Glasses with headphones: three designs, and which one fits your day

1. Three ways to put headphones into a pair of glasses

“Headphone glasses” is a loose label. Underneath it sit three engineering choices, and the choice decides almost everything you will notice day to day: how much of the world you still hear, how much the person beside you hears, how the bass sounds and whether anything touches your ear.

• Open-ear speaker arms. A small speaker in each arm sits just above or in front of the ear and points sound down into it through the air. Nothing touches the ear. This is how OXIVUE frames work.
• Bone conduction. A transducer rests against the bone near the ear and sends sound as vibration. The ear canal stays open, and at higher volume you can feel it.
• Earbuds added to a frame. Either small earpieces that hang from or tuck into the ear, or separate wireless earpieces that clip onto the arms of glasses you already own.

All three play whatever your phone plays over Bluetooth. The differences are in the ear, not the app.

2. The three designs side by side

The table describes each design as a category. We only give model numbers for our own frames; for anyone else’s, check the maker’s listing.

Prices checked 2026-10-09; checkout price may change. The M08 is listed at $149 and the M14 at $199; the table shows what one pair costs at checkout ($99 and $149).

3. Open-ear speaker arms: what OXIVUE frames use

Every OXIVUE frame is an open-ear design: directional speakers in the arms, microphones for calls, and Bluetooth 5.4 to the phone. You hear traffic, a colleague or a cyclist’s bell as well as your podcast. That is the whole point, and it is also the main limit.

• No isolation. Open-ear speakers will not block a loud train, a jet cabin or a windy road the way sealed earbuds do. You turn the volume up, and some sound leaks to the people next to you.
• Lighter bass. Without a seal, low frequencies are thinner than in sealed earbuds or over-ear headphones. Voices, podcasts and directions come through well.
• A camera, too. OXIVUE frames also carry an 8 MP camera. It records only when you touch the temple; nothing runs in the background. There is no display.

The M08 is the everyday pair: about 42 g, a choice of sunglasses, photochromic or clear lens, and no published water rating. The M14 is a one-piece wrap shield for cycling and skiing: 52 g, IPX4 for splash and rain (not immersion), four colourways, and a lens that cannot be swapped for clear. Our smart audio glasses guide goes deeper into how open-ear sound behaves.

4. Bone conduction

Bone-conduction frames skip the air. A transducer presses lightly against the bone in front of or behind the ear and passes sound as vibration, so the ear canal and eardrum path stay open to the world. The appeal is that nothing covers the ear; the trade-off is a vibration you can feel at higher volume and the firm contact the transducer needs to work.

Two points that confuse shoppers. First, bone conduction is still not isolating: a loud street is still loud. Second, “bone conduction” on a spec sheet can refer to a microphone rather than the speaker. The M14 lists a bone-conduction microphone alongside a dual-mic array, which helps pick up your voice on calls; you still hear sound through its open-ear speakers. OXIVUE does not sell bone-conduction audio frames. Our bone conduction sunglasses guide compares the two approaches in detail.

5. Earbuds and clip-on earpieces

The third route keeps a real earpiece. Some frames carry small earbuds that sit at or in the ear; others leave the frame alone and add the audio afterwards. CNET’s audio glasses round-up (published August 26, 2024, read October 9, 2026) describes JLab’s JBuds Frames as “essentially open-ear true-wireless earbuds that clip onto your existing glasses.”

That route has one real advantage: you keep the glasses you already wear, including a prescription pair, which none of our frames can replace. In-ear designs with sealing tips also give the isolation that open-ear and bone conduction cannot. The trade-offs are the ones you would expect: something sits in or on the ear, and a clip-on adds parts to a frame that was not designed for them. Our smart glasses vs earbuds guide weighs the two head to head, and Bluetooth for glasses covers adding audio to a pair you own.

6. Listening and call hours, honestly

Battery figures on audio glasses usually split listening from talking, and on our two picks the split runs in opposite directions. Pick by what you do most.

If your day is mostly music and podcasts, the M08’s 7 hours of listening goes further. If you live on the phone, the M14’s 7 hours of calls does. Both need your phone nearby for music, calls, translation and the assistant. Translated audio is heard only by you; the other person reads the reply on your phone. More on calls in phone calls on smart glasses.

7. Which design suits whom

• Walkers, commuters on foot, dog walkers. Open-ear or bone conduction, because hearing traffic matters more than bass. The M08 on the sun or photochromic lens fits here.
• Cyclists and skiers.Open-ear audio keeps you aware of what is around you; the M14’s wrap shield and IPX4 are made for that kind of day. Rules on headphones while cycling vary by place; see smart glasses for cycling.
• Runners and club or league players. Many clubs, leagues, race organisers, gyms and golf courses set their own rules on audio devices and cameras. Check them before you wear audio glasses to a session or event. If you record other people, get their consent where the law requires it. Our running guide covers the rest.
• Drivers. Use audio for directions and calls only, keep your eyes on the road, and check local rules; read can you drive with smart glasses.
• Frequent flyers and loud commutes. Sealed in-ear earbuds. No open design competes with a seal in a jet cabin.
• Anyone who needs prescription lenses. A clip-on earpiece on your own frames, or an audio frame sold with prescription options. OXIVUE frames do not take prescription lenses.

8. The other meaning: glasses that sit under headphones

Part of this search is a different question: which glasses hurt least under over-ear headphones. The pain comes from the ear cushion pressing the frame’s arms into the side of your head. Thin, straight arms and headphones with soft, deep cushions and gentle clamping help. Audio glasses sidestep the issue by removing the headphones, at the cost of the isolation over-ear cans give you. If you game or work in a loud room for hours, keep the headphones and look for thinner frames instead.

For sunglasses specifically, see Bluetooth sunglasses, or compare every OXIVUE model on the comparison page.

Shipping, refunds and warranty. Free shipping from $99. US orders typically arrive in 5–9 business days; international orders take 9–14 business days after shipment, and import VAT or duties outside the US are paid by the recipient. No refunds except transit damage (replaced or refunded); faults are repaired or replaced under the 2-year warranty; change of mind and unmet expectations are not refundable. See the return policy and warranty.

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