Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. When it comes to listening to music, podcasts or audio books while on the run, the comfort, sound quality, battery life and ease of use of audio headphones are top priorities for our testers. Each of these characteristics can make or break a workout or training run.
The Suunto Wing open-ear headphones feature bone-conduction technology and are the first of its kind for this Finnish company that’s known in the running world for their GPS watches.
The Wing’s bone-conduction technology and design lets users listen to their preferred choice of music, audio books or podcasts while also allowing the ears to be open for awareness of their surroundings. The technology transmits vibrations directly to the inner ear via the cheekbones, bypassing the eardrum.
Our testers have extensive experience with the use of air pods, wired headphones and other earbud models which have all evolved over the years when it comes to fit, technology and sound quality. While this happened to be the first pair of bone-conduction technology headphones for some of our testers, the Suunto Wing provided an exceptional audio experience during training.
The rigid yet flexible band that connects the headphones stretches across the back of the head with each side looping over the ear. Each headphone sits in front of the ears where bone conduction is the most effective. Runners with smaller heads might experience a minimal amount of bouncing, but we found them to maintain their position throughout the movement of our speediest and slowest paces. Silicone pads on the interior of the headphones helped with the bone conduction as well as the overall grip.
Suunto Wing comes with a portable powerbank that adds another 20 hours of music playtime.
The Wing can be operated using three buttons: two behind the right ear and one on the outside of the left headphone. The two on the right control power and volume and while they are both small in size, users might find them hard to manage with larger fingers, especially while on the run. However, we were able to get the hang of the volume buttons after a few test runs. The larger button on the left headphone controls skipping to the next song or answering a phone call. For those who prefer touchless control, these functions can also be performed with a nod or a head shake—you’ll just have to download the Suunto app to activate them. Lighting configurations on the Wing can also be adjusted via the app.
Sound quality remains one of the top priorities when selecting headphones and we found that the Wing provided clear listening without any muffled audio or bass vibrations. The bone-conduction technology takes a little getting used to, given that the outside sound isn’t muted by plugged ears (the Wing comes with a set of earplugs if that’s your preference). We did find ourselves looking over our shoulders a few times when a voice or loud sound was indistinguishable. Overall, the quality allowed us to blast everything from Taylor Swift to the Hamilton soundtrack, along with some of our favorite podcasts, and not miss a beat. We’re also grateful the Wing has a battery life that lasts up to 10 hours when fully charged, with a 10-minute charge in the dock adding an additional 3 hours.
If you’re like us, our trusty wired headphones offered a battery-free way to keep running with just a couple of extra cords to manage while on the run, but the Suunto Wing makes for a great option if you’re looking to ditch the wires or find a way to stay alert when running outdoors and still listen to your favorite music when training for long distances. The Suunto Wing can be found at suunto.com.
Features:
- Weight: 33g
- Material: titanium and silicone
- Technology: bone conduction
- Battery Life: Fully charged in 1 hour for up to 10 hours of playing time. Charge for 10 minutes for another 3 hours
- Water Resistance: IP67 certification
- Suunto App: activates head movement control and LED light configurations on the side of the Wing
- MSRP: $149