She Runs by the Seashore

Disclaimer: I received the AfterShokz Aeropex headphones 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!

While testing the AfterShokz Trekz Air (now just Air) for BibRave in early 2018, I became hooked. I loved, and still love, that pair of headphones.

I was excited to give AfterShokz’s latest model, the Aeropex, a try. The Air are certainly a great pair of headphones, but there are some added benefits to the Aeropex.

I posted on social media after my first run with the Aeropex, and my first impressions were that the sound part fit closer onto the face and that the sound can be louder.

AfterShokz headphones use bone conduction technology, which you can learn more about here. Because of this, nothing actually goes in the ear — which means you can listen to your music or podcasts and also hear surroundings — for example, cars, people, animals, sirens and more.

I recently ran the second half of a long run with my Aeropex (the first half was with a group), and I was on a trail with not many people. Particularly in a somewhat-remote situation like that, I’d certainly want to hear if someone was coming up on me. I also saw a couple deer, and being able to hear animals is a good thing, too. When running on the roads or crossing streets, it’s also important to be able to hear and not completely tune out the world around you.

The headphones also come with earplugs, which you can use if you’re in a situation where you don’t need to hear your surroundings — like at the gym or on a plane. I did wear the Aeropex at the gym, and I’d forgotten the earplugs, but I stuffed some toilet paper in my ears, and that worked well enough. I was listening to an audiobook, and I didn’t want to have to also listen to the music at the gym.

The Air were already super light — the AfterShokz website says they’re just 1.06 ounces — but the Aeropex are even lighter, at 0.92 ounces.

One thing I love about both pairs of headphones is that I never have to adjust them — they stay on so well.

I’ve enjoyed using the Aeropex for runs and also for listening around the house. I’ve had them since late July, and although I haven’t worn them every day, I have only had to charge them twice. I was also able to wear them out of the box without charging. The battery life is listed on the website as eight hours of use or 10 days of standby time.

The charging cable for the Aeropex is different than the Air — it’s a magnetic cable that easily attaches to the headphones. The box also came with an extra cable, which is great, since I often lose cords. There’s also a magnetic-closure case for the Aeropex.

I also noticed that I would have to hit the multifunction button twice to restart if I’d paused my podcast — which isn’t a problem — but don’t hit it twice too quickly, or it will call your latest number! (Luckily, that didn’t turn out to be a problem, either.)

The Aeropex are not meant for swimming, but they are waterproof — IP67 rated. I wouldn’t have known what that was — here’s a Wired article that helps explain that. According to the article, that “7” means “Protected for up to 1m of immersion for up to 30 minutes, including splashing from a shower or an accidental (and brief) dunking.”

So, I wouldn’t purposely take the Aeropex in the pool or ocean, but it would give me additional peace of mind for running with them in the rain (although I have run with the Air in the rain, too, without problems — knock on wood).

The Aeropex retail at $159.95 — while pricey, the product is clearly top quality and I think you’ll be pleased if you purchase the headphones. I also think you could buy this pair of headphones that will last a long time, rather than continuing to buy cheaper versions and replacing them (I do this with black flats, and I probably should have just bought a more expensive pair of shoes by now…).

In looking at my Air review, I also realized that they are cheaper than the old price of the Air, which was $179.95. The price of the Air has since gone down to $119.95.

Learn more about the Aeropex here, and visit bibrave.aftershokz.com to save $50 on a bundle.

Note 5/3/21: My AfterShokz Aeropex stopped working normally, but I submitted a warranty claim in March 2021 and got a brand new pair for free that works great (quickly — I’m just now updating the post)! The AfterShokz representative was easy to work with in solving this issue.

See what my fellow BibRave Pros had to say:

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