Best Swimming Headphones (2025): Shokz, Jabees, and More

Most, if not all, swimming headphones play music by streaming audio files from a built-in music player. Some also offer the option of streaming via Bluetooth, which is mainly there to make the headphones more useful when you’re back on dry land. You’ll need to store files on headphones, because Bluetooth and water don’t really mix. The frequency at which Bluetooth operates is absorbed by water, which in turn affects signal strength. If you’ve ever tried to stream music with swimming headphones, this is probably why you’ve experienced regular connection dropouts

You’ll be able to send music using the cable you normally use to charge your headphones You’ll need to plug it into your computer to send files to your headphones, unless the headphones offer the ability to sync files from a companion smartphone app.

Then you need to drag the audio file into the folder; Audio file format support may vary by headphone. Check what formats the headphones support before you hit the buy button! To use Swimming Headphones, you should already own the audio or be able to legally download it. This may apply to some podcasts and audiobooks.

Can swimming headphones let you play music from streaming services like Spotify? Well, not really, because most audio on streaming services is protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management). Some headphones offer some solutions, some solutions work better than others.