The Haylou PurFree BC01 is a bone-conduction headphone that is firmly aimed at delivering sound when you need to hear what is going on around you during training. It also has features that allow it to be used outside of exercise.

Powered by Qualcomm, the headphones are designed to handle sweaty workouts and feature two microphones to fight ambient noise so calls sound clean and clear. There is also a fast charge mode to enhance the battery department.

An impressive set of bone-conduction headphones has all the key ingredients to pick up, and they deliver well in the most important aspects. Keep scrolling to discover more in my full Haylou PurFree BC01 review below.

The Haylou PurFree BC01 is available in black and pink color options. They are the most affordable bone-conduction headphones I've seen, available directly from Haylou's website for $119/99 pounds, cheaper than the Shokz OpenRun Pro for $179/159 pounds and the Shokz OpenRun for $129/129 pounds.

They can also be found at online retailers. We regularly saw them discounted to $85 on Amazon, and even going up to $79.

The PurFree BC01 features a fairly familiar wraparound design made from titanium and silicone, making it light and comfortable when worn, and they certainly do that. Weighing only 0.98 ounces (about 28 g), they are comparable to some of the lightest bone-conduction headphones available. They are comfortable to wear for long periods of time during the day, with no problem wearing glasses or a hat.

It's always nice to see physical buttons, and there are a total of three here: two volume buttons are on the underside of the right arm, and the charging port is next to it. On the left side are dedicated large buttons for playing and pausing audio, skipping songs, activating the phone's smart assistant, and making calls. The buttons are well positioned and easy to operate when stationary or moving.

Haylow uses a dual microphone array with cVc noise canceling algorithms to detect and reduce ambient sound when you need to take a call indoors or outdoors.

Haylou uses a design with an IP67 waterproof rating for exercise, which means that while it does not rank as the best waterproof headphones for swimming, it can handle sweating and getting rained on.

Bone-conduction headphones also have some less desirable features. In general, they are not as powerful and low-frequency as the best wireless earbuds or the best headphones. They also leak a lot and do not always allow for customization of tone balance. Nonetheless, the PurFree BC01s maintain a good balance and do a very good job.

Haylou says you can expect "premium sound quality," which is certainly a bold claim, but this is definitely on the more enjoyable end of the bone-conduction spectrum. I used these headphones in a variety of situations. At my desk, at the gym, running, on public transportation, and just walking. I listened to a mix of podcasts, my own bass-heavy workout playlist, and Spotify's handy Songs To Test Headphones playlist (or Tom's Guide Headphone Demo playlist).

My overall impression of the sound is that it is bright, fairly versatile, and very pleasant in bone-conduction terms; on heavy bass tracks like Burial's "Archangel," it plays a punchy, slightly muddy bass, with a slight muddiness. The mids are a bit boxy and the highs can be a bit harsh, but mostly enjoyable. Slowing things down with Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" gives a pleasant reproduction of the vocals and allows for a safe listening experience for anything that is not generally bass-centric.

Leakage is a big problem for bone-conduction headphones; Haylou is not the worst problem, but you don't want to use them in quiet public places unless you want others to hear your playlist.

In terms of call quality, we found it to be a bit better, performing well in terms of overall clarity, especially in slightly louder environments, such as walking near a road or busy street. While the Haru does not rank high on the list of headphones with microphones that are best suited for calls, it was perfectly usable for indoor and outdoor calls, with minimal ambient noise.

Finally, multipoint sharing worked well and paired without issue with the iPhone 14, MacBook Air, and Garmin Epix Gen 2 sports watch. [The Haylou PurFree BC01 bone-conduction headphones promise about 8 hours of battery life. A full charge takes about 1.5 hours.

Achieving 8 hours of battery is absolutely possible. Even when the remaining charge is low, there is a quick charge mode that allows up to 2 hours of play time with a 10-minute charge.

When the headphones are turned on, a battery prompt appears. It would be more useful to see the battery percentage and know when the battery needs to be recharged.

The Haylou PurFree BC01 provides an enjoyable sound whether used for exercising or taking calls. They are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, have good battery life, and sound quality that rivals expensive bone-conduction headphones.