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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a self-contained, swim-ready open-ear headphone with built-in storage and no reliance on a paired phone, choose RELAXYO Swimming Bone Conduction; if you need a cheap, tool-free way to stop your existing JBL Tune Buds from working loose on the bike, choose Trakulon Ear Hooks 2.
• RELAXYO's biggest strength: it's a complete audio device — bone conduction drivers, Bluetooth 5.4, IP68 water protection, a 7-hour battery and 32GB of onboard MP3 storage so it works with no phone at all.
• RELAXYO's biggest trade-off: it's a bigger commitment — an open-ear hook design, no active noise control, and a mode switch you have to remember before you get in the water.
• Trakulon's biggest strength: it solves one narrow, annoying problem — compatible earbuds sliding out mid-ride — for a fraction of the complexity, with adjustable clip-on hooks that go on and off in seconds.
• Trakulon's biggest trade-off: it makes no sound of its own. Earbuds are not included, it's plastic, it's built for JBL Tune Buds compatibility, and it carries no warranty.
• Pick RELAXYO if you want one device that handles swimming, running, marathon training and cycling without a phone in your pocket.
• Pick Trakulon if you already own compatible earbuds you like and just want them to stay put on the bike.
This is an open-ear bone conduction headphone, which means the drivers sit outside your ear canal and send sound through your cheekbone instead of plugging you up. For cycling, that's the whole point. You hear traffic, bells, and the rider calling "on your left" while your music or podcast plays. The hook-shaped earpiece and open-ear placement are designed to sit against the head rather than inside it, so a helmet strap and sunglasses don't fight the fit the way they can with in-ear buds.
The spec that separates it from almost everything else in this category is the water rating. It's listed as IP68, which is the kind of sealing that survives sweat, rain, and full submersion — and RELAXYO explicitly lists swimming, surfing, running, fishing and hiking as intended uses, including wearing it under a swim cap or goggles. There's a catch worth repeating: you're supposed to switch the headphone out of Bluetooth mode and into MP3 mode before you swim, because Bluetooth doesn't travel through water. That's where the 32GB of built-in storage comes in. You load your own tracks, switch modes, and the headphone keeps playing with no phone nearby.
Battery life is rated at 7 hours, which covers a long ride, a marathon, or a multi-hour training block, and Bluetooth 5.4 is the current mainstream version for pairing stability. There's no active noise control, which is a deliberate trade rather than a flaw for outdoor use — though it does mean these are a poor choice for a noisy gym or a flight. The color is black, the jack is nonexistent (wireless only), and it's sold as a single unit with a one-year manufacturer warranty.
Skip it if: you want isolation from surrounding noise, you need a wired option, or you'd rather not think about switching modes before getting in the pool.
Trakulon Ear Hooks 2: Who It's For
Trakulon Ear Hooks 2 isn't a headphone. It's a two-pair accessory pack of adjustable clip-on hooks that fit compatible earbuds — specifically the JBL Tune Buds — and hold them in place while you move. If you've ever had a bud pop out on a descent or while racking a bike, you already understand the problem this exists to fix. Trakulon states plainly that earbuds are not included, and that this is a third-party replacement part that isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any brand owner. The brand name appears only to tell you what it fits.
The design is deliberately simple. The hooks are lightweight plastic, they clip onto the earbuds without tools, and they come off just as fast, so you can move them between active and casual listening. There's a dedicated left and right hook, shaped to follow the natural curve of the ear for balanced support rather than one universal blob you have to rotate into place. The adjustability is the interesting part — you can tune how much pressure the hook puts on your ear, which matters on longer rides where a too-tight fit becomes its own kind of discomfort.
On the bike, the benefit is confidence. Cycling involves vibration, head checks, and standing out of the saddle — all things that nudge a loosely seated earbud. The hooks add mechanical stability without adding much bulk, and because they don't change the earbud's driver or seal, the sound you already like stays exactly as it is. Trakulon lists jogging, walking, gym training, travel, office use and commuting as intended scenarios, so it's not a cycling-only item.
The honest limits: it's plastic, there's no warranty stated, and it only helps if your earbuds are compatible with the JBL Tune Buds fit. It won't rescue a pair of buds that simply don't match your ear shape, and it does nothing about sweat, rain, or water. It is one small, cheap solution to one specific annoyance.
Buy it if: you already own compatible earbuds, you like how they sound, and you just want them locked in on the bike.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for cycling with traffic awareness → RELAXYO Swimming Bone Conduction. Open-ear bone conduction leaves your ear canal clear, so you hear cars and fellow riders.
• Best for keeping earbuds in on rough roads → Trakulon Ear Hooks 2. That's literally what it was built for.
• Best for swimming → RELAXYO Swimming Bone Conduction. IP68 sealing plus 32GB of onboard MP3 playback is the combination that makes underwater listening work.
• Best for battery life → RELAXYO Swimming Bone Conduction. It's rated at 7 hours; Trakulon has no battery because it has no electronics.
• Best for people who already love their earbuds → Trakulon Ear Hooks 2. It changes the fit, not the sound.
• Best for a phone-free workout → RELAXYO Swimming Bone Conduction. Bluetooth 5.4 is there for pairing, but the built-in storage means you can leave the phone at home.
• Best for noise isolation → neither. RELAXYO has no noise control, and Trakulon doesn't alter your earbuds' isolation at all.
• Best for a low-commitment fix → Trakulon Ear Hooks 2. Clip on, ride, clip off — no charging, no pairing, no mode switching.
In my opinion, the RELAXYO Swimming Bone Conduction is the more useful purchase for most people asking this question, because it replaces an entire problem instead of patching one. It's a real headphone: bone conduction drivers, IP68 water protection, 7 hours of playtime, Bluetooth 5.4, and 32GB of storage that lets you swim or train without your phone. The Trakulon Ear Hooks 2 is genuinely good at what it does, and if you already own compatible JBL Tune Buds and only want them to stay put on the bike, it's the smarter, simpler buy. But it can't play a note on its own, and the RELAXYO can do the cycling job and the pool job and the marathon job. If you're choosing one, I'd take the RELAXYO.
It's rated IP68, which is the highest water and dust sealing level in the common IP scale, and RELAXYO lists swimming, surfing and fishing as intended uses. Just remember to switch it from Bluetooth to MP3 mode before you get in the water, since Bluetooth doesn't transmit underwater.
No. Trakulon states clearly that earbuds are not included — you get two pairs of clip-on hooks only. They're designed to be compatible with JBL Tune Buds, and Trakulon notes this is a third-party part not affiliated with or endorsed by any brand owner.
Yes — cycling is one of the listed uses, and the open-ear design is a real advantage on a bike because you keep hearing traffic. You do give up noise isolation, which is the point, but worth knowing if you wanted to block out wind noise.
The Trakulon Ear Hooks 2, assuming your earbuds are compatible. It's a fit accessory, not a headphone, so it won't change your sound or your battery. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, and compare it against what a full open-ear headphone would cost you.
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