Tag: Aftershokz

Light as Air

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Aftershokz Trekz Air to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I love listening to music on the run.  Partly because it covers the sounds of my own huffing and puffing and partly because music helps gives me that extra kick in the pants I need some times.   Plus it’s fun to randomly throw in a horribly offbeat dance move while running.  😛

That said, I never felt comfortable with regular earphones.   Completely blocking both ears from outside noises just never worked for me.  I always ran with one in and one out… and would usually end up tangled in the cords.  So when I first discovered Aftershokz last year with the Trekz Titanium, I was in love.   Wireless and safe- where have you been all my life???

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hen I heard about the Trekz Air and wondered- can something that was already awesome be better?  Spoiler alert- yes.

The concept is the same- same bone conduction technology. So instead of shoving an earbud uncomfortably into your ear, the Trekz Air rests just outside the ears on your cheekbones.   This way you can safely enjoy your music or your podcast but still be aware of the sounds and environment around you.  Actually, the tech is still mind boggling to me but I know it works from personal experience and I love it.  I can have my music cranked up but still hear the leaves scratching the pavement as they blow across the path.

From the website-

  • Bone conduction technology delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to hear ambient sounds
  • A 20% lighter build than its counterpart
  • A new organic design delivers increased comfort
  • Complete wraparound titanium design provides a flexible fit for unnoticeable all-day comfort and stability
  • OpenFit™ design ensures maximum situational awareness and comfort during long-term wear
  • PremiumPitch+™ guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass
  • Bluetooth® v4.2 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing
  • LeakSlayer™ technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage
  • IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture, from workouts to wicked weather
  • Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge
  • EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go
  • Dual noise canceling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech
  • Audrey Says™ voice prompts guide users through power, pair, play and talk
  • Hassle-free 2-year warranty

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So why am I totally in love with the Trekz Air?  Like love so much, they are always with me- kept charged and in my purse at all times.   They are so much lighter.  I know that spec wise, it says they are 20% lighter but I feel like that number should be much higher.   I’ve mentioned before that I am prone to headaches and those headaches often turn into migraines.  It doesn’t take much to set them off and sadly sometimes my previous pair would aggravate my head on long runs.   Not the case with the Trekz Air!!  Even after a 2 hour, sweaty mess run, I could barely feel them.  If I hadn’t had the music playing in my ears I would have completely forgotten they were on.  That made me want to jump up and down for joy.   Which is why I now carry them everywhere with me.  😎  I can listen to music on my lunch breaks without worrying about anyone else hearing it, which is great because my music is not always break room appropriate.  😛

Want your own? Get a bonus BibRave trucker hat with your AfterShokz Trekz Air purchase with code “TRUCKER” at http://bibrave.aftershokz.com/

How do you listen to music on the run?  

#AwareWithPink

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Pink to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro  (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I went from being a runner who could never run without headphones and music to one who really didn’t care either way.  21ish miles of the San Francisco Marathon was music free.    Quite a few runs are music free.   Part of that is because I realized I actually can run without background noise and partly because all my headphones drive me nuts.   I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been tangled up in cords or ripped them out of my ears.  Ouch!  My Bluetooth ones were still bulky and corded and I still managed to get into a tangled nightmare between the cord and my Camelbak one run.    I was afraid to try the non corded type of wireless headphones because I only wear them in one ear and you can’t exactly do that with a band wrapped around your head.  😛

Enter Aftershokz.   Wireless headphones that don’t fit in your ears.  Say what now?  The “ear pieces” sit on your cheekbones and you listen to the music via bone conduction.   All right, I’ve now entered the world of Star Trek.   But would it work?

It did!   The headphones arrived and they were easy to charge and pair to my phone.    They looked like they would be too small but once again I was overestimating my small head.   I wore them first on my stationary bike while watching Netflix.  They sounded great but there really wasn’t a lot of outside noise to distract me.  Time to run in them.   The website suggests putting the headphones on before your sunglasses and that is very good advice.  I tried it both ways and nothing seemed to fit right putting the headphones on after my hat and glasses.


I could hear the cars around me, people talking and even the leaves blowing on the asphalt.  Actually that last one scared the crap out of me.   😛  It seemed so loud!     That said, I am having troubles with Siri recognizing my voice commands.   It might just be me but I still have to stop to text.    Also I believe I have maxed the volume out.    When I across the bridge, I can’t hear the music past the traffic noise.   But the bridge is a tiny portion of my long runs so that’s not really a big deal.   I also have yet to kill the battery- woo hoo!   And the oddball in me finds it amusing to listen how the sound changes when I yawn or pop my jaw.  I’m weird, I know.   😛😛

Why pink-

The sad truth is that you will know someone with breast cancer in your lifetime.  Actually, it’s more likely that you’ll know more than a few.   While typing this I can name at least 2 people fighting right now and I do not have a large social circle.

Aftershokz is teaming up with Bright Pink to both raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer and ovarian cancer.  They are offering the Bright Pink limited edition version of their open ear Trekz Titanium Pink headphones- 25% of each headphones purchased from September 1 to October 31, 2016 will go to Bright Pink.  Going further, Aftershokz  will donate an additional 25 cents to Bright Pink every time #AwareWithPink is used on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram from September 1 to October 31, 2016.   We hashtag everything these days, let’s make it useful.   You can read more about the campaign here.

I am going to keep wearing my Trekz and I will using the hashtag come September 1.  It may not be much but it’s something and every little bit counts.

No questions today- share your thoughts and go hug someone you care about.