How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
The Sony WI-C100 is my top pick for most people shopping for IPX4 waterproof headphones: it pairs a genuine IPX4 splash- and sweat-proof rating with up to 25 hours of battery life, which is the combination that matters most if you want one pair for workouts, commutes and everything in between. If you'd rather have true wireless, keep reading — the rest of this list covers very different jobs.
• Sony WI-C100 — best for all-day everyday use; pick this if you want IPX4 protection plus up to 25 hours of playback and app-based sound tuning in a neckband design.
• Matast Earbuds — best for sweaty gym sessions and running; pick this if you want secure 45° ear hooks, an IP7 rating and up to 60 hours of total playtime from the case.
• JBL Endurance Race 2 — best for the toughest workouts and wet conditions; pick this if you want an IP68 earbud rating, ANC and 48 hours of playback with Twistlock stability.
• Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming — best for swimming laps; pick this if you want a wired 3.5 mm set with a short anti-drag cord and 11 pairs of eartips for a watertight seal.
• ACAGET Earbuds Headphone — best for budget everyday listening and calls; pick this if you want IPX4 nano-coating, Bluetooth 5.3 and ENC call clarity in a semi in-ear fit.
The WI-C100 is a wireless in-ear neckband: the electronics sit in a flexible band that rests around your neck, with a short cable running to each earbud. That format is the reason I'd hand it to a first-time buyer over a pair of loose buds. Nothing dangles from your ears, so there's no risk of one earbud popping out mid-jog and rolling under a car.
The IPX4 rating is the headline spec here. IPX4 means protection against splashing water — sweat, light rain, a splash at the sink. That's the honest ceiling. It is not a rating for submersion, so this is a set for the gym floor, the treadmill, the walk in drizzle and the commute, not for swimming laps.
Battery is where the WI-C100 pulls ahead of most of this list. Sony rates it at up to 25 hours of playback on a charge, which in practice means you can go days of normal use without thinking about a charger at all. For anyone who has ever pulled out dead earbuds before a workout, that number is the whole point.
Two more specs worth knowing. DSEE processing is designed to restore high-frequency detail that gets lost when audio is compressed, so streaming tracks can sound a little fuller than they otherwise would. And the Sony | Headphones Connect app lets you fine-tune the sound rather than living with a fixed tuning. Controls are physical push buttons, which I actually prefer for workouts — you can find them by feel without looking.
The main trade-off is the neckband itself. It's comfortable and it keeps the buds secure, but if you want nothing around your neck, or you want a fully sealed, submersible earbud, this isn't it. There's also no headphone jack, so it's Bluetooth-only. Note too that the pack contains two units, and fit matters — Sony itself points out that if the earbud tips don't match your ear canals or the headset isn't seated properly, sound quality and call performance suffer, so take the time to swap tips.
The Matast set is a true-wireless sports earbud built around an ear hook. Each bud has a flexible 45° hook that curves over the top of your ear, and the package includes three sizes of ear tips (S, M, L). If you've had buds work loose during burpees or hill sprints, the hook is the fix.
On water resistance, Matast rates these IP7 with a nano-coating on the internal components. That's a meaningful step beyond IPX4 — the number refers to protection against immersion, not just splashes. Matast frames it as resistance to sweat, rain and accidental water exposure, which is exactly the gym-and-running scenario. I'd treat it as very sweat-proof and rain-proof rather than a swimming headset, since the rating describes the internal coating rather than a sealed design for lap swimming.
The audio hardware is unusually specific for the category: a 4-sound-chamber design with 14.2 mm graphene drivers and a stated frequency range of 18 Hz to 25 kHz. In daily use that translates to a bass-forward tuning that holds up under the noise of a gym. Four microphones with ENC noise cancelling are on board for calls, and Matast states the system cuts external noise substantially while lifting vocal clarity — useful if you take calls on the walk home.
Battery is the other big selling point. Matast states 8 hours per charge from the buds and up to 60 hours total with the case, plus a 10-minute USB-C top-up that adds around 2 hours. The case has a dual LED display showing charge percentage, which removes the guessing game. Bluetooth 5.4 covers the connection, with a stated range of 15 meters and support for the standard audio profiles, plus a mono mode so you can use a single earbud.
Trade-offs: this is a touch-control set, and touch controls are easy to trigger accidentally when you adjust a hooked earbud. The hook design is also more of a commitment than a plain bud — great for sport, less discreet for an office. And while IP7 is strong, Matast's own wording is about sweat, rain and accidental exposure, so I wouldn't plan on swimming in them.
JBL's Endurance Race 2 is the most heavily engineered option on this list, and the specs show it. The earbuds carry an IP68 rating, which means fully dustproof and waterproof, with JBL stating they survive submersion deeper than a meter in both fresh water and sea water. The charging case is rated IPX2 water-resistant, so it can ride along on a rainy run.
Read that carefully, though, because it's the single most important caveat on this page: the case is not waterproof, only the earbuds are. JBL explicitly asks you to dry the earbuds before putting them back in the case, and to make sure the case itself is completely dry. If you skip that step, you're putting water into an unsealed charging box. It's a small habit, but it's the difference between the rating working for you and against you.
Fit is handled by an ergonomic wing enhancer using JBL's Twistlock technology. The wing twists into place for a better seal and more stability, and JBL describes it as all-day comfortable. In practice this is the kind of design that stays put through running and jumping without you re-seating it every few minutes. Two sizes of enhancers are included, along with three sizes of ear tips.
Battery is rated at 48 hours total: 12 hours in the buds plus another 36 hours from the case, with ANC off. A 10-minute charge from the included USB-C cable gives roughly 4 hours of playtime, which is genuinely useful on the way out the door. The case holds a 600 mAh battery and takes about 2 hours to charge.
The extras are what separate it from cheaper sport buds. Active Noise Cancelling filters out background noise, and Smart Ambient lets you dial in how much of the outside world you hear — handy for crossing a street or talking to someone without pulling a bud out. Calls are handled by the onboard mics, and the fit is designed to stay connected. Controls are touch-based and run through the JBL app. The trade-off, beyond the dry-before-charging rule, is that these are bulky-looking hooked buds, and you're paying for features like ANC and the IP68 build rather than for simplicity.
Swimbuds Sport is a different animal from everything else here: it's a wired, 3.5 mm in-ear headphone designed specifically for swimming. There's no Bluetooth, no battery and no charging case. You plug it into a waterproof audio player or a phone in a pouch, and you swim.
The cord is the giveaway that this was designed by people who actually swim. It's a 40 cm (roughly 15-inch) short cord, deliberately built to avoid tangling and drag during laps. Long cables and freestyle don't mix. The earbuds themselves are meant to be tucked into your goggle strap just above the ear, with the cable pointing upward and running under the strap — that routing is what keeps them anchored through turns.
Water resistance here is on another level from IPX4. Swimbuds lists an IPX8 rating with a 10-foot depth figure, and the eartips are engineered for a watertight seal. The set ships with 11 pairs of earbud tips in 4 different styles, which sounds excessive until you remember that a bad seal in a pool means water in your ear and no bass. One thing to note from the spec sheet: don't use the clear Ergo earbud tips with FitGoo earbud lubricant.
The build is aimed at daily pool sessions — reinforced cords and a body designed to survive repeated exposure. Audio is handled by a dynamic driver with a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range at 32 ohms, and Swimbuds describes third-generation HydroBeat technology for clear underwater audio. The package includes the headphones, the 11 pairs of tips, a 0.6 m extension cord and a zipper case.
The trade-offs are real and worth stating plainly. This is wired only, so you need a source device you're willing to get wet. There's no microphone and no noise cancelling, so it's for music in the water rather than calls. And if you want a set for the gym, the commute and the pool, this isn't that — it's a specialist tool. In my opinion, though, if swimming is your main reason for wanting waterproof headphones, a wired set like this is the honest answer rather than a splash-rated pair of buds.
The ACAGET set is a semi in-ear true-wireless earbud aimed at everyday listening and calls. ACAGET describes the shape as based on ear-canal fit research, with silicone ear tips added for stability, and the brand positions it as comfortable enough for all-day wear. If you find deeply inserted buds uncomfortable, the semi in-ear approach is a gentler fit.
Water resistance is IPX4, delivered through nano-coating technology that protects the internal components from sweat and rain. That's the same splash-level rating as the Sony, and the same honest limitation: fine for sweat, drizzle and splashes, not for submersion or swimming. If you're buying specifically because you want to wear headphones in the shower or the pool, IPX4 is not the rating you want.
Battery is where this set is most modest. ACAGET rates the earbuds at 4 to 5 hours per full charge, with the case able to refill them four times, and states playtime varies with volume. The case charges fully in about 1.5 hours over USB-C. That's a single-day-of-use formula rather than a week-long one — fine if you charge nightly, less convenient if you're the type to leave the case in a bag for days. One practical note from the spec sheet: don't use a fast charger rated above 5V/1A, as it can damage the charging case.
On the tech side, Bluetooth 5.3 with dual-channel transmission handles the connection, with support for the standard HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP profiles, and ACAGET states faster transmission, stronger stability and longer range than Bluetooth 5.0, plus a low-latency mode for gaming and video. ENC noise cancelling uses a mic in each earbud to capture your voice and deliver it more clearly to the person on the other end — the claim is clear calls even in a subway or on a bus. The 13 mm dynamic drivers with triple-layer composite diaphragms are tuned for deep bass and clear mids and treble, and the in-ear tips add passive isolation. Controls are touch-based.
The main trade-offs: IPX4 rather than a higher rating, shorter battery than the Matast or JBL options, and touch controls that take some learning. But if you want a light, comfortable, low-commitment set for music and calls — with splash protection as a bonus rather than the headline — it's a sensible everyday choice.
We compared the published specifications and feature lists for each product — water-resistance rating, battery figures, fit design, connectivity, driver details and controls — and ranked them by how well those specs serve specific, real-world jobs. The ranking is our own independent editorial opinion; no brand paid for placement, and no brand reviewed or approved this page. Where a product's rating is splash-level (IPX4) rather than immersion-level (IPX7, IPX8), we've said so plainly, because that distinction decides whether a set is right for you.
can i wear waterproof headphones in the shower
It depends entirely on the rating. IPX4, as on the Sony WI-C100 and ACAGET earbuds, means protection against splashing water only — shower spray is a splash situation, but steam, full immersion and soap aren't covered, and no manufacturer here rates its IPX4 products for that. For a shower you'd want an IPX7 or IPX8 set, like the Matast (IP7) or the Swimbuds Sport (IPX8). Even then, check the specific product's own guidance, because the JBL's charging case is only IPX2 and must stay dry.
are headphones waterproof
Most headphones are not waterproof in the strict sense — they're water-resistant to a stated level, and the IP rating tells you which level. IPX4 covers splashes and sweat; IPX7 and IPX8 indicate protection against immersion, with the Swimbuds Sport listed at IPX8 with a 10-foot depth figure and the JBL Endurance Race 2 rated IP68 for dust and water. Wired, non-electronic designs like the Swimbuds remove the battery and Bluetooth from the equation entirely, which is why they can be built for swimming.
what does ipx4 actually mean
The "IP" stands for Ingress Protection. The "X" means the product isn't rated for dust, and the "4" is the water level: protection against splashing water from any direction. So IPX4 headphones are designed to shrug off sweat, light rain and splashes, but they are not rated to be submerged. If you need to swim or fully dunk them, look for IPX7 or IPX8 instead.
can i use ipx4 headphones for running and the gym
Yes — this is exactly what IPX4 is for. Sweat and light rain are splash-level exposure, which is what the Sony WI-C100 and ACAGET earbuds are rated for, and both are built with sport and everyday use in mind. If you sweat heavily or run in real rain, though, a higher-rated set gives you more margin: the Matast earbuds are IP7 with ear hooks for stability, and the JBL Endurance Race 2 is IP68 with a Twistlock wing design.
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