Listening to podcasts or music immediately feels more fun when you remove the need to be chained to a laptop or smartphone, but wireless earbuds introduce new complications too. They’re more fragile and in many ways more complicated than wired headphones, and that’s before you’ve even taken into account figuring out your ear size into the mix. Waterproof earbuds can remove some of that worry by making the biggest problem with wireless earbuds – how easy it is to damage them – less of a worry.
Best waterproof Bluetooth speakers: Top beach-safe speakers
Bluetooth speakers can go anywhere, but that means surviving some harsh conditions.
With the right pair of waterproof earbuds, you can enjoy all the benefits of wireless audio and not have to worry about what happens if they get submerged in water. That can save you from rain, sweat during a workout, and yes, an accidental toilet drop, without issues. We think in terms of performance, price, and waterproof rating, the Jabra Elite 8 Active is the best option for most use cases, but if you’re interested in spending a little more, or curious about earbuds with a specific feature, read through our full list below.
Our picks for the best waterproof earbuds
Jabra Elite 8 Active
1. Best overall waterproof earbuds
All-around great
$150 $200 Save $50
The Jabra Elite 8 Active is a capable pair of wireless earbuds with a long battery life, support for 360-degree spatial sound, and active noise cancellation.
- Up to 56 hours of battery life
- Bluetooth Multipoint
- IP68
We put Jabra’s Elite 8 Active on our original waterproof headphones guide, and they stand out even more if you’re specifically looking for wireless earbuds.
Jabra Elite 8 Active review: Made of tougher stuff
Jabra’s solid-sounding truly wireless sports earbuds toughen up.
With up to 32 hours of battery life with ANC on and up to 56 hours with ANC off, they should be able to last through multiple days of use. The Elite 8 Active also come with Spatial Sound by Dolby if you’re interested in the kinds of 360-degree audio experiences Dolby Atmos or Apple’s Spatial Audio enable.
The high-friction silicone on the exterior of the Jabra Elite 8 Active should make them harder to shakeout during intense workouts, and if you’re running in the rain, the earbuds’ IP68 rating means they’re dust and waterproof. The earbuds aren’t stuck with a single Bluetooth connection either. With Bluetooth Multipoint, you should be able to seamlessly switch between multiple audio sources.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
2. Best premium waterproof earbuds
High-quality audio
$158 $230 Save $72
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are expensive, but have excellent active noise cancellation and high-quality audio reproduction alongside their waterproofing.
- Active Noise Cancellation (Conversation and Ambient Modes)
- 360 Audio
- IPX7
For a more premium experience, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds work best with Samsung devices, but are still a great pick for anything else. Their active noise cancellation supports multiple modes, including a Conversation Mode that automatically ducks audio when someone talks to you and an Ambient Mode that gives you more awareness of the world around you. Samsung also supports 360-degree Audio for spatial sound.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are smarter, smaller – but come with a catch
There’s now 24-bit audio support!
In terms of battery life, you can expect 20 hours with ANC on and 30 hours with ANC off. Samsung has taken special care with the sound here. The Buds 2 Pro have 10mm woofers for bass, 5.3mm tweeters for treble, and overall, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro support 24-bit Hi-Fi audio for deeper, more rich sound than you might get out of the average pair of wireless earbuds.
Those high-end audio features don’t come at the cost of waterproofing, either. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have an IPX7 rating, which means they can be immersed in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes without problems.
JBL Endurance Race
3. Best budget waterproof earbuds
Deep bass
$60 $80 Save $20
JBL’s Endurance Race wireless earbuds have excellent bass, a respectable battery life, and multiple active noise cancellation modes to choose from.
- 30 hours of battery life
- ANC (with Ambient Aware)
- IP67
- Touch-sensitive controls are finicky
The JBL Endurance Race are one of our most affordable wireless earbud selections that don’t compromise on sound or durability. They get up to 30 hours of battery life (that breaks down to 10 hours in the earbuds and 20 hours in the case) and have an Ambient Aware mode that you can enable to make ANC more safe when you’re crossing busy streets.
Best bone conduction headphones: Top options for safe exercise and productive work
The best bone conduction headphones offer safety, comfort, and great sound quality for any activity or crowded space.
Their biggest win is they still manage to fit 6mm dynamic drivers that give them great bass performance and an IP67 rating that means they’re dustproof and waterproof up to one meter underwater, saving you from having to worry about the damage splashes from rain or sweat could cause.
Jaybird Vista 2
4. Best waterproof earbuds for ANC
Interchangeable tips
The Jaybird Vista 2 are designed to stick in your ears with their wing-shaped design, quick charge in just five minutes, and are completely waterproof.
- 6mm drivers
- ANC (with SurroundSense)
- IP68
The Jaybird Vista 2 are another returning favorite from our best waterproof headphones guide. The biggest draw, besides their excellent active noise cancellation (which punches above its weight for $150 earbuds) is their design.
Jaybird Vista 2 review: An ideal running companion
Jaybird’s follow-up true wireless earbuds are great for running, but there are drawbacks for everyday use.
Silicone wingtips mean they should stay stuck in your ear during exercise, and Jaybird ships with three different sized ear tips, so you can find the most comfortable fit that will create a great seal when you’re looking to be immersed in audio.
Like the JBL Endurance Race, the Vista 2s have 6mm drivers for improved sound and customizable EQ you can adjust in a companion app. 24 hours of battery life isn’t the longest in the bunch, but for an IP68 rating that guarantees their dust and water protection, that might be a trade-off worth making.
JBL Reflect Aero
5. Best waterproof earbuds for calls
Whole lot of mics
$100 $150 Save $50
The JBL Reflect Aero are waterproof earbuds with flexible adaptive noise cancellation and multiple mics to make sure calls come in clear.
- “Adaptive” Noise Cancelling (with Smart Ambient Mode)
- Six mics for improved calls
- IP68
- Not the most comfortable fit
JBL’s Reflect Aero have active noise cancellation and a “Smart Ambient Mode” for letting in enough surrounding sound that you don’t get into an accident on a long walk or bike ride. Their IP68 rating means they’re completely dustproof, and waterproof for up to 30 minutes at 1.5 meters, which is more than enough for anyone who isn’t a professional swimmer.
Like the Jaybird Vista 2, the JBL Reflect Aero use a wing-shaped design to get a better, more secure fit in your ear. Their battery life is similar too, at 24 hours. The Reflect Aero really shine with their mics. The Aeros have six mics, which makes for extra clear calls when you’re out and about. Far better call performance than the other wireless earbuds on this list.
GNMN G17 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds
6. Best waterproof earbuds for long battery life
A secure fit, and budget friendly too
GNMN’s G17 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds are as wallet-friendly as they come while still being waterproof and having an extra-long battery life.
- Up to 90 hours of battery life
- One-button controls
- IPX7
GNMN’s G17 Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds come to the top of the pack in terms of lengthy battery life. The 90 hours of continuous battery could work well for multi-day outdoor adventures or lengthy traveling, whether you are away from a charger for extended time periods or off in the wilderness. The IPX7 rating means they can be submerged temporarily in water and survive.
The only areas they disappoint are in advanced features like active noise cancellation and the bulky charging case. The case size might outweigh the bonus battery length in terms of travel-friendly advantages for some — we know packing space is precious. However, with this price point, we can excuse these misses and appreciate the GNMN G17s for the great value and features they offer.
If you want the convenience of wireless earbuds with excellent protection from dust and water, we think the Jabra Elite 8 Active are the best choice for its IP rating, ANC, and battery life. If you’re willing to spend more, and are particularly interested in excellent sound quality on top of durability, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the best pick. And if you’re on a budget, you can get the JBL Endurance Race for less than $80, and still get solid battery life and waterproofing.
Jabra Elite 8 Active
Editor’s Choice
$150 $200 Save $50
Wireless earbuds are one of the most popular kinds of consumer electronics and Pocket-lint has an extensive back catalog of reviews and hands-ons to inform your purchasing decisions. Picking the best waterproof earbuds for this guide required not only picking out wireless earbuds that sounded good, and could get you through a full day of use, but also had a good enough IP rating that they could be submerged in water without getting damaged.
We settled on wireless earbuds with at least 20 hours of battery life. That way, you can get days of use between the earbuds themselves. Good enough audio performance so you don’t feel like you’re missing out going wireless. And an IP rating that would guarantee your earbuds could survive getting submerged in water, not just a splash or a spray. Our picks broadly fit that criteria, and in many cases include other useful wireless earbud features like active noise cancelation.
At the very least, your wireless earbuds should have an IP rating of IPX7. IP ratings vary on what each number means for dust and water protection, but “7” indicates your earbuds can be temporarily submerged in water. Being protected from complete submersion should be more than enough to survive typical exposure to water if it rains or if you sweat a lot while working out. Several of the earbuds on this list have higher ratings and are even dust tight, but all you need is IPX7 for what we consider to be the bare minimum of waterproofing.
Battery life is a key component to consider when picking out wireless earbuds, whether they’re waterproof or not. The size of earbuds and the like of a physical connection to wherever you’re playing audio from means that you’ll be inherently limited in terms of battery life. Oftentimes, the battery life of wireless earbuds is actually the battery capacity of the earbuds and their charging case combined.
At least 20 hours of battery life combined between your earbuds and your case is a good minimum to start with. Unless you’re listening all day, it should get you through at least two days of listening before you have to recharge. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider the fact that most people don’t keep their earbuds on all day, and any time they’re in their case, they can be recharged. That lets you stretch 20 hours or more over a longer period of time.
Maxwell Turing
