Suunto’s open-ear headphones control music with a few shakes of your head

Open-ear bone conduction headphones aren’t a new concept, but Suunto’s new Wing headphones are hoping to win you over with some clever hands-free gestures for convenient controls while you’re out on your daily calorie-burning endeavours.

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A useful head movement control function lets users easily switch between audio tracks and answer/end phone calls with a few head shakes — nodding twice answers calls, while shaking your head twice declines calls or switches to the next track. Sure, you might look like you’re fighting some inner demons, but there’s something to be said for hands-free convenience, especially if you’re scrambling over rough terrain on a particularly challenging trail run.

Given their bone conduction nature, users will be able to hear everything in their environment, which makes them best suited for activities where cutting yourself off from the outside world might be dangerous. Built to fend off water, sweat, and dust in conditions ranging from -20°C-60°C and with 10 hours of use per charge, they’re likely to last longer than the person wearing them. You can extend the battery by another 20 hours too, thanks to the included charging dock, although it doesn’t seem to offer any cover or protection like a traditional headphone case would.

Made from lightweight titanium slathered in soft silicone, each side also has built-in LEDs for additional visibility at night. If you’re rocking a Suunto watch/app, you can also receive voice feedback on things like average speeds and lap times, if you fancy.

The Suunto Wing is available now for $199/£169, in two colours — all-black, or an eye-catching black/red combo for an additional dash of visibility.

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