H2O Audio Tri Run open-ear headphones: I’m surprised by the clarity of these budget bone conduction buds

For less than $100/£100 the Tri Run open-ear headphones from H2O Audio offer a cleaner, crisper sound than I was expecting, as well as dependable battery life.

When I saw the price of H2O Audio’s new Tri Run bone conduction headphones, I doubted they would would be making it into our list of the best workout headphones. Currently priced at $99/£75, I figured corners must have been cut. Either the sound would be disappointingly thin, the waterproofing would be substandard or battery life would be inconveniently low. Turns out I was wrong on all counts.

H2O Audio Tri Run headphones design

Despite being seen as a budget brand, H2O Audio tends to get design details spot-on with its headphones. Much like the over-ear RIPT Ultra headphones, the blue-black colorway is striking and simple without being basic. Unlike the RIPT Ultra, the Tri Run doesn’t always come with a case (it’s currently available free as an add-on at check-out; or an after-market charging case is available separately). Its rubberised finish feels sturdy – although it does mark easily.

All three buttons (plus, power and minus) are located on the underside of the right panel, which sits just behind the ear. The power button can also be used to answer incoming calls while the plus and minus buttons control volume with a press or track skipping (press and hold). These chunky rubberised buttons are raised, too, for easy location mid-run. The charging connector is on the inside of this panel too.

Don’t be confused by the name of these Tri Run headphones. Despite the ‘Tri’ in the title and the IPX8 waterproof rating, these aren’t designed for swimming. Instead they are run- and cycle-specific. The waterproofing is designed to protect from sweat and the elements, rather than full submersion in water. The proprietary magnetic USB charging cable snaps onto the connectors, but will only do so one way – with no markings to show you which way is which. First time charging is just a short process of trial and error.

The wraparound safety leash is soft and flexible and the entire package feels extremely light weight. The earbuds are a similar design to many other bone conductors – slipping just in front of the tragus and the ear canal.

H2O Audio Tri Run headphones performance

When you first power up the headphones (by holding the power button for three seconds) you get the message “Welcome to H2O Audio, battery levels is (low, medium or high). Looking for a connection.” Each time I paired it with a new device, I found pairing quick, easy and reliable – and reconnecting was also a breeze. Although you only get a three-stage low, medium or high battery status alert, I found my phone would give a more detailed overview of the charge level. In use I found I was easily getting six hours out of every full charge (sometimes more), and a half-hour top-up was enough to get me from ‘medium’ to ‘high’.

Out on the road or trail, I quickly noticed how comfortable the H2O Audio Tri Run headphones were. That is to say, I didn’t really notice them at all. The touch points against the head are minimal, the rear leash is light enough to not pull the unit down but secure enough to not rotate it either as you run. Even running technical off-road sections at full tilt I was confident the unit would just stay put – and it always did.

Operation and controls

Locating the raised control buttons was easy and intuitive. Only once, having paused the device and waiting five minutes or so to restart, did I suffer a connection dropout. Every other time it stayed in sleep mode until I pressed the play/power button again. Perfect for those much-needed rests or stretches during long runs.

Sound-wise I was impressed too. Though it lacks the punchy bass of in-ear buds or over-ear ‘phones (and this is a common factor with most bone-conductors – even those three times the price of the Tri Run), I found it perfectly acceptable. And mids and trebles are nice and clear too – possibly better than the Suunto Sonic. Podcast conversations were also crisp and clear, and not at all thin or reedy. All the while the sound is engaging yet not immersive, allowing you to enjoy the sound of birds singing as you pelt through the woods (or detect the hum of close traffic as you rattle down country lanes). I felt I could use these confidently, even when riding or crossing roads in fairly built-up areas.

H2O Audio Tri Run headphones verdict

In terms of bang for your buck, the H2O Audio Tri Run headphones deliver in spades. Both sound and build quality are very good for the price. The ergonomics are nicely dialled in, and charge times and battery life are impressive. Perhaps the most important thing is, you slip the Tri Run on and almost instantly forget you’re wearing them – unlike the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which cost three times the price. So that’s a huge plus for H2O Audio.

The only negative I’ve found so far is that the rubberised surface can mark easily (and I’m not going to stress about that on a $99/£75 set of headphones). And the proprietary charging cable would be a pain if you lost it (though spares are available on h2oaudio.com). Unless you’re in the market for headphones that deliver thumping bass frequencies (the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 might be a better pick), I’d say it’s a great choice for regular runners and riders alike who like to stay aware of their surroundings.

H2O Audio Tri Run headphones technical specs

How we test the best workout headphones

We called on our best reviewers who have a wide range of experience testing fitness kit and consumer tech – including regulars Mike Sawh, Kieran Alger, Lee Bell and Laurence McJannet. Between them they have thousands of hours of testing experience. Each reviewer tested these workout headphones during strength training, aerobic and mobility sessions, as well as running over a range of distances and terrains. They reviewed each pair for at least a month before basing their overall score sound quality, primarily, but also on fit and gym suitability, weight, versatility and value. They would also take into consideration additional features including sweat- and waterproof performance, active noise cancelling and even workout tracking, in the case of the Apple AirPods Pro3.