. From there, the vibrations travel through tiny bones in your middle ear before reaching the cochlea in your inner ear.
Bone conduction headphones take a different route. Instead of using air and the eardrum, they send vibrations directly through your cheekbones or the bones around your temples. These vibrations bypass the outer and middle ear entirely, traveling straight to the cochlea.
Regardless of how sound arrives, it always ends up at the cochlea. This spiral-shaped organ contains thousands of delicate hair cells that convert vibrations into electrical signals your brain interprets as sound. And these hair cells are exactly what get damaged when you're exposed to loud noise, no matter the delivery method.
Can Bone Conduction Headphones Cause Hearing Loss?
Yes, they can. Hearing damage isn't about how sound reaches your inner ear. It's about the intensity and duration of that sound.
When vibrations hit the cochlea at high volumes for extended periods, the tiny hair cells become overstimulated. Over time, they become damaged or die off completely. Since these cells don't regenerate, the damage is permanent. This is true whether you're using traditional earbuds, over-ear headphones, or bone conduction devices.
In fact, bone conduction headphones may pose a unique risk because users often don't realise how loud their volume is. Because the ear canals remain open, one of the side effects is that users may crank up to volume to compete with ambient noise, causing greater hearing damage.
Common bone conduction headphone scenarios that increase the risk of hearing damage include:
- Cycling on busy roads and turning up the volume to hear over traffic
- Using bone conduction headphones at the gym with loud music in the background
- Listening during your commute on noisy public transport
- Jogging in crowded urban areas with construction or sirens nearby
Best Practices to Protect Your Hearing When Using Bone Conduction Headphones
You don’t have to give up your favourite pair of bone conduction headphones to protect your ears. It just means finding smarter ways to enjoy them safely. Here are some tips to help you:
- Aim to keep the volume at 60% of maximum or lower during extended listening sessions.
- Avoid using bone conduction headphones in loud environments such as construction sites, trains, or crowded events.
- Strong tingling or vibration can signal high output levels and should prompt you to turn the volume down.
- Give your ears regular rest periods to recover from stimulation. Follow the 60/60 rule: listen at 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time.
Let Listening Lab Help You Listen Safely
Bone conduction headphones side effects are real, but they're also preventable with the right knowledge and habits.
If you're concerned about your hearing health, Listening Lab is here to help. Our team can conduct a comprehensive hearing test and recommend the best solutions for you.
Don't wait until hearing damage is done. Book a consultation at our hearing centre today and take control of your ear health for the long term.
