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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want one pair of open-ear headphones that can actually go underwater with you and play music without a phone, choose RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming; if you need a lighter, simpler everyday set for cycling, running and gym work at the lowest possible outlay, choose Generic Bone Conduction Headphones.
• RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming — biggest strength: IP68 waterproofing plus 32GB of built-in storage, so it plays music from its own memory in MP3 mode when Bluetooth can't reach you — which is exactly the situation in a pool.
• RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming — biggest trade-off: Only 7 hours of playback per charge, and a 1.5-hour charge cycle; it's also the bulkier, beige, over-ear build rather than a discreet black one.
• Generic Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest strength: 8 hours of playback and a comfortable titanium open-ear frame with Bluetooth 5.4, plus a hard EVA carry case in the box.
• Generic Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest trade-off: No built-in memory and no IP68 rating — it's described as sweatproof and water-resistant, which is a very different thing from swim-proof.
• Who each pick is for: RELAXYO for swimmers, triathletes and anyone who wants phone-free music; Generic for cyclists, runners, walkers and gym-goers who just want a light, cheap open-ear set.
The X26 is built around one problem that most open-ear headphones simply ignore: water. Its IP68 rating is the headline, and it's paired with a genuinely unusual feature — 32GB of internal storage, which RELAXYO says is enough for roughly 7,000 songs. That combination is the whole point. Bluetooth doesn't travel through water, so a normal wireless headphone goes silent the moment your head goes under. The RELAXYO doesn't have to rely on Bluetooth at all; you double-press the power button to switch into MP3 mode, and it plays straight from its own memory. You load tracks by connecting the magnetic charging cable to a computer.
Who should buy it: swimmers first and foremost, plus surfers, triathletes, and runners or cyclists who train near water and want one set that covers everything. The bone conduction driver runs the standard 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range and there's no active noise cancelling, so this is about awareness and durability, not isolation. Who should skip it: anyone who never gets their headphones wet and just wants the cheapest possible Bluetooth set — you'd be paying for waterproofing and memory you won't use. Also skip it if you need marathon-length battery; 7 hours won't cover an ultra.
Generic Bone Conduction Headphones: Who It's For
This is the BE21 from GLET.CO.,LTD., sold under a plain Generic label, and it reads like a deliberately straightforward take on the open-ear formula. Bluetooth 5.4 for a fast, stable connection. A lightweight titanium frame that stays put during high-intensity workouts. Sweatproof and water-resistant construction with a fully enclosed body made from hydrophobic materials that feel smooth against the skin. And an 8-hour battery that charges over USB — though note the charge time is listed at 8 hours too, so it's a long, slow top-up rather than a quick one.
What you actually get in the box is a bit more generous than the name suggests: the headphones, a cable, an English manual, and an EVA carry case with a hook for clipping to a bag. That case matters more than it sounds — open-ear headphones are awkward shapes, and a hard shell keeps them alive in a rucksack. The earpiece is oval and black, the impedance is 8 ohm, and the driver is bone conduction with the same 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range as the RELAXYO. There's no noise control and no jack — wireless only, same as the other set.
Who should buy it: cyclists, runners, walkers, gym-goers and commuters who want their ears open to traffic and their music playing, and who'd rather not spend much doing it. The 8-hour runtime suits long rides and double sessions better than the RELAXYO's 7. It's also a reasonable gift pick — the case and the boxed presentation do some of that work. Who should skip it: swimmers. Water-resistant is not waterproof, and with no onboard memory it needs a Bluetooth connection that water will break. If you sweat heavily in a pool or you're in the sea, this isn't the one.
• Best for swimming → RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming. IP68 plus MP3 mode is the only combination here that works underwater.
• Best for phone-free music → RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming. 32GB of storage means no phone, no watch, no signal required.
• Best for battery life → Generic Bone Conduction Headphones. 8 hours versus 7, and that extra hour shows up on long rides.
• Best for charging speed → RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming. 1.5 hours to full against 8 hours on the Generic set — a big practical gap if you're forgetful about charging.
• Best for cycling and running → Generic Bone Conduction Headphones. Lighter, black, open-ear, sweatproof, with a carry case for the commute.
• Best for travel and storage → Generic Bone Conduction Headphones. The included EVA case with a hook is genuinely useful; the RELAXYO doesn't list one.
• Best for pool-to-road versatility → RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming. One set covers laps, then switches to Bluetooth for the ride home.
• Best for a first open-ear set → Generic Bone Conduction Headphones. Fewer features to learn, nothing to load, just pair and go.
If you swim, I'd buy the RELAXYO Bone Conduction Swimming without much hesitation. IP68 and 32GB of onboard storage solve a problem that no ordinary open-ear headphone can solve, and the fast 1.5-hour charge makes the shorter 7-hour runtime easy to live with. For everyone else — cyclists, runners, gym-goers, walkers — I'd take the Generic Bone Conduction Headphones: 8 hours of playback, a titanium open-ear frame, Bluetooth 5.4 and a proper EVA case, with no waterproofing premium you'll never use. In my opinion the deciding question is simple: do you get these wet on purpose? If yes, RELAXYO. If no, Generic.
It depends entirely on whether you swim. The IP68 rating and 32GB of built-in memory are the reasons it costs more than a plain Bluetooth set — you're paying for underwater playback and phone-free music, not for better sound. Check the current price on Amazon and decide whether swimming is genuinely part of your routine.
No. They're described as sweatproof and water-resistant, which covers rain, sweat and splashes — not submersion. They also have no onboard storage, so they need a Bluetooth connection that won't survive underwater.
The RELAXYO gives up to 7 hours of music from a 1.5-hour charge. The Generic set gives up to 8 hours of music, but the listed charge time is 8 hours, so plan to top it up overnight.
For pure cycling, I'd lean Generic: it's lighter, black, 8-hour battery, and the open-ear design keeps you aware of traffic. The RELAXYO also works well on the bike via Bluetooth 5.4 — it just carries extra waterproofing and storage you won't need on the road.
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