Waterproof Bluetooth Headphones

(The following is a guest post from my beautiful wife, Jessica. These aren't bluetooth headphones, but I figured this review would be a good piece for the site, since we get a fair number of viewers looking for info on headphones they can swim with.)

As an avid swimmer and music lover, I love to hear my jams while I'm in the pool. I'm sure many of you know just what kind of positive effect music can have on a workout- it pumps us up, keeps us moving, and gives us a rhythm to work with. For a while I'd been doing laps while wearing my Go Waterproof MP3 Headphones, so I was pretty bummed when they finally crapped out on me. Thankfully, my husband bought me the new Sony NWZ-W273 Waterproof Walkman MP3 player for Christmas. How did it stand up? Well, here's my review.

Pros

• Truly waterproof and submersible up to 6.5 feet
• Fast charge and long battery life
• Sleek one-piece design
• 4 gigs of music strapped to your head

Cons

• Uncomfortable
• Lackluster sound
• Controls are difficult to use under a swimcap

These are typically in the $100 range, but CLICK HERE to find out what Amazon is charging or to read what other users have to say!

A New Walkman For A New Day… In The Pool

Sony, and specifically Walkman, are names I've trusted since I was a kid. The big difference is now they're much smaller, play MP3s instead of cassettes, and in this case, perform even in the pool. I was thrilled when I opened a box on Christmas to discover my husband had bought me this as a replacement for my busted Go headphones.

The NWZW273 has a one piece design- it's two earpieces with built-in controls connected by a pretty short cord. Sleek, simple, and stylish. It holds 4 gigs of music, and though I only used it for MP3s, it also supports WMA, AAC, and L-PCM formats. Out of the box it comes with a usb dock, different sizes of earbuds, and a rubber adjustment band, all of which I will address shortly.

Taking It For A Test Swim

When I first put it on, I immediately noticed how tight the fit is. Part of the reason is the very short cord, which makes sense since it's aimed at swimmers, joggers, and other active exercisers. The medium sized earbuds were perfect for me, though not terrible comfortable. When you add a swimcap, or the rubber adjustment device though, they can be painfully snug. I found it was slightly easier on the ears to have the cord coming around the sides of your ears rather than over them, but this is not always practical.

One of the things I've learned from my husband is that for these types of headphones to work right and sound good, you need to have a nice, tight fit. This not only keeps water out, but keeps sound in. If there are leaks, your bass will be very weak and the music will sound like it's coming from a distant old-timey radio. With a decent fit, I thought these sounded alright outside of the water, though nothing to write home about.

Underwater, the sound was surprisingly good, though still nothing to write home about. The bass is solid, but the treble is a little high for my taste. The volume isn't great, but it was definitely enough. I like to zone almost everything out, lock in with the rhythm of the music and swim laps, and this device was good enough to help me do that without any hiccups. It was loud enough to tune out the rhythmic swishing in-and-out of my head as I did each stroke, and didn't crap out even when I swam under the water. (It should be noted, however, that users are specifically warned against using it in salt water, which will corrode it.)

A Couple Technical Considerations

The Sony Waterproof Walkman has an amazingly fast charge time. They claim a 3 minute charge will keep it going for an hour, and I believe that. I usually leave it plugged in for an hour or so (if I don't forget about it), and I've never ever had it die on me. To test the life I used it all day at work, and it kept going until I got back home.

On the other hand, that charge requires the special USB dock instead of a micro-usb or anything else I can share with other gadgets. This is no big deal if I'm going straight from home to the pool, but it means I can't charge it or change the songs unless I bring my laptop with me.

The controls are well designed and fairly intuitive. Because there's limited space, buttons have dual uses. For example, you can tap a button to move to the next song, or hold it down to move to the next folder, which is super convenient if you have each album in a folder like I do. It's iTunes and Windows Media Player compatible, though I usually just drag and drop from Windows Explorer. It's pretty much plug and play, too, so you don't have to mess around trying to install and wrangle a bunch of software to get it working.

On the other hand, if you're planning on putting a swimcap over these, I advise you to set your playlist in advance. The buttons are just too small to consistantly control the device if they're under a layer of rubber.

So, Worth It Or Not So Much?

If you're looking for an underwater MP3 player to use specifically in the pool, the Sony NWZW273 Waterproof Walkman is a decent option. They sound alright and they work underwater, which is all many people are looking for. However, there are better options if those aren't your precise criteria.

For those of you after headphones you're only going to use for exercise outside of the water, I like the Motorola S10-HD (read my husband's review of those here). They won't work in the pool, but they stand up to heavy sweat and even rain, they sound good, fit comfortably and they're bluetooth so they're cordless and will work with your phone. They're also a little bit cheaper than the NWZ-W273.

If you're looking for an MP3 player you can use anywhere, including in the water, I actually recommend what my husband has been using, which is a waterproofed Apple iPod Shuffle. Since you have a choice of headphones, it's easier get a more comfortable fit and better sound than what the Waterproof Walkman has to offer, whether it's in the pool with swimming headphones or on the street with big over-the-ear style cans.

But you don't have to take my word for it- See what other reviewers are saying or check it out for yourself over at amazon.com!

The JayBird JF3 Freedom earbuds are supposed to be some of the nicest wireless sports headphones on the market.  With a price that has hovered consistently at around $100 (Update- Click here to check the new, better price at Amazon.com!), they'd better be. I've actually been wanting to try them for a while, but I'll admit, I mainly bought them because I figured if I was going to run a blog reviewing these things, it would be a totally reasonable expenditure, despite all the working headsets I already have.  These are popular, so my site's got to have a JayBird Freedom review, right?  I've been using these about a week now, and I'm ready to tell you what I like and what I don't like about them.

Pros

• Wireless, can use it to take calls, too
• Really good sound for a BlueTooth device, great bass
• "Lifetime" warranty against sweat
• Super customizable and comfortable fit
• Super compact

Cons

• Lousy mic
• USB charging cable only
• Cord and buttons leave something to be desired
• Sound is prone to cutting out in some situations

Eye-Popping Packaging, How About The Product?

Well, I'll say this: the JF3's certainly come in luxury packaging!  It was kind of impressive to unpack, but I'm honestly not that concerned with that.  Give me a solid product in a garbage box over the opposite any day.  The earbuds themselves feel more solid than I expected them to, but do still feel like they might break if I'm not careful with them.  Fortunately they come with a solid carrying case so I can carry them in my gym bag without fear.

Straight out of the box, there are a number of ways to customize the fit.  There are 3 sizes of buds for your ears, as well as 3 sizes of silicon pads ("gecko strips") that help hold these on from the outside of your ear.  The gecko strips are optional, as are some included ear hooks.  I've spent some time fiddling with different combinations, and I think I like the gecko strips without the hooks.

Pairing with my iPhone was no problem, so a few minutes after picking earbud and gecko strip sizes I was ready to take them for a test run (literally!)

A New Standard For BlueTooth Stereo Sound?

They fit nice and tightly in my ears, and most outside noise is blocked out.  More importantly, though, ​THE SOUND IS AWESOME!  These are a little better in sound than my Motorola S10-HDs, which I previously thought was the limit of Bluebooth audio.  The bass is really good, surprisingly good for an earbud, which typically have the worst bass of any style of headphone.  I had to turn the treble up a little bit on my EQ, but that's no big deal.

The first time I ran with these, I wondered how they would really stand up to the amount of sweat I was going to give them, but the LIFETIME WARRANTY against sweat had me more at ease than I often am when I'm trying a new, expensive pair of headphones.  The warranty is actually just for 2-3 years, or the average lifespan of a rechargeable device, which is fair.  Honestly, in 2-3 years, I expect this kind of technology will have come along a way, and these will be outdated.  They've held up remarkably, though, never crapping out on me as they got coated in a glossy coat of my hard work.

A Couple Compromises…

I thought they shorted me when I took everything out of the box, but no, they just don't come with an AC adapter, just a USB cable. Frankly, for a pair $100 BlueTooth headphones, this is just crap.  Seriously.  At least I figured out the cable would plug into my iPhone charger, but others may not be so lucky.

The cord that connects the two earbuds is sort of wide and thick, and made of rubber that has a tendency to get stuck on your neck when you turn your head, threatening to rip one of them out of your ear.  I have no idea why they used this material.  I found myself either wearing the strap in the front or looping the excess around my ears so there was no slack.

The Jaybird JF3s are tiny, and this design means they just can't make them as full featured as larger headsets.  For this reason, the microphone is lousy, but usually acceptable for calls.  The buttons are hard to press, and my first instinct when trying them out was to mash the whole unit painfully into my ear.  You have to hold a button for 3 whole seconds to skip a song, which is about 2 seconds too long, and you have to hold the power button for 7 seconds to turn them on, which is just stupid.

The biggest compromise, though, is the JayBird's BlueTooth range is just not very good.  There's a note right when you open the box explaining that you need to wear it strapped to your right arm, and you really do if you're using it outside.  In a gym or your home, the signal will bounce off walls to reach the device, but outside, they'll just go off into the ether if your phone isn't really close.  Even with my phone on my arm, I'd still get short cutouts every few minutes when jogging or even walking outside.  I use the music to pump me up, so this was kind of lame.  On the bright side, I can wear my sunglasses outside without knocking these out of my ears.

Worth It Or Not?  That Depends…

With the best BlueTooth audio I've heard and a warranty against sweat, these really are the nicest headphones you can use in the gym.  However, I'm not sure I can recommend them to somebody who will be taking lots of calls with them, and if you want to use them outside, you'll have to consider whether or not occasional cut-outs are something you're OK with.  If you're looking for a pair with a little more utility, there are cheaper options out there, but the sound won't be quite as good.  If you want the JayBird Freedom Earbuds, I recommend getting them Amazon.com.  They're an authorized retailer, so you'll get the warranty, and they offer FREE Super Saver shipping.

(Update 01/30/2014 – Looks like these have been discontinued. If you're looking for some sweatproof bluetooth earbuds with a similar design, feature set and price range, check out my review for the Jaybird Freedom ones.)

I first tried the Philips ActionFit SHB6000/28 Stereo Bluetooth headphones last year, and they're honestly some of the better headphones I've tried in this category.  They fit well, sound good, and can handle all the sweat I pour onto them when I'm working out.  Let's take a look at how they measure up to my golden standard, the Motorola S10-HD headphones.

Pros

• Bluetooth, no cords, designed for active people
• Waterproof AND antimicrobial
• Compact and easy-to-transport
• Adjustable ear hooks and 3 sizes of silicon caps for a custom fit
• Dual mic design for noise free calling
• Good range, easy connectivity

Cons

• Bass is a little lacking
• Relatively short battery life
• Buttons are pretty awkward to use

Built Like A Perfect-Fitting Rock

My first thought when I pulled these out of the box was that they look and feel like they're made of high quality materials, but I really expected no less from Philips.  The enclosed literature said the materials they're made out of is not just waterproof, but antimicrobial as well.  This is a nice little bonus for me, as I'm one of those constant hand-washers who worries excessively about germs.

These ActionFits have a nice, compact design, and I can fit them into my pocket easily, which I can't do with my S10-HDs.  They come with a nice little carrying bag, but honestly I rarely use these things except with my higher end headphones, and the SHB6000/28s don't have any cords to get tangled without it.

When I first put them on my ears, I thought, "This isn't going to work."  They just didn't fit at all, even when I picked the right caps from the 3 included sizes.  A quick look at the instructions, though, and I realized that you're actually supposed to give yourself a custom fit by actually bending the hooks to FIT YOUR EARS PERFECTLY!  I did that, and they weren't going anywhere.

Take These And Run

When it comes to performance, these deliver.  They never skipped, cut out or crackled as I pounded the pavement, and the custom fit ensured they stayed firmly in place.  Even when they got pretty sweaty, ​I NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY TROUBLE WITH PLAYBACK! These things do what they were made to do.

The sound is pretty decent, far better than the cheapo stereo Bluetooth headphones that keep popping up these days, but the bass (and thus the overall sound) wasn't as good as the bass on my S10-HD set.  Don't come get me wrong, though: there was certainly a more-than-adequate amount of THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP ​to help me power through my workouts.

I found that sometimes as I'd get really saturated with sweat, they'd want to slip out of my ears a little bit.  They wouldn't fall out, but they'd come out enough to not sound nearly as good.  This typically happened towards the end of my workouts, though, and it wasn't a very big deal to just push them in tighter every few minutes.

Clear Calls and Trade-Offs

Making phone calls isn't my primary reason for buying this type of headset, but if you're planning on doing so, these have some of the better in-call sound of any waterproof Bluetooth headphones I've tried.  The reason is that these ones are built with dual microphones for UNPRECEDENTED NOISE REDUCTION!  You can find this feature in some of the higher end Bluetooth headsets, but this is the first time I've seen it in one of the Stereo ones designed for active users.

I didn't have any trouble connecting the Philips ActionFits to my phone or computer.  Their range is pretty good; I find they work perfectly from across the room most of the time, but sometimes they'll cut out now and then if I have my phone at the edge of the tennis court, sending my champion soundtrack to my ears.

Battery life is kind of short.  I can get about 5 hours of listening out of them, but this should be adequate if you're mainly using them for workouts and plugging them in regularly.  If you need to use them all day without charging them, you may want something else (the Motorola S10-HDs will go for about 8 hours).

There are buttons on these for taking calls and controlling playback, but they take some getting used to.  One of my biggest complaints about on-ear headphones is that you typically need to figure out some way of holding them in place while you press the buttons, and these are no exception.  If you don't want to push them off your ears when you're switching songs, just use your thumb to hold it in place.

I would say the Philips ActionFit SHB6000/28 is a good choice for anybody who wants a waterproof set of Bluetooth headphones, and either prefers the on-ear style to the wraparound type, or is going to be taking a lot of calls.  If you're looking for the best sound, check out my Motorola S10-HD review, but if these sound like what you're looking for, Amazon has them for the lowest price I've found.

(Update 1/30/2014 – Oops! Looks like they don't make these anymore! As a stand in that's comparable and in the same price range I'd recommend the Motorola S10-HDs.)

I first heard about Splashbudz earlier this year, and decided to give them a shot.  They have a similar behind-the-head design to my favorite set, the Motorola S10-HDs.  They have the same list price ($90), but Amazon had them for just forty bucks, so I figured, what did I have to lose?  As it turns out, I could lose sound quality and comfort, mainly.

Pros

• Low cost
• Waterproof
• Hands-free Bluetooth operation, easy pairing with most devices
• Volume, Forward and Back buttons
• 39 foot range
• Built-in mic for taking calls

Cons

• No interchangeable "budz" to fit your ears
• Average Bluetooth quality sound
• Serious issues make these useless for more active sports like jogging

First Impression: Ehhhh…

The first thing I thought when I pulled the Splashbudz out of the box was that they felt like a cheaper version of the S10-HDs.  They're pretty similar in design, with some seemingly minor differences, but as we'll see, these differences seriously detract from the quality of the product.

Instead of the interchangeable cushions you get to fit into your ears with the Motorola headphones, the Splashbudz have a design that funnels the sound into your ear.  This might help make the product more water resistant, but it makes for a bad fit, and with these kind of headphones, a bad fit makes for bad sound.  Bass is sorely lacking, and I feel this could easily be improved with better fitting ear buds.  Also, when I get too sweaty, they want to slip out of my ears.

I didn't find the button layout as convenient as the Motorolas, but this may simply be because I've had those headphones for a couple years now.  They are bigger and easier to use than the tiny controls on a lot of these headsets, though.

Decent Range, But Don't Move Too Fast

The official material says you get 7 hours per charge, and that's fine, though less than the S10-HD.  I easily paired them with my iPhone, but I had some trouble doing the same with my laptop, and ended up giving up trying, as I have no shortage of headphones that already work.  Range is really good at around 40 feet.

These are waterproof, as advertised, and I haven't had trouble with them dying after getting too sweaty.  You can even use them in the shower, but since they come with a warning not too use them in a steamy environment, I don't see how this can be useful for very long, unless you take cold showers.  I don't take a lot of Hollywood showers, but I still like the water HOT!

What really kills this product for me, though, is when I tried jogging with them, the sound kept cutting in and out.  I looked online at some other Splashbudz reviews, and this is apparently a common problem.  These things are OK for lifting weights if you're listening to podcasts, but they're absolutely worthless for joggers!  I can only assume you'll run into the same problem with any really active sport.

I'd have to say the best thing about these is that they're cheap.  I bought them for 40 bucks, which is what you'd expect to pay for a set with similar sound quality without the benefit of being waterproof.  If you have another few bucks, though, I would definitely recommend just springing for the Motorola S10-HD Headphones (Click here for my review of those).  If cost is really an issue, you can get the GOgroove AudioACTIVE Bluetooth Stereo headset, which is similar in design but a little more full featured, and goes for around the same price.

For the first review of this new blog, I'm going to talk about the Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, which may just be the best option on the market right now for anybody looking for Bluetooth headphones that won't die when they get wet.  Though they won't sound as good as wired headphones in this range, they have some of the best sound you'll get out of Bluetooth!  These have been my favorites for a while now, let me tell you why.

Pros

• Bluetooth connectivity means no wires
• Built to resist sweat and other moisture, and does so excellently
• Great fit; won't come off during workouts
• Easy to connect to your device, ridiculous range
• Very long battery life
• Play, Skip, and Pause buttons

Cons

• Better than other options, but it's still Bluetooth quality audio
• Not the greatest mic for making calls

These are usually around $180, but Amazon has them for waaaay less with FREE shipping!

= > > Check The Price Here! <  < =

The Best Sweat Proof Bluetooth Option Right Now

I've been using Bluetooth headsets pretty consistently since they hit the market, but for the longest time I couldn't find one I could really jog with.  Every pair I had would either fall off my head, or die after being drenched with a critical amount of sweat.  When I heard about these headphones back in 2010, I had to own a pair.  It took a minute to adjust to these, but they've remained my go-to phones for pretty much any activity since then.  I've tried some others, but none have compared.

The S10-HDs have a hydrophobic mesh and speakers enclosed with silicon seals to protect them from being destroyed when you start exercising.  They come with 4 sizes of gel earbud cushions, and it's really important to use the right size ones to maintain the watertight seal.  I was using a size too small at first, and I was not expecting these to work out because sweat kept getting in my ears.  When I used the right size, they fit better, sounded better, and no sweat got in.

I really don't think I'd risk taking a swim with these, but I have been out when it started raining pretty heavily, and they didn't miss a beat.  I kept expecting them to crackle out, but it never happened.

They're very comfortable.  I thought they were a little tight at first, but I think maybe they conform to the shape of your head after you wear them a while, because they now feel like they were made for my own head!  They're not uncomfortably snug, but THEY'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE DURING MY WORKOUT!

Sounds Good, Connects Easily

The promo material mentions acoustic design, digital tuning, and ENHANCED BASS.  The first two I'm not impressed with; I mean, what other types of design and tuning would they use for stero Bluetooth headphones?  The bass thing, though, I believe.  Bluetooth audio quality has steadily improved over the years, and these things sound way better than the ones I was using before.  The bass is much better when you use the right size earbuds so the BOOM doesn't leak out.

I had no trouble at all connecting to these with either my iPhone 4 or my girlfriend's Evo 4g.  I can't speak for other phones, but I'd imagine it was just as easy.  I'll be honest: when I'm using my laptop, I really prefer my Beats by Dr. Dre Studios, but the Motorola S10-HD's are convenient because they're more portable, and I don't care as much if they get stolen (but don't steal my headphones, jerks).

If you get a call while you're listening to music, it will automatically pause what you're listening to until the call is over.  I actually didn't know it had this feature until someone called me the first time, but it's really convenient.  Likewise for the Play, Pause, and Skip buttons on the side.

The range is really great.  Though I typically run around with my phone strapped to my arm, I've found I can actually leave this thing in my bag on the edge of the court when I play tennis.  Awesome.

Oh, and battery life is fantastic.  The official material says you get 8 hours of music listening time or 9 hours of talk time, and 10 days of standby time.  That sounds about right.  I plug them in every few days, and I've only had them die on me once when I kept using them for about a week without plugging them into the charger.

Any Downsides?

Well, the behind-the-head design makes it more comfortable than other headphones when it comes to active use, but it's not a good match for anybody wearing glasses, because they'll fight each other for space on your ears.  Also, the mic isn't the greatest, but I've never had any problems with people understanding me over the phone.

As I've said, you can't (currently) get the same high quality sound you get from wired headphones.  I'm sure they're working on it right now, but until then you'll have to settle for the best you can find, and this is the best I can find at the moment.

Don't Get Ripped Off!

I paid $90 for mine when I got them, and they've actually gone up in price at the big box electronics store down the street, but as of this writing Amazon has them for less than I even paid.  Honestly I'd buy them again if I had to at the regular price, but if they ever crap out on me I hope this deal is still running.  I don't expect to need new ones, though.  Oh, and because it's Amazon you get that FREE SHIPPING! Seriously, for me it typically means anything I buy from them is cheaper than in the stores.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to drive home with this S10-HD review is that these are really some of the best waterproof Bluetooth headphones on the market right now, and have been my headphones of choice for a while now.  If you're looking for something that sounds good, fits well, and lets you be active and get really sweaty, these represent the BEST VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!  The best price I've seen, by far, is over at amazon.com.