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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-05 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming — biggest strength: A 40 cm short cord and a goggle-strap design that keeps the cable out of your stroke, plus 11 pairs of tips in 4 styles so you can chase a genuinely watertight seal.
• Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming — biggest trade-off: It's wired, 3.5 mm only, has no onboard storage, no Bluetooth audio, and no noise control — the cable is the whole system.
• Clooissr IPX8 — biggest strength: A self-contained player: MP3 mode for underwater (since Bluetooth can't travel through water), Bluetooth for land, onboard storage for 1,500+ songs, and up to 12 hours of battery.
• Clooissr IPX8 — biggest trade-off: You have to manage modes and fit — the seal depends on picking the right tip, and the manufacturer recommends a swim cap over the earbuds for the most secure hold during hard sets.
• For the swimmer who wants zero charging and just plugs into a device → Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming.
• For the swimmer who wants no cable at all and music without a phone → Clooissr IPX8.
Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming is the "instrument" approach to underwater audio. There's no battery and no software layer — you plug the 3.5 mm jack into whatever you're listening from, and the headphone either seals or it doesn't. The design leans hard into that single job: a 40 cm cable so short that it can't loop and snag on your arm during a lap, earbuds meant to tuck into the goggle strap just above the ear, and reinforced cords with a body the manufacturer says is built to survive daily sessions. Third-generation HydroBeat tuning is the pitch for clarity once you're submerged.
The fit story is the real selling point here. Eleven pairs of earbud tips across four different styles is an unusually wide spread, and it exists because underwater listening lives or dies on the seal — a leaky tip means muffled, thin sound. The one caveat worth repeating: the manufacturer specifically says not to use the clear Ergo tips with FitGoo lubricant, so read the tip guidance before you start swapping. The 32-ohm impedance and 20–20,000 Hz dynamic driver are ordinary, sensible numbers — nothing exotic, nothing that needs special amplification.
Who should buy it: lap swimmers and pool regulars who already carry a phone, an MP3 player, or a computer to the water's edge; anyone who wants a wired set for their computer at a desk and then the same set in the pool without thinking about charging. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to leave their phone in the locker, anyone who hates cables on principle, and anyone who wants active noise cancellation — this model has none, and it also has no onboard storage.
Clooissr IPX8 is the opposite philosophy: it's a tiny computer you wear in your ears. The headline feature is the built-in MP3 player — the manufacturer notes it holds roughly 1,500+ songs and supports MP3, FLAC and WMA, loaded from a PC or Mac with the included USB data cable. That matters because Bluetooth genuinely cannot signal through water, so the MP3 mode is what actually works while your head is submerged; you double-click to switch modes. Around that sits Bluetooth 5.3 for everything above the surface, plus a claimed 10 hours in Bluetooth and 8 hours in MP3 playback, with a battery average life figure of 12 hours in the spec sheet. No 3.5 mm jack at all.
The fit engineering is thoughtful. There are 30° rotatable ear hooks, soft silicone construction, and three sizes of swim-specific earbuds (S/M/L) so different ear shapes can get a proper seal. The brand is candid about its own trade-off: because the IPX8 seal prioritizes safety and durability, the tuning isn't bass-heavy, but 12 mm dynamic drivers are tuned for underwater acoustics to cut through water noise. It also tells you plainly that for flip turns and intense workouts you should wear a swim cap over the headphones for the most secure fit — that's a real part of the routine, not a footnote. Passive noise cancellation handles ambient pool noise; there's no active system.
Who should buy it: swimmers who want to train without a phone poolside, people who load a playlist once and forget it, and anyone who wants one pair for the pool, the run, and the bike. Who should skip it: anyone who wants a wired connection to a computer with no charging involved, and anyone who won't tolerate mode-switching or fiddling with ear tips to get the seal right. It carries a 2-year warranty description.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming without a phone → Clooissr IPX8. MP3 mode plus onboard storage for 1,500+ songs means the pool session runs on the earbuds alone.
• Best for battery life → Clooissr IPX8. It's the only one of the two with a battery at all — up to 12 hours average life, 10 in Bluetooth, 8 in MP3.
• Best for getting a reliable seal → A tie, by different methods. Swimbuds gives you 11 pairs of tips in 4 styles; Clooissr gives you three swim-specific sizes plus 30° rotatable hooks.
• Best for wired computer listening → Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming. A 3.5 mm jack and nothing to charge is the simplest possible setup at a desk.
• Best for wireless computer listening → Clooissr IPX8. Bluetooth 5.3 with no cable makes it a more natural fit as one of the better multipoint-style workday companions, and it doubles as a solid pick among bluetooth headphones for computer setups.
• Best for open-water and surf use → Clooissr IPX8. It's rated submersible to 6 m (20 ft), while Swimbuds is rated IPX8 to 10 ft.
• Best for people who hate charging things → Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming. No battery, no mode switching, no playback-order resets.
If I were buying for myself, I'd take the Clooissr IPX8. In my opinion the MP3 mode is the feature that actually changes how you swim — no phone on the pool deck, no cable, and a claimed 8 hours of underwater playback means a week of sessions on one charge. For computer use at a desk it slots in as a wireless set with Bluetooth 5.3, then goes in your bag for the pool. I'd only pick Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming instead if I wanted a purely wired setup, never wanted to think about charging, and valued that short goggle-strap cord above everything else. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
can i wear waterproof headphones in the shower
Yes, both of these are rated IPX8, so water exposure isn't the issue — the Swimbuds Sport is rated to 10 ft and the Clooissr IPX8 to 6 m (20 ft). For shower use the practical question is fit and sound, not survival: the Swimbuds runs off a 3.5 mm cable, so you'd need your source nearby, while the Clooissr can play from its built-in MP3 storage with no phone in the bathroom at all.
are headphones waterproof
Not automatically — "waterproof" is a rating, not a category, and you should check the specific number. Both products here are IPX8, which is the level meant for continuous immersion, and the Clooissr adds that Bluetooth won't work underwater, which is exactly why it has an MP3 mode. If a pair only lists water resistance without an IPX rating, treat it as splash-resistant at best.
Yes, in different ways. Swimbuds Sport Waterproof Swimming plugs into any 3.5 mm jack, which most computers have, making it the no-fuss wired option — and a reasonable pick if you're hunting for the best open ear headphones for computer listening in a simple form factor. Clooissr IPX8 pairs over Bluetooth 5.3, which suits laptops without a headphone jack, and it also loads music from a PC or Mac over the included USB data cable.
For pure lap swimming, the Swimbuds Sport's 40 cm cord and goggle-strap routing are purpose-built to cut drag. For laps where you don't want a phone poolside, the Clooissr wins on convenience: MP3 mode, 8 hours of playback, and a manufacturer recommendation to wear a swim cap over the earbuds for extra hold. I'd pick based on whether you'd rather deal with a cable or with charging and mode switches.
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