The two that we’ll look at here are the Jaybird Vista and the Aftershokz. The Jaybird Vistas are earbuds that to not have a wire connecting them. The Aftershoz use bone conducting technology and are connected by a headband that goes behind your ears and sits above your neck.

I put these to the test in hot and cold, sun and rain, running and walking, plus during around the house chores like cooking, cleaning and folding laundry.

Left photo credit: Jaybird

The Jaybird Vistas

First, what I liked about the Jaybird Vistas:

• The sound quality
• The fast charging and the super-convenient charging case. Yes, the case charges the headphones :) That means you’ll want to leave the house with the headphones and the case and when the headphones die, just pop them in the case for another full charge.

What I wasn’t sure about with the Jaybird Vistas:

Putting them in. I wasn’t super-talented at getting these in my ears at first, in a way that made them stay in. I figured they didn’t fit but really I just hadn’t put them in properly. It helped to have someone look at them for me and tell me how to move them to get them aligned right.

What I didn’t like about the Jaybird Vistas:

I would guess that this doesn’t bother most people, but I don’t like the feeling of my ears being plugged. These form such a great seal (makes for great sound quality) that you get a bit of that snorkeling-I-can-hear-myself-breathing sensation.

For winter running with a buff, it pressed the headphones deeper into my ears and that didn’t feel great. On the other hand, these fully blocked my ears so I avoided the dreaded wind in the ears and didn’t feel like I needed the buff as much.

The pros and cons of the Jaybird Vista

The pros

• Slick charging case
• Great sound quality
• Easy to control the stop/play functions
• Amazing battery life
• Good low battery reminder announcement
• Sweat proof
• You can use one at a time
• Fast charging with USB-C

The cons

• No volume adjustment on the earbuds
• Might not fit every ear even with 3 sizes of rubber attachments
• Hard to hear outside noise like traffic if exercising outside
• You might not like how they “block” your ears, but this might not bother you. You might also be able to have them sit in your ear in such a way that they are not blocked
• Can be tricky to learn to get them placed in your ear correctly

PC: Aftershokz

The Aftershokz

The Aftershokz use bone conducting technology. That means that they do not go in your ears, but sit just in front of your ear and are held in place by a band that sits very comfortably over your ears and on the back of your neck. The sound conducts through the bones in front of your ears. Kinda strange to think about, but it works!

What I liked about the Aftershokz:

• Easy to put on
• Comfortable to wear
• Allows for situational awareness

What I wasn’t sure about with the Aftershokz:

At first, at higher volume levels, I felt way too much vibration, which just wasn’t that comfortable. However, I must have gotten used to this because it completely went away over time.

What I didn’t like about the Aftershokz:

Sometimes they are just not quite loud enough. I’ve only noticed this when there is traffic around. In nature, they are totally fine!

The pros and cons of Aftershokz

The pros

• Easy to throw on
• Easy to control the stop/play functions
• Has built-in volume control
• Good battery life
• Sweat proof
• Situational awareness

The cons

• Just OK sound quality
• Hard to hear your music/podcast/phone call if exercising outside next to traffic

My Choice

I am a fan of the Aftershokz. Even though the sound quality isn’t as good, they are easy to put on. Since I mostly use them in the house or out in the woods, the volume is just loud enough. I also found them a lot more comfortable since they didn’t block my ears like the Jaybirds did. If the Jaybird Vistas fit my ears better, it would be a very close call!

Learn more about Tahoe Mountain Sports favorite wireless headphones, read the in-depth reviews below!

Jaybird Vista

Aftershokz Trekz Titanium

Optishokz Revvez: Sunglasses + Wireless Headphones