We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
The viyawise B11 is my top pick for most swimmers: it pairs a real IP68 rating with 32GB of built-in storage, so you can leave your phone in the locker and still have music for the whole session.
• viyawise B11 — best for swimmers who want the most onboard music; pick this if 32GB of MP3 storage, a 2-hour underwater rating and a 10-hour battery matter more to you than the smallest possible footprint.
• NANK Bone Conduction Headphones — best for long outdoor workouts; pick this if you want a titanium-frame open-ear fit, a quick-charge top-up and a wide Bluetooth range for cycling and running as well as pool time.
• Roujune Swimming Headphones Bone — best for the lightest open-ear feel; pick this if 27 grams and a flexible titanium memory neckband sound more comfortable than a rigid band, and you want a bundled waterproof pouch.
• BeatH2O S36 — best for in-ear swimmers who dislike bone conduction; pick this if you want conventional earbuds with adjustable ear hooks, multiple ear-tip sizes and a deeper submersible rating.
The B11 is an open-ear bone conduction headphone built around two modes: Bluetooth 6.0 for everyday listening and a 32GB MP3 player for the water. That split matters, because the sheet is blunt about the limitation — Bluetooth does not work underwater, so you switch to MP3 mode before you get in. A double-click toggles between the two.
The 32GB figure is the headline for me. That is roughly 8,000 songs, which is far more than anyone needs for lap swimming, so you can load a season's worth of playlists and podcasts once and forget about it. Loading files is done over the magnetic charging cable: plug it into a computer and the headphones show up as USB storage, then you copy music across. No app, no cloud, no phone.
IP68 is the other half of the story, and the sheet gives it real numbers: submersible in 2 metres of water for up to 2 hours. For pool swimmers, that covers essentially any single session. Sweat and rain are covered too, so the same pair works for running and cycling. The open-ear design keeps your ear canal free of pressure and keeps you aware of traffic or other swimmers — a genuine safety point, not a marketing one.
Battery life is 10 hours, with a full recharge in 2 hours over the magnetic cable. At 28 grams it should sit comfortably under a swim cap, and the sheet notes it pairs with caps, goggles, sunglasses and bike helmets. The noise-suppressing microphone handles calls when you are out of the water and in Bluetooth mode.
NANK Bone Conduction Headphones
The Runner4 is the polished, fitness-first option. The frame is titanium with a skin-friendly silicone back bridge, and the earpiece is oval rather than round — a small detail that tends to matter for how the driver sits against your cheekbone. NANK rates it IP68 with a nano-waterproof coating and ultrasonic welding to keep sweat and rain out.
Storage is 16GB, which the sheet translates as about 2,000 songs. That is still far more than a swimmer needs, though it is half the B11's capacity. Two things stand out to me here. First, the quick-charge: 10 minutes on the cable gives 2 hours of playback, and a full charge takes 1.6 hours for 8 hours of play. For someone who swims before work and forgets to charge, that is a genuinely useful feature rather than a spec-sheet nicety. Second, Bluetooth 5.4 with a stated range of 32 feet, which is wider than the 10-metre figure on some rivals and useful if you leave a phone on the poolside bench or in a gym bag.
The audio side uses NANK's ResoVibe driver and an "OT leakage reduction 3.0" design aimed at cutting sound leakage — worth knowing if you listen at higher volumes in a quiet gym. Adaptive noise cancellation handles calls and outdoor wind noise. There is a small quirk to be aware of: the headphones ship in Chinese mode, and you switch to English by pressing both volume buttons at once while powered on. The package includes a silicone adjustable rope, which helps with fit.
The trade-offs: 8 hours of play is the shortest in this group, and 16GB is half the B11's storage. The 0.24 kg listed weight is clearly a shipping figure rather than the worn weight, so do not read it as a heavy headset. Like all bone conduction, it will not deliver deep bass. I would point runners and cyclists here — the titanium frame, wide Bluetooth range and fast top-up suit outdoor training as much as pool laps.
The X20 Pro is the lightest thing in this guide at 27 grams, built on a flexible titanium memory neckband with soft liquid silicone. That combination is aimed squarely at comfort over long wear: a memory band bends to your head rather than clamping it, and at 27 grams you should barely notice it under a cap.
It is IP68 rated with advanced sealing, and the sheet notes the certification is TÜV-verified — a third-party verification of the waterproof claim, which is a detail worth having when a manufacturer's own rating is all you normally get. The underwater window is up to 2 metres for 1 hour, which is tighter than the B11's 2-hour figure and worth weighing if you swim long, continuous sessions.
Storage is 32GB, matching the B11 at roughly 8,000 songs. Mode switching is done with a double-press of the power button, and a triple-press toggles between sequential and shuffle playback — a small thing, but shuffle is exactly what you want when you are counting laps and do not want to think about track order. Bluetooth 5.4 gives a stable connection up to 10 metres and supports two devices at once, so switching between a laptop and a phone is straightforward. Battery life is 6 hours, the shortest here, and the bundled kit is unusually complete: an adjustment strap, magnetic charging cable, waterproof earplugs and a waterproof bag.
Trade-offs: 6 hours of play and a 1-hour underwater rating are the compromises for that low weight and the verified waterproofing. It also comes in Apricot, which is a bold look rather than a neutral one — fine if you like it, harder to match if you do not. In my opinion this is the pick for swimmers who prioritise an almost weightless fit and want the extras in the box.
The S36 breaks from the other three by being in-ear rather than bone conduction, and that is the whole reason to consider it. The sheet makes a direct argument: bone conduction can behave erratically as you move between above and below the water line, with volume swings and muddy distortion, whereas a sealed in-ear design tuned for underwater acoustics stays consistent. If that inconsistency has bothered you before, this is the alternative.
The waterproofing is the most aggressive here — IPX8, submersible up to 6 metres (20 feet), which covers pool laps, open-water swims and recreational diving far beyond what the others state. It uses 12mm dynamic drivers for balanced audio, and the package includes two sets of ear tips in three sizes each: dual-layer waterproof tips for swimming and single-layer tips for everyday use. Getting the right tip is not optional here; it is what keeps water out and the buds in.
Fit is handled with stretchable ear hooks that rotate 30 degrees, and the sheet recommends wearing a swim cap over the top for the most secure hold during flip turns. Storage is 8GB — over 1,500 songs — which is the smallest here but still plenty. Battery is 10 hours in Bluetooth mode and 8 hours in MP3 mode, with a 2-hour recharge. Bluetooth 5.4 handles out-of-water listening.
The honest trade-offs: 8GB is the least storage, in-ear buds block your ambient hearing so you lose the safety benefit of open-ear designs, and the manufacturer itself notes the seal prioritises waterproofing over heavy bass. You also need to convert files to MP3, WMA, APE or FLAC before copying them over. I would recommend it to swimmers who want sealed, consistent underwater sound and the deepest submersible rating, and who are willing to trade storage and situational awareness for it.
I compared the published spec sheets side by side — waterproof rating and depth, onboard storage, battery life and charge time, weight, fit style and bundled accessories — and ranked them by how those numbers translate into real swimming use. The order reflects my independent editorial opinion, not any brand's input. No manufacturer paid for placement or saw this guide before publication.
No. Bluetooth signals do not travel through water, which is why every product here has an MP3 mode with built-in storage. You switch to MP3 before you get in and back to Bluetooth when you are dry.
Bone conduction sits outside the ear canal, keeps you aware of your surroundings and avoids the sealed-in feeling, but bass is limited. In-ear models like the S36 seal the canal for more consistent underwater sound but block ambient noise. It comes down to whether you value awareness or audio isolation.
Far less than these offer. 8GB holds over 1,500 songs, and the 16GB and 32GB models hold thousands. Even a modest playlist will not run out during a normal swim block.
Yes. All four are described as compatible with swim caps and goggles, and the S36 specifically recommends wearing a cap over the earbuds during intense swimming to keep them secure through flip turns.
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See also: ipx7 waterproof earbuds, earbuds for swimming, Maeline Bulk Earbuds 100 vs Opinta Swimming Headphones