Shokz OpenSwim
The Shokz OpenSwim is a set of bone conduction headphones designed specifically for swimming. Unlike regular earbuds, these don’t go inside your ears. Instead, they rest on your cheekbones and use vibrations to send sound directly into your inner ear. This means you can still hear what’s happening around you while listening to music. They don’t have Bluetooth because Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater. Instead, they come with 4GB of internal storage, so you load your own MP3 files onto them. The battery lasts about 8 hours, which is plenty for most swim sessions. They’re IP68 waterproof, meaning they can handle continuous submersion, though there’s usually a depth limit (often around 2 meters). At 30g, they’re lightweight and designed to stay in place while swimming. The package includes a USB charging cradle, a carrying case, and swimming earplugs, which help improve sound quality underwater. People who use them generally love the sound quality and find them easy to use, thoug...
Reviews
Reviewed on 2/16/2025
I bought my OpenSwim headphones in 2021 and four years later they are still serving me well. They survived multiple trips to Thailand and Greece, including both in the open sea and in swimming pools. They were fun to use for snorkeling. I love the sound quality, I was genuinely surprised how good they sounds underwater, it's like having your own sound system. I wish they had bluetooth that you could use when not submerged, and as far as I know the newer models do have that. With either model, you still need to load your own songs for underwater use though. Everyone uses streaming services these days so mp3 are actually kind of hard to find, which is something I didn't expect I'd struggle with when I first bought these. Except for a few drawbacks that really amount to nitpicking, these are excellent, reliable, sturdy, and high quality headphones.
| Item | Votes | Upvote |
|---|---|---|
| Work underwater | 1 | |
| Lightweight | 1 | |
| Battery life | 1 |
| Item | Votes | Upvote |
|---|---|---|
| No blueetooth | 1 |
The pros of Shokz OpenSwim include the ability to work underwater, being lightweight at just 30g, and having a battery life of about 8 hours, which is sufficient for most swim sessions. However, a notable con is that they do not have Bluetooth functionality, as Bluetooth does not work underwater.
The Shokz OpenSwim is a set of bone conduction headphones specifically designed for swimming. Unlike traditional earbuds, they rest on your cheekbones and use vibrations to transmit sound directly to your inner ear, allowing you to hear your surroundings while enjoying music. They come with 4GB of internal storage for MP3 files and are IP68 waterproof, making them suitable for continuous submersion.
Users generally report that the sound quality of Shokz OpenSwim is impressive for bone conduction headphones, allowing for a good listening experience while swimming. However, individual experiences may vary, especially regarding sound quality underwater, which can be influenced by factors such as water conditions and the use of swimming earplugs.
To transfer music to your Shokz OpenSwim, you need to load your own MP3 files onto the headphones, as they do not support Bluetooth. The package includes a USB charging cradle that you can use to connect the headphones to your computer for file transfer.
The Shokz OpenSwim package includes a USB charging cradle, a carrying case, and swimming earplugs, which help improve sound quality while swimming.