RW verdict: Don’t be fooled by the name, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro are actually Shokz’s best bone conduction headphones for running overall. Yes, they’re pricier than the OpenRun Pro, but with sound quality and secure-fit comfort that rivals, along with best–of-both-worlds Bluetooth and phone-free MP3 playback, they're worth the extra bucks if you want maximum versatility.
Pros
- If youre looking for the
- Light, comfy, secure fit
- Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2: A fitting finale
Cons
- The best walking pads for your home office
- No charging case
| Type | No charging case |
|---|---|
| Battery life | 9 hours |
| Noise cancelling | No |
| Accessories included | Trust me, these are Apples best AirPods |
| Weight | 27.3g |
If you’re looking for the I used them for a few 15 minute stints in an 80-90c sauna and they survived just fine, a pair of bone conductors are worth considering. The open-ear design is ideal for letting race-day atmosphere in, as well as enjoying safer training plods. And the Shokz OpenSwim Pro — which launched in June 2024 — boast another killer feature that makes them a serious contender for soundtracking your runs and of the best wireless headphones.
of the best wireless headphones Shokz OpenRun and OpenRun Pro, with a lightweight neckband design and small pads that sit on your cheekbones to pump out the bone-vibrating sound.
Throw in a 9-hour battery life, 8,000 track music storage, plus an IP68 waterproof rating and it’s a comprehensive package. But are the OpenSwim Pro now the best multi-sport soundtrackers going? I hit the road, pool and gym to find out.
Design and features
If you’re familiar with Shokz, the OpenSwim Pro follows the brand’s classic bone conduction design, with ear hooks and ‘pads’ linked by a thin, flexible, nickel titanium band.
At 27.3g, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro are incredibly light and minimal, with a similar soft silicone coating to the Shokz OpenRun and OpenRun Pro. This makes for a lovely, disappearing feel. In testing, I wore them for 3-hour + length runs without any trouble or discomfort.
There’s 32GB music storage – enough for around 8,000 tracks – and a 10m Bluetooth 5.4 wireless range.
The controls are generally easy to use on the move and in the water, with one big multi-function button. However, the two smaller buttons for volume and switching from Swim to Standard EQ audio modes are just a touch fiddly.
Durability impressed, though. There’s a bit of flex in the neckband that helps the Shokz survive loose in your gym bag – though there is a soft case for some extra protection. Also, while doing some heat training for the Comrades Marathon, best bone conduction headphones for running.
The headphones follow the same blueprint as the run-specific
Transferring MP3 files onto the headphone’s 32GB built-in music storage is relatively straightforward – you just drag and drop files as you would onto a regular drive. But you will need to a) own MP3 music files, b) connect to a computer to do it, and c) need a cable and an adaptor if you’re on Mac.
Unless you’re connected to your laptop, you can’t see what’s actually on the headphones and there’s little control over your music once it’s loaded. There are no tools to manage tracks in the app.
Unless you number your tracks in a folder on your computer before transferring, it dumps all your tracks in one big alphabetical playlist. That makes the 8,000 track storage somewhat unwieldy. Oh, and if you lose the magnetic charging cable, you’re screwed.
Fit
I found the fit of the OpenSwim uncumbersome on the run, in the pool and for general day-to-day use. If you’re a cap wearer, they generally play nice, but they don't work so well with sunglasses.
The fit security is great for most workouts. However, if you’re doing gym drills like box jumps, there’s a bit of bounce and the neckband gets in the way when you’re lying down doing bench drills.
Sound quality
Bone conduction headphones will never win gold medals for sound quality. But for runs and general use out of the water, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro delivers the audio performance you’d expect from bone conductors, which is largely enjoyable to listen to.
There are two EQ modes for Bluetooth playback in the app: one standard and one designed to improve vocals. But compared to regular buds, the sound is thin and lacking in bass.
If you like your music loud, you’ll have to crank it right up to get anywhere near the energy of regular in-ear buds. Unfortunately, pushing the top volume made some of the more bassy tracks distort. I also experienced some of that bone-conductor tickle.
When you hit heavy traffic or louder crowds at races, your tunes don’t quite cut through. If you want your headphones to drown out the outside world, these are not the best bet.
The sound was much fuller underwater where there’s some natural insulation from outside noise.
Battery life
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro claim nine hour’s run time in Bluetooth and six hours in MP3 mode. There’s excellent rapid charge that offers three hours playback for 10 minutes juicing, too.
In my tests, a two-hour swim in MP3 mode burned 40%, while a one hour run in Bluetooth mode burned less than 10%. Shokz touts these as a good phone-free trail/ultra running option. But for most regular runners, the staying power – and lack of charging case – probably restricts them to 50km ultras.
RW Verdict
The addition of Bluetooth to the built-in MP3 player is a welcome update over the original Shokz OpenSwim. The Shokz OpenSwim Pro now offers the best of both worlds, in and out of the water and are easily Shokz’ most capable bone conduction headphones.
You will sacrifice sound quality compared to regular in-ear buds. The Shokz don’t offer that big, banging audio, but you’re buying bone conductors for the awareness rather than isolation. And the versatility of that dual music playback is a big bonus over regular in-ear buds and bone conductors.
The big increase in MP3 storage is welcome, too, but there needs to be better playlist management tools, ideally in the app. I really wish the charging cable was USB-C.
You’ll pay a chunk more for the extra smarts. At £169, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro are pricey. But for what they offer, they represent pretty good value. If your budget doesn’t stretch that far, you might want to look at cheaper alternatives including the Mojawa Run Plus (£159.99) or the Naenka Runner Diver (£58).
