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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• eKids Paw Patrol — biggest strength: A straightforward kids' Bluetooth headphone with a Paw Patrol Skye design and volume controls, easy to pair with phones, tablets and computers for music, movies, YouTube or homework.
• eKids Paw Patrol — biggest trade-off: It's a plastic, general-purpose kids' headphone with no water protection rating and no built-in music storage, so it's a dry-land, at-home or classroom device, not a swim accessory.
• ANSTEN Swimming Headphones — biggest strength: IPX8 waterproof, bone conduction open-ear design, Bluetooth 6.0 plus an 8GB MP3 mode, so you can swim without a phone and still hear what's around you.
• ANSTEN Swimming Headphones — biggest trade-off: It's an adult-oriented open-ear model with a learning curve — you have to switch to MP3 mode and turn Bluetooth off before swimming — and it's not aimed at young kids.
• Pick eKids Paw Patrol if you're buying for a child who wants a themed wireless headphone for everyday listening.
• Pick ANSTEN Swimming Headphones if you're an adult who wants music in the pool, on the run, or on a bike.
The eKids Paw Patrol headphone is a Bluetooth kids' model built around one clear idea: let a child stream audio wirelessly from whatever device is already in the house. It pairs with smartphones, tablets and computers, which covers the realistic use cases — music, movies, TV, YouTube, audiobooks, and homework sessions. Instead of a nest of cables, you get a single wireless connection a parent can set up once.
The design details tell you what it is. The material is plastic, the color scheme is Paw Patrol Skye, and there are on-board volume controls plus a fun graphic treatment. That's a kids' product through and through — lightweight, themed, and visually aimed at a child rather than an adult. It also ships as a single unit with a one-year limited warranty, so there's no accessory bundle to keep track of.
ANSTEN Swimming Headphones: Who It's For
The ANSTEN Swimming Headphones S950 is a different category of product entirely. It's a bone conduction, open-ear headphone rated IPX8 waterproof, which is the part that matters most: it's designed to be worn in the water, and the housing and flexible titanium structure are built to survive repeated exposure to pools, surf and sweat.
The dual-mode setup is the clever bit. In Bluetooth 6.0 mode it pairs with phones and laptops and can hold two connections at once. In MP3 mode it plays from an internal 8GB library — enough for a large lossless music collection — and you switch between the two by double-clicking the function key. The manufacturer is explicit about the swimming routine: switch to MP3 mode and turn the phone's Bluetooth off before getting in the water. That's a real workflow to learn, not a plug-and-play experience.
The rest of the spec sheet is aimed at active adults. It weighs 26 grams, uses an ergonomic open-ear fit that's meant to stay put during hard exercise, and runs a 13mm wideband driver for 360° sound. Battery is 2 hours to charge and up to 8 hours of playback. AI noise cancellation and a front microphone handle calls, and because it's open-ear, you still hear traffic and warning signals — which is exactly why runners and cyclists like this format. The box includes an adjustable headband, a magnetic charging cable, two silicone earplugs and a manual, with a one-year replacement-or-refund warranty. The age range says adult, and the open-ear, cheekbone-based fit backs that up.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for young kids → eKids Paw Patrol. The Skye theme, plastic build and simple Bluetooth pairing are aimed squarely at children.
• Best for swimming → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. IPX8 waterproofing plus MP3 mode is the whole point of the S950.
• Best for simple setup → eKids Paw Patrol. Pair once and stream; no mode-switching routine to remember.
• Best for runners and cyclists → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. Open-ear bone conduction keeps traffic audible while you move.
• Best for calls → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. AI noise cancellation and a front microphone are built in; the eKids model is positioned for media and learning.
• Best for home, school and travel listening → eKids Paw Patrol. Lightweight, themed and cable-free for tablets and homework.
• Best for hearing your surroundings → ANSTEN Swimming Headphones. The open-ear design deliberately doesn't seal you off from the world.
These two aren't really rivals — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends entirely on who's wearing them. If I were buying for a child who wants a fun wireless headphone for shows, music and schoolwork, I'd buy the eKids Paw Patrol and not overthink it. If I were buying for myself to swim laps, run or ride, I'd buy the ANSTEN Swimming Headphones — IPX8 waterproofing, an 8GB MP3 mode and bone conduction are features the eKids simply doesn't have, and no kids' headphone can substitute for them. Match the product to the person first; everything else follows.
No. The data sheet lists it as a plastic kids' Bluetooth headphone with no waterproof rating, so keep it away from pools, baths and heavy rain. The ANSTEN S950 is the one rated IPX8 for water use.
Yes — that's what they're made for. Just remember the manufacturer's instruction: switch to MP3 mode and turn off your phone's Bluetooth before swimming, since Bluetooth doesn't transmit well underwater.
The eKids Paw Patrol, in my opinion. It's designed for kids with a themed look and simple wireless streaming, while the ANSTEN is listed as adult-oriented with an open-ear fit and a mode-switching routine.
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