This Futuristic Headband Vibrates Music Through Your Skull

When shopping for new headphones, there are a few things everyone should consider, including sound and build quality, the type and design, and of course, comfort and wearability. After a while, earbuds and headphones can be painful to wear, and taking them off every 5 minutes to be a functioning part of society is less than ideal. UK-based creative agency StudioBananaThings has invented a device that allows you to listen to your favorite playlist without sacrificing your ears and awareness of the outside world to the beat.

StudioBananaThings // Kickstarter

The BATBAND is a Bluetooth headphone set that more closely resembles a headband, sitting above the listener’s ears instead of covering or resting in them. Using what is called bone conduction, the headset sends the sound vibrations directly through the skull, bypassing the outer ear so that the person wearing it can still hear his/her surroundings. The BATBAND also features a microphone for hands-free, incognito call-making.

StudioBananaThings started a Kickstarter project to fund production of the devices, and with 39 days left the agency has already exceeded its goal by nearly 180 percent (there is still an opportunity to pledge and pre-order the headsets). Check out the first-wear reactions of BATBAND prototype users in the introduction video below.