Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Specifications
Price: $180 / £169
Colors: Gray, red
Battery life (rated): 9 hours, 6 hours (MP3 mode)
Connectivity: Bluetooth5.4
Water resistance: IP68
Weight: 0.31 ounce (per bud); 2.0 ounces (charging case)
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro are the headphones that have been missing from the Shokz range, offering a combination of Bluetooth and MP3 playback that makes them ideal for multi-sport athletes who want to use headphones for swimming and during other workouts.
These are the best bone conduction headphones available, but also more expensive than any others I’ve tested. There might be better value for money by going with another brand – Naenka is the one that offers cheaper headphones with Bluetooth and MP3 playback – or a set of Shokz with Bluetooth or MP3 playback, rather than both, depending on your preferences. needs.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro test: price and availability
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro went on sale in June 2024 and is available directly from Shokz as well as third-party retailers. They cost $179.95/£169 in the Shokz store, making them the most expensive bone conduction headphones in the Shokz range, the same price as the OpenRun Pro and $30 more than the OpenSwim.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro review: design and fit
The OpenSwim Pro has the same design as Shokz’s other bone conduction headphones, with over-ear hooks connected together by a thin but sturdy band that wraps around the back of the head. The bracelet is made from a nickel-titanium alloy and has some flexibility, but cannot be adjusted to change the fit.
There is only one size of OpenSwim Pro available so far – you can get a Mini version of the Shokz OpenRun and OpenRun Pro headphones with a shorter band which I prefer as it doesn’t stick out so much from the earbuds. back of my head.
The vibrating drivers are placed on the cheekbones just in front of the ears, leaving your ears completely unobstructed to hear your surroundings. The headphones are very lightweight (0.96 oz) and are comfortable to wear for hours.
The fit is also very secure for all kinds of workouts. They didn’t move at all during runs and bike rides, or during strength workouts where I was jumping off the ground. When you’re lying on a bench or on the floor doing exercises, the band on the back of your head can sometimes get in the way, but the headphones always stay in place.
They are also comfortable to wear with a hat and sunglasses during outdoor activities, as well as under a swimming cap and goggles in the water. Under a swim cap, there is a little more pressure on the top of the ear, where it is held against the hook part of the helmet, but I only really noticed it once I left the water and removed the cap.
When swimming in a pool, the hook on the earbuds keeps them in place when pushed, and with the added security of part of them being held under the cap, I had no fear that the Shokz OpenSwim Pro stands out in the water.
The headphones are IP68 rated so they can be submerged in water up to two meters deep for up to two hours. They come with a two-year warranty for added peace of mind. They have 32GB of storage for music and support MP3, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A, APE files, and use Bluetooth 5.4 for easy connectivity to other devices, with multi-point pairing for two devices available.
To ensure a waterproof design, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro has a proprietary magnetic charger, which is less convenient than a standard USB-C charger: misplace that cable and you’ll have to buy a new one from Shokz.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro review: controls
There is a multifunction button on the left cheek of the headset that you can use to play/pause and skip music. Using partner app Shokz, you can also customize what this button does: you can either set it to activate your phone’s voice assistant, or switch between Bluetooth and MP3 modes.
On the pad behind your right ear are volume controls, with the volume up button also being the headset’s power button. You can also customize what happens when you press volume at the same time, choosing between voice assistant and mode switching.
When using MP3 mode, you can also switch between normal, shuffle and repeat modes by holding down the volume up button and multifunction button.
I found the controls to be easy to use during all kinds of workouts, including swimming, and there are voice notifications and sounds to indicate that your presses have been recorded on the earbuds.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro review: sound quality
The bone conduction design of the Shokz OpenSwim Pro means they don’t offer the same level of sound quality as in-ear or over-ear headphones. They are built for a different purpose, to allow additional awareness during workouts and, as a result, offer no passive noise cancellation and the bass particularly lacks punch.
For bone conduction headphones, however, they sound great, with detailed and powerful sound that especially shines when swimming with the headphones submerged.
They come with earplugs that you can use in the water, and the first time you swim with the headphones, it’s impossible not to be impressed by how good they sound from vibrations alone. When listening to Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” in the water, the full range of sound came through well, with enough clarity in the upper ranges.
When doing outdoor workouts, the sound is less impressive, especially in noisy environments where I found that my music was drowned out and I missed the extra bass and power of in-ear headphones, or even headphones. open headphones like the Bose Ultra Open and Shokz OpenFit headphones. which place a speaker close to the ear canal without blocking it.
In quiet environments, however, the sound quality is good enough to enjoy a wide range of music. I listened to the latest albums from Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish more or less on repeat during my time with the headphones and even though it lacks some of the bass of the in-ear headphones, the OpenSwim Pro still sounds great.
There are two EQ modes for Bluetooth playback in the app, with a standard setting and one designed for singing. There are also two EQ modes for MP3 playback, including one designed specifically for swimming. I didn’t find these additional modes added much to my experience and generally just used the standard mode even when listening to podcasts and in the water.
I also tested the Shokz OpenRun Pro and Shokz OpenSwim headphones and found that the OpenSwim Pro matched the sound quality of these headphones. If you plan to use bone conduction headphones while swimming or on land, you can’t get better than the sound quality of the Shokz OpenSwim Pro.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro review: battery life
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro last nine hours on a charge when using Bluetooth playback and six hours if using MP3 mode. The battery level is indicated when you turn on the headphones, and a 10-minute charge will give you three hours of music listening if you discover your level is low just before a workout.
That’s a bit less than what you get from the OpenRun Pro, which offers 10 hours of Bluetooth playback, and the OpenSwim, which lasts eight hours in MP3 mode.
I’ve tested all of Shokz’s bone conduction headphones to date and still find them to fall short of the stated battery life by at least an hour if the volume is raised to anywhere near the maximum, which I find necessary to hear my audio outdoors. workouts.
Even with that in mind, the battery life is long enough to last most outdoor activities, but if you plan to use MP3 mode for a marathon or a particularly long bike ride, I would lower the volume to a medium level to extend battery life.
Should you buy the Shokz OpenSwim Pro?
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro are my favorite bone conduction headphones that I’ve tested and combine the best features of OpenRun and OpenSwim to provide the ideal option for people who swim and do other workouts.
As with all bone conduction headphones, they’re not great for general use and your sound will be drowned out when traveling in particular, but the sound quality is good enough to be enjoyable in quiet environments.
If you want an open design with better sound quality, headphones like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit are good options, even if you can’t use them for swimming. If you just swim, the OpenSwim is a more cost-effective option, and the Shokz OpenRun is a better value for those who stick exclusively to land-based activities.
If you want to combine Bluetooth and MP3 playback on the cheap, the Naenka Runner Diver line of headphones is worth a look, but I find the battery life, design, and sound quality of the Shokz headphones to be better.