If you’re someone who likes to workout to a particular playlist, or needs an audiobook to see them through the longer training days, it may be time to invest in some waterproof swimming headphones that can keep you company while you swim.
Whether you prefer a pair of dangling headphones for your indoor laps, or a robust headset that can handle open water, there are a number of options to consider below. We've even included a set of earphones that can be paired to a coaching radio so you can receive specific feedback on your form without leaving the water.
So if you're looking to tune out the rest of the world during your next water workout, take a look at our list of the best waterproof headphones for swimming.
Best swimming headphones
Shokz Openswim
- £169.95 / $149.95
Shokz (previously Aftershokz) is the first brand we’re aware of to bring bone conduction technology to market, several years ago now.
These hook over your ears and sit under your swim cap, with the conduction pads sitting just in front of your ears.
Sound quality was superb here, especially when worn in the water with earplugs, plus there’s a second setting you can use to enhance sound underwater versus using them on dry land.
Downloading music onto them was a bit of a faff in these days of streaming, but that goes for all of these units, as you can’t stream with Bluetooth underwater.
Once we had a playlist in place, though, these did a great job and with IP68 rating are fully waterproof, with eight-hour battery life (fair play if you can swim for that long!).
Our only niggle was that over long swims the top of the ‘wires’ started to press on our ears a bit painfully under our swim cap. It’s a minor niggle, though, for great sound.
Verdict: Designed with water in mind. Great sound quality, but bit of a faff to add music.
Score: 80%
Sony WS410 Walkman WS Series
- £99 / $99
The only unit on test to work more traditionally with earbuds placed in the ears, the Sony MP3 player is waterproof to 2m and features 4GB of storage, with a quoted 12 hours of battery life (depending on mode used).
It can withstand salt water and extremes of temperature, too.
Functioning as a traditional MP3 player, you again have to download music onto this unit like the Creative and Shokz units, which is frustrating and fiddly, and not helped by the strange pictorial instruction leaflet.
This unit is also the only one on test not to have Bluetooth, which means you can’t use it with your phone to stream sound when out of the water.
The unit was comfortable on the ears, though, and a choice of earbuds mean it’s easier to get the right fit.
The sound wasn’t as clear while swimming as when using a bone conduction unit with earplugs, but it did a good-enough job. The buttons were a bit small and fiddly when in the water too.
Verdict: Felt basic for the price and no Bluetooth limits usage; sound is okay.
Score: 64%
H2O Audio Sonar Pro
- £151 / $159.99
The Sonar Pro again works by bone conduction, but the ‘headphones’ are two units that clip onto your goggle straps to sit by the side of your ears.
That was a bit fiddly to get right at first, but once in place they sat well and avoided the irritation of having a band over your ears as with the others here.
This brand has also come up with a solution to needing to put music files onto the app in a time when most of us stream our sounds.
You download an app which links to the unit and ‘listens’ to music as you play it with your phone. It then essentially records it and allows playback through the unit.
It’s time-consuming, as you have to play the song in its entirety, but is still easier than downloading and converting files.
Sound quality was superb and we liked the simple, chunky buttons for use in the water.
Of course, you can’t use it out of the water (without goggles), but other units from H2O Audio are more versatile with the same tech.
Verdict: Interesting solution; great sound quality and easy to use. These are the best swimming headphones we've tested to date.
Score: 85%
Creative Outlier Free Pro
- £89.99 / $129.99
Comparing these to the Shokz is inevitable and the features are genuinely rather impressive, with 8GB of music storage and a 10-hour battery life.
They're Bluetooth-enabled and feature a built-in microphone for phone calls, a bonus over the Shokz.
Meanwhile, sound quality is decent, though lacking depth on some tracks.
While suitable for underwater listening, these earphones have their limitations, such as a 40-minute submersion limit (despite the IPX8 rating) and unsuitability for saltwater.
Oh, and you have to pop a plug into the mic hole before swimming, too, which is easily overlooked if you’re in a rush.
Verdict: Good for multi-use, but underwater performance lacking.
Score: 72%
Underwater Audio Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Headphones
- £62 / $60
Designed to be both comfortable and rugged, these earbuds from Swimbuds have a variety of tips available so you can find the best fit for your ear.
These include tree tips and fin tips, which have been specifically designed to keep out water, providing a tight seal while you swim.
Weighing just over 28g, they have a waterproof standard of IPX8 so you can take them into the water as far down as three metres, although it's advised you don't push them past this threshold.
Tayogo Waterproof MP3 Player
These headphones have an IPX8 waterproof rating which basically means they can be submerged up to three metres deep. Tayogo says they won't fall out while you swim, either, thanks to the adjustable band and snug earbud design.
With a built-in memory capacity of up to 8GB, you should be able to store 2,000 songs so it's unlikely you'll run out of your favourite albums anytime soon. You can even switch to an ebook on a longer training swim, with buttons on the back designed to help you control your audio.
These headphones are said to take between 90 minutes and two hours to fully charge, which Tayogo says will give you between four and seven hours of play time once you hit the water.
H20 Store Waterproof MP3 Player
This MP3 player and headphone set is fully waterproof down to a depth of 3.6 metres for an unlimited time, so you won't have to worry about cutting your training short, with 8GB of storage that will hold up to 2,000 tracks of your choice so you can play whatever gets you in the zone.
The headphones have been ergonomically designed to stay snug in your ears and the player comes with a handy clip that can be attached to the back of your goggles or swim cap.
While this set does have the option to pair with your smartphone using Bluetooth, it can’t stream music this way while underwater so this add-on would be be better suited to sitting poolside before or after your dip.
Aztine Bone Conduction Headphones
Taking the bone conduction approach, this headphone set from Aztine has an impressive 16GB of memory. The brand says this allows for 1,600 songs, so there'll plenty of choice on those longer training sessions.
They're rated waterproof to three metres, with eight hours of playtime to keep you entertained and motivated while you're on the move.
The headset is also adjustable and is said to be suitable for a variety of sizes and should stay firmly in place when it's set to how you like it.
Jukes Pro Training System
- Buy now from Jukes
If you’re looking for live advice from your swimming coach while you’re still in the pool, this clever headphone set should cut right through the noise.
Once paired with the Jukes radio worn by your coach you’ll be able to receive immediate feedback on your form as well as any workout instructions. They can even pipe music into the headset and deliver stroke beeps to keep you in time.
Claiming to deliver clear sound up to 150m in an indoor pool and 750m in an outdoor area like a freshwater lake, these headphones can be submerged up to 91cm deep for 30 minutes at a time.
Top image credit: Shokz
