If you want a pair of headphones you can genuinely swim in while still hearing the world around you, choose ANSTEN Swimming Headphones; if you need earbuds that keep your music private and last through long sessions at the library, choose Rulbovs Earbuds. That is the short version, and it survives a closer look at the specs. These two products are built for opposite situations. One is designed around water and open ears, the other around a charging case, a touchscreen and in-ear isolation. Beyond Bluetooth 6.0 they share almost nothing, so the real question is not which one is better in general, but which one matches the way you actually listen.
• ANSTEN's biggest strength: IPX8 waterproofing combined with an 8GB MP3 mode, so music keeps playing in the water where a Bluetooth signal cannot follow.
• ANSTEN's biggest trade-off: it is open ear by design, so there is no isolation at all, and the 8-hour battery is recharged by cable rather than topped up from a case.
• Rulbovs' biggest strength: a 48-hour total playtime budget (6 hours per charge plus 42 more from the case) and a touchscreen case that shows time and battery without reaching for your phone.
• Rulbovs' biggest trade-off: IPX5 only, which covers sweat, spray and light rain but rules out swimming or any submersion.
• Buy ANSTEN if you swim, surf or run and want your ears open to traffic and surroundings.
• Buy Rulbovs if you want in-ear sound, a large playtime buffer and a smart case, and your listening happens in dry places like a library desk, an office or a train.
The spec sheet reads like a pool-first design. IPX8 is the strongest water rating in this comparison, and the manufacturer is explicit about the workflow: switch to MP3 mode and turn the phone's Bluetooth off while you swim. That detail tells you a lot, because Bluetooth does not travel well through water. The built-in 8GB memory holds roughly 1500 lossless tracks, so you load your music once and the headset becomes self-contained the moment you get wet. Above the surface, Bluetooth 6.0 handles pairing with phones and laptops, and the multipoint support lets it stay connected to two devices at once, with a double-click of the function key to flip between modes.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Fit and sound follow the same logic. The whole unit weighs 26 grams, with a flexible titanium structure and an ABS and silicone housing, and a pair of silicone earplugs is included for when you want to keep water out. Audio is delivered by bone conduction through a 13mm wideband driver, which ANSTEN describes as full 360-degree surround sound. Because nothing sits inside your ear canal, you keep hearing traffic, announcements and warning signals while music plays. For runners and cyclists that is the entire point, and for anyone who dislikes the plugged-up feeling of normal earbuds it is a genuine comfort advantage over hours of use.
Where it gives ground is anything that depends on isolation. There is no seal, so quiet shared spaces are not its natural habitat, and background noise competes directly with your audio. Battery life is 8 hours with a 2-hour charge, and there is no case to top it up during the day, so charging becomes a routine you have to remember. There is also no headphone jack, and controls are physical buttons rather than touch, which is actually a plus with wet or gloved hands. Built-in AI noise reduction with a front microphone and directional sound transmission is aimed at calls in busy places, and the package includes a one-year replacement or refund warranty.
Rulbovs takes the opposite approach: put the cleverness in the case and keep the earbuds small. The LCD touchscreen on the charging case shows battery level and time, controls playback and volume, changes wallpapers, fires a remote camera shutter, and even runs small built-in games. There is a "Find My Earbuds" function for the mornings when one disappears under a couch cushion. Short-stem in-ears mean the buds themselves stay light, and after the first pairing you simply open the case and they connect without being removed.
The battery numbers are the headline for daily use. Six hours on a single charge, 42 extra hours in the case, 48 hours total, and a full recharge in 1.5 hours over Type C. That is the kind of budget that lets you leave the cable at home for a long weekend. Sound is tuned by five EQ presets, namely Standard, Rock, POP, Classic and Jazz, so you can shift the balance toward vocals or toward bass without opening an app. Bluetooth 6.0 covers the connection with low-latency audio for video and gaming, and touch controls handle play, pause, calls, volume, track skipping and a long-press voice assistant. A wrist strap in the box makes the case easier to keep track of.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for actual swimming → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. IPX8 plus an 8GB MP3 mode is a combination Rulbovs cannot match at IPX5.
• Best for battery life → Rulbovs Earbuds. 48 hours total against 8 hours, with a faster 1.5-hour recharge.
• Best for a quiet shared space → Rulbovs Earbuds. The in-ear fit and listed active noise cancellation keep your audio to yourself, which is what most people want for library listening.
• Best for hearing your surroundings → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. Open-ear bone conduction is the closest thing here to transparency, since your canal stays open; neither sheet lists a switchable transparency mode.
• Best for tuning the sound → Rulbovs Earbuds. Five EQ presets give you options the ANSTEN does not offer.
• Best for 360-degree sound on the move → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. A 13mm wideband driver with an open, wrap-around presentation suits running and cycling better than a sealed fit does.
• Best for travel and forget-about-it charging → Rulbovs Earbuds. The case, the screen and the wrist strap are built for bags and pockets.
• Best for button-driven simplicity → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. Physical controls and one self-contained device with no case to lose.
In my opinion, the Rulbovs Earbuds are the smarter buy for library use, and that is the scenario I would weigh most heavily. They seal you in, they hold their charge across a week of short sessions, and the five EQ modes let you soften the treble for long reading blocks without fiddling with a phone. I would still pick the ANSTEN Swimming Headphones without hesitation for anyone whose listening happens in water or who needs open ears outdoors. If you only buy one and your days are mostly desks, trains and quiet rooms, go with Rulbovs. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both sit in very different product categories.
FAQ
Yes. The built-in 8GB memory stores roughly 1500 lossless tracks and plays in MP3 mode, which is the intended way to listen underwater since Bluetooth does not carry through water. You can switch back to Bluetooth 6.0 with a double-click once you are dry.
The Rulbovs Earbuds, in my view. Their in-ear fit and listed active noise cancellation keep sound in and noise out, while the open-ear ANSTEN design leaks audio and lets room noise in. For rechargeable in-ear headphones for library sessions, Rulbovs is the more natural fit.
ANSTEN gives you 8 hours of playback from a 2-hour charge using a magnetic cable. Rulbovs gives 6 hours per charge, 42 more from the case for 48 total, and a 1.5-hour recharge over Type C. One is simpler, the other is far more forgiving on a trip.
• long battery life true wireless earbuds
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