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Do you like having some motivation when swimming in a form of music? Here are the best waterproof MP3 players for swimming.
Safely listen to your favorite music and audio books when you swim and don’t worry about water damage or signal cut-outs.
We test and review headphones based on an independent 9-point methodology. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
| Rating | Price | Memory | Type | Water protection | More info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
H2O Audio Sonar
Best overall
|
3.8
|
Under $100
|
8GB
|
MP3 + Bluetooth
|
Up to 12ft (3m)
|
|
|
Shokz OpenSwim
Best bone-conduction
 
|
4.4
|
Under $150
|
4GB
|
MP3 – bone conduction
|
Up to 10ft (3m)
|
|
|
3.8
|
Under $110
|
4GB
|
Bone conduction
|
Up to 30ft (10m)
|
||
|
Sony NW-WS623
Walkman with Bluetooth
 
|
3.9
|
Under $150
|
4 – 16GB
|
MP3, in-ear headset
|
Up to 6.5ft (2m)
|
|
|
AGPTEK Waterproof Music Player
Best cheap MP3 player
 
|
3.7
|
Under $50
|
8GB
|
MP3 + earbuds
|
Up to 30ft (10m)
|
|
|
3.7
|
Under $130
|
8GB
|
MP3 + earbuds
|
Up to 12ft (3m)
|
||
|
4.0
|
Under $80
|
8GB
|
MP3 + earbuds
|
Up to 10ft (3m)
|
Below you can find the best waterproof music players that are specifically designed for swimming, even underwater.
All the options in this guide are fully waterproof with minimum IPX7 water protection. It means you can confidently take them underwater for hours on end without experiencing water damage. Dust proof design is only a bonus.
They’re the best options right now.
Related:
Best waterproof Bluetooth headphones
Best waterproof headphones for swimming
Key Features of Best Waterproof MP3 Players For Swimming
Full water protection – Best waterproof music players need to have at least an IPX7 (or higher) waterproof rating to comfortably use them in water. Water is a big enemy of electronics, and keeping it away from vital parts is a must. Most MP3s use nano waterproof technology: an invisible layer of liquid deflecting material that keeps water away from the insides.
Lower ratings don’t provide enough protection against water pressure when underwater. That’s why water-resistant headphones aren’t good enough for open-water swimming. You need fully waterproof MP3 player. More info about waterproofing.
Secure fit in water – if the headphones you wear in the water keep falling out you’ll be more annoyed than anything else. Picking the right ear tips that keep water out of the ear canal, usually, triple-flange tips are crucial for a good user experience. Make sure to use a swimming cap to help with stability.
On the other hand, you can always get bone conduction headphones that transmit sound through bone vibration or on-ear headphones that sit next to your ears (see examples of both below).
Music quality and performance – To get one thing straight, you’ll never get a HiFi lossless sound quality in water due to physics, so give up on the idea. But you can expect the audio you will enjoy and have fun with. Also, you might need more than 2 GB of storage in your waterproof music player for your songs, so an iPod might not be enough (unfortunately, they don’t make bigger iPods).
How are waterproof MP3 players different from other MP3s?
With the Apple iPod Shuffle, the only difference is the additional upgrade of water protection. The MP3 player itself comes with the same file storage, music quality, and performance. The same is true for other music players.
They work the same way but can also survive a prolonged dip in fresh or saltwater.
Best Waterproof MP3 Players For Swimming
1. H2O Audio Sonar
BEST WATERPROOF MP3 PLAYER
The best waterproof MP3 player with bone conduction technology under $100.
A convenient waterproof design for swimmers with support for both Bluetooth and music playback from offline storage.
Connection:
Built-in MP3 & Bluetooth
Driver size:
Bone conduction
Frequency range:
/
- Work underwater thanks to bone conduction
- MP3 & Bluetooth support for Apple Watch
- Great fit in water as they attach to goggles
- Can't wear without goggles or a strap
As expected, the sound doesn’t scream high fidelity, and you might experience some trouble understanding complex words when listening to audiobooks.
However, H20 Audio Sonar are perfectly fine for listening to music, with a built-in MP3 player for swimming and up to 8GB of space.
Of course, bone conduction headsets also support Bluetooth connection. However, the latter doesn’t work in water, so you can only use it out of the pool.
It’s worth mentioning that headphones don’t stand on their own. You have to use swimming goggles to attach them to your head (like the FINIS Duo model).
Waterproof headphones carry an IPX8 rating, giving you full water protection up to 3 meters in depth (12 feet). Decent battery life of 7 hours of playback time is more than enough for extended periods of happy swimming.
2. Shokz OpenSwim
BEST BONE-CONDUCTION HEADPHONES
A dedicated Shokz waterproof MP3 player for swimming.
Shokz makes a lot of the greatest bone conduction headphones, and the OpenSwim (previously known as AfterShokz Xtrainerz) are ergonomically designed specifically for swimmers to work underwater.
Connection:
Built-in MP3
Driver size:
Bone conduction
Frequency range:
n/a
- Highly durable with IP68 rating
- Stable fit under a swimming cap
- Quality sound for bone conduction with EQ
- Random shuffle of songs repeats the same song before all play
- No Bluetooth connectivity
While bone conduction headphones aren’t known for excellent sound quality, the OpenSwim perform quite decent. Enabling “Underwater mode” ensures the best quality when swimming.
Specially designed to work underwater, these bone-conducting headphones boast an IP68 rating and stable fit for ear types of most people. Of course, using a swimming cap will fix them more securely on your head for more intense outdoor activities.
Headphones have an integrated MP3 player with 4GB of space to store music. They support most major audio formats, from MP3 to FLAC.
They use a USB magnetic dock for charging, and a battery lasts for 8 hours per charge.
Playback controls are simple to master and easily accessible, even when you’re already swimming.
3. FINIS Duo Underwater Bone Conduction
Popular clip-on bone conduction MP3 player and swimming headphones with onboard controls.
If you always wear goggles in the swimming pool and don’t mind something being strapped on them, these are a surprisingly great pick.
Connection:
Built-in MP3
Driver size:
Bone conducting
Frequency range:
/
- Popular swimming MP3 player
- Good sound (if you also use ear plugs)
- Stable fit in water
- Must attach to a strap or goggles
- Quality control issues
The sound underwater is rather good for this type of headphones, especially since it doesn’t get noticeably worse when your ears get filled with water.
Of course, don’t expect deep bass and clear highs. Instead, you get an enjoyable enough listening experience even underwater.
Despite their unique design that uses goggle straps to attach to your head, many users still swear by these headphones.
That is mainly because of bone conduction technology that sends sound vibrations through your bones, rather than having ear buds in your ear canal.
The housing is made of plastic and sports the highest waterproof rating of IPX8. Headphones are rated for up to 30 minutes at 3 meters in depth.
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4. Sony NW-WS623
WATERPROOF WALKMAN WITH BLUETOOTH
Sony Walkman swimming MP3 headphones with Bluetooth and inbuilt storage.
These are a good choice for the ability to listen wirelessly via devices and through internal storage, plus saltwater and freshwater waterproof capability.
Connection:
Bluetooth & built-in MP3
Driver size:
n/a
Frequency range:
n/a
- Bluetooth & built-in MP3 player with 4 GB storage
- Quick charging – 3min for 1 hour of battery
- Suitable for salt water and use outside
- Good sound for a swimming headset
- Not the most comfortable or stable
- High protection against water and dust IP68 (IPX8)
The frequency response is good, and the sound clarity is suitable for enjoying music, podcasts, or audio books during a swim session. Though, listening via the inbuilt storage gives better audio clarity.
This headset is suitable for use underwater, and the IPX8 rating means it can be submerged underwater over 6 feet. It even works in saltwater. As long as you take good care of it, it should last you for a long time.
The headband design with ear buds attached helps them to stay in place. The band hooks around the ears for comfort and stability while swimming laps.
You can also listen to music via a Bluetooth receiver (but doesn’t work underwater). There are 2 options: 4GB and 16GB memory storage space, and support for various audio formats.
5. AGPTEK Waterproof Music Player
BEST CHEAP WATERPROOF MP3 PLAYER
One of the most multipurpose waterproof MP3 players with FM radio and the ability to play a wide range of music files.
If you constantly tweak the cable’s length, these have a perfect solution.
Connection:
/
Driver size:
/
Frequency range:
/
- Earbuds and other accessories included
- Wide array of supported audio formats
- Good, loud audio output
- Hard to navigate buttons when the player is mounted
While you can’t expect audiophile-grade audio, the one coming from AGPTEK earbuds is rather loud and of decent sound quality. That is helpful when you use them underwater.
Within playful packaging, you get both comfortable earbuds and a waterproof MP3 player with support for most audio formats. The AGPTEK music player has also the longest battery life on this list (18h per single charge).
Also included are the short-cord headphones. They’re relatively basic, with a small form factor and a coiled cable that ensures they don’t dangle around. If you find short headphone wires too limiting, there is an audio extension cord in the box.
Both the music player and earbuds have a dedicated snap clip that you can strap on your shirt or swimming goggles. To keep the water out of your ears, you get 2 sizes of triple-flanged ear tips.
6. H2O Audio Stream 2
Waterproof MP3 player with a user-friendly interface and lots of useful features.
H2O Audio listened to their customers and made Stream 2 more user-friendly, with multiple audio formats support, the ability to stream music, and better sound quality.
Connection:
Onboard storage & Bluetooth 4.2
Driver size:
/
Frequency range:
/
- Good sound quality
- Option for Bluetooth listening
- You need to wear them under a cap for optimal security
By choosing between multiple size options of earbud tips, you prevent water from coming into your ear canal. Thus, you get superior sound quality. Just don’t expect enhanced bass because these struggle with it.
Moreover, the ergonomic design of the waterproof MP3 player is designed for better and more intuitive use.
There are quite a few buttons on the music player, and they’re big, so it’s easy to use them in water and avoid accidental presses.
A durable clip on the player clips easily to your goggle strap. The 3.5mm AUX connector has a tight seal, so you can check other options in our best waterproof headphones for swimming guide.
Finally, you are looking at a good battery life of 10 hours which is a couple of swim workouts.
As a bonus, you can connect this music player to your phone via Bluetooth and stream services like Spotify or Pandora.
Check more best wired workout headphones.
7. SYRYN by Underwater Audio
One of the cheapest swimming MP3 players.
Often sold bundled with Swimbuds headphones, the SYRYN package includes cheap earbuds and an MP3 audio player for a budget price tag. It’s ideal for listening to music underwater.
Connection:
Onboard storage
Driver size:
/
Frequency range:
/
- Decent audio output
- Earbuds and accessories included
- Some modes are tricky to activate
Paired with the swimbuds, don’t expect the best sound quality of this waterproof MP3 player. It’s basic yet good enough for listening casually.
With an IPX8 rating, the waterproof MP3 player is excellent for using underwater. It is usually sold with Swimbuds (earphones) which do a fairly good job of recreating the sound of your favorite tunes. The 3.5mm jack is gold-plated to prevent corrosion.
The SYRYN waterproof MP3 player works with a USB cable, and you can just drag and drop your songs or other audio files. It works on Mac or Windows exactly the same.
8GB of internal memory is fairly generous, and enough for 2,000 songs. There is a shuffle mode included, so you don’t get bored with the songs at the start of the playlist.
Honorable Mentions
FX-Sport VRX
If you don’t mind buying the waterproof case or aren’t spending too long underwater, the FX-Sport VRX are a reliable option.
Apple iPod Shuffle by Underwater Audio
Whether you’re lap-swimming in a pool with fresh water or enjoying water activities in a salty sea, the Underwater Audio Waterproof iPod is a great choice.
Diver DB-10
A 12-hour battery life, support for MP3 and WMA file types, full IPX8 waterproof rating, and included pair of headphones in the box.
Diver DB-10 is a full-featured waterproof MP3 player.
Delphin Waterproof Micro Tablet
One of the best waterproof music player in terms of features. It can transmit data to Strava and support Spotify and Pandora for music listening.
Player can also transmit audio to your best Bluetooth headphones for out-of-the-water listening. Sadly, it has a ton of bugs and other issues.
Why are Waterproof iPods & MP3s Best for Swimming?
If you want to listen to your favorite music during swimming, the best and most reliable solution is a waterproof MP3 player, like an iPod Shuffle, and waterproof earphones.
This technology is very basic but works quite well underwater. Bluetooth devices and wireless headphones don’t work in water.
The main reasons why you should get an iPod or MP3 headset for swimming are:
- Proven technology that works
- Wired, smaller design MP3 players are easier to make waterproof even for higher depths
- Small earbuds are easier to keep on during swimming (imagine wearing over-ear headphones inside the pool…)
- Waterproofing small earbuds and music players is cheaper than bigger headphones or your phone.
What Should You Avoid in Waterproof MP3 Players?
Here’s what first time buyers should be aware of:
Avoid unknown brands
Because waterproofed MP3s aren’t the cheapest make sure to pick a reliable brand that has been in the business for a while. There are brands like UnderwaterAudio, Waterfi… that are specialized in making swimming gear.
You can always have more confidence in a proven product with positive user feedback than going with a brand new company.
Avoid products with over-promised features
Some manufacturers market their products as waterproof and suitable for swimming but aren’t actually designed for it. Go with a proven product, even though you might have to pay a bit more.
How Deep Can I Go with Waterproof MP3 Players on This List?
Anywhere from 10 to 30 feet. All of the iPod/MP3 sets on this list are perfectly safe to use in pools, and some are protected from the water up to great depths.
In fact, the waterproofed iPod Shuffle is rated to be completely waterproof up to 200ft in depth which is useful even for scuba diving purposes.
Keep in mind to clean your waterproof iPod Shuffle with fresh water after using it in the sea. Salty water is a bit more aggressive with electronics than freshwater.
What are the Best Waterproof Headphones for Swimming?
There are many waterproof earbuds suitable for swimming, but when it comes to the absolute best, Swimbuds are the way to go.
When you buy your own waterproof MP3 player you’ll probably get additional earphones with it, but those usually aren’t the greatest. Also, you need something with a hydrodynamic design to more easily cut water.
It’s not uncommon to have a lot of problems keeping them in your ears, especially during fast, in-water exercises, like doing flip turns. Unless you’re using a swimming cap or have some other way to stick the earphones in your ears, you’ll likely experience frequent issues.
“Keep in mind that wearing a swim cap can really help with stability during a swim workout, even when using Swimbuds.”
Another great option is to get one of the bone conduction waterproof MP3 players that don’t require in-ear headphones like AfterShokz Xtrainerz. They transmit sound directly into the inner ear.
Get more info in our guide on the best waterproof headphones for swimming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why are Bluetooth headphones bad for swimming?
Bluetooth headphones don’t function deep underwater because the signal doesn’t transmit the same way underwater. Wireless signals such as Bluetooth gets easily absorbed by water.
This makes wireless Bluetooth headphones useless for swimming because the connection doesn’t work.
How can I listen to Spotify while swimming?
You can listen to any kind of music streaming service. However, you have to download all your music (or your playlist) for offline listening since you can’t stream it via WiFi. Neither WiFi nor Bluetooth works underwater.
Can you listen to music while swimming with your Apple Watch?
Sadly, no. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch transmit audio to your headphones via Bluetooth connection, which doesn’t work underwater. One option is to use H2O Audio Interval and attach the Watch to it.
Can I wear AirPods while swimming?
No, neither AirPods models are fully waterproof. Apple AirPods Pro only have an IPX4 rating, meaning they can survive sweating and light sprays of water, like rain.
Why Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater?
2.4GHz is a common frequency used for wireless communication, such as Bluetooth or WiFi. However, it’s also the exact frequency that interacts with water molecules, which absorb most of the energy.
The moment your headphones touch the water, you experience signal interference. Eventually, you lose the Bluetooth connection and the headphones stop working.
Microwave in your kitchen uses the same frequency to heat up your food, albeit at much higher power. That’s why only the food gets hot and not your plate.
And even then thicker pieces of food don’t get warm all the way through, despite the powerful microwave. So you can imagine how difficult is for a common wireless headphone to penetrate through a pool’s worth of water.
As of right now, we still don’t have cheap, wireless technology that could be used for underwater sound streaming.
Therefore, the only way to play music underwater without interruptions is the use one of the waterproof music players.
Nonetheless, for above-water sports like kayaking and board paddling, you can still use the best waterproof Bluetooth headphones.
Related:
Matija Ferjan is a seasoned audio enthusiast reviewing headphones since 2015. He has personally tested hundreds of headphones and earbuds. He’s an active member of the Headphone Audio community and a true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones.
29 Comments
steve
Can the I pod NANO play / store pod casts??
Headphones Addict
Yes iPod Nano can store/play any podcasts as long as they are in a format it supports.
Kathy - PADI MSDT #274718
These all seem like great products to enjoy during certain in-water activities. I’m trying to understand how these can be advertised as being safe for depths up to 200ft (or over 6 ATA). Scuba diving or deeper diving in either fresh or salt water, there are inherent safety risks that people need to be aware of due to pressure considerations, ear equalization, and increased water pressure in the ear canal.
With regards to Scuba and deeper water activities (like free diving) Dr. Allen Dekelboum, an ENT and Divers Alert Network consulting physician in California, reiterated the common view that earplugs create an air pocket in the ear canal, preventing equalization and resulting in differences in the pressure between the water and a diver’s ear canal. This situation could lead to serious injury, he said.
“With an intact tympanic membrane, the increasing water pressure against the earplug and the decreasing volume of air between the plug and the tympanic membrane would have a tendency to drive the plug against the TM,” Dekelboum said. “The increasing water pressure also could wedge the plug in the ear canal. If this occurs, there is risk of external ear barotrauma.”
Using the AudioFlood (or other uw audio) earplugs while swimming laps at the surface or simply being around water doesn’t seem to be a concern. But could pose significant risks when diving deeper. What studies and safety data are available to support using any of these products for deeper water activities?
Headphones Addict
The earbuds are manufactured to survive great depths, it doesn’t mean you should use them. Diving after a certain point is always dangerous and you get to learn all about this with all PADI programs.
Most people want to use there earbuds for swimming on the surface or close to it where there are no dangers of deep diving.
curls
Thanks for the write up. I’m going back to swimming as exercise, and it’s a little boring with the amount of time I want to spend in the pool. This is a great summary to help me get what I need. So Thank You!!
Rastus
Hi I’ve been using the Beker Mp3 waterproof Bone conduction headphones, which is a bit of a bad description as they use are a single unit that sits at the back of your goggle strap. Similar technology to Finis but no wires. Being a single unit with no wires they are easily the best as a no fuss way to have music while swimming. I agree that the sound is not as good as my running blue tooth set, but I am underwater. If you are doing a stroke where your head is out of the water you can always use the ear plugs, but I’m mainly free style so they work great.
Paul
Interesting that you say the waterproof ipods have “Some difficulties keeping earbuds in”. This is quite a major Con, yet it’s rated the highest?
Headphones Addict
Well all waterproof headphones/earbuds have this problem, including the iPods. But as long as you use a swimming cap the problem usually goes away and you don’t have to constantly readjust the fit. We just wanted to be honest and tell it as it is.
Kate
Hello, I have tried to buy Underwater Audio waterproof iPod Shuffle in official Apple store, but they haven’t had any, since it is not apple, how come? It looks like Apple shuffle thoug
Headphones Addict
The waterproofed Apple iPods are being waterproofed by other companies and not Apple itself. Waterproofing companies get iPods from Apple and then waterproof it. This is why you can’t buy it from Apple since they don’t waterproof it.
Steve P
I found the FX-Sport VRX has better performance in the water than the ipods.
Jai surya
Is using Phillips shq1200 headphone with Diver mp3player a good option??
Headphonersaddict
Phillips shq1200 are not water-proof, just rain and sweat-proof so they will leak water in the pool. Get swimbuds instead or just use the earbuds you get with the Diver.
JR
Why does the text in the article say that the Flood unit is the best, but the numerical ratings show the Underwater Audio unit as better (4.6 vs 4.5)?
Headphonersaddict
The ratings are from Amazon review score. But when we review we give our own recommendations. So we won’t always recommend the models with highest ratings since ratings can mean a lot of different things for different people.
Lin
Underwater Audio has the best customer service. Their product is pretty good.
Lin
By the way, underwater audio does include free waterproofed headphone with single ipod now. The headphone phone is called waterproof X. I have a friend who has the product, and it has pretty good sound quality.
Roberto Horovitz
The swimbuds of the syryn are the same as the one that you recommend in the beginning of the article (the ones that costs US$40,00)? Are them the same quality?
One more thing, I used to have the speedo mp3! It was pretty good too!! The biggest problem was the earbuds! But the quality of the sound was good and it was very simple to use (drag and drop)!!
Headphonersaddict
Yes they are the same. The Swimbuds earbuds are pretty much the best you can hope for in water. They are the go-to option for swimming.
Roberto Horovitz
Thank you very much for the article and answers!!!
Mike Quinn
I use a Tayogo 8gb waterproof mp3 player you can get them on Amazon for around £30 I swim for 90mins of laps doing Crawl and breaststroke and can honestly say not had a problem with this product. Sound quality both submerged and out of the water is excellent, sound levels can be adjusted as loud or quiet as you require. The product is designed to be worn on the back of the head with a flexible wishbone such fits snuggly around the back of your head and over the ears, just like wearing sunglasses, it is quite a tight fit but I don’t notice it after a few minutes of swimming. The headphones are attached to the wishbone by a short wire and the ear buds have interchangeable inserts for both swimming and normally we. The mp3 player itself snaps into the centre of the wishbone and can be removed for charging or adding music and will plug straight into a standard USB port on your computer. Music is added by drag and dropping mp3 files directly onto the mp3 player from your computer. Battery life is great but I usually top it up before each session so not sure how long it would last on continuous play. Only problem some people may have are the controls are a little awkward to use and the way the mp3 player which tracks to play is very little limited (I don’t think you can play songs from individual folders for example) but as I always use the shuffle function this is not a problem for me. All in all for the money you can’t go wrong with this mp3 player basic yes but it does the job admirably
Meg
just a heads up, the top listing is now ranging in price from 200 – 220, rather than 120 – 200. Maybe they’re just temporarily out of stock and when more are in the price will drop back down, idk, but regardless it’s a pretty significant price difference
White_Lotus
Do any of these support increasing playback speed? I’d like to listen audiobooks with at least x1.5 speed
HeadphonesAddict
I’m afraid not.
Dutch18
The ipod Shuffle isn’t supported on Mac OS Catalina — so all those models are obsolete.
HeadphonesAddict
iPod Shuffles haven’t been updated for some time now, and probably never will be, but they’re still the latest version available. You don’t really need the latest OS to listen to MP3s.
Dutch18
But in terms of making a product compatible with your Mac ecosystem, downloading music, podcasts, etc through iTunes … that is all no longer possible. Might as well save the money and get a cheaper MP3 player.
Mandy
Is there any swimming mp3 players that I can download the music playlist from my phone? I don’t have an actual computer, only my phone; which I stream music from. Please advise.
Thank you 🙂
Matija Ferjan
Hi Mandy,
Unfortunately, it won’t work out of the box. Phones don’t have a USB socket which you need to upload music to an MP3 player.
But you can use an adapter. Depending on what phone you have. If your phone has a USB-C and your MP3 player has a Micro-USB port then you need a USB-C to Micro-USB adapter. Then just connect and transfer the music files to the MP3.