As many people know, I use Aftershokz Air headphones will running. I appreciate that they go over the ear, and you can hear your surroundings as well as listen to music or podcasts. They are completely wireless, and after using Aftershokz Air for about two years, I haven’t had an issue.
Recently Aftershokz has made a few new changes to their headphones. This includes removing the “Trekz” from the name Aftershokz “trekz.” Instead of being called the “trekz air” or “trekz titanium,” they are called Aftershokz Air, Aeropex, and Titanium. This might not mean a lot, but it keeps people from confusing brands and thinking “trekz” and “aftershokz” are different…which we’ve had multiple times in running specialty.
Anyway, I was excited when Aftershokz contacted me to try their newest headphone: The Xtrainerz. The Xtrainerz are pronounced: “Cross Trainers.” As the name suggests, they are designed for cross-training and swimming!
While Aftershokz did send me a pair of the Xtrainerz, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What makes the Aftershokz Xtrainerz different from the Aftershokz Titanium, Air, and the Aftershokz Aeropex?
The Xtrainerz are waterproof, which means you can use them while swimming. Swimming and headphones still blow my mind! They also are not Bluetooth capable, and all audio is downloaded directly into the headphone. This is easy, and I usually find something to keep me entertained 5 minutes before leaving for my workout.
Image via Aftershokz website
The Xtrainerz have all of the following features:
- Waterproof
- 4GB of MP3 storage. I downloaded a couple of my favorite podcasts to take swimming. I think I’m going to find a podcast download just for swimming.
- No need for phones. All of the music is stored in the headphone so that you can leave your phone in the locker room or car.
- Aftershokz Xtrainerz supports the following files: MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, and FLAC files.
- 8 Hours of battery life. I’m not swimming for 8 hours, but maybe you are!
- IP68 Certified: This means the Aftershokz Xtrainerz are fully waterproof and great if you run in a torrential downpour.
open-ear headphones can keep you company wherever your training takes you.
All Aftershokz Headphones Have the Following Features:
Open Ear Design:
Aftershokz headphones have an open ear design and send sound through the ear canal. Aftershokz uses patented bone conduction technology to deliver the audio through the cheekbones. This leaves ears open to hear your surroundings. As a former lifeguard, I think it’s awesome because now swimmers can listen to the noises of the pool around you. If there is an emergency, you aren’t in la-la land while swimming in the pool.
Since Aftershokz uses bone conduction headphone technology, the headphones are not noise canceling. That would go against the grain of what the brand stands for. So far, I’ve logged about 6 hours using the headphones underwater while swimming and they hold up well. I haven’t had any issues with sound quality while swimming, and I forget that I’m even listening to music underwater.
I’ve also run twice with them, and I do appreciate that you don’t need to carry or bring anything but headphones. If you hate running with your phone, especially at races, these are a good choice. These are not Bluetooth capable, so if you want to listen to anything, you must download it directly to the Xtrainerz. This comes in handy if you are doing a race and want music but not a phone (think the ipod shuffle).
You can find them here or hopefully if your local run specialty store (LOL even though you can swim with them).
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Questions for you:
Have you ever listened to music while swimming?
What is your favorite music to listen to while working out?
