There’s no better way to listen to music in the water than with the best bone-conduction headphones. Sure, a lot of earbuds these days, especially of the workout variety, have a relatively high water resistance, but they can only stay in the water so long. There are even some waterproof options out there, but they still aren’t ideal. That’s because all wireless earbuds rely on Bluetooth connectivity, which just doesn’t work well in the water.
Bone-conduction headphones are the best headphones for swimming for a few reasons. First, since they don’t go inside your ear and transmit sound through your cheekbones, you don’t have to worry about them popping out or water seeping in and interrupting your hearing. Second, many of the models meant for swimmers address the Bluetooth issue. They feature a built-in MP3 player, FM transmitter, or some other technology, so you can listen to whatever you want without an intermittent connection.
However, not all bone-conduction headphones are right for the job. The best bone-conduction headphones for swimming included on this list were selected because of their IP rating (determines water resistance level), connectivity type, audio quality, battery life, build quality, and integrated player. With that in mind, here are the best bone-conduction headphones for swimming.
Listening to music underwater comes with a unique set of issues, so bone conduction technology is often the best way to address those problems. Since this tech sends sound waves through your bones, it’s the ideal way to listen to music because you don’t have to worry about anything outside the ear canal getting in the way. They’re also versatile enough for other activities like cycling, jogging, and more. Athletes appreciate them for such activities as well, because they allow you to still fully hear your surroundings.
The Naenka Runner Diver 2 bone conduction headphones are a great option, with their impressive onboard memory, long battery life, and solid audio performance. They’re at the mid-upper end of this class’ price range, but they are reliable and get the job done.
As far as budget goes, the Tayogo Bone Conduction Headphones offer quite a bit of storage without a hefty investment. And, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, the H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport with Playlist+ have the technology to download any and everything from your Spotify account, making the whole process of uploading MP3s to your headphones a thing of the past.
Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app they will start using it!
