Hi, I'm looking for recommendations for in ear headphones that still allow you to hear surrounding sounds?
Basically Xmas present for my 12yo for listening to music on the way to school etc but ones that don't block sound for cruising roads etc
Budget of around 20-30 quid
On a bike.
Aftershokz are what you want for safety . Anything in ear by nature of blocking the ear canal and filling it with sound will block out traffic sounds
Sorry that should have been crossing roads as he walks to school!
I was hoping for a better and more comfortable version of the ones you get free with your mobile phone
Anything in ear that gives any bass response needs to seal well and will block out most external sound. You can get fancy bluetooth wireless phones now that have a microphone and will relay external sound as well - the latest noise cancelling Apple AirPods do it and a mate has some - might be Jabra - that do the same.
Otherwise I really like my Aftershokz.
How long is the ride?
I'm going to be a spoil sport here and say headphones whilst road riding are probably not the best idea.
You need all your wits about you, especially if 12yo and cycling during the school run. Probably the most dangerous time to ride so listening to music that could be a distraction...
Basically Xmas present for my 12yo for listening to music on the way to school etc but ones that don’t block sound for cruising roads etc
Budget of around 20-30 quid
That’s the description of a pair of Apple EarPods, the ones that come free with an iPhone. I’ve got several pairs, the latest ones have a Lightning connector.
I’ve used a variety of different earphones, and the EarPods sound pretty good, the only compromise being the lack of a deep bass due to there being no seal in the ear, but the fact that background sounds can be heard, particularly traffic, makes them ideal for the purpose.
might be Jabra
It is and very good they are too. But, they are £160 RRp.
I’d go now for bone conduction ones like the aftershokz mentioned before. Can be got much cheaper from Amazon or eBay. I bought some cheap ones and they are great. Well within your budget.
a 12 year old might not want to be seen with those aftershox bone conducting headphones. They are fine for mamils who have clearly given up caring what anyone thinks about how they look, but not really for a kid who might still have a some credibility in their peer group.
+1 for EarPods (or some clones that you can find decent independent reviews of)
If you want BT connectivity then the Creative Outlier Ones give great sound for the money - reasonably water resistant too. Sub £30 on Amazon last time I looked.
I’m going to be a spoil sport here and say headphones whilst
road ridingcrossing roads are probably not the best idea.
You need all your wits about you, especially if 12yo and cycling during the school run. Probably the most dangerous time to ride so listening to music that could be a distraction…
This, from another miserable spoil sport.
I had the Jabras and the passthrough worked quite well in allowing you to still hear your surroundings.
Unfortunately I could not get them to actually stay in my ears, so back they went to Mr Amazon.