AfterShokz Aeropex
AfterShokz Aeropex
Full Review
Disclaimer: I received a pair of AfterShokz Aeropex 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'm so excited to be reviewing yet another pair of incredible AfterShokz headphones. If you're not familiar with them, I'm a huge fan of their previous models; the Trekz Titaniums and Treks Airs.
If you're unfamiliar with AfterShokz you can check out my earlier reviews to get more detail, but they are bone-conduction headphones. Unlike traditional headphones that play sound into your ears, AfterShokz headphones rest outside of your ear and play micro-vibrations against your cheekbones.
This is great for runners because it allows you to listen to music, podcasts, or whatever you like, while still allowing you to hear what's going on around you. They've continued to improve upon their original design and the Aeropex model is the latest addition to an already stellar lineup.
Battery Life
The first major upgrade I was excited about was the new battery life on the Aeropex. The new headphones have up to 8-hours of playtime. This easily gets me through a full week of training on a single charge. I also accidentally left the headphones turned on while I was on vacation for a week and they still had a high charge when I returned.
Charging
Apart from the upgrades to the battery, AfterShokz also switched the port from a typical micro-USB port to a magnetic charger. This does mean you need a new cable but AfterShokz includes 2 with the headphones in case one goes missing.
The charger is way easier to connect now and the new headphones moved the LED indicator light to the side of the Aeropex so it's easier to see when they're fully charged. While wearing the headphones you can also tap the volume button while no audio is playing and the headphones will tell you how much charge they have left.
Water Proofing
Perhaps the biggest change to the new AfterShokz is officially giving the Aeropex a waterproof rating as opposed to just water-resistant. At IP67, these headphones can be fully submerged in shallow water for up to 30-minutes.
They aren't designed for swimming but you no longer need to worry about excessive sweat or rain, the Aeropex will be just fine. If the headphones are still wet when you try to charge them they've also built in a little warning so you know to disconnect them and fully dry them so you don't short circuit anything.
Weight
Improving on an already incredibly lightweight design, the AfterShokz Aeropex are even lighter than the Trekz Airs. The Aeropex headphones weigh less than one ounce so you'll hardly even notice you're wearing them.
Design and Audio Quality
Lastly, despite cutting down on size, AfterShokz has improved the tech in the headphones to boost audio quality. I used to need to crank my headphones to near max volume so I could hear my podcasts clearly on my runs. With the Aeropex, I'm able to hear perfectly fine with the volume set just above halfway.
The audio itself comes through more clearly and music plays with even better depth and bass. And the new design cuts down on the vibration you feel as you turn the volume up.
Basic Controls
If you've never worn the headphones before, controlling them is incredibly easy. Your main control is the multipurpose button on the left-hand side. You can use this to play/pause your music, skip to the next song, answer and end calls, and much much more.
On the right-hand side, you also have basic volume control which can also be used to mute your microphone or to check the charge on the headphones. The button placement of both controls changed just enough to require a slight learning curve if you're used to the design of the previous Trekz Air or Trekz Titanium headphones but was easy enough to get used to.
Final Thoughts
I'm a huge fan of AfterShokz in general. I've loved every pair of headphones I've gotten from them and their customer service has always been incredible. Not to mention, whoever runs their social media is on fire!
It's no surprise that the AfterShokz Aeropex improved upon an already incredible design. These instantly became my new favorite running headphones the moment I took them out of the box.
Right now you can get the Aeropex for $159.95 on Amazon.
Cheers!