How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a versatile dual-wear earbud set for the office, calls and dry-land workouts, choose AMPACO Headset; if you need a swim-ready open-ear headphone with built-in storage that works without your phone, choose GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones.
• AMPACO Headset — biggest strength: Two wearing styles in one package, touch controls, and a retractable, cable-free design that suits office and driving use.
• AMPACO Headset — biggest trade-off: It's waterproof-rated but it's an in-ear earbud, and its control scheme is touch-based, which some people find fiddly.
• GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest strength: IPX8 waterproofing, 32GB of built-in memory and an MP3 mode mean it plays music in the water with no phone nearby.
• GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest trade-off: Open-ear bone conduction is a very different listening feel, and the maker warns about salt water and magnetic charging corrosion.
• Pick AMPACO Headset if you live in calls, meetings and dry-land movement.
• Pick GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones if you swim laps and want music without a phone.
The AMPACO Headset is built around flexibility. It's a TWS Bluetooth earbud set — no cable, retractable design, plastic shell, black finish — with a "dual wear style" concept that lets you wear it differently depending on what you're doing. That's the whole pitch: one product that shifts between a conventional in-ear fit and a sportier setup. The control surface is touch-based, and there's a microphone built in, so it's clearly aimed at people who take calls and control media without reaching for their phone.
The feature list reads like a workday tool: media control, microphone included, rechargeable battery, lightweight build. The IPX7 waterproof rating covers sweat, rain and the occasional splash, and the item is marketed for swimming as well as office, business and driving use. At 0.3 kg for the item weight, it's not a featherweight in the pocket sense, though that figure likely reflects the package rather than a single earbud.
Who should buy it: If your day is a mix of Zoom calls, commuting, driving and gym sessions — and you want one Bluetooth headset that handles all of it — this is the more natural fit. Touch controls suit anyone who likes tapping rather than hunting for buttons while moving.
GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones: Who It's For
The GZLMMY X7S is a different species of product entirely. It's an open-ear, bone conduction headphone — nothing goes inside your ear canal. Sound is transmitted through the bone, which the maker describes as clear audio in the water without earbuds. The frame is ABS/PC, the color is red, and the whole thing weighs about 30g, which is light enough to forget you're wearing it during a workout.
The headline spec is IPX8 waterproofing, one step beyond the AMPACO's IPX7. The second headline spec is 32GB of built-in memory with a dedicated MP3 mode — you drag and drop music, audiobooks or podcasts from a Mac or PC, and the headphone plays them with no phone and no Bluetooth connection at all. Supported formats are MP3 and WMA. That's the feature that makes this a genuine swimming headphone rather than a splash-resistant one.
Bluetooth 5.3 handles the wireless side, with a working range of more than 10 metres and support for A2DP, AVRCP, HSP and HFP profiles. The 200mAh battery is rated for 10 hours of music, 10 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby, with a 1–2 hour charge via magnetic charging. Speaker sensitivity is 100dB at 1KHz/1m, frequency response 20Hz–20KHz. Controls are physical buttons, not touch.
Who should buy it: Lap swimmers, open-water swimmers and anyone who wants music in the pool without a phone on the deck. It's also a good pick for runners and cyclists who want to stay aware of traffic, since bone conduction leaves the ears open.
Who should skip it: If you want deep bass isolation or a sealed, noise-blocking fit, open-ear bone conduction won't give you that. And note the maker's own care warnings: don't soak it in salt water for long periods, rinse with fresh water after use, dry the magnetic charging contacts, and top up the battery monthly if it sits unused. That's more maintenance than a typical earbud needs.
• Best for swimming → GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones. IPX8 plus 32GB of onboard storage means it works in the pool with no phone involved.
• Best for office and calls → AMPACO Headset. Built-in microphone, media control and a business-oriented design make it the workday pick.
• Best for battery specification → GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones. 10 hours of music and talk, plus 300 hours of standby on a 200mAh cell.
• Best for fit flexibility → AMPACO Headset. The dual wear style and retractable, cable-free design adapt to more situations.
• Best for control feel → GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones. Physical buttons beat touch panels when your hands are wet or gloved.
• Best for staying aware of surroundings → GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones. Open-ear placement leaves your ear canals unobstructed.
• Best for phone-dependent listening → AMPACO Headset. If you're always near your phone, Bluetooth-only is no limitation at all.
• Best for low-maintenance ownership → AMPACO Headset. One waterproof rating, no format restrictions, no rinse-and-dry routine.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you swim? If you do, I'd buy the GZLMMY Bone Conduction Headphones — the 32GB MP3 mode and IPX8 rating are the only combination here that actually solves pool listening, and the button controls and open-ear design suit exercise better. If you don't swim, I'd take the AMPACO Headset instead: it's the more practical everyday tool for calls, driving and the gym, and it asks less of you in maintenance. I'd only go GZLMMY for a non-swimmer if you specifically want open-ear awareness while running or cycling.
FAQ
No — and that's the point. Load MP3 or WMA files onto the 32GB of internal memory and switch to MP3 mode, and the headphone plays on its own. Bluetooth 5.3 is there when you do want to stream or take calls.
Yes. It's IPX7 waterproof, lightweight and has touch media controls, so sweat, rain and movement aren't a problem. It's the better all-rounder if your training happens on land, and the dual wear style gives you fit options.
I don't quote figures here — check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page. On features alone, the GZLMMY justifies itself if you swim, because nothing else in this comparison replaces a phone in the water; the AMPACO is the better value if you just want a reliable waterproof Bluetooth headset for work and workouts.
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