Shokz OpenSwim Pro
The OpenSwim Pro finally brings Bluetooth to its swim-proof headphones to make them more useful when you’re out of the water.
Pros
- Comfortable design and new colours
- Bigger music player storage
- Now includes a fast charge mode
Cons
- Still need to drag and drop files on
- Doesn’t work with music streaming services
- Battery life drop in music player mode
Key Features
- Fast chargeA 10-minute charge for another 3 hours of battery life
- IP ratingIP68 against water and sweat
Introduction
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro sees Shokz update its open-ear, waterproof headphones with a feature the OpenSwim was rightfully knocked for not including – Bluetooth streaming.
As well as adding two listening modes, the OpenSwim Pro adds more storage to the built-in music player and will also have you charging the bone headphones on a less regular basis too.
Those extra features do see a price increase on the OpenSwim, so is it worth spending more for the added luxury of Bluetooth and MP3 streaming? I’ve been putting the OpenSwim Pro to the test in the water and on land to find out.
Availability
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro are priced at £169. That means they cost more than the regular OpenSwim, which are currently available for £139.
There are other waterproof swimming headphones that offer both Bluetooth and music player streaming modes including the Mojawa HapFit Terra, which costs a hefty £279.99 or the Naenka Runner Diver, which are available for less than £150. The OpenSwim Pro aren’t the cheapest route to underwater listening.
Design
- IP68 water resistance
- Physical controls
- Comes in two colour options
Shokz hasn’t made sweeping changes with the design of the OpenSwim Pro compared to the OpenSwim. It’s still a neckband design that weighs in slightly less than the OpenSwim, down from 30g to 27.3g. You still have two colour options with Shokz’s grey shade and a more colourful red option I had in to test.
Like the OpenSwim, there’s physical buttons on the underside of the right arm alongside a proprietary charging port. This sees Shokz move away from the charging setup it used previously, but does mean keeping hold of a proprietary charging cable. The controls let you adjust volume and skip back and forward, as well as switching between streaming modes. A multifunction button remains on the outer of the left arm to handle calls and to play and pause audio.
These headphones are built for swimming and Shokz gives them an IP68 waterproof rating, which is one of the strongest levels of protection against moisture. Shokz says it’s a triple sealed design including a waterproof membrane on the dual cancelling microphones. As a package they’re waterproof up to 2 metres for 2 hours.
I’ve used them for swims and even a rainy run and have had no problems with the performance or connectivity. That extends to using them in Bluetooth mode out of the water where the experience is very close to using Shokz’s OpenRun series. They’re comfortable to wear for long periods and don’t jump around during exercise.
Shokz also bundles them with a very swimming-friendly carry case and a set of earplugs to be used when you’re using them in the pool.
Features
- Between 6-9 hours battery life
- Built-in storage
There’s Bluetooth 5.4 to stream audio with a sizable 10 metre (33ft) range. When you enter MP3 mode, which can be done via the headphones or the app, it’s a case of connecting the headphones to a computer via the charging cable and dragging and dropping your audio files on.
There’s a substantial jump in storage for the OpenSwim, going from 4GB (1200 songs) to 32GB (8000 songs). That supports MP3, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A and APE file formats, which is more supported file formats than the OpenSwim.
To further customise sound, Shokz offers some EQ modes from within the app for both Bluetooth and MP3 modes. The former has standard and vocal modes and the latter has a Standard and Swim EQ mode. Those are the same modes available on the OpenSwim.
In terms of battery life, the OpenSwim Pro offers up to 9 hours over Bluetooth and that drops to 6 hours in music player mode. To put those numbers into perspective, the Mojawa HapFit Terra promises up to 8 hours and the Naenka Runner Diver 2 offers up to 10 hours.
As is the case with bone conduction, volume strongly dictates the kind of battery numbers you’ll enjoy. Streaming from the music player dents the battery quicker and the drop seemed inconsistent in testing.
I found an hour of Bluetooth streaming saw the battery drop on average by anywhere from 15-20%. When using the MP3 streaming, for just under an hour of pool swimming the battery dropped by 20%. For an hour of open water swimming, the battery drop was 10%. When I used the MP3 streaming mode out of the water the battery dropped by 40%. It was pretty inconsistent.
As mentioned, Shokz has simplified the proprietary charging setup and unlike the OpenSwim, you do get a quick charge mode that gives you 3 hours battery from a 10-minute charge. It’s arguably lost a more secure charging setup, but that added quick charge mode makes a difference when eking out the best battery from them on a weekly basis.
Sound Quality
- 8th Generation bone conduction technology
- 3 EQ modes available
Like the original model, the OpenSwim Pro uses bone conduction technology and not the air conduction approach used on the OpenFit and OpenFit Air. Both open-ear approaches aim to deliver sound without blocking up the ears. Bone conduction does that through transducers and sending sound through vibrations up your cheekbone towards your ear.
Shokz is using the 8th generation version of its technology and not the latest ninth generation present on the OpenRun Pro. According to Shokz, that’s due to the design and making these fit for water submersion.
I’ve used Shokz’s Bluetooth-only headphones, rival bone conduction headphones and regularly use the OpenSwim model, so I have a pretty good idea of what Shokz and the competition has to offer. I’d say the open-ear sound performance is in keeping with Shokz better-sounding headphones. It doesn’t better what you’ll get elsewhere, but in bone conduction terms they’re up there at the top.
In the water, Shokz recommends using the supplied earplugs to get the best sound. I’ve used the Pro with both Standard and Swimming EQ modes with and without the earplugs and there’s a very discernible difference in the sound profiles. Standard is closer to the sound when using them out of the water. There’s more power and a bigger bass presence. The Swimming mode is noticeably more murky and while it hones in on a little more on clarity, I actually found the Standard mode the more enjoyable. I can’t say there’s a huge difference between how these and the OpenSwim sound in the water.
In the Bluetooth streaming mode, it’s typically Shokz and similar to what I’ve experienced on the OpenRun. The Standard modes offer something more balanced and a little more in the treble and mids. There’s warmth and a good presence of bass there. Switch to Vocal mode, and you’re getting something that’s a better fit for listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Bass takes a backseat and there’s stronger emphasis on clarity.
It’s a similar story for call quality too, where if you’re surrounded by quiet or more moderate noise, the call quality and overall volume is very good. In loud environments, it’s more of a battle, but you can use these headphones for calls.
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Should you buy it?
You want a solid-sounding pair of headphones for swims
The OpenSwim Pro offer a reliable fit, solid open-ear sound and are now available at a more likeable price.
You want the cheapest waterproof sports headphones
While the Shokz OpenSwim Pro is a great all-round package, there are other waterproof headphones out there available for slightly less than get you a similar performance and experience.
Final Thoughts
Shokz gave the OpenSwim Pro a feature it arguably should’ve had already and that’s made them more usable when not swimming. It’s also sitting at a price that puts it within its closest competitors and while the dream would be closer integration with music streaming services, this is pretty much as good as it gets for waterproof headphones that are now made better for land use too.
How we test
We test every set of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
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Tested with real world use
Tested across several days
Battery drain performed
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FAQs
You can listen to MP3, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A, APE files on the OpenSwim Pro’s built-in storage.
Full specs
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