Shokz OpenSwim Pro Bone Conduction Headphones

A pool is a fairly decisive way to discover the limits of wireless headphones. The Shokz OpenSwim Pro addresses that problem by giving music somewhere else to live: inside the headphones. Its defining feature isn’t Bluetooth alone or onboard storage alone, but the ability to use each where it makes sense. Stream on land, play stored files underwater, and keep the same open-ear headphone for both.

That makes this a more interesting choice for a swimmer who also runs, walks or trains outside the pool than for someone simply shopping for everyday audio. The bone-conduction design leaves the ear canals open rather than putting speakers inside them. That’s a distinct alternative to in-ear headphones, though it shouldn’t be mistaken for a guarantee of awareness or safety. The appeal is the format and the two listening modes, not a promise that one headphone can erase every compromise.

Underwater listening is strictly a local-files affair. Bluetooth does not function underwater, so the phone can’t keep feeding your soundtrack from the side of the pool. You need compatible audio loaded onto the OpenSwim Pro beforehand. A streaming subscription is not, by itself, a collection of transferable music files. If your entire listening life consists of tapping a playlist in an app, this is the part of the purchase that deserves more attention than the product photos.

The storage side is reasonably accommodating. There’s 32GB built in, with somewhat less potentially available after system files and data management, and support extends beyond MP3 to FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A, APE and WMA. That gives owners of an existing audio library several routes in without making MP3 conversion an automatic prerequisite. The mildly retro business of choosing files in advance also has a useful consequence: once you’re swimming, the playlist decision is already made. The next track doesn’t require a committee meeting at the wall.

Battery expectations should follow the mode you’ll actually use. Shokz lists up to nine hours over Bluetooth but up to six hours in MP3 mode, so swimmers should plan around the latter. A full charge takes approximately 90 minutes; the listed three hours of listening from a 10-minute quick charge is a useful fallback when the headphones missed their appointment with the charger. Charging uses the included 4-pin magnetic cable, which is worth keeping somewhere memorable.

The OpenSwim Pro earns its place by connecting two genuinely different listening situations. It’s a convincing choice for someone who wants audio during laps and ordinary Bluetooth convenience afterward. It’s a much less convincing purchase for a streaming-only listener unwilling to manage files. Buy it for the pool-to-land versatility, with your playlist logistics settled before you get wet.