If you want open-ear headphones for library study, calls, and everyday Bluetooth listening, choose Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction; if you need headphones for swimming with onboard MP3 playback, choose MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. For a library, I would choose Shokz: its stated eight-hour battery life and straightforward Bluetooth use fit longer listening sessions, while MARLALL’s main advantage is its swimming-focused waterproof design.
Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction vs MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone at a Glance
• MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone: The swimming-focused choice, with an IPX8 rating and built-in 32 GB MP3 storage. Its trade-off is that Bluetooth does not work underwater, and swimming requires MP3 mode.
• Shokz suits listeners who want a simple wireless option for study breaks, calls, and outdoor exercise while keeping their ears open.
• MARLALL suits swimmers who want music stored on the headphones and are comfortable managing playlists on internal storage.
Shokz OpenRun is an open-ear Bluetooth headphone with a featherweight wraparound frame. Instead of sitting inside the ear, it uses bone conduction to send sound through vibrations at the cheekbone. That design leaves the ears open, which can be useful when you want to hear surrounding sounds while listening. For library use, the open-ear format may appeal to someone who dislikes earbuds, though it does not promise isolation from nearby noise.
The stated battery life is up to eight hours, and a 10-minute quick charge can provide up to 1.5 hours of use. Bluetooth 5.1 supports wireless pairing with compatible devices, and the listed Bluetooth range is 10 meters. The headphones also have button controls and are supplied with a magnetic charging cable, protective case, and Shokz sport headband. The IP67 rating makes them suited to sweat and workouts, but they are not intended for swimming.
I’d choose Shokz for someone who expects to move between a desk, a walk, and a workout without changing listening habits. It is also the more natural pick for calls and podcasts when phone-based Bluetooth listening matters. Skip it if your main requirement is underwater playback: its water resistance does not make it a swimming headphone. And if you need a sealed, noise-blocking listening experience, the open-ear design is not built for that job.
MARLALL is designed around water use. Its listed IPX8 waterproof rating and soft liquid-silicone overmold are aimed at swimming and other water activities, while the ear-hook shape is intended to stay secure during movement. The design also keeps the ears open, so it shares one of Shokz’s central advantages: it does not rely on earbuds pushed into the ear canal.
The key difference is how it plays audio underwater. Bluetooth mode is not supported beneath the water; swimming requires MP3 mode. The headphones include 32 GB of built-in storage, and the included magnetic charging cable provides a way to connect to a computer for managing stored music. The product information says music from a phone app cannot be copied directly to the headphone’s memory card. That means playlist preparation is part of the routine rather than something to overlook.
MARLALL’s stated playback time is up to seven hours, with a charging time of 1.5 hours. I’d consider it for a swimmer who wants music without carrying a phone into the pool and is happy to use stored tracks. It is less suitable for someone who expects uninterrupted Bluetooth streaming while underwater or wants the simplest possible phone-to-headphone setup. The product information also advises drying the microphone after swimming to help prevent call problems.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-22 · 11 min read · Independent comparison
• Best for swimming → MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. Its IPX8 rating and swimming-focused instructions make it the clear match for water use. Shokz is explicitly not suitable for swimming.
• Best for underwater music without a phone connection → MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. It has 32 GB of built-in storage, but underwater listening requires MP3 mode rather than Bluetooth.
• Best for a quick top-up → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its 10-minute quick-charge feature is listed as providing up to 1.5 hours of battery life. MARLALL lists a 1.5-hour charging time.
• Best for longer stated playback time → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its listed battery life is up to eight hours, compared with up to seven hours for MARLALL.
• Best for workouts where sweat and rain matter → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its IP67 rating is intended for water and sweat resistance, though not swimming. MARLALL is the more appropriate model when immersion is the central need.
• Best for stored playlists during water sports → MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. Internal storage provides an alternative to Bluetooth underwater, with the trade-off that tracks need to be managed on the device.
• Best for a straightforward phone-based listening routine → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its Bluetooth design fits calls, podcasts, and other compatible-device listening without making MP3 preparation a requirement.
I would buy Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction for library listening and everyday use because Bluetooth, up to eight hours of playback, and quick charging make it the more flexible fit for that routine. Its open-ear design is also a practical choice if I want to stay aware of nearby sounds, though it will not isolate me from a noisy library.
I’d choose MARLALL instead if swimming were the main reason for buying headphones. Its waterproof design and built-in storage serve that purpose better, provided I’m willing to use MP3 mode underwater. For a library, Shokz is my clear pick.
Shokz is the more straightforward library choice if you want Bluetooth listening, calls, or podcasts, and its listed battery life is up to eight hours. Both designs leave the ears open, so neither is presented as a way to block surrounding noise.
No. Bluetooth mode is not supported underwater, and swimming requires MP3 mode. MARLALL has 32 GB of built-in storage, but its product information says music from a phone app cannot be copied directly to that storage.
MARLALL is the swimming choice because it has an IPX8 rating and is designed for water activities. Shokz has an IP67 rating for water and sweat resistance and suits workouts, but it is not suitable for swimming.
Neither product is specifically described as a gaming headset, and the listed features do not establish gaming-specific capabilities. For general listening in a library, Shokz is the more natural match because it supports Bluetooth use and has the longer stated battery life; neither model is described as noise-cancelling.
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If you want open-ear headphones for library listening and everyday Bluetooth use, choose Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction; if you need headphones for swimming with onboard MP3 playback, choose MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. For a library, Shokz is my pick: its up-to-eight-hour battery life and phone-friendly Bluetooth setup fit longer listening sessions, while MARLALL’s defining advantage is its waterproof design for swimming.
• Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction: Open-ear Bluetooth listening, up to eight hours of playback, and a quick-charge feature. Its main trade-off: it is not suitable for swimming.
• MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone: Swimming-focused waterproofing and 32 GB of built-in MP3 storage. Its main trade-off: Bluetooth does not work underwater, so swimming requires MP3 mode.
• Choose Shokz for library listening, calls, and workouts where you want to keep your ears open.
• Choose MARLALL for swimming if you’re happy to prepare and play music stored on the headphones.
Shokz OpenRun is an open-ear Bluetooth headphone with a lightweight wraparound frame. Its bone-conduction drivers send sound through vibrations at the cheekbone, leaving the ear canals open. That can suit someone who dislikes earbuds or wants to remain aware of nearby sounds while listening. For library use, the open design is a trade-off: it keeps your ears uncovered, but it does not promise to block conversation or other room noise.
The stated battery life is up to eight hours, and a 10-minute quick charge can provide up to 1.5 hours of use. It uses Bluetooth 5.1 and lists a 10-meter Bluetooth range. The package includes a magnetic charging cable, protective case, and sport headband. Its IP67 water-resistance rating suits sweat and workouts, but the headphones are not suitable for swimming.
I’d choose Shokz if I wanted one pair for a desk, a walk, calls, and exercise, without switching away from Bluetooth. It is also the more natural option for listening to podcasts or other phone audio during a study session. Skip it if swimming is the priority, or if you want headphones designed to seal out surrounding sound.
MARLALL is designed with swimming and water activities in mind. It has an IPX8 waterproof rating, a soft liquid-silicone overmold, and an ear-hook design intended to stay secure during movement. Like Shokz, it leaves the ears open rather than using earbuds inserted into the ear canal.
The important listening detail is that Bluetooth mode is not supported underwater. For swimming, MARLALL requires MP3 mode, using its built-in 32 GB storage. The magnetic charging cable can connect to a computer for managing stored music, but the product information says music from a phone app cannot be copied directly to the headphones’ memory card. In other words, expect to prepare your playlist rather than stream from your phone in the pool.
MARLALL lists up to seven hours of playback and a charging time of 1.5 hours. I’d consider it for a swimmer who wants music stored on the headphones and is comfortable managing those files. It is a less obvious fit if you want Bluetooth streaming underwater or a simple phone-to-headphone routine. The product information also advises drying the microphone after swimming to help prevent call issues.
• Best for library listening over Bluetooth → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its Bluetooth design suits compatible phones and other devices. Neither model is described as noise-cancelling, so don’t expect either to block a busy room.
• Best for swimming → MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. Its IPX8 rating is designed for water activities. Shokz is explicitly not suitable for swimming.
• Best for underwater music without a phone connection → MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. Its built-in 32 GB storage supports MP3 playback, which is required underwater.
• Best for a quick battery top-up → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. A 10-minute quick charge is listed as providing up to 1.5 hours of battery life.
• Best for longer stated playback time → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its listed battery life is up to eight hours, compared with up to seven hours for MARLALL.
• Best for sweat-focused workouts → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its IP67 rating is intended for water and sweat resistance, though not swimming.
• Best for stored music during water activities → MARLALL Soft Liquid Silicone. Internal storage avoids relying on an underwater Bluetooth connection, but playlists need to be managed on the headphones.
• Best for phone-based calls and podcasts → Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction. Its Bluetooth setup fits those everyday uses; MARLALL’s key distinction is its swimming-oriented MP3 mode.
My Verdict
I would choose Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction for library listening because Bluetooth, up to eight hours of playback, and quick charging fit that routine better. Its open-ear design keeps the ears uncovered, although it will not shut out library noise.
Shokz is the more straightforward choice if you want Bluetooth listening, calls, or podcasts, and it lists up to eight hours of playback. Both models leave the ears open, and neither is described as noise-cancelling.
No. Bluetooth mode is not supported underwater, and swimming requires MP3 mode. MARLALL includes 32 GB of built-in storage, but music from a phone app cannot be copied directly to the headphones’ memory card.
MARLALL is the swimming choice because of its IPX8 rating and water-focused design. Shokz suits sweat-heavy workouts with its IP67 rating, but it is not suitable for swimming.
Neither product is specifically described as a gaming headset, and the listed features do not establish gaming-specific capabilities. For general listening in a library, Shokz is the more natural fit because it supports Bluetooth and has the longer stated battery life.
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