comments:
These headphones press against your cheekbone, which runs close to your ears, so sound gets transmitted into them through the bone (rather than through your ear canal). They have a somewhat rigid part that curves around the back of your head to keep them pressed firmly against your cheekbones. It's definitely smaller than over-the-ear headphones but kind of an awkward shape to pack and not quite as small as earbuds. I also don't find earbuds inside my ears to be comfortable. The suction filling my ears is kind of a gross feeling to me and my ears start to itch after too long of having anything inside them. They also don't stay in my ears well bc I have very small ear canals and even the smallest tips are too big. Which is why I like the bone conduction and over the ear styles better. You can also get 'open ear' earbuds which are two separate pieces that hook over your ears and play sound just outside your ear-hole so it isn't plugged. I also used these (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-AS200-ORG-Active-Headphones/dp/B00BN0N0IK) for years; unfortunately they were discontinued but there mat be something similar out there - they hook around the outside of the ear and play into the earhole but don't fill it completely.