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If you want a pair of bone-conduction headphones you can genuinely take into the water, choose MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction; if you need bone-conduction headphones for running, cycling, gym sessions and everyday calls on dry land, choose Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones. The two look similar in a search result, but they are built for two different jobs, and picking the wrong one will frustrate you within a week.
• MARLALL's biggest strength: a true IP68 sealed, nano-coated build rated for water immersion, plus 32 GB of built-in MP3 memory so you can swim with music and no phone nearby.
• MARLALL's biggest trade-off: underwater it only plays from its internal MP3 storage — Bluetooth cannot travel through water, so you must switch modes before you get in.
• Silisoundtech's biggest strength: a comfortable 27 g titanium-alloy open-ear frame with Bluetooth 5.3, multi-device pairing and a claimed 10 hours of playtime per charge — a great all-day training companion.
• Silisoundtech's biggest trade-off: IPX7 covers sweat and rain but is explicitly not rated for swimming, and there is no built-in music storage.
• Who MARLALL is for: lap swimmers, snorkelers and anyone who wants audio in the pool without carrying a phone.
• Who Silisoundtech is for: runners, cyclists, gym-goers and commuters who want open-ear awareness and long battery life on land.
The MARLALL set is unusual because it treats swimming as the primary job rather than an afterthought. The IP68 rating means the internals are sealed against water immersion, sweat, rain and dust, and the nano-coated construction is there to keep moisture out over time. The frame is built from a premium liquid silicone that stays skin-friendly when it's wet and holds position through laps, dives and hard workouts without pressure points. At roughly 23 g it's light enough to forget you're wearing it.
The second half of the story is the 32 GB of onboard MP3 memory. Because Bluetooth signals can't transmit through water, the MARLALL switches to MP3 mode underwater — you load playlists onto the internal storage (the magnetic charging cable also lets you connect to a computer for that) and the headphones play straight from memory while you swim. That is the whole point of this product: no phone on the pool deck, no pouch, no armband. Above the waterline it behaves like a normal Bluetooth 5.4 headset, with a stable connection up to 10 meters and support for iOS and Android, so you can take calls and stream audiobooks and music once you're dry. There is one habit to build: dry the microphone after a swim, or call quality suffers.
Buy the MARLALL if you swim laps, snorkel or spend time on the water and you want music that travels with you rather than sitting in a bag. Skip it if open-water performance is your only goal — IP68 covers immersion, but the design intent is pool and recreational use with caps or goggles, not diving. Also skip it if you want one pair of headphones to do everything without thinking about modes; the MP3/Bluetooth switch is a real step you have to remember.
Silisoundtech takes the classic bone-conduction approach and refines it. Sound travels through your cheekbones so your ears stay completely open — you hear traffic, training partners and gym announcements while your music plays. The band is titanium alloy and bends a full 360° without deforming, which matters if you stuff headphones into a bag or share them. At 27 g with a soft skin-friendly frame, it's designed to sit pressure-free for hours.
On the tech side you get Bluetooth 5.3, which the spec sheet frames as an upgrade over 5.2 with lower latency, better anti-interference and lower power draw, plus multi-device pairing. Battery life is the headline: a 230 mAh cell that charges fully in about 1.5 hours and delivers up to 10 hours of continuous music or calls. Charging is magnetic rather than through an open USB port, which keeps dust and moisture out and tends to last longer. For audio, the enhanced processing is tuned for rich detail and strong bass, and the built-in noise-canceling microphone is there to keep your voice clear on the move.
Buy the Silisoundtech if your training is running, cycling, hiking, gym work, driving or walking, and you want open-ear safety plus enough battery to get through a long day without charging. Skip it if swimming is on your list — IPX7 handles sweat and rain, but the manufacturer explicitly says it is not for swimming, and with no built-in storage there's no way to play music underwater anyway. Skip it too if you want the absolute lightest possible frame; it's a touch heavier than the MARLALL on paper.
• Best for swimming → MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction. IP68 immersion protection plus MP3 mode is the only way either of these works in a pool.
• Best for running, cycling and gym work → Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones. IPX7, open-ear awareness and a titanium band built for movement.
• Best for battery life → Silisoundtech. Up to 10 hours per charge with a 1.5-hour refill; MARLALL doesn't publish a runtime figure, so there's no honest comparison to make there.
• Best for phone-free listening → MARLALL. The 32 GB of internal memory means you don't need a device at all in the water.
• Best for calls and everyday use → Silisoundtech. A dedicated noise-canceling mic and multi-device pairing make it the more natural daily driver.
• Best for connectivity → MARLALL on paper. Bluetooth 5.4 with a stated 10-meter range is the newer standard; Silisoundtech runs 5.3.
• Best for durability in water and sweat → MARLALL. IP68 plus a nano-coated sealed design outranks IPX7 for wet environments.
• Best for all-day comfort on land → Silisoundtech. A flexible titanium band that bends 360° without deforming is hard to beat for long wear.
In my opinion, the right buy comes down to one question: do you get in the water? If you swim, I'd take the MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction — the IP68 sealing and 32 GB of MP3 storage solve a problem the Silisoundtech simply isn't designed to solve, and Bluetooth 5.4 keeps it useful on dry land too. If your training never leaves dry ground, I'd take the Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones: 10 hours of battery, a flexible titanium band, multi-device pairing and a noise-canceling mic make it the better everyday athlete's tool. Neither is a compromise — they're just aimed at different people.
No. The manufacturer rates them IPX7 and states they are not for swimming — that rating covers sweat, rain and splashes during running, cycling or workouts. For actual pool use you need the MARLALL's IP68 sealing and MP3 mode.
No. Bluetooth signals can't travel through water, so underwater playback runs from the built-in 32 GB MP3 memory. Above water they work as normal Bluetooth 5.4 headphones, and you should dry the microphone after a swim for clear calls.
Only Silisoundtech publishes a figure: up to 10 hours of continuous music or calls from a 230 mAh battery, with a full charge in about 1.5 hours. MARLALL doesn't list a runtime, so I won't guess — check the current price and full spec list on Amazon before deciding.
Both carry a 1-year warranty, so the question is fit. If you swim, the MARLALL's IP68 build and onboard storage are the features that matter and its value is obvious. If you don't, the Silisoundtech's 10-hour battery, titanium band and noise-canceling mic give you more for everyday training. Check the latest price on Amazon for both before you commit.
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