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Spatial awareness is more important than ever, with ever increasing traffic levels and drivers being more distracted than ever. The Suunto Sonic allows the user to hear around them, while keeping the music going, all without missing a beat. My Review:

Bone conduction headphones aren’t really anything new anymore, so I’m going to skip the introduction and get right to the specs. The Sonic from Suunto offer 10 hours of battery life in a 31 g / 1.09 oz shell. It features two buttons on the right wing, combining power and volume up, along with a separate button for volume down, and a third tactile button that is placed on the outside of the left wing, for answering calls, skipping tracks and the like. It uses a proprietary charging cable, but does terminate at USB C, and retails for $149, while including a soft carry pouch. They come in both black and lime color options and are available now.

The comfort and fit here and are point. The wings lock in place with just enough tension to keep them from moving. Hiking, running, and even mountain biking, they didn’t budge a bit and were also readily compatible with sunglasses and even most helmets. The build is lightweight and sits gently across the ear, so irritation and pressure were both minimal.

Construction is overall quite good, with smooth seams and a slight rubbery texture that holds up well to abuse. The buttons are do provide a nice light click when depressed and are easy enough to use, but could be slightly more pronounced for glove use. The charge port is just a couple of studs, so there isn’t much of a place for dust or water to get in, hence the IP55 rating, which is good enough for sweat and a light drizzle.

The lack of a dedicated USB-C charging port, and instead the inclusion of a proprietary cable is a mixed bag. It’s quick release magnetic connection that’s far sturdier and more damage resistant than USB-C, but finding a replacement cable could be annoying if it comes up.

Battery life is good, with 10 hours or so of energy, a little more if you listen quietly, or a little less if you listen above 40 percent or so. They charge quickly enough, seemly just over an hour or so in my not very scientific testing.

Sound quality is on par for most bone conduction. It’s not amazing, but most of the notes come across well enough. Bass is limited, mids are good, and treble is a bit recessed. Sound can come across as wide and spacious, but it certainly lacks depth, some clarity, and bass is lacking. But, again, this is pretty standard fair for bone conduction. After a little mental adjustment if you’re coming from audiophile grade headphones, they’ll sound good enough to enjoy the music and keep the heart thumping. A worthy trade for spatial awareness.

These do tend to buzz and vibrate at higher volumes, which is again normal for the style of headphone. If the audio is at around 60 percent or lower it’s not an issue, but higher volumes it can be very distracting. They also don’t get very loud, so that may be consideration for some. However, it’s generally best practice to keep outdoor focused headphones at reasonable volumes, as higher volumes can still drown out local audio. So perhaps this is by design.

Overall

The Suunto sonic are good bone conduction headphones at the $150 mark. They didn’t blow me away, but they were comfortable and locked in place better than most, making them my go-to pick for rugged terrain. The audio is standard fare and gets the job done, while the battery life was appreciable. I really appreciated the inclusion of traditional, button based controls, the included travel pouch, and the optional high visibility lime green colorway is a great option for those dealing with traffic. It’s a solid offering that should stand out to those who prioritize fit, weight, and visibility.

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