5 Life Hacks Every Shokz User Should Know
If you’ve switched to bone conduction, you’re probably using Shokz. And if you’re a Shokz user, you already know their key benefits: situational awareness, all-day comfort, and a relaxed, open-ear design. But after a few weeks of using Shokz headphones, you start to wonder if you’re really getting the most out of this technology. Personally, I’ve been using OpenRun Pro 2 before every run for a year now. I’ve discovered several ways to improve the Shokz experience. Here are my five favorites:
Use earplugs with Shokz.
I know, it sounds weird: why plug your ears when the whole point of bone conduction is to keep them open? Beth Skwarecki , another regular Shokz fan on Lifehacker, swears by the combination.
“Wearing Shokz headphones at the gym in noisy conditions is much less tiring and doesn’t make me sweat as much as over-ear headphones,” says Beth. “I started using them when I realized the clanking and crashing of the barbell during my weight training was probably loud enough to be dangerous in the long run, especially in a confined space like my garage. My Apple Watch constantly alerted me to loud noise exposure. So now I always carry earplugs in my gym bag, and the combination with Shokz works really well.” This combination allows you to listen to music while protecting your ears. Beth prefers these high-quality earplugs.
Use your glasses to find the perfect Shokz fit.
If your Shokz feel like they’re not staying in place, glasses can help, even if you don’t actually need them for vision. (Sunglasses will work, too.) Here’s a secret: first, put on your Shokz, making sure they fit snugly against the skin in front of your ears. This is where the transducers—the small pads that transmit sound through vibration—contact the skin, just in front of the ear canal, roughly level with your cheekbone. Then, place your glasses over them. The temples gently press the transducers slightly closer to your cheekbones, enhancing contact and naturally amplifying the sound without having to adjust any settings. It’s a simple two-second adjustment, and it’s especially convenient for runners or cyclists who already wear sunglasses.
Use deodorant to avoid the sticky feeling.
Bone conduction headphones require a larger contact area with the skin than standard in-ear headphones, which is great for sound quality but doesn’t always provide comfort when you start sweating. Before your workout, apply a very thin layer of antiperspirant to the areas of your jaw and in front of your ears where the Shokz headphones sit. This will reduce sweat buildup in the contact areas, resulting in less slipperiness and a less sticky feeling at the end of your workout.
What if your Shokz headphones still slip, even after using deodorant? Try the opposite approach: lightly dampen the skin in the same contact areas, either with water or by sweating lightly during a warm-up. I’ve found that the right amount of moisture improves grip and helps the headphones stay in place. Just be sure to dry off afterwards to avoid leaving them in contact with damp skin for too long.
Turn off volume limit on your phone.
Open-back headphones like the Shokz allow ambient sound to pass through, which is a huge plus for safety, but it also means you sometimes need to crank up the volume a bit to clearly hear music or podcasts over street noise, the clatter of the gym, or the wind. When I felt like my Shokz weren’t clear enough, I’d turn to my phone’s settings.
Most smartphones have a built-in volume limiter to protect your hearing, which can discreetly limit the volume of audio played via Bluetooth. Here’s how to check:
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iPhone: Settings > Sound & Haptic Feedback > Headphone Safety, then turn off “Turn Sound Volume Down.”
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Samsung: Settings > Sound & vibration > Volume > Advanced, then turn off Media volume limit.
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Other Android devices: Find the “Absolute Volume” feature in your Shokz device’s Bluetooth settings and enable it.
Turn them off, and you’ll likely notice an immediate difference in volume, especially outdoors. Just be careful with your headphones’ overall volume going forward: too much volume for too long can damage your hearing in the long run.
Turn your Shokz back into wired headphones.
If you’re really pressed for time or just want to get back to basics, some Shokz models support a 3.5mm AUX jack, meaning you’re not completely reliant on Bluetooth. If the connection is unstable or the battery is low, you can connect using a compatible AUX adapter and continue the wired connection. This is a great backup option for travel or anytime Bluetooth just isn’t working.