We've tested these stylish sports headphones - and wangled a discount
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Nank is a company you might not have heard of before, but I've tested some of their flagship "Runner Diver" bone conduction headphones before, and they were mighty impressive.
So when I was offered a chance to test a much cheaper pair of their new Runner Air headphones, I was keen to take the opportunity.
Unlike the Runner Divers, these use air conduction. Air conduction transmits a sound directly into the ear, unlike the extremely clever bone conduction system which sends sound waves through the bones in your skull.
The result, in theory, is a better quality sound, but often at the cost of a little comfort, as they have to sit much closer to your ear, rather than rest gently on the skin just in front of them.
Also unlike the Runner Divers, the Runner Airs don't have noise cancelling, and they don't have the same level of waterproofing, but they are cheap. Seriously cheap.
If you can catch a deal on Nank's website you'll save 40% off the £74.63 benchmark price, bringing the cost down to £44.78. However, Nank has offered our readers a code knocking a further 15% off at the checkout, which brings them down to about £38. Just enter Skimlinks15 at the checkout.
It's a seriously tempting price, then, but are they any good? Fundamentally, air conduction should sound better. It should offer a deeper bass and more clarity to the high notes.
There isn't a remarkable difference, truth be told, between these and the Runner Divers, but they do cost around a third of the price. So that's not surprising.
Importantly, though, they don't sound bad. There's plenty of definition to the sound, and given that these are open ear headphones, they have more punch and volume than you might expect. Especially for the price.
They fit nicely and securely, and they're able to cope with a few generous splashes, thanks to IPX5 waterproofing.
Bluetooth 5.4 is a nice edition, and the battery life is very impressive, with up to 10 hours of playtime.
Sports headphones predominantly need to feel secure and comfortable. Sound quality and functionality is a bonus beyond that, and these definitely tick the right boxes. I also really love the stylish red and blue colour, although a more sober white and grey is available too.
For this price, especially after our exclusive discount, they really do punch above their weight. Of course, if you spend more you'll get a higher quality sound, or perhaps a better battery life, but it's hard to see why you'd bother. Unless you're a geeky audiophile, or you're into extreme sports, these will be absolutely fine for most people.