Music makes you feel relaxed and It can make the challenging activity smooth. Many people prefer to listen to music while doing work, running, workouts, and swimming. So here comes the question of how to listen to music while swimming. Listening to music while swimming is slightly tricky because not all modern devices are waterproof, and they don’t work in water.

Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater, but you may hear signal loss and interruption sound, which is quite common. So here comes the question, Is it possible to listen to music while swimming? If yes, then how?

Today, we’re trying to explain a few best possible ways to listen to music underwater or while swimming.

  • Bone Conduction Headphones
  • Waterproof MP3 Player.
  • Wireless Waterproof Headset.
  • Waterproof Micro Tablet.
  • Waterproof iPod Shuffle.
  • Apple Watch with H2O Audio Interval.
  • Smartphone with a waterproof Swimming Case.

You can use any of the above methods to listen to music while swimming.

Best Headphones for Sensitive Ears

Let’s explore all the above options one by one.

7 best methods of how to listen to music while swimming

So, here are the best 7 methods to listen to music while swimming without signal loss and interruption. 

Bone Conduction Headphones

It’s been a long time since bone conduction headphones were introduced in the market, but unfortunately, they were not very successful among people because of their audio quality. They failed to get music lovers' attention. It’s a fact that they’re not too bad, but their sound quality is deficient and even doesn’t equal regular headphones' sound quality. 

However, the result is totally opposite. If you take regular headphones and bone conduction headphones in water, you’ll be amazed. Bone Conduction headphones are really great to listen to music while swimming. In water, the standard headphones fail to remain connected, and on the other side, Bone Conduction headphones are rock and offer you the best wireless listening experience underwater.

Well, there’s a catch. Bone Conduction headphones are made of cordless technology that connects through Bluetooth. There’s a question about how they’re different from wireless earbuds. The most valuable and significant benefit of this type of headphones is that your ears remain open. You can wear it for a long time without any hesitation because there’s no involvement of the ear.  

Waterproof MP3 Player

It is the most convenient and popular method to listen to music while swimming among people and it works perfectly! All you need to have is an MP3 Player and waterproof earphones. 

These music players are designed to be water-resistant, and some of them have IPX8 designation. IPX8 music players are specially designed for underwater use, and they can last more than 12 hours. The MP3 player or headphones should be IPX-certified so they can resist the water. MP3 Players are also the best option to listen to music while swimming.

The reason is conventional cables don’t work underwater, and you must have waterproof wired earphones. Here’s how you can use this; Place the music player into the rear of your swim caps or Google, and you’re good to go.    

Apple Watches 

Since its launch, the Apple watches have been waterproof with many other excellent built-in features. Apple designs its Watches in a way they can wear in the water and track their swims. However, there are a few things that you must need to know. There’s no audio jack and headphones, so you can’t use wired headphones with this. It’s not clear whether Apple is working on this or not. However, there’s no doubt that this feature would make this watch a great fitness tracker and a perfect device to listen to music while swimming

On the other hand, there are few other brands that have tried to resolve this issue. One of the most famous is H20 Audio Interval. They’ve covered all the problems which we’ve discussed above. 

Can Headphones Dent Your Head?

Few people don’t like its gray area, but that is an unpopular opinion. After attaching your Apple watch with this, you’ll be able to unlock your watch and connect the branch to a swim cap. The earbuds are firmly attached to the frame and have the ideal size to reach both of your ears from the back of your head. This is one of the best solutions to listen to music while swimming 

These earbuds use a Bluetooth system, and there are a few inches of space between the earbuds and the Watch. There’s a chance that Bluetooth does not work underwater. Signal loss and sound interruption may occur. The biggest drawback of this gadget is you can’t wear it on your wrist. That’s why you can’t use many of the Apple Watch features. 

Heart Rate and Oxygen Saturation sensors don’t work behind your head.  

Wireless Waterproof Headset

Cables/Wired Headphones take a massive role in several cases. But people used to prefer Wireless earbuds over Wired earbuds because they did not have cords. However, to listen to music while swimming, the cord headphones work better.

You can put your favorite songs directly with the USB cord because they also have an 8-16 GB built-in storage capacity. Most of the brands offer a set of interchangeable earphones in various sizes, so we can say the package came with extra pieces. 

The music player has the latest IPX8 designation, which is considered the best water-resistance rating for any device. We can say that the water-blocking earpiece feature is its best feature because it completely seals your inner ear so water doesn’t seep inside, which may cause discomfort. 

It is better to buy the Bluetooth version of this gadget instead of non-Bluetooth because you may not want to be limited to storing a few songs only. You can also use this gadget for many other activities because It’s easy to use and you can take it anywhere with you.

Waterproof Micro Tablet

The device named Micro Tablet is the same size as a wristwatch but a little larger. The primary purpose of this device is to be used to listen to music while swimming, and this device is specially designed for this.

It seems like a watch, but It doesn’t have any wristband or other accessories to wear. Its 3.55mm audio jack makes this gadget different from the smartwatches out there. 

The best part of this device is you can connect it with any of the waterproof earphones, and you’re good to go. You don’t need to buy waterproof earphones separately because this gadget comes with Underwater Audio HydroActive earphones.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are other remarkable features of this gadget that many devices don’t have. You can connect it to Wi-Fi and download any of your favorite apps or music directly from the device. 

You can download and install all-time favorite apps for music, including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and others. It has a built-in Amazon App Store app. 

However, with all of these great features, there’s one drawback of this gadget. The Wi-Fi will not work underwater, and you can’t play music or any other thing while you’re swimming. You also can’t link it with a smartphone.

All you need to do is download all the music before going into the pool via Wi-FI or USB and you can listen to music while swimming.

Waterproof Phone Case

This method is best for those who have a limited budget and can’t buy luxury gadgets, so we’ve come up with a budget-friendly solution. 

If you can’t afford expensive devices, you can use your smartphone to listen to music while swimming. All you need to have is a waterproof phone case and swimming-compatible earphones.

This is the complete package you’ll need, an IPX8 smartphone case, a pair of around-the-head headphones, a waistline, a velcro wristband, goggles, and a hat with an H2O Audio Case. All of these accessories are budget-friendly and waterproof. It’ll save you a lot of money. 

The best thing about this waterproof smartphone case is Its water-sealed opening for your earphone cables. Many other smartphone cases don’t have this characteristic; that’s why they’re useless for swimmers. 

You’re using a phone with a pair of earphones connected with a wire so that the sound quality will be excellent and there’s no possibility of signal loss and sound interruption. 

However, It is necessary to download and load songs first because Bluetooth doesn’t work in a waterproof case when submerged in water. 

Ensure that the music is available offline, and there is no need for an internet connection to listen to music while swimming.

Waterproof iPod Shuffle

There’s no doubt that the Apple iPod has been the king of the market for a very long time. They’re small, efficient, perfect sound, and they’ve all the advanced functionalities to make them perfect earphones. 

Apple makes the iPod a waterproof device, and they’ve designed it in a way that can work underwater and you can listen to music while swimming. iPod is an IPX8-certified gadget, and there is no risk to using it underwater.

If you would like to use your favorite cable/wired headphones, you can use them with iPod. iPod also has the functionality to operate with wireless earphones. Now, It depends on you whether you would like to go with wireless headphones or wired headphones.

Please note that It’ll be an additional cost to you if you buy any headphones with an iPod.

Final Words

We can say that music is a vital part of our daily life routines. Many people love listening to music while doing different activities. Some listen to music while doing workouts; some listen to it while running and cooking. 

We hope that you’ve found this article helpful and understand the method of how to listen to music while swimming.

Frequently Asked Questions

What needs to be checked while choosing a waterproof MP3 player?

You may have a question in mind, how to choose the best waterproof MP3 player? We’ll help you to find, just keep in mind these things while purchasing any MP3 player. 

While purchasing an MP3 Player, make sure It’s IPX7 or IPX8 certified. IPX7 or IPX8 gadgets can last more than 2 hours in the water. It should be feature-rich and have big buttons to change or pause music while swimming. It should be lightweight, so you don’t feel any burden on your head, or it may not cause any drag. Many people use these devices on their swim caps and goggles. 

Moreover, when you turn the level up, the music should be clear, and there would be no distortion, intense clarity, and bass. The earphones should be designed in a way that would be flat against your ear to improve the sound quality and avoid water seeping into the ear. The MP3 should be able to attach firmly with your goggles even if you flip or turn around water.

What features does a waterproof MP3 Player have?

It should have a powerful Bluetooth compatibility feature to connect with the earphones 3 meters deep in the water without any signal distortion. It must have a shuffle and play-to-play option to allow you to switch or select your songs while swimming. Battery life must be 6-12 hours, but it varies because of the different models. But, It is highly recommended for you to choose one which may work at least 7 hours after every charge. 

The majority of the MP3 players supported different file formats, including MP3, APE, FLAC, WMA, WAV, ACELP, and AAC-LC. But some of them only support MP3 and WMAs. We recommend you buy the one that supports multiple audio formats. It should allow you to download music from different music streaming services and enable you to transfer them without changing the file type.

How much storage should an MP3 Player have?

Many Waterproof MP3 players' storage capacities are between 2GB to 8GB. Again, It depends on the model of the gadget. Some MP3 Players don’t operate Bluetooth properly underwater, so that’s why you’ll need a storage capacity to download music.

Every song has its length and sound quality, so song size varies. A rough estimate is you can download at least 230 songs on the device. 

Moreover, the waterproof MP3 players contain 2GB of space to store up to 500 tracks. 4GB of space of the MP3 player can store up to 800-1000 tracks, and 8GB can keep more than 2000 tracks. It depends on your requirements which one suits you. However, the less storage gadget will be more efficient for you.

Can I use AirPods while swimming?

The question that is most popular among people is, “Are AirPods water-resistant.” But, Apple didn’t say anything about it. So, we recommend you not to use your Airpods in the water. 

AirPods are good to use while doing workouts or running because they’re designed in a way to bear sweat. They can also handle mild rain, but it is not recommended to use them while showering or swimming.

Hamza Bhatti
Hamza Bhatti is a tech enthusiast, hardcore gamer, and music lover since childhood. He loves to explore and review new gadgets and technologies. He is graduated from one of the most reputable universities in Pakistan. In his spare time, Hamza loves to play games, travel, and watch the cinema.