We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want true waterproof earbuds you can sweat through on a run without a second thought, choose Dohaeris IPX7; if you need a headset that can actually go underwater with you while you swim, choose Soveign Waterproof Headphones.
• Dohaeris IPX7 — biggest strength: an in-ear sport design with silicone ear hooks, IPX7 waterproofing plus a nano coating, and passive noise cancelling for loud gyms and windy roads.
• Dohaeris IPX7 — biggest trade-off: playback tops out at 5–6 hours, so long sessions need a mid-day charge.
• Soveign Waterproof Headphones — biggest strength: IPX8 waterproofing, an open-ear bone conduction fit and 32GB of built-in MP3 storage so you can leave the phone behind.
• Soveign Waterproof Headphones — biggest trade-off: Bluetooth is limited underwater, so swimming means switching to MP3 mode and going phone-free.
• Pick Dohaeris IPX7 if you want everyday wireless earbuds for running, lifting and commuting with punchy bass and a secure in-ear hold.
• Pick Soveign Waterproof Headphones if you want one headset that follows you into the pool, the open road and the gym while keeping your ears open to traffic.
The Dohaeris IPX7 is a classic sport earbud built around one idea: stay put and keep the sweat out. You get Bluetooth 5.0 for stereo sound with a bass-forward tuning, an in-ear fit, and silicone ear hooks that are meant to keep the buds locked in place even when you're moving hard. The IPX7 rating is paired with a nano coating, which is the part that matters most for real training — sweat, rain and splashes shouldn't be a concern.
The controls sit on a remote near your right ear, so you can handle volume, track skipping, play/pause and calls without reaching for your phone. There's also in-ear voice prompts that announce your status and read out incoming numbers, plus double connection so the headset can pair with two Bluetooth devices at once. Range is listed at up to 33 feet in open space. Charging takes 1–2 hours for 5–6 hours of playback, and a short 15-minute top-up reportedly gives you an hour or more — handy if you forgot to charge before a workout.
This is the pick for runners, gym-goers and commuters who want an in-ear seal, passive noise cancelling and strong bass. You should skip it if you swim laps, if you want to keep your ears open to your surroundings, or if you need all-day battery without a recharge.
The Soveign Waterproof Headphones take a completely different route. This is an open-ear bone conduction headset rated IPX8, meaning it's built to handle being submerged rather than just splashed. The whole unit is wrapped in waterproof silicone, so it can stay in the water for extended periods — that's a meaningfully different capability from a sweat-proof earbud, and it's the reason this model is positioned as a swimming headphone rather than just a running one.
There's an important catch baked into the design: Bluetooth doesn't travel well through water, so Soveign tells you to switch to MP3 mode when swimming. That's where the 32GB of built-in memory comes in. It works as a standalone MP3 player holding thousands of songs, so you can load your library and swim, cycle or hike with no phone in the picture at all. It's a dual-mode system, so Bluetooth is still there for normal use out of the water.
The build is flexible by design — the frame bends up to 360 degrees, which addresses the weak point in a lot of bone conduction headsets, the joint in the middle. Controls are physical buttons: volume, call answering and a one-button layout you can operate with one hand. Because it's open-ear, your ear canals stay clear, which is a real plus for cycling and running near traffic.
Buy this if you swim, dive, or want music without carrying a phone. Skip it if you mainly want deep bass and noise isolation, or if you'd rather not manage MP3 file transfers.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming → Soveign Waterproof Headphones. IPX8 plus MP3 mode is the only combination here that's designed to work underwater.
• Best for bass and immersion → Dohaeris IPX7. The in-ear design with bass-focused tuning and noise cancelling blocks out the world; bone conduction deliberately doesn't.
• Best for going phone-free → Soveign Waterproof Headphones. 32GB of built-in storage means no Bluetooth link required at all.
• Best for long outdoor sessions → Soveign Waterproof Headphones. No 5–6 hour battery ceiling to plan around when you're playing from internal memory.
• Best for everyday convenience → Dohaeris IPX7. Bluetooth 5.0, dual-device pairing, voice prompts and quick top-up charging make it the easier daily driver.
• Best for hearing your surroundings → Soveign Waterproof Headphones. Open-ear design keeps your ears unblocked, which matters on roads and trails.
• Best for call handling on the move → Dohaeris IPX7. A built-in microphone and an ear-side remote with answer/reject and voice prompts.
In my opinion, the right buy depends entirely on whether you get in the water. If you swim, I'd choose the Soveign Waterproof Headphones — IPX8, 32GB of onboard music and an open-ear fit make it the only one of the two that genuinely belongs in a pool. If you don't swim, I'd choose the Dohaeris IPX7, because for running, lifting and commuting the in-ear seal, bass tuning, mic and dual-device Bluetooth are simply more useful day to day. Buy for the water, or buy for the workout — not both.
are headphones waterproof
Not all of them, and the two here sit at different levels. The Dohaeris IPX7 is rated IPX7 with a nano coating, which covers sweat, rain and splashes. The Soveign Waterproof Headphones are rated IPX8 and wrapped in waterproof silicone, so they're the one built for actual submersion.
Many are, and water resistance is a broad spectrum. IPX7 on the Dohaeris IPX7 means it can handle temporary immersion, while the higher IPX8 rating on the Soveign Waterproof Headphones is designed for extended time underwater. Either way, water resistance is not the same as unlimited waterproofing.
Can I use Bluetooth while swimming with the Soveign Waterproof Headphones?
No — Soveign states that Bluetooth is limited in water and tells you to use MP3 mode when swimming. That's exactly why the headset includes 32GB of internal memory and a dual-mode system, so you can play stored music with no wireless connection at all.
For running on land, I'd pick the Dohaeris IPX7. Silicone ear hooks hold the buds in place, passive noise cancelling cuts background noise, and the in-ear design delivers the bass most runners want. The Soveign is the better choice if you'd rather keep your ears open to traffic.
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