How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a pair of open-ear headphones you can actually swim and shower in, choose MONODEAL Swimming Headphones-IP68; if you need all-day battery life and refined open-ear comfort for running and commuting, choose Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open.
• MONODEAL's biggest strength: A true IP68 waterproof rating with bone conduction and a built-in 32GB MP3 player, so it keeps working underwater where Bluetooth can't reach.
• MONODEAL's biggest trade-off: Only 8 hours of playtime per charge, and you have to switch to MP3 mode when swimming because Bluetooth doesn't transmit underwater.
• Sennheiser's biggest strength: Up to 28 hours of battery life in a compact USB-C charging case, with open-ear comfort, multi-point pairing, and touch controls.
• Sennheiser's biggest trade-off: IPX4 only means splash and sweat resistance — it is not built for immersion in a pool.
• Who MONODEAL is for: Swimmers, shower listeners, and runners who want music stored on the device itself.
• Who Sennheiser is for: Runners, gym-goers, and commuters who want long battery life, an awareness-friendly open fit, and easy phone-call handling.
The MONODEAL is a niche product that solves a very specific problem. It uses bone conduction drivers with an open-ear, over-ear fit, which means your ear canal stays completely open. You hear your music through vibration against your cheekbone, and you still hear traffic, other runners, or a poolside whistle. The silicone build keeps the weight down to just 24 grams, which is light enough that it won't press on glasses or cause fatigue over a long session.
What really sets it apart is the depth of its water protection. The IP68 rating is designed for immersion — the spec sheet describes it as safe up to 2 meters underwater for 2 hours. That is a completely different category from sweat resistance. Because Bluetooth signals don't travel well through water, the MONODEAL includes 32GB of built-in memory and an MP3 mode. You load your music or audiobooks onto the headphones, switch modes, and swim with no phone nearby. That's a genuinely clever design for lap swimming or long showers.
Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open: Who It's For
The ACCENTUM Open is the more versatile everyday pick. These are open-ear earbuds with an ergonomic stem that sits outside your ear canal, so you get the awareness benefits of an open fit without the pressure or insulation of traditional in-ear buds. Sennheiser tunes them with 11mm dynamic drivers and rates the frequency range at 20Hz–20,000Hz with 100-ohm impedance and 109dB sensitivity — numbers that suggest an easy-to-drive, detailed sound rather than a bass-heavy one.
The headline feature is endurance. Sennheiser rates these at up to 28 hours of playtime, and the compact USB-C charging case makes that realistic for real life — you charge the case, not the buds, and you can go days between top-ups. Charging time is listed at just 1 hour. For runners, that means you can leave them in a bag, grab them for a morning run, take calls on the way to work, and still have charge left.
The feature set is built for convenience: touch controls, smart pause, multi-point pairing so two devices stay connected at once, single-ear mode, and crystal-clear phone calls. IPX4 splash protection covers sweat and light rain, which is exactly what most runners and gym-goers need. What it does not cover is swimming. IPX4 is not immersion-rated, so a pool session or a shower is off the table. The fit is also a different style — this is listed as an in-ear placement with an open-ear shape and ergonomic shank, so it's a stem-style bud rather than a bone conduction band. If you want a lightweight, all-day, phone-friendly pair for running and daily life, this is the stronger all-rounder.
• Best for swimming or showering → MONODEAL Swimming Headphones-IP68. IP68 with immersion up to 2 meters for 2 hours; the Sennheiser's IPX4 is splash-only.
• Best for battery life → Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open. Up to 28 hours versus MONODEAL's 8 hours per charge.
• Best for running without a phone → MONODEAL Swimming Headphones-IP68. The 32GB MP3 mode means you don't need Bluetooth or a device nearby.
• Best for phone calls and multitasking → Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open. Multi-point pairing, single-ear mode, and a built-in call experience.
• Best for light weight → MONODEAL Swimming Headphones-IP68. 24 grams versus the Sennheiser's 38 grams.
• Best for open-ear awareness with a traditional bud fit → Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open. Ergonomic stem and open fit without in-ear pressure.
• Best for charging convenience → Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open. A USB-C charging case with a 1-hour charge time.
• Best for travel and everyday carry → Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open. The compact case and 28-hour rating make it the easier daily companion.
In my opinion, the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open is the better buy for most people, because it covers running, commuting, calls, and long days without babysitting a charge. The 28-hour battery life, multi-point pairing, and touch controls make it a genuine daily driver. That said, if your number-one need is music while swimming, no amount of battery life helps you — the MONODEAL is the one that survives the water. I'd pick the Sennheiser for running earbuds and the MONODEAL only if the pool is non-negotiable.
how to run with earbuds
With either of these, the key is an open-ear fit that stays put without sealing your canal. The MONODEAL's 24g over-ear design and the Sennheiser's ergonomic stem both aim for that, and both let you hear traffic while you run. Whichever you choose, keep the volume low enough that you can still hear your surroundings.
how to connect jbl running earbuds
Pairing is broadly the same across brands: put the buds in pairing mode, open your phone's Bluetooth settings, and select the device. The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Open uses Bluetooth 5.3 with multi-point pairing, so it can hold two devices at once. The MONODEAL uses Bluetooth 5.4 and pairs the same way when you're not in MP3 mode.
how to pair jaybird run earbuds
The general process is identical to any Bluetooth headphone — enable pairing, then connect from your phone. What matters more for running is fit and water resistance. If you'll be sweating heavily or caught in rain, look for at least IPX4; both the Sennheiser (IPX4) and MONODEAL (IP68) meet that, though only the MONODEAL is built for full immersion.
how to run with wired earbuds
Neither of these is wired — the MONODEAL has no headphone jack and connects via Bluetooth or its built-in MP3 mode, and the Sennheiser is wireless with a charging case. If you prefer a cable-free run, both fit the bill; if you specifically want wired, you'd need a different product entirely.
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See also: vnilrgle Open Ear Earbuds vs Aiandcc Swimming Headphones, RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming vs OceanSounds Open Ear Headphones, SHAIMEWEI USB-C Headphones vs Niecase Swimming Headphones Underwater