We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a helmet-mounted Bluetooth communicator that keeps you talking, listening and taking calls on the road, choose Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle; if you need a self-contained smart swim system that plays offline music and coaches your stroke underwater, choose Holoswim SollaWave AI Music. These two look like they belong in the same shopping cart, but they solve completely different problems — one is built around a helmet and a moving vehicle, the other is built around water, laps and a training plan.
• Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle — biggest strength: it's a dedicated helmet communication unit with Bluetooth 5, 32mm dynamic drivers and cross-brand pairing, so it talks to any other Bluetooth headset regardless of brand.
• Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle — biggest trade-off: it's a headset, not a standalone player. It needs a paired phone or another headset for music and calls, and its 10-hour battery life is fine for a commute, not for a multi-day tour.
• Holoswim SollaWave AI Music — biggest strength: one device replacing goggles, ear protection, an MP3 player and a swim tracker, with 4GB of offline storage (up to 800 songs) and IP68 sealing.
• Holoswim SollaWave AI Music — biggest trade-off: offline music only. Bluetooth is deliberately left out of the audio path because 2.4GHz signals get absorbed by water, so you must load songs before you swim.
• Who the Cardo is for: motorcyclists and riders who want hands-free calls, music and rider-to-rider talk inside a helmet.
• Who the SollaWave is for: swimmers and triathletes who want music and structured metrics in the pool without strapping on extra gear.
• For a cyclist asking about headphones: the Cardo is the more plausible pick, because it mounts to a helmet and streams from your phone — but neither product is a bicycle-specific audio device.
The Spirit is a helmet communication system first and a headphone second. Cardo's whole design brief here is staying connected while your hands are on the bars: phone calls, music, and a two-way Bluetooth link with other riders. The 32mm dynamic drivers are sized to sit over the ear inside a helmet shell, and the unit is waterproof — the spec sheet is explicit that rain, mud, dust and snow are all within its remit. That's the detail that matters most to a rider, because helmet audio lives or dies on whether it survives a downpour.
Who should buy it: motorcyclists, scooter riders and anyone who spends real time in a helmet and wants calls, music and intercom without juggling a phone at a stoplight. It's also a sensible pick for a cyclist who already rides with a full or half helmet and wants audio that streams from a phone rather than living in their ears. Who should skip it: someone who wants an independent music player with no phone involved, anyone who needs more than roughly a day of battery between charges, and swimmers — it's not designed for submersion the way an IP68 pool product is. If you're weighing this against other options, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since a communicator only makes sense if it fits your budget alongside your helmet.
Holoswim SollaWave AI Music: Who It's For
The SollaWave is a different animal entirely. It folds goggles, waterproof ear protection, an MP3 player and a swim tracker into one frame. The audio module is independently isolated inside a multi-layer sealed construction rated IP68, and the precision-tuned drivers are built to hold balanced, stable volume even underwater — no distortion when you submerge, turn or push off the wall. That's the engineering problem this product exists to solve, and the spec sheet is unusually clear about why: 2.4GHz Bluetooth signals get absorbed by water, and every stroke can interrupt a connection. So the SollaWave skips Bluetooth audio altogether and plays offline files instead, with 4GB of high-speed storage holding up to 800 songs.
Then there's the training side. A 9-axis sensor array plus a proprietary swim algorithm track time, distance, laps, pace per 100m, SWOLF and stroke type. Each session syncs to the app, which captures 12 dimensions of swim data with visual charts and exportable history, and an AI Swim Coach layer reads your training and gives feedback. Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours of music playback, or up to 80 hours in swim voice-feedback mode. The lenses are TÜV anti-fog rated, the frame is hydrodynamic and low-drag, the fit system is adjustable, and components are replaceable. There are no monthly fees and no locked features.
Who should buy it: pool swimmers, triathletes and anyone doing structured lap work who wants music without a phone on the deck. Who should skip it: open-water swimmers expecting Bluetooth from a phone, riders of any kind, and anyone who wants to take calls. It's a swim product, full stop.
• Best for helmet-based riding audio → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. It's built to mount in a helmet and stream from your phone.
• Best for swimming → Holoswim SollaWave AI Music. IP68 sealing and an isolated audio module are the whole point.
• Best for battery endurance → Holoswim SollaWave AI Music. Up to 8 hours of music, or up to 80 hours in voice-feedback mode, versus the Cardo's 10 hours.
• Best for talking to other riders → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. Two-way Bluetooth and universal cross-brand pairing are its core features.
• Best for training data → Holoswim SollaWave AI Music. Laps, pace per 100m, SWOLF, stroke type and 12 dimensions of app analytics.
• Best for music without a phone → Holoswim SollaWave AI Music. 4GB of offline storage, up to 800 songs, no pairing required.
• Best for weather resistance on land → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. Waterproof against rain, mud, dust and snow.
• Best for a cyclist wanting music while riding → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. It's the only one of the two with a Bluetooth audio path and a helmet-mount design.
In my opinion, if you're a cyclist or motorcyclist reading this comparison, buy the Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. It's the only one of the two that actually plays streamed audio while you're moving on land, it pairs across brands, and the waterproofing means weather won't end your ride. I'd only send you to the Holoswim SollaWave AI Music if your training happens in a pool — in which case it's the more capable and more interesting product of the pair, and the metrics alone justify it. Two different sports, two different answers.
can you bike with headphones
You can, but it changes what you hear around you, and in many places local rules restrict wearing headphones while cycling. The Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle sidesteps part of that problem because the speakers sit in a helmet rather than sealing your ears, and it streams audio over Bluetooth 5. The SollaWave, by contrast, is an in-ear, offline-only design meant for water.
what are the best cycling headphones
There's no single answer, because it depends on whether you want ambient awareness. If you want helmet-mounted audio with cross-brand Bluetooth pairing and waterproofing against rain, mud, dust and snow, the Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle is the pick between these two. If you want sealed in-ear music with no phone involved, the Holoswim SollaWave AI Music fits that job — but it's built for swimming, not the road.
can cyclists wear headphones
Physically yes, and plenty do. The practical trade-off is situational awareness versus audio quality. The Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle keeps sound at helmet level with 32mm drivers and leaves your ears open to traffic, while the SollaWave uses in-ear placement with sound isolation — great in a pool, less ideal in traffic. Check your local rules before you ride either way.
how to bike with headphones
The safest approach is helmet-based audio you can still hear the road through. The Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle mounts in a helmet, pairs to your phone over Bluetooth, and gives you media controls plus app-based control, with roughly 10 hours of battery and a 2-hour charge time. Load your route, keep the volume moderate, and keep one ear on traffic.
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