Listening to music while in the water requires waterproof headphones made for swimming. And while most earbuds are made to handle some moisture — like protecting against a sweaty workout — they are not made to handle extended periods of time in or underwater.

A few things often set waterproof headphones apart from the rest. For one, they’ll have an IPX8 rating, so you can use them in the water as much as you want. Also, they usually (though not always) use bone-conduction technology and include a headband or use wired connectivity if they follow a more traditional earbud design. That way, you won’t end up losing one of your wireless earbuds at the bottom of a pool or worse.

Since waterproof headphones are such a niche in the audio market, we’ve gathered the best ones for swimming to help you find the right ones for you. You’ll find some budget as well as expensive models, not to mention models with different forms of connectivity to get around the fact that Bluetooth doesn’t work well in water.

What to look for in waterproof headphones

There are different considerations regarding headphones and earbuds for swimming, but ensuring that whatever you use is waterproof is top priority. Whatever you pick should have an IP rating of 8 (you’ll often see it written as IPX8 with the X sometimes listed as another number to represent dust resistance). Anything less, like most earbuds, and you’re dealing with something that might be water-resistant, meaning they can handle some sweat or even being submerged momentarily but will stop working when underwater for an extended amount of time.

You should also think about how you want to get your music, as Bluetooth connectivity can be spotty underwater. Many of the options on this list come with built-in MP3 players, use an FM transmitter, or have a cable meant to plug into a portable MP3 player. If you want to keep streaming so you don’t have to go through the trouble of uploading music to the headphones like it’s 2008, consider a pair with an FM transmitter.

Also, consider if you want to go the bone-conduction route. Headphones with bone-conduction sensors don’t sound as good as typical earbuds and are often more expensive. However, they’re less intrusive because nothing goes in your ears (you’ll often get earplugs to be used in conjunction with them if you want to), so you can hear your surroundings the same as if you weren’t wearing any headphones.

Our shortlist of great waterproof headphones and earbuds

The H2O Audio Tri Multi-Sport with Playlist+ top our list mainly because of that unique Playlist+ tech and multi-functional utility. The Zygos Solo are very expensive, but they are our premium pick for quality and the fact they have an FM transmitter, so you don’t have to abandon Spotify every time you go for a swim (something only matched by that previously mentioned Playlist+ tech). However, if you’re on a budget and have an MP3 player, we recommend our budget pick, the H2O Audio Surge SX10.