Shokz OpenSwim Pro review: Excellent open-ear headphones for the pool and dry land alike
Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Two minute review
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro is a more capable, upgraded version of the regular Shokz OpenSwim headphones. It adds Bluetooth connectivity for live music streaming to the existing built-in MP3 support, making the headset more attractive to anybody wanting to listen to music in non-swimming settings as well as underwater.
Targeted at both aquatic and regular activities, the OpenSwim Pro is best suited to open-water and pool swimmers. Its IP68 rating means it's protected to depths of up to two meters, for up to two hours. Enough for a pretty intense triathlon swim, and certainly enough for an hour in the pool.
Like the rest of the Shokz range, the OpenSwim Pro sits over the ear, rather than in it, which means it fits more ear shapes. The bone-conducting technology may not match the sound quality of conventional earphones, but the PremiumPitch 2.0+ technology makes sure that the audio is clear and bass is reasonably strong.
It’s a shame that, even though it launched two years after the OpenRun Pro, the OpenSwim Pro uses eighth-gen bone conduction technology, whereas the Run model uses ninth-gen tech (which Shokz calls TurboPitch).
Where the Shokz OpenSwim Pro excels against other earphones is the fact that (just like the rest of the best bone conduction headphones) you can hear ambient sounds, such as traffic and people talking, very clearly. In fact, even as an avid AirPods Pro and AirPods Max user (with Transparency Mode), I found myself choosing to pick up the OpenSwim Pro headphones for a quick run or walking the dog because I felt less disconnected from the outside world.
The device only weighs 27.3 grams, which means there’s little to no ear fatigue. Plus, you can pick one of two designs that match your style – a vibrant, active-inspired orange headset or a safer grey color.
Although the device is waterproof, Bluetooth signals aren’t, so you’ll need to use MP3 mode to listen to your tunes when you’re in the water. This is fine, because you’re unlikely to have your phone nearby anyway, and you can switch between MP3 and Bluetooth modes by holding down the two volume buttons.
The 32GB of onboard storage is enough for around 8,000 songs, and transferring files onto the OpenSwim Pro is as easy as dragging and dropping files onto it as if it were a regular flash drive (although this is no good if, like me, you rely on streaming services for most of your auditory needs). It’s a shame that the included cable uses a regular USB connection rather than the newer, increasingly popular, and more versatile USB-C connection.
There are two noise-cancelling mics for taking calls or interacting with voice assistants in Bluetooth mode only. I took a few calls in the office, as well as while walking and cycling, and received no complaints about the quality of the audio.
The battery life is a particular strong point of the OpenSwim Pro, which is capable of up to nine hours of audio playback on Bluetooth mode, or six hours when playing from the built-in MP3 library. It might fall short of the OpenRun Pro’s 10 hours, but it does support the same quick charging speed, with a short 10-minute charge powering up to three hours of extra audio. Put it this way – I used the headphones for an entire working day and they were still ready to keep going for a little longer.
Compared with the regular OpenSwim, the OpenSwim Pro has upgraded bone conducting technology, support for quick charging, 28GB more onboard storage and Bluetooth support for streaming and calls, so it’s easily worth the small premium, priced at $179.95 / £169 / AU$299.
On the whole, the OpenSwim Pro is easy to recommend for anybody who spends a lot of time doing a variety of exercises – the fact that it’s genuinely one of the best waterproof headphones and not just water-resistant is advantageous, but even if swimming has become a failed New Year’s resolution, it’s a versatile, long-lasting and great-performing headset.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Specifications
Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Scorecard
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How I tested
I replaced my AirPods with the Shokz OpenSwim Pro for listening to music and taking calls when in the office, walking the dog, running, cycling and swimming – both in the pool and in a lake. I compared speaker and mic quality in various settings, used Bluetooth and MP3 modes, and configured some settings in the Shokz app.
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