ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Suunto Aqua Light headset is available on Amazon for $149 in Reef Blue and Tidal Black.
- This bone conduction headset is light and compact with 32GB of storage for audio files, IP68 water resistance, and 10-hour battery life.
- The headset’s thin and light form factor might not be for everyone.
Suunto has been hitting it out of the park recently with its bone conduction headsets. I’ve been rocking out with the Suunto Aqua Light headset for the last few weeks, and they’ve quickly become some of my favorites. For one, the advanced options available in Suunto’s app propel this pair to the top of my list as the ultimate workout headset.
Also: The best bone conduction headphones you can buy: Expert tested
They also have a slightly more compact form factor than the brand’s other pair I recently reviewed, the Suunto Aqua headset, with a smaller battery and control modules, making them some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worked out in. Here are the details.
The Suunto Aqua Light sports IP68 durability, 32GB of onboard storage, 10-hour battery life, and weighs 32 grams (this is three grams lighter than the Suunto Aqua). The Suunto Aqua Light is also $30 less than the Aqua headset, and is clearly designed for those looking for a minimalist product with solid audio performance that leaves your ears open for safety.
One significant difference between the two headsets is that the Aqua supports head movement control and swimming metric measurements. The Aqua also comes with a portable charging pod that triples the mobile battery life of the headset without having to connect a power source.
Also: My favorite bone conduction headphones have 3 invaluable safety features
The Suunto Aqua Light comes in two colorways: Reef Blue and Tidal Black. I tested the Reef Blue color and the striking blue looks great, especially since the vast majority of headsets look the same. Additionally, this pair is coated in a soft touch material that feels extremely light; most of the time I didn’t even notice I was wearing them.
The Aqua Light comes with 32GB of offline storage, and you can load it with music you’ve purchased on Amazon or Apple Music by connecting the headset to your computer via USB-C cable, and just dragging and dropping the files onto the device. I fired up Amazon and noticed I had previously bought the Complete Collection from AC/DC, Led Zeppelin’s 2007 Remastered, Bon Jovi, and Steve Miller Band, and all of it easily fit on the headset.
The two buttons on the right side are easily accessible, and the prominent multi-function button on the outer left ear piece supports your smartphone voice assistant, music controls, calls, and mode switching between Bluetooth and onboard storage modes. Additionally, you can switch up the default button controls to match your own preferences in the app.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Suunto offers bone conduction headsets priced from $99 to $179 that cover the entire range of water, cycling, running, and more, and the Suunto Aqua Light headset is optimized for those looking for a lightweight, compact headset for these sports.
The option to load the headset with your own music files lets you leave the phone behind, which is one of my favorite features. All in all, the lightweight form factor, the bright blue color, and slick app makes this one of the best open-ear headsets for the water I’ve tested.