No matter if they prefer instrumentals, tracks with lyrics, or ambient noise, many writers prefer to tune out their surroundings as they write. And if that's you, it's possible that you're often looking for effective and affordable gear.
Every so often, I find myself testing out a new set of earbuds. Maybe it's because the cord is worn out, the charging case doesn't hold a charge like it used to, I inevitably lose a single Bluetooth earbud somewhere (I'm gesturing vaguely as I'm typing this) and can't locate it after a week of searching, or something new crosses my feed and piques my interest.
This time around, it was the latter.
When I first heard about bone conduction earbuds, I was intrigued. As a writer who ends up doing most of my writing on the go, I like having earbuds that can help drown out external noise while still allowing me to keep tabs on my surroundings; that's one of the reasons I opt for earbuds when I'm writing away from home over my trusty won-in-an-arcade-eight-years-ago-Beats Mixr headphones, as I can use just one and keep my other ear open.
Since bone conduction earbuds don't go in your ear, they still allow you to enjoy your music without blocking out your surroundings. This is why you'll often see them advertised for runners who need to be aware of cars and other hazards as they jog through their neighborhood, an aspect that greatly appeals to me as someone who frequently writes in public spaces and needs music to concentrate but can sometimes have sensitive inner ears. They can also be a good option for those with hearing disabilities.
After some scrolling, I purchased the NUPLEA bone conduction ear cuff-style earbuds. I liked that they were two separate pieces rather than one headset because having not used this type of earbud before and not knowing how much external noise they filtered in, I wanted to make sure I could keep one ear open just in case. Plus I also have a habit of only using one earbud at a time, allowing the other to remain charged in the case. And since bone conduction earbuds are new to me, I figured I would do as I've done with other earbuds in the past and share a review.
As a disclaimer, I am not affiliated with NUPLEA, nor this is a sponsored post. These are my honest opinions of the earbuds after using them for about a month.
What Are Bone Conduction Earbuds?
Bone conduction earbuds were new to me when I purchased mine, so if they're new to you as well, allow me to explain how they work.
What we hear are sound waves collected at the outer ear and filtered through the ear canal to the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations are amplified by three bones in the middle ear, passing them to the cochlea (a fluid-filled tube in your inner ear), which then converts the sound into electrical signals and transmits them to the brain via the auditory nerve.
Bone conduction changes a different approach. Rather than sending sound through the ear canal, it bypasses the eardrum entirely. Bone conduction headphones sit on the user's upper cheekbone and transmit sound vibrations directly to the cochlea. This can be a great alternative for people with hearing deficiencies, as if the eardrum is damaged the cochlea and auditory nerve may still work.
But here's the thing: these NUPLEA earbuds are not bone conduction earbuds by that description. They don't sit on the bone. Rather, the end that sits by your ear canal has a speaker that's closer to the design of traditional earbuds that you would insert into your ear.
If you're seeking true bone conduction earbuds, you may want to skip this set from NUPLEA. However, I don't entirely dislike the design as an alternative to standard Bluetooth earbuds.
The Basics
At the time of writing, these earbuds run for $60 USD on Amazon. I'm writing this shortly after Black Friday, so there are some deals that drop the price down to $22 with tax, or approximately 65% off; this is also about what I paid when I ordered my set, so definitely keep an eye out for discounts and promotions because they do pop up.
The box comes with the earcuffs, the charging case, and a USB-C charger.
I get about 4-5 hours of battery life out of the earbuds between charges, which is respectable, but I find that their connection to my phone becomes spotty if I move beyond thirty feet from the device.
As for the charging case, I do like that it displays the battery percentage remaining before you need to plug it back in. Although I haven't had them long enough to get good at gauging what 52% means in relation to time left, I know it's more than say 18% so I wouldn't need to be as worried yet.
The Design
As mentioned earlier, these aren't bone conduction earbuds. They're more like earcuffs since they wrap around the ear instead of sitting directly on the bone. But the fact that they're not inserted into the ear might not be a bad thing for those of us with sensitive inner ears.
This is only a hypothosis, as I'm not a medical professional, so take this with a grain of salt. The open design of the earbuds might help lessen the buildup of bacteria and therefore the possibility of ear infections.
According to Hayley Ralph, MD of OSF Healthcare in this post, "Bacteria and fungi thrive in moist, warm areas, such as the ear canal, and that’s where earbuds sometimes trap moisture and fluid."
This gunk tends to clear out on its own, but traditional earbuds could block it in. That's why you may also find a buildup of earwax around or under the silicon tips that go in your ear after excessive use (you can get earbud cleaning kits online, or even a swipe with a Q-Tip or alcohol wipe helps).
Since the earcuffs from NUPLEA have a more open design that allows for more airflow, I wouldn't be surprised to find that it comes with a lower chance of infection because the ear canal remains clear (I'd still recommend cleaning them every so often, though).
I also appreciate the ease of accessibility of the buttons. I'm able to pause my audio with a single press instead of needing to go into my app and manually pause whatever I'm listening to like I often have to do with touch controls.
The Fit
One thing that drew my interest in these earbuds and similar models was the way they don't sit in your ear but instead wrap around it.
I have my earbuds in fairly often, whether I'm listening to music as I write, or a podscast or YouTube video while cleaning or getting ready in the morning, or an audiobook as I'm exploring the wilderness in the freeplay mode of Red Dead Redemption II, and that can lead to discomfort after awhile.
But even my go-to earbuds have a habit of slipping out, making me super-worried about having one fall down the sink drain as I'm doing my skincare.
Additionally, on nights I'm struggling to fall asleep, I'll listen to a guided meditation (shoutout to Jason Stephenson), and if my traditional earbud set happens to be in the ear of the side I'm sleeping on, it's not the most comfortable and has even caused a bit of an ache and tenderness on some mornings; there have also been plenty of times I've had to figure out where in my bedding said earbud landed after having fallen out sometime during the night.
So far, this hasn't been too much of a problem with the NUPLEA earbuds. They don't typically budge once they're on but aren't tight, either. They have been wriggled off during sleep, however, leading to the same search through the bedding to find them in the morning.
The Sound
As I've said when reviewing other earbuds in the past, I'm no expert when it comes to what makes sound quality, for lack of a better word, quality. I tend to judge it based on how the audio sounds compared to other products I've used in the past.
The NUPLEA set is okay in terms of audio. Not the worst earbuds I've ever used, but not as good as others I've owned. But unlike other earbuds I've got, how well you can hear your music depends on where you are.
Around the house and in other quieter locations, they're fine. But when I'm out and about, even at max volume, it's up in the air.
I work in a casino mall, and while the walk from the parking garage elevator isn't long, it is LOUD—especially once you get into the weekend. Between the crush of foot traffic going in every direction, the bar, poker and other table games, and no less than at least three dozen slot machines going off at a time, it can be a headache. Having my earbuds in, even if I don't have anything playing tends to dull the din on those days.
This is where my mixed feelings towards the NUPLEA earcuffs come into play. Since they're a more open design, there isn't a way to effectively block out that noise. On one hand, that's kind of the point, and why they and bone conduction headsets are particularly marketed towards runners. But on the other hand, it can be difficult when you need to take a phone call over the earcuffs or decompress after a shift.
And, hey, I know I talk a lot about staying aware of your surroundings when you're writing in public settings, but these earcuffs aren't my favorite for food court writing sessions (which, if you've been keeping up with my social media feed, you know is where I get a lot of my writing done before my shift). While the food court is significantly quieter than the casino floors, there's still a good amount of external noise that can make it difficult to focus.
All in all, the NUPLEA is better suited for quieter areas. If your environment is too loud, you may not be able to hear your own audio.
The Downsides
Apart from the sound quality depending on your location, are there any other downsides to the NEUPLEA earcuff set?
In truth, I wish the battery life was a little longer, mainly because the alert sound the earcuff makes when its battery is almost out of juice is piercing. Even on lower volume settings, that beep is incredibly jarring—shrill, I'd say—which especially sucks when it disrupts my writing flow or a guided meditation when I'm finally on the verge of falling asleep. The earcuffs are more comfortable to sleep with than the traditional earbuds I own, but the likelihood of them loudly beeping either during the meditation or waking me up once I'm asleep sort of negates that; it's a matter of one discomfort over another.
Overall, I'm giving these NUPLEA earbuds a 3.5/5. I don't dislike their earcuff design but can see where others might feel misled by the "bone conduction" description. The sound quality is fair in quieter settings but not so much in louder ones. And if it weren't for how shrill the low battery beep is, they'd be great for sleeping.
But to be honest, I don't think I would be as forgiving of that if I'd purchased them at the full $60 price point.
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