Many times I have seen this question asked and I felt the need to answer it as best I can as a consistent user of them. The sound level for some reason seems to be a huge sticking point as to whether people would like to purchase these awesome headphones, but are bone conduction headphones not loud enough?
They are loud for the person wearing them but not for the people who are in the surrounding area. The sound that can be heard outside of the headphones is more bass related if you have the headphones turned up loud.
In most cases, bone conduction technology is almost silent to all outside parties which is why they work well in a business environment. They don’t interfere with others or your personal ability to hear what is happening around your area.
Even when the volume is cranked to the max you will be able to hear the surrounding area as you have your natural ear canals open.
What to do if Bone Conduction Headphones Are Not Loud Enough
There is a volume control on the headphones which is separate from the volume of the phone that you can adjust up to make the headphones louder. This is also when you could add in earplugs to help muffle the sound coming in from your ears as this is a known issue in very loud and chaotic environments.
Additionally if you are in a real loud environment that doesn’t have safety concerns then you would want to add in ear plugs, which may sound silly but it can help the performance tremendously.
If you plug your ears with ear plugs then you are blocking the secondary sound that comes in through your ear drums and they can focus on the bone conduction which will increase your ability to hear them without impacting others.
Do Bone Conduction Headphones Have Speakers?
Not in your traditional sense of the word, the pad of the bone conduction headphones will typically sit on your jawbone and it reverberates, shakes fast, which then is translated into sounds.
There is no speakers to play out loud and the volume is lost fast after you remove them from your head, they aren’t something you can take off and listen to while they sit on the desk.
Final thoughts on Are Bone Conduction Headphones Loud
If you have a normal environment with the associated little noises then you will find them to be perfect for use in activities where hearing from your ears is a necessity.
They still aren’t a perfect replacement for people who list themselves as audiophiles or music aficionados. They are very good for their purpose and should you want something that you can listen to while doing a workout or activity where sound is required they are awesome.
I purchased mine specifically to allow me to walk, run, hike, and rock climb while still being able to listen in on the surroundings. This helps to ensure you aren’t hit by someone else and that you can hear should someone try to speak with you.
I find them AMAZING for audiobooks and podcasts which lets me listen to them all the time.
