The Swimbuds deliver a unique, waterproof listening experience. They're lightweight, compact and stable enough for sports use. Unfortunately, they're not the most well-rounded headphones. They don't block enough ambient noise for loud environments, and the poor sound quality is a deal breaker for some.
Our Verdict
Not the most versatile headphones. They're super compact and have a decent isolation performance. However, they're best used when the accuracy of audio reproduction is not essential to your listening experience.
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Minimal leakage.
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Extremely lightweight and portable design.
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Stable and waterproof.
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Poor audio reproduction.
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Not comfortable for everyone.
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Cheap build quality.
Not designed for neutral listening. The closed back in-ear buds severely limits the soundstage. Also, audio reproduction is below average and gives an overly bass-heavy representation of all tracks.
Below-average for commuting. They provide decent passive isolation but it may not be enough for ambient noise of a busy commute.
The Swimbuds are designed specifically to provide a waterproof listening experience. They're portable and lightweight headphones you can carry around easily in any pocket. The in-ear fit also goes deep into the ear canal providing a lot of stability. However, they don't sound good and comfort maybe an issue for some.
Average for office use. They barely leak any sound so even at loud volumes no one will hear your audio. However, the isolation is just a little weak for noisy offices.
- 5.3 Mixed Usage
- 4.5 Neutral Sound
- 5.8 Commute/Travel
- 6.4 Sports/Fitness
- 5.5 Office
- 3.0 Wireless Gaming
- 4.8 Wired Gaming
- 1.9 Phone Call
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Aug 04, 2016: Review published.
- Updated Aug 02, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 28, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Test Results
The Swimbuds have a simple, straightforward design. They have detachable hook sleeves that provide more stability and give the headphones a more sporty appeal. They also have unique tips made for swimming that are unlike most typical in-ear models. Unfortunately, they look a little cheap on upon closer inspection.
The Swimbuds have an in-ear design and may not be comfortable for everyone. They have an unusual tip design that's meant to provide a better fit underwater. However, these tips go deeper into the ear canal than typical in-ear headphones, which may be uncomfortable for some. On the upside, they're extremely lightweight.
The Swimbuds are one of the smallest headphones we have tested so far. They have a detachable cable design, that combined with the already compact format of an in-ear model, makes them comfortably fit into any pocket, bag or purse.
The build quality of the Swimbuds feels cheap and fragile. The plastic used in their build looks low grade. The cable is thin and will not be as durable as some of the other thicker, rubberized cables of higher-end in-ear models. On the upside, the headphones are lightweight enough, to not get damage from a couple of falls. However, they won't be able to withstand even mild physical stress.
These headphones come with a few features to makes them more stable than typical in-ear design. They have additional hook sleeves that transform the headphones into an ear-hook design, wrapping the audio cable behind your ear. That combined with their long tips, that go deeper into the ear canal than a regular in-ear model, results in a stable design that won't slip out of your ears easily. They're stable enough to use at the gym and while doing high-intensity exercises like swimming.
- Swimbuds Headphones
- Earbud tips (x4)
- Ear hook sleeve (x2)
- Audio extension cable
- Manual
Average isolation. These in-ears do not have active noise-cancellation, but the passive isolation is quite impressive. They achieve good isolation in the Treble Range and above-average isolation in the Mid Range. In the Bass Range, they achieve about 4dB of isolation, which although quite impressive for a passive design, it is noticeably inferior to what high-end active noise-cancelling headphones can achieve.
Excellent leakage performance. The Swimbuds are the quietest headphones we have measured so far. The majority of the leakage is located between 3KHz and 6KHz which is quite narrow and par with most in-ears. However, the big difference here is in the overall level of the leakage, which is extremely low.
No compatible app.
