We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-03 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a smart touchscreen charging case, featherweight open-ear fit and true IPX7 sweat-and-rain protection for running, choose Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds; if you need marathon battery life, magnetic anti-tangle earbuds and a neckband that stays put for hours, choose SMOUSKK Neckband.
• Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds biggest strength: a touchscreen charging case with 5 EQ presets, locate-my-earbuds and call answering, plus 6-gram open-ear buds rated IPX7 waterproof.
• Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds biggest trade-off: 10 hours per charge means you rely on the case for the full 60 hours, and the open-ear design lets ambient sound in by nature.
• SMOUSKK Neckband biggest strength: up to 120 hours of playtime on a single 1.5-hour charge, magnetic earbuds that clip together, and a TF card slot for phone-free listening.
• SMOUSKK Neckband biggest trade-off: the spec sheet lists water resistance as not water resistant and only 3 months of warranty coverage, so heavy sweat and rain are a real concern.
• Who Rulbovs is for: runners, gym-goers and outdoor athletes who want lightweight buds, waterproofing and app-free touch controls.
• Who SMOUSKK is for: commuters, drivers and long-shift listeners who want maximum battery and a neckband they barely think about.
The Rulbovs story starts with the case. Instead of a plain lid, you get a touchscreen display that handles more than 10 functions: skipping tracks, checking battery, adjusting volume, cycling through 5 EQ presets (Bass Boost, Rock, Pop, Jazz) and even answering calls. There's also a locate feature for a misplaced earbud, which is the kind of small thing that matters more than you'd expect once one bud disappears into a couch cushion.
The buds themselves weigh just 6 grams each, with flexible ear hooks in skin-friendly silicone. That's an open-ear, over-ear-hook design, so nothing plugs your ear canal. The payoff is comfort over long sessions and awareness of traffic, and the trade-off is that you'll hear more of the world around you than with sealed in-ears. Audio comes from a 14.2mm dynamic driver, and the noise-cancelling tech is claimed to block 90% of ambient noise, which is a bold figure worth treating as a spec-sheet claim rather than a lab result.
Battery is 10 hours per charge, stretching to 60 hours with the case, and the case has an LED readout plus USB-C charging that refills in about 1.5 hours. Bluetooth 6.0 handles pairing and reconnection when you open the case. The IPX7 rating is the headline for athletes: sweat, rain and splashes are explicitly in scope. In my opinion, this is the pick for someone whose priority is a light, waterproof bud for running, cycling, workouts and commuting. Skip it if you want sealed isolation or if you dislike touchscreen controls on a case.
The SMOUSKK Neckband takes the opposite approach: it trades featherweight minimalism for endurance and security. The spec sheet claims up to 120 hours of playtime, charged in about 1.5 hours via Type-C. That's a genuinely different category of battery life — you can plausibly go a week or more of normal listening without reaching for a cable. The magnetic earbuds snap together when you're not using them, which keeps the cable from tangling around your neck, and the built-in LED display shows battery level so you're never guessing.
Comfort comes from soft skin-friendly silicone and a flexible TPE neckband that bends without deforming. At 1.48 ounces, it's light for what it is, and the hook-over-ear placement keeps the buds anchored during movement. Audio runs through 15mm dynamic drivers with 32 ohm impedance, 20Hz frequency response and 95dB sensitivity, with a claimed 16-millisecond latency that suits video and gaming. Controls are physical buttons, not touch — a real advantage if you're wearing gloves or driving. There's also a built-in microphone, and the TF card slot lets you play music with no phone connected at all. That's a feature almost nothing else in this segment offers.
Here's the honest caveat. The data sheet lists the water resistance level as not water resistant, and warranty coverage is 3 months. For a product marketed as "sports waterproof," that's a meaningful gap between the marketing language and the listed spec. Passive noise cancellation means it blocks sound by sealing your ear, not by electronics. I recommend this one for commuters, delivery drivers, desk workers and anyone who wants to plug in a memory card and forget about charging. I'd steer away if you sweat heavily or train outdoors in the rain.
• Best for waterproofing → Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds. IPX7 is explicit on the sheet, while SMOUSKK lists no water resistance.
• Best for battery life → SMOUSKK Neckband. 120 hours versus 60 hours with the Rulbovs case, and 10 hours per Rulbovs charge.
• Best for running and gym work → Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds. 6-gram buds, silicone ear hooks and an IPX7 rating built around sweat and rain.
• Best for all-day desk or driving use → SMOUSKK Neckband. Physical buttons, magnetic buds, a neckband that hangs out of the way.
• Best for audio tuning on the fly → Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds. 5 EQ presets plus volume and track control from the case display.
• Best for phone-free listening → SMOUSKK Neckband. The TF card slot plays music with no paired device.
• Best for call handling → Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds. Answer calls from the case; SMOUSKK relies on its inline microphone and buttons.
• Best for low-latency video and gaming → a close call. SMOUSKK cites 16ms; Rulbovs cites a 60% latency reduction on Bluetooth 6.0. Both are built for it, so let fit decide.
• Best for open-ear awareness → Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds. Nothing blocks your ear canal, so traffic and surroundings stay audible.
In my opinion, the Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds are the safer buy for most people. The IPX7 rating, the 6-gram open-ear fit, the 5 EQ presets and the touchscreen case give you a genuinely more versatile everyday package, and the 60-hour total battery is more than enough for a week of workouts. The SMOUSKK Neckband wins clearly on raw endurance and on the TF card slot, but the listed "not water resistant" rating makes it hard for me to recommend to anyone who sweats or trains outdoors. If you're a commuter or driver who wants battery above all, SMOUSKK is the right call; otherwise, I'd take the Rulbovs.
are ipx7 earbuds waterproof
IPX7 means the device can withstand immersion in water at a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes under the standard's test conditions. It's a genuine water-resistance rating, not just splash protection. On these two, only the Rulbovs Open Ear Earbuds carry an IPX7 rating; the SMOUSKK Neckband is listed as not water resistant.
can you shower with ipx7 earbuds
An IPX7 rating covers brief immersion, so a shower is technically within the rating's scope for the Rulbovs buds. That said, ratings are tested in clean fresh water, and soap, shampoo and steam are not part of the test. I'd treat IPX7 as protection against sweat, rain and accidental splashes rather than an invitation to shower daily in them.
The Rulbovs use a 14.2mm dynamic driver with 5 EQ presets you can switch on the case, so you can shift the tuning toward bass, rock, pop or jazz. The SMOUSKK uses a larger 15mm dynamic driver with 32 ohm impedance and 95dB sensitivity, tuned for clear, layered reproduction. Driver size alone doesn't decide sound quality — fit and seal matter just as much.
The SMOUSKK Neckband, without much debate. It's rated for up to 120 hours of playtime on a roughly 1.5-hour charge, double what the Rulbovs setup offers at 60 hours with the case. Just keep in mind that the SMOUSKK sheet lists no water resistance, so it's better suited to commuting and desk use than to sweaty workouts. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
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