Whenever people ask us for advice on which earbuds or headphones they should buy, perhaps the most important question we ask in return is "what are you going to use them for?" If the answer to that question is focused on exercising, sweating a lot, and perhaps doing both in situations where water might be a factor, then you've come to the right place with this list of the best waterproof wireless earbuds you can buy.
But first, let's set some ground rules: For this list, our focus is on wireless earbuds that achieve at least an IPX7 waterproof rating, which means that they're technically fully submersible in water for short periods of time, allowing you to hose them down after you sweat all over them (or accidentally drop them in the toilet) without worry. We've also taken into account other great features such as sound quality, active noise cancelation (ANC), and different designs like open-ear and earhooks. And, of course, we've looked at price.
With that said, it's worth noting that just because our picks are waterproof, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're suitable for swimming. If that's your focus, head on over to our list of the best headphones for swimming instead. If not, please read on.
Best overall waterproof earbuds
JBL Reflect Flow Pro
- Solid, secure fit
- Excellent noise-canceling
- Choice of hands-free voice A.I.s
- Completely waterproof
- Wireless charging
- Limited control options
- No quick-charge option
We've checked out a load of wireless earbuds, but when it comes to the waterproof pair that has impressed us most, we keep coming back to the JBL Reflect Flow Pro.
With three different sizes of silicone eartips that JBL calls "powerfins," you get a few options to help find the snug fit best for your workouts. And while our review of the Reflect Flow Pro disagreed with JBL's claim that they'd stay put even while surfing, we also praised them for having a super secure and comfortable fit, which is complimented by their IP68 dust and waterproof rating — yeah, they're rugged as heck.
The near faultless JBL Reflect Flow Pros don't stop there either. If sound quality is also up on your list of features, you're in luck as these are some of the best-sounding buds we've reviewed. Punchy bass gives you the tempo and drive to push on while the mids and highs are clear and cut through, no matter the music. The JBL Headphones app also has a great EQ in case you like things more specific.
For $180 you'd expect a set of buds to include features like ANC and transparency mode, right? Again, no disappointment there as the Flow Pro's excel at keeping outside noise at bay and sound crystal clear inside (as well as calls), unless you want to hear what's happening around you (like oncoming buses or yelling pedestrians), in which case there are two different transparency modes to choose from. The app also lets you configure these and other features, letting you map them to the controls on the earbuds for quick access.
Battery life on the Reflect Flow Pro is also great, with up to 10 hours per charge with ANC on and an additional 20 hours in the case (double that without ANC). The only down side to the Flow Pro's case is that it is not dust or water proof like the buds, but that's forgivable.
Best open-ear waterproof earbuds
1More Fit S50
- Super comfortable
- Can easily hear what's around you
- IPX7 water and dust resistant
- Good sounding
- Not great when it's noisy
If you're someone who doesn't like the feeling of having earbuds stuck inside your ear canals (some don't like the suction feeling) and doesn't want over-ear headphones for your workouts, open-ear earbuds could be the best way to go. Designed to sit comfortably just outside the ear canal, open ear earbuds are some of the most comfortable earbuds you can buy.
They're also perfect for people like runners or cyclists who want to be able to hear what's going on around them without the need for transparency mode in a sealed earbud. And while there can be some drawbacks with the open-ear design — the sound has a little further to travel to your eardrum, which some feel doesn't sound as good — the 1More Fit S50 do not suffer form this and sound quite full and defined. They even have a decent EQ feature in its companion app for getting the best sound for you.
With sturdy earhooks to keep them in place for even the most rigorous runs, the Fit S50 are obviously on this list because of their IPX7 waterproof properties, so no need to worry about rain, sweat, rinsing, or even a quick dunk in the pool (up to 1 meter) after your workout to cool off.
1More's flagship open-ear model, the $150 Fit S50 get up to 11 hours of playtime on a charge, for a total of 38 hours with the charging case.
Best for a comfortable fit
Jabra Elite 8 Active
- Rugged as hell
- Snug and comfy
- Decent battery life
- Dolby Audio
- IP68 dust and waterproof rating
- ANC good, not great
Launched in the summer of 2023 along with the company's flagship Elite 10s, the $200 Jabra Elite 8 Active are no slouch either. In fact, Jabra calls them the world's toughest earbuds, with not only a IP68 dustproof and waterproof rating — the highest you can get in a personal audio product — but they've been put through the gauntlet by the U.S. military, achieving its 810H standard for ruggedized electronics.
The Elite 8 Active also feature Jabra’s adaptive hybrid ANC system, which isn't quite as good at the Elite 10, but is still excellent for the price and you can rest assured that your music and calls will be beautifully quiet.
As far as fit and comfort go, Jabra's "ShakeGrip" tech utilizes a liquid silicone rubber compound that creates a snug, slip-free, and super-comfy fit, ensuring they'll stay put, even for a ear-hook free design.
Additional features include Bluetooth Multipoint, for connecting to multiple devices at a time, Fast Pair, Swift Pair, and Dolby Audio with spatial sound for immersive 3D sound (no head tracking though).
There's up to eight hours of playtime per charge on the Elite 8 Active, with ANC on, with a total time of up to 32 hours with the charging case. A five-minute quick charge will deliver an hour of playtime, too.
Best earhook design
Soundcore Sport X10
- Comfy fit and stability
- Rugged durability
- Good sound quality
- Solid ANC and ambient performance
- Great app support
- Wind can break through
- No aptX support
- No wireless charging
When you're running your fastest lap or longest distance, you want to make sure that the wireless earbuds providing the motivation to do it are going to stay put. One of the best earbud designs for this is a pair with an earhook that wraps snugly, but comfortably, around your ear. Anker's Soundcore sub-brand have been killing it in the earhook space with their Spirit X2, Spirit Dot 2, and especially the Sport X10, which not only boasts ANC (the others do not) but an excellent IPX7 waterproof rating. And while we wouldn't necessarily recommend the for swimmers, they can take stand submersion in up to 3 feet of water for up to half an hour.
The Sport X10's earhook design fits a wide range of ear shapes and sizes. They're easy to put on and the earbuds themselves are super comfortable, too, with their malleable rubberized material.
Soundcore has also been excelling in the sound quality department, too, as do the Sport X10s. In our review of the earbuds, we noted a great bass response for those who like the low end, and some less bass-y presets (among an impressive 21) and customization for those who don't. Our reviewer also reported "warm highs and passable mids" for a "likeable sound profile."
The Soundcore Sport X10 are under $100, which make them an excellent value for what you get. On top of all we've mentioned, they have a feature-rich app, voice assistant support, and a just-OK six hours of battery life on a charge with ANC on (eight with ANC off).
Best rugged waterproof earbuds
Jaybird Vista 2
- Fully water and dustproof
- Compact and secure fit
- Great sound quality
- Wireless charging
- Very poor call quality
- ANC struggles with wind noise
Some earbud wearers, especially those with glasses, who aren't fans of the earhook design of buds such as the Soundcore Sport X10, might find the Jaybird Vista 2's stabilizer fins much more to their liking. Known as "eargels," they fit cleanly and snugly in the ear's concha, are incredibly secure, and won't interfere with the temple tips of glasses.
But we've buried the lede here — sure, the Vista 2s have an eargel design, but more importantly they are rugged as hell. Not only do they meet the Department of Defense's MIL-STD-810 standard for environmental durability, but they're IP68 rated for complete dust and water protection. Even the wireless charging case is corrosion resistant and has its own IP54 rating. Sweat in them, splash sea water or chlorine pool water on them, take them to the beach, and just rinse them off after.
Additionally, the outside of each bud is now covered in a "WindDefense" fabric that keeps the six microphones shielded. Sadly, though, the fabric doesn't aid much with another new feature: Active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes, with our reviewer giving it a middling rating, but saying that it's "exactly what you need to reduce outside sounds to the point where they no longer intrude on your concentration."
Thankfully, sound quality is excellent on the Vista 2s, with a balance sound signature, decent bass response, and enough EQ presets and customizable options to fine-tune the sound to your unique specifications.
Battery life has significantly improved on the Vista 2, going from six to eight hours on a charge and from 10 to 16 hours in the case. With ANC on, the playtime number drops to six. For $150, you're in for a set of rugged waterproof earbuds that will take whatever you put them through.
Best sounding waterproof earbuds
B&O BeoPlay EX
- Excellent B&O sound
- Support for aptx Adaptive
- Bluetooth Multipoint
- Great ANC
- Expensive
- Battery life not great
Bang & Olufsen don't mess around when it comes to high-end audio products. And while its sexy-looking BeoPlay EX earbuds might not look like the best choice for rigorous, sweat-inducing workouts (if you have the $399, who are we to judge?), you're getting an incredibly good sounding set of IP57-rated earbuds you can rinse off after you've spilled your champagne all over them.
The only earbuds on our list that are of the stem-design variety similar to the AirPods Pro, the BeoPlay EX have four sizes of comfortable silicone eartips for a good fit, and have larger drivers than its predecessor for more dynamic sound that, in true form for B&O is clear, full, and with the good seal and adaptive ANC, immersive.
Additionally, with support for AAC, SBC, and Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec (for those with Android phones), which means you'll be able to take advantage of hi-res music from supported streaming services such as Tidal and Apple Music. There's also support for Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity, which won't mean much for your workout but if you work with your earbuds in you'll be able to listen to music from one source while being able to take calls from another.
The battery situation with the BeoPlay EX is OK, with a middling six hours per charge with ANC on and right with it off. The case delivers up to 28b hours total and with wireless charging, juicing them up is easy.
