We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-27 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a pair of earbuds that survive full submersion in a pool and let you swim without a phone anywhere near you, choose esonstyle Swimming Headphones Underwater; if you need a neckband you can wear all day for calls, commutes and sweaty gym sessions while getting far more playtime per charge, choose MZQYRVK Neckband.
• esonstyle's biggest strength: a genuinely submersible IP68 build with a built-in 8GB MP3 player, so you can swim laps with no phone and no Bluetooth signal to lose.
• esonstyle's biggest trade-off: Bluetooth does not work underwater at all, so you have to remember to double-click into MP3 mode before you get in the pool, and there is no active noise control.
• MZQYRVK's biggest strength: 20 hours of playback on a single two-hour charge, with retractable tangle-free buds and a vibration alert for incoming calls.
• MZQYRVK's biggest trade-off: IPX4 means sweat and light rain only — it is not built to be submerged, so it is a gym and commute headset, not a swimming one.
• Who esonstyle is for: swimmers, open-water athletes and anyone who wants open-ear awareness plus offline music on their wrist-free workouts.
• Who MZQYRVK is for: commuters, call-heavy workers and gym-goers who want long battery life and a neckband that never tangles.
This is a bone conduction headset first and a waterproof gadget second, and that combination is what makes it unusual. Sound travels through your cheekbones instead of into your ear canals, so your ears stay completely open. For running, cycling or any outdoor workout where hearing traffic matters, that open-ear design is a real safety advantage rather than a marketing line. The titanium frame weighs 28 grams, which is light enough that the headset sits on the head rather than pressing on it, and there is no ear-canal pressure to build up over a long session.
The waterproofing is the headline. IP68 means it is rated to handle depths up to 3 meters for over 60 minutes, which covers lap swimming, surfing, kayaking and heavy rain runs. The catch is important and the brand states it plainly: Bluetooth does not transmit through water, so underwater listening only works in MP3 mode. The 8GB of built-in memory holds roughly 2000 songs, you sync files over the magnetic charging cable from a computer, and you double-click the MFB button to switch between Bluetooth and MP3. Three presses of that same button toggles shuffle. With Bluetooth on, you get Bluetooth 6.0 with a 15-metre range and clear call audio — useful on dry land, useless in the water.
Battery life is a claimed 8 hours, and charging takes about 2 hours. That is enough for several pool sessions or a long trail run. There is no noise cancelling of any kind, which is intentional: the whole point is to hear your surroundings.
MZQYRVK Neckband: Who It's For
The MZQYRVK Neckband solves a completely different problem: keeping earbuds untangled and charged through a full working day. The buds retract automatically — pull them out to the length you want, press the button, and they wind back into the neckband. The band itself is bendable so it wraps around the neck and stays put during movement. In-ear drivers seal the ear, and the passive noise cancellation that comes with that seal is a meaningful difference from the open-ear esonstyle approach: you get more isolation for focused listening, at the cost of hearing less around you.
The numbers here are about endurance. MZQYRVK claims up to 20 hours of music playback or 24 hours of talk time on one charge, with a 2-hour charge time. If you are the kind of person who forgets to plug things in, that gap between charges is the whole argument. Audio comes from 10mm dynamic drivers with aptX stereo and a CVC6.0 noise-cancelling mic, so calls are the priority rather than audiophile listening. Latency is listed at 150 milliseconds, which is fine for music and calls but worth knowing if you watch a lot of video.
Sweat protection is IPX4 — sweat and light rain, not submersion. That is the honest boundary. Running, lifting, commuting in drizzle, yes. Swimming, no. The vibration alert is a small but genuinely useful touch: the band buzzes for an incoming call instead of blasting a ringtone, which matters in quiet offices and libraries. Controls are simple push buttons for volume, tracks and accepting or declining calls, and it pairs with any Bluetooth-enabled iOS or Android device. The spec sheet lists a 3.5mm jack and Bluetooth 4.1 in one field and Bluetooth 6.0 in another — worth confirming on the product page before you buy if either matters to you.
Buy it if you want one headset for calls, commutes and gym sessions and you hate charging things daily. Skip it if you need water immersion, true wireless freedom, or low-latency audio for gaming and video.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming and water sports → esonstyle Swimming Headphones Underwater (IP68, 3 m depth, 60+ minutes).
• Best for phone-free workouts → esonstyle Swimming Headphones Underwater (8GB internal storage, roughly 2000 songs, no phone required).
• Best for all-day calls and office use → MZQYRVK Neckband (CVC6.0 noise-cancelling mic, vibration alert, retractable buds).
• Best for outdoor safety and awareness → esonstyle Swimming Headphones Underwater (open-ear bone conduction keeps your ears free).
• Best for noise isolation and focus → MZQYRVK Neckband (sealed in-ear fit with passive noise cancellation).
• Best for sweat-only training like gym and running → MZQYRVK Neckband (IPX4 handles sweat and light rain comfortably).
• Best for tangle-free convenience → MZQYRVK Neckband (auto-retractable earbuds, bendable neckband).
In my opinion the choice comes down to one question: does water get on your head or not? If you swim or paddle, buy the esonstyle Swimming Headphones Underwater — nothing in the MZQYRVK's spec sheet comes close to surviving a pool, and the 8GB MP3 mode is what makes underwater listening actually work. If you never get fully wet and you mainly want long battery life, clear calls and untangled buds, I would buy the MZQYRVK Neckband instead. They are not competitors so much as two different tools, and buying the wrong one for your sport is the only real mistake here.
how to wear sports earbuds
The esonstyle sits on your cheekbones with the band around the back of your head — an open-ear fit with nothing entering the ear canal, which is what keeps it stable during flip turns. The MZQYRVK rests the bendable band around your neck and the retractable in-ear buds go into your ears at whatever length you pull out.
how to use sports earbuds
For the esonstyle, double-click the MFB button to switch between Bluetooth and MP3 mode, and press it three times in MP3 mode for shuffle — underwater you must be in MP3 mode because Bluetooth does not travel through water. For the MZQYRVK, use the push buttons to control volume, tracks and calls, and pull the retractable buds out or press to wind them back in.
how to connect sports earbuds
The esonstyle pairs wirelessly over Bluetooth 6.0 with a listed range of 15 metres, and you load MP3 files by connecting it to a computer with the magnetic cable. The MZQYRVK pairs over Bluetooth with any iOS or Android device, and the spec sheet lists a 33-foot range.
what are sports earbuds
They are headsets built around movement: sweat resistance, a secure fit and controls you can hit mid-workout. Here that means IP68 submersion protection and bone conduction on the esonstyle, versus IPX4 sweatproofing, 20-hour battery and retractable in-ear buds on the MZQYRVK. If price matters to you, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before deciding.
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