8 Best Waterproof Bluetooth Headphones For Swimming in 2018 Review (IPX Rated)

Just five years ago, Bluetooth wireless headphones were very rare, and the ones that did exist didn’t exactly have the best sound quality. At the same time, water-resistant or waterproof (IPX rated) headphones were just starting to appear. Now, the market for headphones that are wireless and also waterproof is thriving.

How Will You Choose An Underwater Brand?

You should do research on underwater headphones before purchasing them. You can go with a popular brand such as Sony, but there are many other brands that make good underwater headphones as well, such as Senso and Mpow.

What Is The Difference Between Water-Proof And Water-Resistant Brands?

Water-resistant headphones aren’t necessarily protected from all types of water. They can withstand sweat and light rain, but you want to buy waterproof headphones for more serious encounters with water. If you sweat a lot while exercising, water-resistant headphones should be fine.

What Purpose May You Choose Waterproof Headphone For?

Waterproof headphones are made for more serious encounters with water. They are great for swimming, will withstand most rain showers, and will survive being dropped into a toilet or bathtub, just as long as they aren’t left under for too long.

Why Choose The IPX-Rated Brand?

IPX-rated headphones have been tested and certified with the International Protection Marketing standard. If a brand claims to be water-resistant or waterproof without an IPX rating, you should stay away from it. Headphones with an IPX rating of 4 are sweat resistant (good for workouts) and can sustain light rain showers. However, if you plan to go swimming with your headphones or want to protect them from being completely submerged in water, they should have an IPX rating of 5 or higher. The average waterproof headphones have an IPX7 rating

The Best Waterproof Bluetooth Headphones…

Some of these wireless headphones listed have as good sound as those that are $100 or more, and many of these allow you to make decent phone calls as well. Before you go out and spend several hundred dollars on Bluetooth headphones, take a look at this list of quality wireless Bluetooth headphones that you can comfortably sweat with and, in most cases, even swim with.

01. Plantronics BackBeat Fit

Plantronics, known for making headphones that have heavy duty strength and lightweight construction, hit a home run with the BackBeat Fit. They don’t look particularly special but are incredibly durable. The BackBeat headphones don’t have audiophile quality sound but produce decent quality highs, mids, and lows for $92. They have an IP57 (the 5 in this case is for dust) and can withstand being submerged into water for a short period of time.

The BackBeat Fit headphones will easily connect to your Bluetooth devices and barely have any problems keeping the connection. The headphones only cut only twice when testing for one week, and that was when walking in heavy traffic.

The battery life is decent too, allowing for seven or eight hours per charge — although fully charging the headphones takes up to two hours. Still, these aren’t the type of headphones you will need to charge every single night.

02. Senso Bluetooth Headphones

Don’t let the $30 price tag fool you – the Senso Bluetooth headphones are reliable ones that offer surprisingly good sound for their price. They have been compared to the Powerbeats3 Wireless, which aren’t fully waterproof and cost $150 more.

The Senso Headphones have a simple (but elegant) style, and the buds fit in your ears without torturing them. Their IPX7 rating helps them withstand immersion in one foot of water for up to 30 minutes. The sound quality leans towards the mids, but also offers undistorted bass. There have been some reported connection issues when the headphones first came out, but a firmware update has fixed this.

Battery life is very good, with the Senso usually lasting eight to nine hours per charge. However, they still take two hours to charge. In any case, judging by the reviews on Amazon and other sites, owners of the Senso headphones are elated about their purchase.

03. Sony Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH70 Black

Remember the days of Bose vs. Beats headphones? Those days are long gone now as Sony has proven to make the best wireless Bluetooth headphones on the market. The SBH70 earbuds certainly live up to Sony’s reputation. They are one of the best underwater headphones in any category.

These Sony buds are light and can be worn very comfortably to the point where you forget about them being around your neck, although your ears can certainly feel them. The band that holds the buds is also very flexible, and the neckband doesn’t wiggle around much when you exercise.

As with Sony’s other headphone products, the SBH70 buds, which have an IPX7 rating, have great bass, even though these distort slightly at higher volumes. The highs and the mids take a backseat to the bass, but not too much. The SPH70 buds offer an excellent audio experience considering they are under $100.

Besides the great audio, the SPH70 buds also offer very good battery life, and they block out some of the ambient noise when you make phone calls. Best of all, they even vibrate when a call comes in.

04. Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Headphones

For less than $30, these Anker SoundBuds are a steal. They also offer some important things that even higher-priced waterproof Bluetooth headphones don’t have, including metallic housing and a mic.

The Anker SoundBuds are compatible with aptX sound, which is a high quality codec that is supposed to produce CD-quality sound, but the device you are playing from has to have aptX as well. The iPhone doesn’t, but most Android smartphones, especially those made by Samsung, do.

The sound is god considering you are paying under $30, but it’s better for watching videos than listening to music, where the bass is somewhat muffled and the treble is harsh (some equalizer settings on your phone can help this a little bit). The carry an IPX5 rating, which means they’ll be far more resistant to sweat than heavy water, although they will survive momentary drops in your toilet or in the rain.

They offer decent (but not great) battery life at seven hours, and they fit well with minimum Bluetooth connection issues. If you are not a stickler for sound and want headphones that won’t take too much of a bite out of your wallet, these are the Bluetooth wireless and (somewhat) waterproof headphones to get.

05. Edelin Bluetooth Headphones – Wireless Earbuds

Edelin isn’t a very well-known company, and their earbuds, which can be purchased for under $30, have barely been discussed. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not good. In fact, they are perfect for joggers or swimmers (IPX7-RATED). They also offer decent noise reduction.

The buds, which come in a stylish green box that includes a nice round black case, come in different sizes in order to best fit your ear canals. The chord that holds them together looks thin, but it is pretty durable. They fit your ears comfortably but can get slightly loose.

The battery life isn’t that great (six hours), but the buds take only an hour to charge. The sound, which is bass heavy with recessed highs, won’t get any awards, but it is decent enough. You won’t hear much distortion unless you turn the volume up really high. The earbuds do have a mic (on the right bud), and the phone quality is good as long as you are not talking in a crowded environment.

06. Mpow Flame Bluetooth Headphones

The Mpow Flame Bluetooth Headphones have been a favorite among Amazon reviewers, and although they are only around $20, the buds don’t operate cheaply. Not only are these one of the best underwater headphones for swimming, but they also offer the type of bass you only hear in headphones for over $100. These are made for people who listen to hip-hop or dance music.

Unlike other headphone buds, Mpow includes a pair of memory-foam ear tips, which work better and are more comfortable than rubber ear tips to form an almost perfect seal. The Mpow Flame Bluetooth Headphones will last you 7-9 hours per charge. The 1.5-hour charge time isn’t the most convenient, but it’s better than others in this class.

Call quality is pretty clear, and even though audio sometimes cuts out when the phone is in your pocket, it’s not a deal breaker as software updates have made the problem more tolerable.

07. Bluetooth Headphones, SHUHUA

The SHUHUA Wireless sports earbuds are perfect for jogging, running, and even hiking. And if you accidentally drop them in a big puddle, they will survive as their IPX7 rating indicates. The Silica gel used on the buds has been controversial – some say it is too soft, but others say the gel is easy to get used to.

The manufacturer claims the SHUHUA buds have active noise cancellation, but it only works when on phone calls, which these buds are quite good at.  Still, the passive noise cancellation, when listening to music, is still pretty good. The sound quality is very good for buds in this price range and tends to emphasize bass. However, the instrumentals come through very well in these as well.

These earbuds, unlike others in the price range, can charge in just an hour’s time, and they don’t have any reported problems with audio cutting out. User ratings at Amazon and other sites are very high.

08. Cloudio S1 Bluetooth Sports In-Ear Headphones

The Cloudio S1 Bluetooth sports IPX7-rated buds may cost $10 more than one’s from SHUHUA or Mpow. However, their HD Mic for clear phone calls that are designed to eliminate wind sounds makes these worth the price. They also come with a cool case for storage.

The Cloudio buds don’t have active noise cancellation but are known for providing excellent passive isolation with their buds that fit comfortably in the ear canal without much wiggle. And although the sound isn’t as bass-heavy as others on this list, these buds produce clear highs, strong mids, and lows that will be satisfactory for most listeners.

Cloudio reports that these in-ear buds, which are one of the best for swimming, only take 1.5 hours to charge and last up to 9 hours. However, reviewers point out that although they love these buds, the numbers aren’t entirely accurate.

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