How to Wear Shokz Headphones

Rest the transducers on the bone just in front of your ear canal, not on the soft tissue below and not on the ear itself. That hard ridge in front of the ear opening is the contact point, and getting it wrong is why most people conclude bone conduction headphones sound thin. The band goes behind your head at the base of the skull rather than across the back of your neck.

Fit affects sound here far more than it does on conventional headphones, because the vibration has to reach bone rather than air.

Putting them on

1. Hold the band open and bring it over the top of your head from front to back, or slide it on from the front.
2. Let the band settle behind your head, resting at the base of the skull rather than on your neck.
3. Position the transducers so they sit just in front of your ear canal opening, on the hard bone.
4. Slide them forward or back an inch until the sound has body rather than sounding thin and distant.
5. Shake your head gently. They should stay put with no movement.

Most people put them on too low the first time, with the transducers on the soft tissue below the ear or on the tragus. That is the single most common mistake.

Finding the right spot

Feel with a fingertip just in front of your ear canal. There is a hard ridge there, part of the temporal bone, and moving your jaw makes it move. That is where the transducer should sit.

The audible test is easier than the anatomical one. Play something with bass, then slide the transducer slowly forward and back. There is a position where the low end noticeably fills in, and that is the correct one.

If bass is thin no matter what you do, the transducers are probably not making firm contact. Check whether hair is between the transducer and skin, and whether the band has stretched with age.

Wearing them with glasses

Put the headphones on first, then the glasses over the band.

Doing it the other way round pushes the transducers off the bone, since the glasses arms sit in roughly the same place and lift the band away from contact.

Thin arm frames work better than thick ones. Some people find sports glasses with a straight arm sit more comfortably alongside the band than a curved arm does.

If your glasses and headphones fight each other constantly, a smaller band size is usually the answer rather than repositioning repeatedly.

With hats, helmets and hair

A cycling helmet goes over the band. Fit the headphones first and adjust the helmet straps around them, rather than trying to thread the band under a fitted helmet.

A beanie or cap goes over the top and generally causes no problem, though it can press the transducers harder against the skin, which some people find uncomfortable over time.

Long hair should be pushed clear of the transducer contact points. Hair between the transducer and the skin damps the vibration and costs you bass, which is a common and easily missed cause of poor sound.

A ponytail sitting where the band rests pushes the band forward and shifts the transducers out of position.

Sizing

Several bone conduction ranges come in standard and mini sizes, and the difference matters more than it does with conventional headphones.

A band that is too large sits loosely, the transducers lose contact, and the sound goes thin. A band that is too small clamps and becomes uncomfortable within an hour.

The test is the head shake. If they move at all, the band is too large. If you feel pressure at the temples after twenty minutes, it is too small.

Smaller heads, including most children and many women, are frequently better served by the mini size, and buying the standard size by default is a common mistake.

Comfort and vibration

At higher volumes the transducers produce a tickling sensation against the skin. That is normal and not a fault.

If it becomes uncomfortable, lower the volume, which is usually the right answer anyway. Repositioning slightly can also reduce it, since the sensation is strongest where the transducer sits on thinner skin.

Some models offer a vibration reduction setting in their app, which trades a little bass for comfort.

For long sessions, moving the band a few millimeters every hour or two spreads the contact pressure rather than concentrating it in one place.

Looking after them

Wipe the transducers and the band after exercise, since these are worn for running and cycling and sweat is what eventually causes problems.

Clean the charging contacts specifically. Most bone conduction models use proprietary magnetic charging pins, and sweat residue on those contacts is the most common cause of a unit that will not charge. A dry cloth, or a cotton bud barely dampened with isopropyl alcohol and dried fully, clears them.

Do not store them stretched over something, since the band takes a set and loses the tension that keeps the transducers in contact.

Our guide on turning on Shokz headphones covers the controls and charging quirks, and our explainer on how bone conduction headphones work covers why placement matters so much.

Frequently asked questions

Where should bone conduction headphones sit?

On the hard bone just in front of your ear canal opening, not on the soft tissue below and not on the ear itself. Feel for the ridge that moves when you open your jaw. The band rests behind your head at the base of the skull rather than across your neck, and the transducers should stay put when you shake your head.

Why do my bone conduction headphones sound thin?

Almost always placement. The transducers are sitting too low, on soft tissue rather than bone, or hair is between the transducer and the skin damping the vibration. Slide them forward and back while playing something with bass, and there is a position where the low end noticeably fills in. A band that is too large also loses contact.

How do you wear bone conduction headphones with glasses?

Put the headphones on first and the glasses over the band. Doing it the other way round lifts the transducers off the bone, since the arms sit in roughly the same place. Thin arm frames work better than thick ones, and if the two fight each other constantly, a smaller band size usually solves it.

Should I buy the standard or mini size?

Do the head shake test if you can try them. If the headphones move at all, the band is too large and the transducers will lose contact, which costs you bass. If you feel pressure at your temples after twenty minutes, it is too small. Smaller heads are frequently better served by the mini size than people assume.