Have you ever been concerned about whether your headphones can handle rain or maybe even intense sweat during a workout? Well worry no more, it’s pretty simple to ensure that your headphones will not break, we’ll tell you what to look for.
One of the key factors is the Index IPX[0-8] showing – it details how much water your headphones can handle. You can also check out the IPX Indexes table with detailed descriptions here.
A few things to keep in mind when choosing the best Bluetooth headphones
Type of Headphones Reviewed: Workout Headphones
The Best Water Resistant Headphones were selected according to the following criteria:
Price
We looked at headphones in every budget range. If you’re paying a lot, you would expect to receive headphones with a host of features, functionality and design. Conversely, we’ll tell you which headphones offer the most bang for your buck.
Water & Sweat Resistance
Will you be immersing your headphones underwater or simply want them to withstand sweat and rain while running? If it’s the former, you’ll need in ear headphones to block out the water.
Are the headphones fully waterproof and suitable for swimming or are they good enough to
Features
When considering active workouts and possible (heavy) rain, we recommend headphones with an IPX7 water resistance level. Other attributes such as heavy bass, comfort, controls, battery life etc… can then be examined more closely.
Wireless vs Wired
While almost all of the below earbuds are wireless, the underwater earbuds we reviewed are indeed wired. If you’re worried about wires getting in the way of your workout, you’ll want to check out the first seven wireless headphones reviewed.
So without further ado…
10 Best Water Resistant Headphones
1. Best Overall Value: SENSO Bluetooth Headphones
The Senso Wireless headphones are #1 on our list because they provide the best value of any headphones on the market as evidenced by the 30K+reviews on Amazon. They are comfortable, lightweight, offer great sound all for around $20!
Design: 9/10
They have a slim fit and lightweight design with lock in earbuds to ensure a snug fit. They are also one of the few models we reviewed that can fit comfortably alongside the tips of eyeglasses on the ears.
Battery: 9/10
They provide 8 hours of playback time, which should be more than enough for most users.
Water Resistance: 9/10
These Senso earbuds have an IPX7 rating, meaning they’re not quite built for swimming, but they’re good enough to withstand sweat, rain, and even submersion in up to 3 feet of water.
Sound: 8/10
They sound great. The mids are clear and they actually have a bit of a punchy bass as well. The only slight drawback is that the EQ sound levels (low, mid, highs) cant be adjusted with in app sound controls that some of the higher end models offer.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for high quality earbuds at an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with these Senso Bluetooth earbuds. You can read our full review here.
2. Sennheiser CX 680 Wireless Headphones
Design: 8/10
These lightweight (15g) Adidas-designed Sennheiser Earbuds are engineered for performance, security, and comfort so that the earbuds won’t fall out during even the most intense workouts.
It comes with several sizes of earbuds to ensure a snug and comfortable fit that will enhance the sound quality and comfort level as well. The cabling is made of Dupont Kevlar to ensure durability as well as flexibility.
These are NOT wireless headphones. They are wired and have a standard 1/8 plug compatible with any number of devices and all iPhone, Android devices.
Battery life: 7/10
Up to 6 hours, which is more than enough for running or for an intense workout, but may not be ideal for long distance runners or for those who need all day battery support.
Water Resistance: 8/10
The CX 680 headphones are sweat-proof and water resistant such that they will hold up in the rain.
Sound (9/10)
Sennheiser is known for making high quality headphones with excellent sound and these waterproof headphones are no exception. Noise cancellation is solid as It blocks out up to 20db of outside noise, while providing high quality bass-heavy stereo sound.
3. Plantronics BackBeat Fit
Design: 8/10
A favorite amongst runners, the Backbeat Fit is designed to provide comfort, security and an open tip design that allows you to maintain awareness of your surroundings. The flip side is that they are obviously not good for noise cancellation.
Water resistance: 7/10
It comes with an IP57 rating so it is sweatproof, and waterproof to the point of being able to withstand the rain, drops in puddles of water up to 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes.
It has on ear controls to allow for adjustment of the volume, track navigation, and answering phone calls.
Battery: 8/10
Up to 8 hours playback, perfect for long distance runners. Even better, they charge in only 15 minutes!
Bottom line
They’re waterproof, come in a variety of different colors, and are affordable for most consumers as well.
4. Powerbeats Wireless 3 Headphones
Design: 9/10
These are a popular model of PowerBeats Wireless Headphones. Note, these are not the truly wireless earbuds designed as an (arguably) better version of the ubiquitous Apple Airpods.
They are comfortable and lightweight (only 1.06oz) with a snug fit to ensure crisp, clean rich, bass-heavy sound.
Battery: 10/10
The strongest battery life on this list providing up to 12 hours of playback. With its Fast Fuel Charge capability, you can get up to an hour of playback in only 5 minutes, which is great if you are short on time and need to start your workout in a hurry.
Sound: 9/10
For people that are biased towards bass heavy and punchy sound, Beats headphones do the trick. Not to mention the clear and crisp mids and highs.
Bottom Line
In typical Apple (Beats is owned by Apple) form, they come with a high price tag, but given the seamless Bluetooth pairing process with extended range facilitated by the Apple W1 chip, amazing sound quality, extended battery life, and overall comfort, it’s understandable.
5. Bose SoundSport Pulse Wireless Headphones
The Bose Soundsport Pulse wireless headphones offer a high degree of comfort, a heart rate monitor, and excellent sound quality. These are pricey headphones that are a slight variation from the popular Bose Soundsport Wireless headphones. The difference is that the Pulse can be used with an app.
Design: 8/10
They are equipped with silicone eartips to ensure a snug fit so that they won’t fall out during intense workouts and they are very lightweight to boot. The downside is that they don’t go very deep into your ear as they stick out more than most earbuds.
They’re not great for noise cancellation, which can be good if you want to maintain awareness of your surroundings, but bad if you want to block out gym noise for example.
They have controls on the wiring that goes around the neck that allow for playback control but the feedback was a bit delayed so it’s certainly not the best. and can be used with the Soundsport wireless app (and others) to monitor your heart rate.
Water Resistance: 7/10
They are waterproof and can withstand most intense workouts and heavy sweat and rain, but they are not IPX certified so don’t wear them poolside, in the shower, or in heavy rain.
The Bluetooth connectivity is solid. It comes with NFC pairing, and has a solid built in microphone allowing for clear phone calls with no background noise.
Sound: 9/10
Excellent – as with all Bose products. Slightly bass heavy but at as much as the Beats earbuds – good for the average consumer.
Battery: 7/10
Only 5 hours here – 1 hour off a 15 minute charge. Good enough for a typical workout but not as good as the aforementioned models that have 8 and 12 hour battery life.
Bottom line
The Bose SoundsPort Wireless headphones are comfortable, can be used with an app, and have solid sound quality, but aren’t great for those who need high water resistance levels and strong battery life.
6. Jaybird X4 Wireless Headphones
The Jaybird X4 wireless headphones, an updated version of the X3 headphones, offer excellent sound quality, a comfortable fit, and solid water resistance with an IPX7 rating that can withstand any weather condition and/or intense sweaty workouts.
Design: 9/10
With thermos-reactive memory foam tips that conform to the shape of your ear, the Jaybird earbuds are guaranteed to offer a fantastic fit with crisp, clear sound, noise cancellation, and a secure fit.
Battery: 8/10
Solid up to 8 hours of playback time. The only downside is that the charging cable is unique to the Jaybird X4 so a standard micro-USB cable can’t be used in case you lose the cable.
Sound: 9/10
They sound great out of the box as they are a bit bass heavy. But even better, they offer the ability to adjust the EQ to control the Bass, mid and treble so that you can adjust the sound to your own personal liking via their app.
7. Monster iSport Victory In EarBluetooth Headphones
If you’re looking for good quality Bluetooth headphones on a budget with strong (10 hour ) battery life, then the Monster Victory headphones are a solid choice.
They may not have all the bells and whistles of other Bluetooth headphones, such as heart rate monitors and 3rd party app compatibility, but they have on ear controls, and decent sound quality.
Design: 8/10
They won’t fall out as they are equipped with rubber wings and come with a wide selection of eartip sizes. They weigh only 15g so they are lightweight as well.
Battery: 10/10
The big selling point is their battery life. 10 hours provides all day playback to get you through an entire workday and then some.
Bottom line
We still prefer the Senso wireless headphones if you’re looking for excellent earbuds on a budget, but these area solid choice as well.
Update: After a slew of negative reviews on Amazon, we no longer recommend these.
Wired Headphones Built for Swimming
8. Pyle PWPE 10B
Another solid choice for those looking for budget friendly headphones with full waterproof design is the Pyle PWPE 10B headphones.
Design: 8/10
They feature a slim all black design with a number of different size earbuds to ensure a snug fit. They are airtight to ensure that they maintain good sound quality for underwater usage.
That said, these are not wireless. They have a 4 foot cord that should help, but if you’re looking for true wireless design to ensure that wires won’t get in your way, then these may not be the best option.
Water Resistance: 10/10
Again, they have an IP7 rating so they can be used underwater for several hours.
Bottom line
Best for those on a budget who need true underwater protection.
9. Underwater Audio Swimbuds
These are also designed to be used underwater and feature a short 10 in. cord so that it stays out of your way when swimming.
Design: 7/10
Pretty basic but they are durable and can withstand use in the sauna, washing machine usage and every imaginable swim routine.
The aforementioned short cord can be extended with the free extension cord. It also comes with 4 earbud tip sizes to ensure comfort and the best sound quality.
To be clear, these are not Bluetooth enabled so you’ll need a waterproof audio player.
Bottom line
For swimmers who need durability and full waterproof design that has held up over several years, according to some reviewers, the Swimbuds are for you.
Last update on 2023-06-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API