Headphones are getting smarter — the latest open-ear buds from Suunto offer head movement controls and monitor your 'neck health' | Tech Radar

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Headphones are getting smarter — the latest open-ear buds from Suunto offer head movement controls and monitor your 'neck health'

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Suunto has released a new set of open-ear headphones, the Suunto Spark

They seem similar to the Shokz Open Fit 2+ at first glance, weighing just 9g each

However, they also offer head movement controls and neck health monitoring

Do you ever wish you had more metrics to worry about on your run? Well, you're in luck: Suunto, maker of some of the best running watches and best running headphones, has released the Suunto Spark open-ear headphones.

The headphones weigh just 9g each, 1g less than the Shokz Open Fit 2+, offer 36 hours of listening with the case, have a titanium ear hook and boast hi-res LHDC 5.0 audio. They're IP55 water- and sweatproof, which means they'll withstand driving rain and sweat, but you shouldn't submerge them in water. They cost £129.99 / AU

Preset or customizable audio EQ modes are available in the app, but the advantage of open-ear headphones is that you can hear the world around you while you listen, helping you to stay aware of traffic, pedestrians or office conversations. They're ideal for runners, who might want to stay aware on roads while listening to long tunes. Usually, open-ear headphones are the only kind allowed in official races such as marathons.

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So far, they're very much in line with the other entries in our best open-ear earbuds list in terms of specifications and price. For reference, the Shokz Open Fit 2+ come in at

However, there are also a bunch of extra features we need to talk about, specifically in relation to running.

For starters, the Suunto Spark headphones offers head movement control. Shake your head from side to side while out on a run, and you'll immediately skip the current song on your playlist. You can also use this feature to answer a call.

In a press release, Suunto said: 'Spark extends beyond audio to become a training companion. Real-time insights help runners monitor cadence, stride, and running mechanics, while voice guidance delivers pace, heart rate, distance, and lap updates directly when connected to a Suunto watch.'

While voice guidance based on watch data is nothing new, the prospect of cadence and stride data gleaned just from the headphones' gyroscope is undeniably interesting. I've reached out to Suunto for more details on this, and expect to test it in due course.

Finally the Suunto Spark headphones also track 'neck health', by monitoring 'flexibility, daily neck activity, and fatigue, sending alerts that help users maintain better posture and avoid overstrain'. That's a new one on me, but given how many of us go through the day with bent necks, peering at our phones, it's probably going to be useful.

Budget smart tech maker Amazfit actually made a pair of headphones with a similar feature way back in 2021 — but obviously the idea never caught on. Looks like Suunto is giving the concept another go.

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Matt is Tech Radar's expert on all things fitness, wellness and wearable tech.

A former staffer at Men's Health, he holds a Master's Degree in journalism from Cardiff and has written for brands like Runner's World, Women's Health, Men's Fitness, Live Science and Fit&Well on everything fitness tech, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.

Matt's a keen runner, ex-kickboxer, not averse to the odd yoga flow, and insists everyone should stretch every morning. When he’s not training or writing about health and fitness, he can be found reading doorstop-thick fantasy books with lots of fictional maps in them.

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• Headphones are getting smarter — the latest open-ear buds from Suunto offer head movement controls and monitor your 'neck health'