We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-18 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want headphones built to survive being submerged while you swim laps, choose Underwater Audio HydroActive; if you need a wireless open-ear pair with a touchscreen charging case for the gym, running and everyday listening, choose Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds.
• Underwater Audio HydroActive — biggest strength: A genuinely watertight wired design (IPX8, rated to 10 ft) with a wrap-around band, short cord and a 3.5 mm jack, so it works with a music player you strap to your goggles.
• Underwater Audio HydroActive — biggest trade-off: It's wired, needs a separate music player, and it's a single-purpose tool for the water rather than an all-day headphone.
• Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds — biggest strength: Wireless Bluetooth 5.4 freedom, an open-ear clip-on fit, and a full-color LCD touchscreen case that handles playback, EQ and calls.
• Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds — biggest trade-off: The waterproof rating is a general IPX splash/sweat level, not a depth rating, and total battery is listed at 24 hours, so it's not a lap-swimming tool.
• Who each pick is for: Choose the HydroActive if you train in water and want sound that keeps working when you're soaked. Choose the Piluyaa if you want open-ear wireless earbuds for land workouts and daily life.
The HydroActive is a specialist. Underwater Audio designed it around one problem: keeping audio clear when you're actually in the water. It uses multiple protection chambers to seal the drivers, and the stated waterproof rating is IPX8 with a depth of 10 ft — that's the number that matters here, because it describes pressure tolerance, not just splash resistance. The sound is delivered through ear-plug style earbuds with a balanced armature driver and a 32 ohm impedance, which suits the low-power output of a small music player.
The physical design is just as deliberate. It's a wrap-around band rather than a cable draped over your head, so it stays put and doesn't fight with a swim cap or goggles. The cord is deliberately short so your player can live on your goggle strap, and Underwater Audio includes an extension cord when you need more reach. You also get 11 pairs of earbuds in 4 styles, which is the practical detail that makes or breaks a waterproof fit — you keep swapping tips until the seal is right and the water stays out.
Who should buy it? Lap swimmers, open-water swimmers, SUP paddlers, kayakers, canoeists and aqua-aerobics regulars. Anyone who has killed a normal pair of earbuds in a pool will understand the appeal. There's also a one-year warranty, which is a reasonable statement of confidence for a product used in a hostile environment.
Who should skip it? If you want to take calls, control music from a touchscreen, or wear one pair from the pool to the commute, this isn't that product. It's wired, there's no noise control, and it requires a separate music player with a 3.5 mm jack — that's a deliberate requirement, not an oversight, because Bluetooth signals don't travel through water. Treat it as swim gear, not as your everyday headphone.
The Piluyaa M100 is the opposite philosophy: one pair of earbuds for everything above the waterline. The headline feature is the charging case with a full-color LCD touchscreen. That screen isn't a gimmick — it lets you control playback, switch EQ modes, manage calls, and adjust things like wallpaper, language and brightness without reaching for your phone. If you've ever fumbled with a phone mid-run, you'll see the point.
The fit is open-ear. Instead of plugging your canal, the earbuds hang on a C-shaped bridge with a slim hook, which keeps your ears open to traffic, gym announcements and training partners. Bluetooth 5.4 gives a stable connection up to 10 meters, which is plenty for a workout floor or a commute. The audio side is a dynamic driver, 16 ohm impedance, with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, and Piluyaa claims surging bass plus 8th-gen directional sound that limits leakage — a real concern with open-ear designs, since everyone around you hears your podcast otherwise. Noise control here is sound isolation rather than active cancellation.
Battery is listed at 24 hours total across earbuds and case, though the product title mentions 48H, so treat the 24-hour figure as the conservative number. There's an IPX waterproof rating — enough for sweat, rain and hard workouts, but not a depth rating, so don't swim in them. Extras include finding lost earbuds via the case, remote selfie control and an LED light.
Who should buy it? Runners, gym-goers, cyclists, commuters and anyone who wants situational awareness while listening. It's also a good pick if you dislike the plugged-up feeling of in-ear buds.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming and water sports → Underwater Audio HydroActive. IPX8 to 10 ft with sealed protection chambers is the only rating here that's meant for submersion.
• Best for wireless freedom and daily use → Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds. Bluetooth 5.4, no cable, no player required.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds. The open-ear C-shaped bridge leaves your canals unobstructed.
• Best for a secure fit under a swim cap or goggles → Underwater Audio HydroActive. The wrap-around band and short cord are designed for exactly that.
• Best for hands-on controls → Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds. The LCD touchscreen case handles playback, EQ and calls; the HydroActive's controls are touch-based media control on the cord.
• Best for long sessions away from a charger → Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds. 24 hours total is far more listening time than a wired pair tied to a player.
• Best for fit customization → Underwater Audio HydroActive. 11 pairs of earbuds in 4 styles lets you dial in the seal.
• Best for calls and noise management → Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds. It has sound isolation and a noise-reduction claim; the HydroActive lists no noise control at all.
In my opinion, these aren't really competitors — they solve different problems, so I'd pick based on where you sweat. If you swim, I'd buy the Underwater Audio HydroActive. The IPX8 depth rating, wrap-around band, short cord and 11 pairs of tips are all built around one job, and nothing about the Piluyaa can substitute for that. If you train and live on land, I'd buy the Piluyaa Clip-on Earbuds: Bluetooth 5.4, open-ear awareness, a touchscreen case and 24 hours of battery make it the far more useful everyday pair. Buying both and keeping them in separate bags is honestly the cleanest answer if your routine includes a pool.
No. They're wired with a 3.5 mm jack, which is intentional — Bluetooth doesn't transmit reliably through water. You'll need a separate waterproof music player, ideally strapped to your goggle strap using the short cord.
I wouldn't. The listed rating is a general IPX waterproof level aimed at sweat and rain, not a depth rating, and there's no jack or sealed chamber design. Keep them for gym, running and commuting.
The Piluyaa, clearly — it's the only one with a battery at all. It's listed at 24 hours total between the earbuds and the charging case. The HydroActive runs off whatever player you plug it into, so its runtime is your player's runtime.
If your priority is everyday wireless listening with open-ear awareness, the Piluyaa. If your priority is audio that survives full submersion, the HydroActive. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding, since the value equation shifts with whatever each is going for.
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