The best swimming headphones aren't like most conventional headphones. First, Bluetooth doesn't work well underwater, so they need to get around this problem with internal storage. Second, these are completely waterproof, not just rain- or sweat-resistant, designed to be worn in the pool and open water. Finally, in order to prevent issues with soundwaves travelling underwater, these swimming headphones use bone conduction technology.
All the headphones below can be worn above water too, making them ideal for runners who train in all weathers, and triathletes, but they're all at least rated to be waterproofed to IPX7 standard or above (more on the scale we measure waterproofing in much later). Almost all the models listed below also feature in our best bone conduction headphones guide, although the order has been moved around slightly to recognize the change in priorities for those looking specifically for swimming headphones.
The quick list
If you don’t have time to read our full guide to the best swimming headphones, you can read the round-up below for a shortcut to the top options for your needs and budget. You can use the jump links or scroll down to see our more comprehensive overview of the headphones and click through to a full review.
Best overall
Excellent sound performance, Bluetooth and MP3 support, and reliable waterproofing make these buds our top pick for most people.
Best multi-sport
There's bass-heavy sound and 8GB of memory here, and a mode that lets you use the headphones both in and out of the water.
Best premium
With 36GB storage, these headphones offer double the other options here. You can also stream music via Bluetooth when you're on land.
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Best stability
Our top pick for stability, these bone-conducting headphones deliver a light and secure fit that'll see you through workouts and swim sessions.
Best cheap headphones
The Jabees 7Seven swimming headphones do some things very well, especially for the low price. Its sound quality is a bit tinny above ground, but it's far cheaper than Shokz, H20 or Nank.
The best swimming headphones 2025
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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best swimming headphones in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best swimming headphones overall
✅ You want the best sound: The Openswim Pro sound great both in and out of the water with PremiumPitch 2.0.
✅ You want a comfortable fit: At 27g, you'll barely notice you're wearing the
❌ You're on a budget: Shokz headphones aren't cheap.
❌ You need adjustable arms: No bendy arms, or secure fit loop.
The Shokz Openswim Pro are top of our buying guide because they are very high-quality bone-conduction headphones with excellent waterproofing, designed to work on dry land and in the water alike. Most of the headphones on this list leave your ears free and work through bone conduction technology, but Shokz stands out from the pack.
You're able to stream music from your phone or music player using Bluetooth, but it's notoriously patchy underwater, so you also have 32GB of onboard storage in a built-in MP3 player. It's a small consolation if you mainly use streaming services like Spotify, but if you do have a music library it's the perfect swimming solution.
Otherwise, you can use them as a Bluetooth headset on runs, cycles and in the office and stay aware of your surroundings. Great battery life, comfortable with excellent performance thanks to its PremiumPitch 2.0+ technology: it's our top overall pick for a reason.
Read our full Shokz Openswim Pro review
The best multi-sport swimming headphones
✅ You use streaming services: Save your Playlists to listen to under the water.
✅ You want excellent sound: A great listening experience on land or water.
❌ You own all your own music: You're paying extra for a Playlist+ feature you won't use.
❌ You don't do multi-sports: If you're exclusively a swimmer, you might be better off with a pair of Shokz Openswim headphones.
The H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport waterproof open ear headphones make listening to music underwater feel like a party with its bass-heavy audio and their 8GB storage. We rated them our best bone conduction headphones for overall use, including multi-sport swimming, cycling and running. We called them "a triathlete's dream".
During testing, we found it easy to download and organize files how you want. If you're apprehensive about using an MP3 player in this day and age, don't be: the Pro version has a Playlist+ feature allowing you to save streaming playlists too.
If you do want to keep it to streaming, the headphones do have Bluetooth connectivity too, but Bluetooth still doesn't work as well underwater. Still, it does give you options to play around with.
The main button controls play, pause, toggling between Bluetooth and memory modes, and a few other functions, which need to be annoyingly precise and takes some getting used to. But in general, the headphones are excellent.
Read our full H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport review
The best premium swimming headphones
✅ You need adjustable arms: The only headphones on this list with full customisability.
✅ You want good battery life: 10 hours with fast charging!
❌ You use streaming services: No save-your-playlists features on the Runner Diver2 Pro.
❌ You need multipoint connectivity: Switch between Bluetooth devices with ease.
The Nank Runner Diver2 Pro sets itself apart from other bone conduction headphones on this list by offering an enormous amount of storage (32GB, enough for thousands of songs or podcasts) while still offering Bluetooth streaming options. These waterproof headphones are limited to Bluetooth otherwise, but they're excellent headphones with multi-device connectivity.
As well as earplugs, the malleable headset allows you to move the transducers closer and further away from your ears for your own comfort, while they can rest against the included earplugs for a closed-off listening experience. They last 10 hours with fast charging, and worked incredibly well during our testing both underwater during swimming and on the roads during runs.
Since it uses bone conduction, expect bass-heavy audio that lacks treble detailing. But, we didn’t find that particularly deal-breaking. Not for everything else you’re getting.
Read our in-depth Nank Runner Diver2 Pro review
The best swimming headphones for stability
✅ You're on a budget: The older, less powerful Openswim headsets are cheaper than the Openswim Pros.
✅ You want very light headphones: These are even lighter than the Openswim Pro.
❌ You have lots of music to store: Only 4GB storage means that you're limited.
❌ You need Bluetooth connectivity: No Bluetooth at all means you can only use your own music.
An excellent choice for all-around sporty types even if they are showing their age, these slim-fitting bone conduction waterproof headphones work both in and out of the pool. Containing an inbuilt MP3 player, they let you take your tunes with you when swimming while also allowing you to exercise to music away from your phone.
The Shokz Openswim only packs 4GB storage, much less than some of the products on this list, but this does make them lighter than the Pro.
When swimming, we found the Shokz OpenSwim best paired with swimming goggles or a swim cap to keep them in place. With a dedicated swim mode, the sound provided is clear enough, while not only will your ears be free from potential irritation incursions, you’ll be able to hear ambient noise, like the lifeguard blowing their whistle at you for excessive splashing.
Although offset by the other benefits, the lack of Bluetooth does mean you’re left to plug the headphones in to upload songs or podcasts, there’ll be no pairing with your phone to take calls. Still, if swimming is your main concern, these are an excellent choice.
Read our in-depth Shokz OpenSwim review
The best cheap swimming headphones
✅ You're on a budget: The 7Sevens are cheap and absolutely stuffed with features for the price.
✅ You need multipoint: Seamlessly switch from laptop to phone above the water.
❌ Sound quality is important: At higher volumes, we did experience transducer vibration and tinny sound.
❌ You need to swim for hours: Some of the headphones on this list last for 10 hours, compared to the Jabees' 5-hour battery life.
The Jabees 7Seven swimming headphones are a solid budget pick. They're never going to outperform the likes of Shokz, H20 or Nank in or out of the water, but that's to be expected given that they're around half the price.
What you do get is tons of storage for the cost at 32GB, a perfectly acceptable 5 hours of battery life, decent fit and comfort (although the arms aren't adjustable like the Nank, and a secure fit loop is practically a requirement to get a proper fit) and adequate sound below the water line.
Above ground, they're fine running headphones too, albeit a bit tinny, as the transducers simply aren't as good quality as Shokz. However, for shorter runs and casual swimming at a low price point, they're really very good.
Read our full Jabees 7Seven swimming headphones review
How to choose the best swimming headphones for you
First off, you need to check the headphones' IP code. IP, which stands for 'ingress protection'. The two-digit IP scale rates a device for waterproofing and dustproofing.
A rating of 0-6 for the first digit indicates protection against solid particles, with anything above 6 being rated 'X' – effectively impervious. The second indicates protection against liquid ingress, rated from 0-9. A score of 7 is the first number on the scale qualifying the device for total immersion in water, therefore 'IPX7' is the code to look out for.
The style you prefer is also worth considering when buying a pair of waterproof earbuds or headphones. If you like the fit and feel of regular in-ear headphones, a couple of earbuds might be your best bet. However, a pair of bone-conducting headphones will work best if you want to keep your ears free to tune into your environment.
It's also worth thinking about how you want to access your music. If you want to keep your phone by the side of the pool, regular Bluetooth earbuds just won't cut it underwater.
If you don't want to rely on your phone, you'll need a pair of swimming headphones with a built-in MP3 player. You'll just need to be sure to look into how much storage you're getting. For example, the Nank Runner Diver2 Pro headphones in our guide above have an onboard MP3 player with 32GB worth of storage – that's (very roughly) around 8,000 MP3s.
Can you use Bluetooth headphones while swimming?
Not usually, because Bluetooth signals don't travel far through water. If you can attach your smartwatch to a pair of swimming goggles, you may be able to use it to stream music to a pair of headphones, but not all watches and headphones support this.
Can you swim with Apple AirPods?
No, the Apple AirPods, AirPods 3, and AirPods Pro aren't fully waterproof. Only headphones specially designed for swimming should be worn in open water or the pool.
How we test the best swimming headphones
We've tested every pair of swimming headphones in this list and in order for them to be included in this very select and specific roundup, we needed each pair of headphones to excel at a number of things.
The first thing, of course, is effective waterproofing – you need these swim-specific headphones to survive multiple dunks in the drink. But that is closely followed by audio performance, battery life, wearer security, comfort and ease of use. An IPX7 rating should not mean poor sound quality and we made sure to check for that.
From there, we looked at Bluetooth connectivity – or alternatives to it, such as onboard storage or (anyone familiar with smartphones knows that generally, they don't play well with water) or FM radio transmitters. Elsewhere, on-device controls, comfort, value for money and of course decent sound quality helped us to reach our verdicts.
Our testing is independent – there are no sales teams involved in our review process. That is why if you take the plunge (see what we did there?) and buy a set of waterproof headphones from this buying guide, you can rest assured you're purchasing a TechRadar-approved product. For more information, you can check out our page on how we test. Happy shopping – and safe swimming.
