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).
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 YouthWhisper SuperQ3 does a lot of things well within its limitations, as it doesn't have any onboard storage so you can't listen without a phone. However, Bluetooth works surprisingly well, and it's below $50 with good sound.
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
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: it's our top overall pick for a reason.
Read our full Shokz Openswim Pro review
The best multi-sport swimming 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
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
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
Even though the YouthWhisper SuperQ3 doesn't have any internal storage, it works perfectly well in the pool – provided you stay close to the surface. If you're happy to leave a streaming device poolside, you can use the YouthWhisper headset perfectly well for lengths in even large pools.
During our texts, we found the controls were intuitive and easy to use even when wet, and you can take hands-free calls in and out of the pool. It's a swim-friendly headset, but it suffers from the same problem all Bluetooth headsets do: Bluetooth doesn't travel well underwater.
Nevertheless, the sound quality is great and especially good for podcasts, as long as you wear the earplugs in the pool for best results. The fit is comfortable and the whole package works really well within Bluetooth technology's limitations. It's very cheap right now too.
Read our full YouthWhisper SuperQ3 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 Naenka Runner Diver headphones in our guide above have an onboard MP3 player with 16GB worth of storage – that's (very roughly) between 3,000 and 4,000 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.
