How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm — biggest strength: wired 3.5mm connection with an inline remote and built-in microphone, so it works with any 3.5mm jack device — laptop, PC, phone — with no pairing, no charging and no Bluetooth dropouts.
• Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm — biggest trade-off: it is wired only, with no wireless technology and no noise control, so you are tethered to whatever you plug into and you still hear the room around you.
• Aiandcc Swimming Headphones — biggest strength: IPX8 waterproofing plus a built-in 32GB MP3 player, so it plays music underwater where Bluetooth simply cannot reach.
• Aiandcc Swimming Headphones — biggest trade-off: there is no headphone jack at all, Bluetooth does not transmit underwater, and playback time runs around 8 hours per charge, so you depend on its battery and on pre-loaded files.
• Who Hawk Scope fits: anyone who wants a simple non in ear headset for Zoom, Teams or gaming on a computer.
• Who Aiandcc fits: swimmers, runners and cyclists who want open-ear audio that survives water and stays put.
The Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm is a wired open-ear headphone — model bj-05-3.5w, 30 g, white, with a soft silicone hanger that sits over the ear instead of inside the canal. What that design buys you is awareness. Because nothing is jammed into your ear, you keep hearing the room: a colleague walking up behind you, traffic on a walk, a kid calling from the next room. If you have ever finished a long call and felt that plugged-up, pressurized feeling from in-ear buds, this is the alternative.
Who should buy it: people who live in video meetings, students, casual gamers, and anyone who wants one wired headset that works on a computer and a phone without thinking about battery. It also comes with silicone caps in large, medium and small, and the sheet notes it suits children as well as adults, so it can pull double duty for a kid's remote-school day. Who should skip it: anyone who wants wireless freedom, anyone who needs active noise cancellation — there is none — and anyone who wants to swim with it. It is not built for water.
Aiandcc Swimming Headphones: Who It's For
The Aiandcc Swimming Headphones are a different animal entirely. This is a bone conduction headphone — the S10, 36.6 g, blue, silicone build, 8 ohm impedance, open-ear placement with a flexible memory titanium frame. Bone conduction sends audio through vibration rather than through your ear canal, which is why the design stays open and you keep your surroundings audible. That is a safety feature outdoors and a comfort feature over long sessions.
The reason this product exists is water. It is rated IPX8, meaning it can be submerged up to 2 meters for up to 1 hour, and Bluetooth fundamentally cannot transmit through water — so Aiandcc built in a 32GB MP3 player. You load your own music, switch to MP3 mode, and listen while you swim with no phone and no signal involved. On land you can switch to Bluetooth mode (listed as Bluetooth 5.3 in the features and 5.4 in the product details). Playtime is quoted at up to 8 hours depending on mode, with roughly 1 hour to full charge via magnetic charging, and an LED display that shows battery level and mode. Supported audio formats are MP3, WAV, APE and WMA, and two test songs come pre-loaded so you can hear it immediately out of the box. There is also a built-in microphone for calls.
Who should buy it: swimmers first, then runners and cyclists who want open-ear audio without a wire and without losing situational awareness. The frame is designed to fit under swim caps, goggles and helmets. Who should skip it: anyone who mainly wants a work headset. There is no 3.5mm jack here, so it will not plug into your laptop, and for video meetings you would be relying on Bluetooth and its microphone rather than a simple wired connection.
• Best for Zoom, Teams and video meetings → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. Wired 3.5mm, inline mic, no pairing, no charging, no latency to think about.
• Best for swimming → Aiandcc Swimming Headphones. IPX8 to 2 m for 1 hour, with an MP3 player because Bluetooth cannot work underwater.
• Best for battery life → Aiandcc Swimming Headphones. Up to 8 hours per charge, roughly 1 hour to recharge. The Hawk Scope has no battery at all because it is powered by whatever it plugs into.
• Best for always-on awareness → a tie. Both are non in ear, open-ear designs, so both keep you connected to the room or the road.
• Best for running and cycling → Aiandcc Swimming Headphones. Memory titanium frame, 36.6 g, secure fit, no cable to snag.
• Best for desk and PC work → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. It is explicitly described for laptop and PC use, with volume and playback control right on the cord.
• Best for kids and shared home use → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. Three silicone cap sizes and a wired connection make it the simpler, more forgiving pick for a household.
• Best for a phone-free workout → Aiandcc Swimming Headphones. 32GB of local storage means no phone, no streaming and no signal required.
If your main job is talking — Zoom calls, remote work, online classes, a wireless headset for zoom calls you wish were simpler — I would buy the Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. In my opinion, a wired 3.5mm open-ear headset with an inline mic is still the most reliable way to join a meeting: plug in, talk, done. I would buy the Aiandcc Swimming Headphones only if water or heavy sweat is genuinely part of your week, because that IPX8 rating and the 32GB MP3 player are things the Hawk Scope simply cannot do. Pick the one that matches your actual routine, then check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
FAQ
how do non ear headphones work
what are non in ear headphones called
They are usually called open-ear headphones, and depending on the model, bone conduction headphones or ear-hook headphones. The Hawk Scope is listed as open-ear with a silicone hanger; the Aiandcc is listed as open-ear with a bone conduction driver. The shared idea is that nothing is inserted into your ear canal.
what are the best open ear headphones
"In my opinion, the best open-ear pick depends on where you use it. For desk work, calls and gaming on a laptop or PC, I recommend the Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm because of its 3.5mm plug, inline remote and microphone. For swimming, running and cycling, I recommend the Aiandcc Swimming Headphones for its IPX8 rating and built-in 32GB MP3 player."
how to wear in ear headphones
That is the opposite style, so it helps to understand the contrast. Traditional in-ear headphones are pushed into the ear canal with a tip that seals and expands inside it, which is exactly the pressure and plugged-up feeling the open-ear design avoids. The Hawk Scope and Aiandcc both skip that step — you hang or rest them on the outside of your ear instead.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Yechiry Earphone vs ASKUBSKU USB C Earbud, Ulian Gaming Headphone vs MCHOSE X9, Plugfones Liberate 2.0 vs Wentronic Kids Headphones, casmilee Headphone Case Compatible vs XANAD Hard Case