Right from rejuvenating the mood, boosting up the energy level to reducing boredom- music can do anything in the world. All you need is a good pair of headphones and a list of your favorite tracks to play along with, wherever you are! Yes, you heard it right- “wherever” you are- even if it is underwater.
Those days are long past when people used to listen to the songs that were played commonly on the central speaker, on someone’s MP3 player, or the PA system of the swimming pool. People now prefer to have their rhythm and their tracks to get motivated. Whether you are relaxing in your pool, practicing lapses underwater, surfing, or wakeboarding- activities underwater can drain out your energy more than your usual workout session in a gym. Therefore, tuning in to your favorite playlist or listening to the podcast can work as a constant boost to keep your momentum going during your practice session.
Best Headphones for Swimming
Now, while a small waterproof speaker can do the job, you will not be able to hear the music clearly when you go underwater. Music or sound does not gel with water well, which is why, once you dive into the pool, you can only hear the sound of the water sloshing and everything else becomes indistinct. But, thanks to the constant innovation in technology, we have reached a phase today where everything is made possible.
Do Underwater Headphones Really Exist? Why Do People Need Headphones for Swimming?
The underwater headphones in the present day can go into the water. They are designed with the ability to play tracks that you can hear even when you are submerged in the pool. Engineered with state-of-the-art technology, these waterproof headphones are indestructible in water.
In case you might be wondering what these waterproof headphones are or how they are made, well, they are pretty similar to the usual headphones. The only difference being, the internal wiring, and components of these headphones are given a waterproof coating, so they can sustain underwater. The external body of these headphones is also made with water-repelling materials.
There are different sports headphones available in the market and they all are water-resistant to some extent. While some are just splash or sweat-resistant, some have waterproof capabilities and are indicated by the IPX7. These waterproof headphones or earbuds are not worth considering if you are planning on taking long lapses under the water for several hours. You would probably need IPX7 to IPX9 K-rated products to withstand the depth and pressure of the water as well as for a longer time. Irrespective of that, the very first thing is a concern with Bluetooth connectivity.
These headphones are paired with mobile via Bluetooth and the mobile devices are most likely not water-resistant to keep near the swimming pool. With that said, keeping the device far away may give you a broken signal as you will go out of the Bluetooth range. Speaking of Bluetooth, the signals do not travel through the water. This means that these waterproof headphones will not be able to give you the expected audio output under the water owing to the poor transmission of the RF waves in H2O, so what’s the point, right?
Underwater Headphones With Integrated MP3 Players
This has resulted in the construction of the ‘underwater headphones with integrated MP3 players’ that we will cover in this article today. These headphones store your list of tracks and listen to them while swimming. Another interesting technology that has been around in the market for some time now when you look for some of the best headphones for swimming is the “Bone conduction technology”.
To those who haven’t heard about the bone-conducting headphones or this technology, here is a sneak peek into what they are. Even though this concept hasn’t reached that much popularity yet as the other underwater headphones, the audio gears that have the Bone conduction technology integrated into them have pretty solid performance and give you a better listening experience when you are in the water. These audio gears rest on your temple very close to the ears. The sound is transmitted from the drivers (or the transducers) through the bone of your face and straight into your inner ears without involving the external ear or the eardrum.
Bone conducting headphones make one of the best waterproof headphones for swimming, although it can be a rather expensive option among all the other waterproof headphone variants.
Now that you are certain that underwater headphones do exist, let’s move on to the next section. If you are looking for waterproof earbuds and do not know which one would be ideal for you, don’t worry! We have got it covered for you. Through the next sections of the article, we will cover some of the best headphones for swimming and their features, along with some of the factors you need to consider while buying waterproof earbuds for swimming. Let’s get started…
Best Headphones for Swimming: Top-rated Waterproof Earbuds for Swimming
If you are into the pool and intend to do much more than just relaxing, like practicing lapses for your next tournament for several hours, then you need something more durable and waterproof audio gears than just a regular sports wireless earbud that connects via Bluetooth. To keep you entertained and tick away your miles in the water, there are waterproof earbuds for swimming available out there that come in different styles, features, technology, and under different price tags.
The waterproof headphones may sound and look pretty similar to the regular ones, but they significantly differ in the overall construction of these headphones or the earbuds. The headphones are made to be highly waterproof (with the highest rating like the IPx7 to IPX9). There are also wired and wireless options. While the wired ones will need a waterproof MP3 to connect to, the wireless ones have in-built MP3 and memory to store the tracks.
Here’s a list of some of the best headphones for swimming based on the reviews and recommendations from the users and the experts:
Sony NW-WS623: (Overall Best Headphones for Swimming)
When it comes to sound, Sony remains a leader with its unbeatable bass-boosted sound quality, doesn’t matter whether you are on land or in water. Coming back to underwater headphones, these pairs from Sony have considered the overall best bass headphones for swimming with the stellar features and build quality.
With an IPX8 rating, these waterproof headphones are designed for all water bodies that can submerge up to 6.50 feet deep. You can use them anywhere. These are waterproof earbuds for swimming with in-ear fit so sealing the buds into the ear perfectly is important here.
The integrated MP3 player with a 4 GB memory allows you to have an unlimited collection of music without having to worry about the repetition of the tracks, and it supports multiple file formats. The earbuds come in neckband style and sit secured underwater.
The best part about this pair is its incredible battery life of 12 hours which means you can have a powered-up training session for hours without experiencing a dead battery. Its 3 minutes power charge gives you an additional battery of 60 minutes which is a pretty good job done by the brand.
NW-WS623 carries a price tag of $129.99 which is decent when compared with some other top brands, but it varies with the color. So, if you are looking for high-quality waterproof earbuds for swimming, this is surely worth consideration.
Point to Note:
The only downside about this product is, it uses Sony’s proprietary charging case. Also, if not worn properly, it may get slightly uncomfortable with a swimming cap on.
Pyle Flextreme MP3 Player Bluetooth Waterproof Headphones: (Best Headphones for Swimming for Budget Buyers)
With an IPX8 waterproof rating and strong build, these are some of the best headphones for swimming within an affordable price range of $48.59. This is an incredible deal especially considering that it is equipped with all the features that you expect to see in high-end waterproof headphones.
The earbuds sound great underwater with well-balanced bass, mids, and highs. They are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. With integrated MP3 and a huge memory of 8 GB that lets you store up to 2000 songs, your extended swimming practice sessions cannot get any better.
These waterproof earbuds for swimming have battery dynamics of 10 hours on a single charge, which will last for as long as you want to be in the water. The earbuds also come with water obstructing ear tips and three sports eartips for the most convenient use.
Downsides:
It may not be ideal for Apple users, as the support for Apple file formats isn’t great. The control buttons are too tiny so it might seem a bit challenging to navigate initially but once you get used to it, it should be better.
AfterShokz Xtrainerz Bone Conduction Headphones: (Best Bone Connecting Underwater Headphones)
If you are getting bothered with the ear tips inside your ears when taking lapses, then these underwater headphones are your go-to. The headphone features bone conducting technology with an open ear construction, ensuring that you don’t have to deal with the ear tips inside your ear canal anymore. While enjoying your music or podcast, you also get to stay aware of what is happening around with this model.
The IP68 rating indicates that this headphone is water-resistant, so you can submerge it into 2 meters deep water without worrying about damage for about 2 hours. Now, this may not be the best option if you want extended lapse training, as it can remain underwater for 2 hours. However, this is great for water sports lovers, workout sessions, or if you want to relax in the pool with some good music with excellent sound quality accompanying you.
With a memory capacity of 4 GB and a battery life of 8 hours without any break, you can have a huge mix of songs and can never get bored. These bone conducting ears buds will cost you around $259.00 which is definitely on the higher end of the price scale.
Drawback:
These waterproof earbuds for swimming are not supported by Bluetooth, which means you cannot wirelessly transfer data from your mobile to its storage. The songs played are random, and you cannot skip a track.
AGPTEK IPX8 Waterproof in-Ear Earphones: (Pocket Friendly Waterproof Earbuds for Swimming)
If you are not up for investing a big amount for your underwater headphones but want something that can hold up to the level of some of the best headphones for swimming, then look no more!
AGPTEK is a fully waterproof pair of earbuds suitable for any kind of water sport you name it or even swimming. The most significant thing about this pair of waterproof headphones is that it is wired unlike the ones listed so far. Connect it to a waterproof MP3 player if you own one. The headphone also comes along with one made by the same company.
Irrespective of the price, the audio quality of the earbuds is pretty good with a well-balanced sound profile. It also comes with coiled wire for convenient and tangle-free use. If you choose to go with the AGPTEK MP3 player, then it is an incredible product with 8 GB memory and 18 hours of playback time on a single charge if used at moderate volumes. One of the cheapest underwater headphones, these will cost you around $13.99 (this price is excluding the MP3 Player).
Drawbacks:
The headphones do not have an inline control, so you will have to use the MP3’s controls to navigate to different functions.
HydroActive Waterproof Headphones: (Convenient Waterproof Earbuds for Swimming)
HydroActive headphone comes with an ergonomic design for the most comfortable fit. With its short cord and around the head design, the earbuds are pretty easy to deal with underwater. A long enough connecting cord can be connected to the MP3 player without tugging. Speaking of MP3 players, you need to get one separately and these headphones can work wonders. The headphone is fully waterproof with an IP8 rating making it perfect for any type of water sport.
One of the best headphones for swimming under the “wired” category, these audio gears come with a wide selection of different ear tips in different styles and sizes like trees, winged tips, and more. This allows you to choose what works best for you depending on what water activity you are into. These headphones have a price tag of $90.00.
Finis DUO: (Best Headphones for Swimming With Bone Conduction Technology)
Here are yet another bone conduction underwater headphones with solid performance and one of the top choices of many swimmers. Well, this budless pair is a combination of headphones plus an MP3 player with an internal memory of 4 GB that keeps you boosted up the entire practice session.
This audio gear conveniently fits into the straps of your swimming goggles and offers the next quality sound even when under the water. The overall build is sturdy and durable and can hold up well against an active swimming life. Rated for IPX8 waterproofing, this can be submerged for long hours in the pool. With its easy-to-operate navigation buttons, you will find this one to be a super user-friendly gadget when in water. Finis Duo will cost you around $140.00 which is quite reasonable when compared with some of the other top bone conduction waterproof headphones available in the market.
H2O Audio Sonar Waterproof Headphones: (Best Headphones for Swimming With Bluetooth and Storage Memory)
A great pair of underwater headphones can make your swimming experience wonderful. Audio Sona from H2O is a pair of bone conduction headphones that can be hooked with your swimming goggles.
One of the unique attributes of these waterproof headphones is that, other than its internal memory of 8 GB that can store a huge library of tracks, it can also connect via Bluetooth underwater! This is possible by pairing the Bluetooth with the smartwatch, but the smartwatch needs to be closer to the headphones as the range isn’t great under the water. So you can strap the smartwatch with your goggles.
The audio quality is pretty good with clear and crisp notes at every frequency level. The battery life is about 7 hours per full charge which is decent enough, even though some other similar products deliver a higher battery performance than this. This audio gear will cost you $99.99 which is fair pricing for a product like this.
Disadvantage:
You will always need a pair of goggles to wear on, should you use this product as it cannot be worn without them.
Swimbuds MP3 Wearable Audio Player:
Equipped with a built-in MP3 player, these waterproof earbuds for swimming are ergonomically designed to fit perfectly in the ears with its MP3 come control panel resting behind the upper ears. The control buttons are prominent and raised for easy operation and navigation while swimming.
The generous 8 GB space is good enough to have around 1800+ tracks. The headphones come with 11 different pairs of ear tips in 4 different styles (trees, fins,ergos, and rounds). This allows you to get the best and the most comfortable fit. Unlike a few other underwater headphones, this pair supports Apple file formats allowing you to easily transfer data from iTunes.
The battery life is 7 hours which is decent. These Swimbuds will cost you $80.00 which is quite competitive for a pair of underwater headphones with an integrated MP3 player.
Zygo Solo: (Durable Underwater Headphones With a Transmitter)
Here’s a premium-priced waterproof headphone that uses budless bone conduction technology to stream audio underwater-one of the best ways to get rid of the wires and cables. Made with superior and durable material these audio gears are perfect for both freshwater and saltwater. The touch sensor controls are smooth and easy to navigate.
Although supported by Bluetooth, the earbuds have their unique way of streaming audio underwater through radiofrequency waves as Bluetooth hardly as signal passing through water. It comes with an RF transmitter that can be kept at the poolside. You can enjoy anything from your phone, right from podcasts to music to work out instructions. Speaking of the podcasts, these are the best headphones for podcasting that you might want to check. Another interesting thing about the transmitter is that it doubles as a walkie-talkie to add some fun to your user experience.
This unique and effective method of audio streaming also offers pretty amazing sound quality under the pool- way better than some other bone conduction headphones available in the market. With a well-adjusted deep bass, to crist and sculpted mids and highs, you are sure to get impressed with the overall sound delivery. Solo has a price tag of $299.00, sure an expensive one so does some research to see if this is something you need before investing in it.
Downsides:
You will need to plug your ears to get a better sound; the battery life is average with the earbuds having a run time of 3 hours and the transmitted with playback of 8 hours.
Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Headphones: (Best Headphones for Swimming Bundle)
Made with durable and sturdy material, these waterproof headphones bundled with a user-friendly MP3 player are a great option to consider. The entire set has an IPX8 rating making it completely waterproof and suitable for submerging in water for long hours.
The earbuds feature impressive sound quality and seal inside the ear canal tightly for the best experience. The MP3 player has an 8 GB large internal space that can store close to 2000 tracks. The easy-to-use tactile buttons on the player allow effortless operation when in water. It also has a 10 hours long battery life which is pretty impressive.
The earbuds have short cords that can go around the head without having to deal with tangles. It also comes with four different types of ear tips including mushroom, ergo, round and tree so you can choose the best fit for you. You will get this bundle at a fair price of $89.95 online.
Downside:
These underwater headphones set does not show a low battery indication or warning, you will always have to be on top of it to charge the MP3 on time.
H2O Audio Stream 2:
One of the best headphones for swimming, Audio Stream 2 is a choice of many swimmers and water sport enthusiasts. This pair of earbuds come bundled with a waterproof, high functioning, durable and Bluetooth-supported MP3 player. Unlike its predecessor, this new version Stream 2 is compatible with Apple’s M4a format (music from iTunes) along with all the other file formats like FLAC, MP3, WMA, and APE.
The Audio Surge earbuds have a short cord for convenient use. When it comes to the sound quality, the headphone delivers powerful and high-quality stereo sound. The fitting gel that comes in the pack allows you to seal the ear tips perfectly into the ear for best results.
The MP3 player has big and prominent tactile buttons for different functionality like play/pause, Bluetooth pairing, Volume controls, forward/ rewind, and even shuffle buttons. The hydrodynamic premium design allows you to clip the MP3 in goggles, swimming cap, or even to the costume depending on your convenience. The earbuds have a price tag of $90.00.
Honorable Mentions for Bluetooth Swimming Headphones
Here are a few more options of waterproof earbuds for swimming that are worth consideration:
- TOZO T10 true wireless waterproof earbuds with an IPX8 rating
- JBL Endurance DIVE waterproof earbuds for swimming
- MIUSUK waterproof earbuds for swimming
- Tayogo IPX8 MP3 bone conduction underwater headphones with FM radio
Parameters to Consider Before Buying Best Waterproof Headphones
When you look around a headphones store for a pair of waterproof ones suitable for swimming and water sports, you will come across several options. But, how do you know which is the best one and suits your needs perfectly? Well, here are some of the parameters that you need to consider when choosing the right swimming headphone for you:
Check the IPX Rating:
One of the primary factors to consider is the IPX rating of the headphones. For the earbuds or the headphone to have 100% waterproofing capabilities, the headphone has to have a rating of IPX8 or above. The higher the rating the better it is. If you need a headphone that can keep you pumped for several hours under the water while you practice your lapse, then go for one that at least has an IPx8 rating. While you have to check the rating of the product, do make sure to go with a good, well-reputed brand to avoid fake ratings. Avoid the ones that you are not sure of.
Durable Build:
Underwater headphones must be durable and sturdy to make sure they do not get damaged by the minerals present in the water body or the swimming pool. They also need to be strong enough to hold up against the pressure underwater. So it is always recommended to go for one with high quality, strong build. Sometimes, the headphones sold with an extremely low price tag may seem lucrative, but there may be hidden issues like low-quality build material.
Battery Life:
The battery dynamics of underwater headphones must be excellent if you want the headphone to give you long hours of playback time. You do not want to invest in underwater headphones that shut off after a couple of hours.
The headphones that have integrated headphones depend on their batteries to run. Go for the one that has several hours of playback time. Some of the best headphones for swimming will have 7 to 10 hours of playback time on a single charge.
MP3 Players Integrated Into the Headphones:
Well, this one is critical when you do not want to carry multiple different accessories under the water like a separate earphone along with an MP3 player to clip on to your goggles. In that case, you can go for swimming earbuds with a built-in MP3 that has its internal memory for storing files. We have listed in the previous section some of the best headphones for swimming with integrated MP3 and without it as well.
Stable Fit:
It can get super annoying if you have to keep adjusting your earbuds of the headphones while taking a lapse. Choose a headphone or the earphone that you think is best suited for you in terms of both comfort and fitting. You can go for the lightweight ones. Many earbuds also come with a wide range of ear tips with different designs so you can choose which one works best for you.
Sound Quality:
It is important to check the quality of sound the headphone delivers underwater because the whole purpose of getting an underwater headphone is so that it can keep you boosted up while you are on your extended practice sessions. That is why it makes sense to invest in a pair of headphones that can give you loud and clear sound even underwater. Now that we are in the context of sound quality, these are the best mixing headphones that you can buy today.
Conclusion
Several headphones and earbuds available in the market are advertised by the manufacturers as versatile earbuds oriented for sports of any sort. While they are capable of being extra durable and can hold up well against an active lifestyle, there is a huge difference between these and the ones that are designed specifically for swimming. It is important to check the IPX rating of the headphones to ensure they have a fully waterproof build. Many companies build amazing headphones (wired and wireless) and MP3 players with different features that work perfectly underwater. We have listed some top-rated ones in this article to help you choose the best. Hope this helps you with your search!
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ’s):
No, you cannot swim with IPX7 rated headphones on as they can sustain only in 1 meter deep water for about 30 minutes. While you can use these headphones for other water sports that do not involve diving or anything beyond 1 meter, you need to get audio gears with a higher IPX rating for using underwater.
Well, saltwater can indeed damage the audio gears easily and shorten their lifespan. But that said, all the headphones that are specifically designed for swimming are made with materials that can hold up pretty well in any type of water be it salt water, chlorinated pool water, or freshwater. Additionally, you can also wash the headphones after every use for them to last long.
No, none of the versions of Bluetooth work underwater because the water molecules obstruct the signals of the radio frequency waves that Bluetooth uses. That is why the Bluetooth connection fails when the device is underwater.