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
If you want a rugged, job-site-ready in-ear bud with passive noise blocking and a long wireless range, choose Milwaukee Electric; if you need an open-ear hook design that keeps you aware of your surroundings, handles sweat and light rain, and runs for days on a charging case, choose Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. I'm framing this whole comparison around one very specific buyer: someone who wants earbuds for swimming and pool-adjacent workout routines, plus the runners, gym-goers and even parents hunting for sleep headphones for swimming or kids headphones for swimming. The two products solve that problem in completely opposite ways, and only one of them is actually built around water and sweat.
• Milwaukee Electric — biggest strength: a true in-ear fit with passive noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.1 and a 55-foot range that is genuinely useful on a noisy site or in a large building.
• Milwaukee Electric — biggest trade-off: it is not described as waterproof or sweat-resistant, and its 8-hour battery life is per-charge with a 10-hour charge time.
• Paekole Open Ear Earbuds — biggest strength: an open-ear hook design rated IP55 waterproof, with up to 10 hours per charge and 60 hours total via the charging case.
• Paekole Open Ear Earbuds — biggest trade-off: the open-ear fit deliberately lets outside sound in, so it will never isolate you the way a sealed in-ear bud does.
• Who Milwaukee Electric is for: buyers who want sealed, focused listening at work or indoors and don't need water resistance.
• Who Paekole Open Ear Earbuds is for: swimmers, runners, gym users and anyone who wants ambient awareness plus a sweatproof build.
The Milwaukee Electric bud is a single-item package built around an in-ear, sealed fit. That design choice drives everything else. Because the earpiece sits inside the canal, the passive noise cancellation actually does something — it physically blocks some of the world out rather than relying on software. For a job site, a workshop, a warehouse or a loud commute, that is the whole point. Pair that with Bluetooth 5.1 and a stated 55-foot range, and you get a bud that stays connected while your phone sits on a bench or in a bag across the room.
On the audio side, the spec sheet lists a balanced armature driver with a 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range and an unusually low 0.15-ohm impedance. In plain terms, that combination points to a design aimed at efficient, detailed reproduction rather than a bass-forward consumer tuning. Controls are handled remotely and cover media, calls and volume, and the enclosure is described as durable plastic, rubber or a synthetic material like TPE, in black — the kind of build you'd expect from a tool brand making a jobsite accessory.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants an in-ear bud for focused listening in loud, dry environments, and who values range and a sealed fit over water resistance. Who should skip it: swimmers, heavy sweaters and anyone who wants to hear traffic or a training partner. Nothing in the data sheet mentions an IP rating, and the 8-hour average battery life with a 10-hour charge time means you plan around a charge rather than topping up in a case. If your priority is earbuds for swimming, this is not the one.
Paekole takes the opposite approach. These are open-ear buds with flexible over-ear hooks, so the driver rests outside the ear canal instead of plugging it. That single design decision is why they make sense for water-adjacent and outdoor use: you keep your ambient awareness, and you don't get the inner-ear pressure and fatigue that sealed buds create over long sessions. The earhooks are described as soft and flexible for a secure, bounce-free fit, which is exactly what you want when you're mid-lap, mid-sprint or mid-set.
The water story is the headline. The build is described as sweat-resistant and IP55 waterproof, rated to endure heavy perspiration and light rain. IP55 is splash and jet-spray protection, not full submersion — so treat these as the right pick for poolside laps, shower-to-pool transitions, rainy runs and sweaty gym work, not for diving to the bottom of a deep end. In my opinion that's exactly the zone most people actually mean when they search for earbuds for swimming.
Battery is the other big differentiator: up to 10 hours on a single charge and 60 hours total with the charging case, with a 1-hour charge time. The drivers are listed as 14.2mm dynamic (with a 14.3mm figure in the measurements), tuned for deep bass and crisp highs, and the open-ear design uses directional sound to limit leakage. Bluetooth 6.1 handles the connection with a stated 15-meter range and 40ms audio latency. Controls are touch-based, and the package includes the buds, a cable, a manual and the wireless charging case.
Who should buy it: swimmers, runners, cyclists, gym users and anyone who wants awareness plus a sweatproof, long-runtime bud — including people shopping for sleep headphones for swimming or kids headphones for swimming where a hook fit stays put. Who should skip it: anyone who wants maximum isolation on a loud job site. The open design is a feature, not a flaw, but it is the wrong feature if you need the world turned down.
• Best for swimming and poolside use → Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. IP55 waterproof plus sweat resistance is the only water-related rating between the two.
• Best for ambient awareness and outdoor safety → Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. The open-ear, outside-the-canal fit keeps traffic and voices audible.
• Best battery endurance → Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. Up to 10 hours per charge and 60 hours with the case, versus 8 hours per charge for Milwaukee Electric.
• Best for noise blocking and focused listening → Milwaukee Electric. Passive noise cancellation and a sealed in-ear fit do what open-ear buds can't.
• Best wireless range → Milwaukee Electric. A stated 55-foot range versus roughly 15 meters (about 49 feet) for Paekole, so Milwaukee edges it out.
• Fastest recharge → Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. A 1-hour charge time against 10 hours for Milwaukee Electric.
• Best for all-day comfort and staying put during movement → Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. Flexible earhooks versus an in-ear seal that can fatigue the canal.
• Best for a rugged, dry, loud environment → Milwaukee Electric. A durable jobsite-oriented build with media, call and volume controls.
For earbuds for swimming and the sweaty, splashy, on-the-move routines around it, I would buy the Paekole Open Ear Earbuds. The IP55 waterproof build, the secure earhooks, the 60-hour total runtime and the 1-hour charge time line up almost perfectly with what a swimmer or runner actually needs, and the open-ear fit keeps you aware instead of sealed off. I'd steer toward the Milwaukee Electric only if your day is loud, dry and indoors, where passive noise cancellation and that 55-foot range matter more than water resistance. In my opinion, if water or sweat is anywhere in your routine, Paekole is the pick.
FAQ
how to earbuds in pairing mode
how to earbuds work
Both are wireless Bluetooth headphones, but they deliver sound differently. The Milwaukee Electric uses a balanced armature driver sealed inside the ear canal with passive noise cancellation, while the Paekole Open Ear Earbuds use a bone conduction driver in an open-ear, over-ear hook that rests outside the canal and keeps you aware of your surroundings.
how to earbuds in ear
The Milwaukee Electric is an in-ear bud: the earpiece sits inside the ear canal, which is what enables its passive noise blocking. The Paekole Open Ear Earbuds are not inserted at all — the flexible earhooks mold to the curve of your ear and hold the driver outside the canal, which is why they avoid inner-ear fatigue and stay secure during movement.
how to earbuds
For the Paekole set, take them out of the case and they connect automatically; touch controls handle playback and calls. For the Milwaukee Electric bud, power it on and connect via Bluetooth, then use the remote controls for media, calls and volume. Charge Paekole in its case (about 1 hour) and Milwaukee Electric for roughly 10 hours for its 8-hour runtime.
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See also: ASMAX F1s vs gidosha Open Bone Conduction, Megadream One Ear Gaming vs Tourmate Hard Travel Case, eleror Invisible Mini vs HIFI WALKER Swimming Headphones, vibeadio SE7 vs MZYQCY Bone Conduction Headphones