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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want an everyday open-ear earbud with a charging case, touch controls and the longest total playtime between the two, choose BANIGIPA Open Ear True; if you need to swim, run without your phone, or keep music on your head underwater, choose HAKII Sole Bone Conduction.
• BANIGIPA Open Ear True — biggest strength: a true-wireless earbud pair plus an 800 mAh charging case, rated for up to 10 hours per earbud and roughly four full recharges from the case, with dual LED displays showing the case and earbud power levels.
• BANIGIPA Open Ear True — biggest trade-off: it's IP54, which covers sweat and splashes but not swimming, and the volume adjustment isn't supported during calls.
• HAKII Sole Bone Conduction — biggest strength: IP68 waterproofing with 16GB of built-in storage, so you can leave your phone behind and listen from the headset itself, even underwater.
• HAKII Sole Bone Conduction — biggest trade-off: a single 10-hour charge with a 10-hour recharge time, and it's a one-piece neckband-style headset rather than a case-based earbud pair.
• Who each is for: BANIGIPA for gym-goers, commuters and phone-tethered listeners who want a case, touch controls and long cumulative battery; HAKII for swimmers, trail runners and anyone who wants untethered music and maximum water protection.
The BANIGIPA Open Ear True is built around a familiar, low-friction routine: pull the earbuds out of the case, they reconnect automatically to your last paired device, and drop them back in when you're done. The case does the rest. That 800 mAh case is rated for about four full charges of both earbuds, and each earbud delivers up to 10 hours of continuous use on a single charge, so the total listening time stacks up across a week of workouts without hunting for a cable. The dual-digit LED readouts on the case show both the case and earbud power levels from 1% to 100%, which is genuinely useful if you're the type who forgets to charge until the moment you're lacing up.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants an open-ear earbud they can wear for lifting, cycling, hiking, yoga or long workdays, and who wants the convenience of a charging case with visible battery readouts and a 12-month warranty with 90-day returns. Who should skip it: swimmers, and anyone who wants to run completely phone-free — there's no built-in storage here, so your music lives on your paired device. The IP54 rating is fine for sweat and rain splashes, not submersion.
HAKII Sole Bone Conduction: Who It's For
The HAKII Sole is a different animal. It's a bone conduction headset, which means it sends sound through the cheekbone area and leaves your ear canals completely open — the same awareness benefit as open-ear earbuds, but with a band-style fit rather than individual buds. The headline spec is IP68: this one is rated to withstand submersion, not just sweat. If your workout involves a pool, that's the dividing line between these two products.
The second headline is the dual-mode design. The HAKII Sole runs Bluetooth or MP3 mode with 16GB of built-in storage, so you can load thousands of songs directly onto the headset and leave your phone in the locker. For lap swimming that's not a luxury, it's the whole point — Bluetooth doesn't travel through water, so onboard storage is how you get music in the pool. Beyond that, it supports multipoint pairing so you can switch between two devices, offers four built-in EQ modes, and uses button controls with what the brand describes as precise physical feedback — a real advantage when your hands are wet or gloved, since physical buttons are easier to find by feel than touch surfaces.
Battery is a single 10-hour figure on one charge, which covers a marathon-length training block or a full workday. Two things to weigh honestly: the recharge takes about 10 hours, so it's an overnight job, and the 27g build is heavier than individual earbuds — though that weight is spread across a headband rather than hanging off your ears, and the skin-friendly silicone hooks are designed to stay put during high-intensity movement. The 18mm dynamic driver with 8-ohm impedance, 96 dB sensitivity and a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range covers full-range audio, and Bluetooth range runs to 15 meters.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming → HAKII Sole Bone Conduction. IP68 submersion protection plus 16GB of onboard storage is the only combination here that works in a pool.
• Best for battery convenience → BANIGIPA Open Ear True. Up to 10 hours per earbud plus roughly four case recharges, with LED readouts on the case.
• Best for phone-free listening → HAKII Sole Bone Conduction. 16GB of built-in storage means no paired device required.
• Best for touch controls → BANIGIPA Open Ear True. Multi-function touch handles playback, volume and calls — just remember volume adjustment isn't supported during calls.
• Best for wet or gloved hands → HAKII Sole Bone Conduction. Physical push buttons are easier to operate by feel than touch surfaces.
• Best for all-day wear and lighter weight → BANIGIPA Open Ear True. 10g per earbud versus a 27g one-piece headset.
• Best for multipoint device switching → HAKII Sole Bone Conduction. It pairs to two devices so you can move between phone and laptop.
• Best for lowest audio latency → BANIGIPA Open Ear True. About 50 ms latency suits video and gaming better than most bone conduction setups.
My Verdict
In my opinion, the BANIGIPA Open Ear True is the better buy for most people. It's lighter per ear, comes with a charging case that stacks up to days of listening, gives you touch control over volume and playback, and its low latency makes it the more versatile pick for video and gaming. The HAKII Sole is the smarter choice only if swimming or phone-free training is your priority — and if it is, nothing about the BANIGIPA will substitute for IP68 and 16GB of storage. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable I can't weigh for you.
HAKII Sole, clearly. It's rated IP68 for submersion and has 16GB of built-in storage so it works without a phone. The BANIGIPA is IP54, which handles sweat and splashes only.
No. It runs in Bluetooth or MP3 mode, and in MP3 mode it plays from its 16GB of internal storage — which is why it works underwater where Bluetooth can't reach.
BANIGIPA rates each earbud at up to 10 hours, with the 800 mAh case providing about four additional full charges. HAKII Sole gives up to 10 hours per charge, but recharging takes roughly 10 hours.
The BANIGIPA is the one built for calls, with a DSP noise-cancelling mic that's claimed to filter about 95% of background noise. The HAKII Sole is designed around sport and swimming audio rather than voice calls.
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