Waterproof earbuds with bluetooth

8 Best Waterproof Earbuds and Headphones of 2023

Run in a rainstorm, do laps in the pool—anything goes.

Listen up, we’re not talking workout headphones that get splashed with sweat or water. We’re talking headphones for swimmers, surfers, and iron men that are seeking tunes while they’re fully submerged.

But even those of us doing regular workouts might want waterproof music technology. You never know what kind of aquatic situation you might find yourself in, or when the rowing machine will kick your ass so bad your sweat ruins those regular ole headphones. So, add a pair of waterproof earbuds to your headphone collection. Better to be safe than sobbing over your drenched AirPods.

Hands-down best earbuds for swimming

Zygo Zygo Solo

Best Value Earbuds for Swimming

Sony NW-WS413 Waterproof Sports Wearable MP3 Player

Best Wired Earbuds for swimming

Underwater Audio Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Headphones

Most heavy-duty earbuds for swimming

H2O Audio Sonar Underwater Headphones with MP3

Best High-end Earbuds for swimming

FINIS Duo Underwater Music MP3 Player

Best Waterproofing on Workout Earbuds

Jaybird Vista 2

Best sound-quality earbuds for Sweaty workouts

Jabra Elite Active 75t Waterproof Wireless Earbuds

Most high-tech earbuds for sweaty workouts

Aftershokz Aeropex Waterproof Headphones

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We’ve reviewed the best waterproof headphones or earbuds, as well as provided tips for what to consider—namely types and waterproof rating—including options for both swimming and above-ground activities. Get one and you’ll comfortably get through a wet, hot, or maybe just sweaty, day.

Zygo Zygo Solo

Zygo Zygo Solo

Pros

Cons

The Zygo Solo headset is the only pair of swimming earbuds in existence that allows audio content to stream from a phone when underwater. (This is made possible by an accompanying FM transmitter set whose signal can penetrate water to deliver even podcasts and audiobooks as you dive deep.) These are also truly wireless, delivering sound through bone conduction—which means it’s eartip-free for better underwater comfort. Zygo even comes with an app that offers coaching tips and tricks. TL;DR: No other waterproof headphones are so divine.

Sony NW-WS413 Waterproof Sports Wearable MP3 Player

Sony NW-WS413 Waterproof Sports Wearable MP3 Player

Pros

Cons

Sony’s earbuds—or technically, wearable walkman—come with more features than most. Besides being fully waterproof (including against saltwater), they have ambient noise control, 4GB of music storage, and a quick-charge time of three minutes for an hour of playback. Plus, they’re strong enough to work in temperatures from 23 degrees to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and they’ll stay airtight against dust and dirt, making them exceptionally good for outdoor adventuring in places where Wifi and Bluetooth might be patchy. It’s your beloved Walkman, reimagined for 2022.

Underwater Audio Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Headphones

Underwater Audio Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Headphones

Pros

Cons

Wired earbuds? These are practically fossils. And so are MP3 players. But Underwater Audio actually makes both specifically for swimmers, and they have a niche but dedicated following. The wire of the Swimbuds is short enough to plug into Underwater Audio’s SYRYN MP3 player, which attaches to the back of your goggles. For use during a commute or a gym workout, the pack does include a cord extender, and four different eartip styles.

H2O Audio Sonar Underwater Headphones with MP3

H2O Audio Sonar Underwater Headphones with MP3

Pros

Cons

These headphones don’t require you to own a separate, waterproof MP3 player, which we’re assuming very few do. They have 8GB of storage, which is abundant space for your music. The built-in Bluetooth also works underwater for connecting to your underwater smartwatch, but the range is rather limited—at only four inches—so it’s best to secure your watch at the goggle. Though they’re certainly not the prettiest pair of headphones—a bit gimmicky-looking at that—they do hold tight. Besides, its big buttons are easier to press when you’re underwater.

FINIS Duo Underwater Music MP3 Player

FINIS Duo Underwater Music MP3 Player

Pros

Cons

The FINIS Duo headphones are designed to clip onto a pair of goggles to rest on your cheekbones in front of your ears, chunky control panel and all. You won’t get style points for these, but the tech is cool. FINIS transmits audio via bone conduction, which means you’ll get clear playback without having buds jamming into your ears. These headphones hold 4GB of music and are completely waterproof.

Jaybird Vista 2

Jaybird Vista 2

Pros

Cons

Here, we’ve crossed fully into the territory of waterproof earbuds that aren’t built for swimming and don’t have internal MP3 players. Wireless workout buds can withstand buckets of sweat and won’t tangle you in cords, but they can’t handle actual aquatics. This pair from Jaybird have an IP68 rating—about as close as earbuds will get to waterproof.

Jabra Elite Active 75t Waterproof Wireless Earbuds

Jabra Elite Active 75t Waterproof Wireless Earbuds

Pros

Cons

Jabra has Jaybird beat in a few areas: the charging case’s battery life and the sound quality are better, and the buttons are easier to operate. On the downside, they don’t fit quite so snuggly, and a vigorous workout might make them pop out. Wear them confidently for commuting in the rain or sweating lightly on a relaxed jog, though.

Aftershokz Aeropex Waterproof Headphones

Aftershokz Aeropex Waterproof Headphones

Pros

Cons

The Aeropex is another pair of headphones that uses bone conduction tech to play music through your skull, but via a much sleeker design. They loop behind the head and over the ears, with the actual bone-conducting piece taking up minimal space on your head. Your ears will be able to pick up sounds around you (sharks in the water, bikers on the sidewalks, that sort of thing), but there’s a noise-canceling feature if you’d prefer peace and quiet with your music. However, even though they’re waterproof, they’re not intended for swimming laps. Use them for water-adjacent sports, to lounge in the shallow end, or to gently doggy-paddle your way to the floating cooler.

IP Rating Tells You Everything

First, let us talk briefly about some rather technical, albeit vital, audio specifications. Waterproof headphones, like waterproof speakers, have IP ratings that indicate what kind of contact with water the hardware can handle. These are formatted as «IPXX,» and the second X is the important one: It tells you exactly how waterproof a pair of headphones is on a scale of zero to eight. The closer to eight, the better for swimmers and sweaters.

Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant

Now let’s get into some nitty-gritty of the second X with some examples. A pair of IPX7 headphones can be submerged in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes, while a set of IPX8 headphones can go beyond a meter for longer. The manufacturer will usually clarify if you can take it into saltwater. But a pair of earbuds rated IPX4, for example, is only resistant to splashes of water and sweat—no submersion. The first X rates how well the headphones protect against particles like sand and dust, on a scale of zero to six. (If an IP rating has an X instead of a number in it, like IPX4, that means it has not been officially tested for dust protection.)

Bluetooth vs. MP3 Storage

Once you know a pair of headphones are waterproofed to the extent your activity demands, consider whether you’d like them to feature internal MP3 storage for underwater stuff, or wireless connectivity for above-ground activities. If you’re a swimmer, you’ll need internal MP3 storage for listening to music under the surface; Bluetooth won’t transmit in water, meaning you won’t be able to hear your Spotify playlist from your smartphone. It’s old-school, but effective.

Bone Conduction

Lastly, there’s a third type of waterproof headphones that broadcast audio via an open-ear design through bone conduction, which literally means blasting music through your skull. Cool! You set them up around your cheekbone, and the sound will vibrate along your bones to be picked up by your ear organs. It might seem scary, but it’s actually rather neat for those who detest in-ear discomfort while underwater.

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