You may know Michael Phelps, that expert Olympic swimmer who wins gold medals the smoothest way possible.
But do you know what he was doing seconds before he dived in for his Rio Olympic medal?
Listening to music!
So, the question is: how to listen to music while swimming? You will find the complete checklist in this updated guide.
- ๐ฅฝMy Quick Analysis of Best Music Devices To Listen To Music While Swimming
- ๐ฅฝMy Detailed Analysis On How To Listen To Music While Swimming!
- ๐What are the benefits of listening to music while swimming?
- ๐จIs there any risk of listening to songs while swimming?
- ๐กMusic While Swimming Frequently Asked Questions
๐ฅฝMy Quick Analysis of Best Music Devices To Listen To Music While Swimming
Before we dive deep into this brilliant checklist, I will walk you through a quick summary of my analysis here:
| Methods | Convenience | Music Quality | Cost | Precautions |
| Waterproof Music Player | 5/5 | 5/5 | Under 90$ | Check customer reviews to ensure a quality purchase. |
| Bone conduction headphones | 5/5 | 4/5 | Under 130$ | Similar features with different price range, choose which is necessary. |
| Smartphone with waterproof swimming case | 4/5 | 5/5 | Under 40$ | Check your phone fits in the case properly. |
| Apple watch with H20 audio interval | 3/5 | 4/5 | Under 100$ | Try it before buying so as to identify you can swim comfortably with it |
| Waterproof iPod shuffle | 5/5 | 5/5 | — | Consider the storage first, iPod has a primary storage of 2GB. |
Also Read: Best Ways To Hide Earbuds At Workplace [#7 Is My Favorite!]
๐ฅฝMy Detailed Analysis On How To Listen To Music While Swimming!
The devices mentioned below are compatible to use underwater; choose the right one according to your requirement:
๐ฒWaterproof iPod shuffle
Being the smallest iPod ever made by Apple, the waterproof iPod shuffle can be used underwater along with a waterproof microphone. As iPod doesn’t come with an inbuilt microphone, you might want to go for a waterproof microphone to listen to your playlist.
Recommended Reading: What To Do While Listening To Music [NEW Check-List]
The device is really small, easy to carry, fits everywhere, and is very lightweight. It has achieved IPX8 certification, making it compatible with all kinds of water activities.
Whether swimming or diving, a waterproof iPod is one device you can think of.
However, if you have a huge playlist, you might get annoyed since the iPod comes with 2 GB of internal memory only.
As you might have guessed, anything from Apple comes with a hefty price tag.
๐งBone-conduction headphones
Many brands make bone conduction headphones. They have been in the market for a long time, but they have not been a flagship product due to their average audio quality. If you can compromise a little on the quality, you might find it value for money.
The pros of bone conduction headphones include:
Visibility when you wear them and dive into the water. You might be amazed at how fluently bone conduction headphones work when you are in a pool.
Also Read: My #1 Choice Will Immerse You In The Magical World Of Audiobooks!
Another cool feature of these headphones is that, unlike regular headphones that go inside the ears, bone conduction headphones leave your ears open. Because of this, you can wear them for a long time in and out of the pool.
๐My Top 2 Recommendations
Pros
- Amazing Battery Life
- Better audio clarity
- Great microphone.
Cons
- The bass profile could have been better.
Rated as “best bone conduction headphones” by Techradar, you can’t go any wrong getting this for brilliant music swimming.
Pros
- Easy to wear
- Comfortable to use
- Brilliant music
Cons
- Sound echoes sometimes.
Unlike my #1 recommendation, Youthwhisper isn’t heavy on your pocket but still has brilliant features to keep you amazed.
๐Apple Watch with H2O audio interval.
Apple Watch has been a flagship killer in the field of premium smartwatches. It has an excellent ability to monitor and provide valuable feedback in our sports activities. It comes with an IPX8 certificate, making it a smartwatch that can be used both in and out of the water without any hassle.
Pros
- Superb bass profile.
- Powerful Battery Performance.
- Enhances swimming experience.
Cons
- Not for Spotify Users
The best part of this Apple Watch product is that it sounds pretty good even if water gets inside your ears.
Swimmers widely use Apple watches to track their record of swimming. However, the Apple Watch lacks a headphone jack which means you won’t plug in wired headphones.
But don’t worry if you have Bluetooth headphones; the problem is solved! What about underwater? And that’s where the H2O audio interval comes to play its part.
It occupies the watch with Bluetooth headphones. However, you have to wear it around your swimming cap since the Bluetooth connectivity underwater works very closely.
So, if you wear the watch around your head, you will be able to listen to songs underwater.
Also, when you wear it on your head, the most prominent and wanted features of the watch go disabled. The watch monitors heart rate and oxygen saturation which doesn’t work when worn on the head.
I know I’m repeating this, but Tim Cook did it again: Apple Watch is costly!
Also Read: How To Fix Wet Earbuds
๐ซSmartphone with a waterproof swimming case
For every audiophile who loves saving money, smartphones with waterproof swimming cases can come in handy. Forget everything else and use a waterproof swimming case for your phone, but make sure you buy one with an IPX8 rating.
Pros
- Sturdy swimming case.
- Clip Opener Tool which helps after a long time swimming.
- Well-made clips and o-ring.
Cons
- The touchscreen fails to work underwater.
If you don’t mind the camera button not working than 13 feet, then don’t miss this amazing Willbox deal under $40!
Apart from that, you will also need to buy waterproof wired headphones because Bluetooth won’t work underwater. And if necessary, you will have to buy a waistline, Velcro wrist band, goggles, and a cap for an unmatched swimming experience.
Here’s the best part:
You don’t have to worry about the disconnection and signal interruption as you will be using wired headphones. But you have to take something into account before jumping into the water. Youย have to download your songsย before as you can’t listen to Spotify, YouTube, or any other platforms underwater.
This option should be budget-friendly compared to other options.
โฏ๏ธWaterproof Mp3 player
Many waterproof mp3 players are available in the market. It is the most common method of listening to songs underwater.
You only need waterproof headphones to plug in as you won’t use them with regular headphones. Most of them are also certified IPX8, making it completely compatible underwater.
Also Read: How To Listen Music On Airplane
๐What are the benefits of listening to music while swimming?
There are numerous benefits of listening to music while swimming, and that’s why you can see several Olympian swimmers listening to music while they are racing, even the greatest Michael Phelps.
๐ช๐ปAs a part of the training
Like any other sport, swimming requires lots of training to get you to a professional level. During training sessions, many swimming athletes listen to songs for the following reasons:
Music is divine, and music makes our minds stress-free and helps us to relax. Thus, while hard training sessions, good music will clear the clutter from your mind, allowing you to remain positive all day.
Slow-paced songs will help with concentration. If you are a person who gets distracted easily, then you should find some apt songs that help improve your concentration.
Swimmers listen to slow-paced tunes during warm-up sessions as they consider it excellent preparation for their hard training ahead.
Middle and long-distance athletes listen to music as it keeps their focus stable.
Some songs will give you motivation, so if you feel unmotivated for your training, plug in your headphones so that you can give your best. For example, Michael Phelps listened to a song named "Levels" by Avicii.
๐Pre-race routine
Many athletes listen to songs before entering a competitive race. They find it helpful in many ways that some even consider it a ritual.
Some like to relax before their races to reduce anxiety and stress. Before giving their best shot, they believe in listening to slow. Steady songs will hinder the distractions and make them comfortable.
Some listen to fast-paced songs, to get their adrenaline rush out before the ultimate battle.
๐ฎโ๐จMinimizing the effort
Scientists claim that from the studies that they have conducted, they found that swimmers who don’t listen to music give an extra effort to complete the race.
While listening to music, swimmers feel less tired in the races. The reason for that is music subconsciously reduces the effort they put into swim, which will help them a lot in long-distance races.
People with lesser stamina and who swim for long distances should consider these statements to improve their swimming and reach their optimal potential.
๐๐ปBuilding Endurance
As mentioned before, studies claim that swimming while having plugged a headphone and good music in it increases your stamina levels.
A rough estimate of a 15% boost in your stamina will make a significant difference.
Ultimately this will lead to an increase in your endurance levels too.
๐จIs there any risk of listening to songs while swimming?
Every good thing comes with some sacrifices. Likewise, listening to songs while swimming also has some risks.
The things that you should be concerned about while listening to music while swimming is listed below:
When you are swimming on a beach, pool, or anywhere under the guidance of lifeguards, there is a high chance of you missing the sound of their whistles. So if they are whistling to inform us something, we won’t be able to identify it instantly.
You should think about it before entering the water; perhaps you should inform the lifeguard about it so that he can choose any other methods to guide you. Or you should strictly follow his instructions, so there is no necessity of him calling you.
When you are plugged in, you lose contact with the external sounds.
So when someone with you or someone else fails to swim properly or doesn’t know swimming properly drowns, they might need your help. But you will be enjoying pleasant music and you will be in your world.
Thus, there is always a risk of not recognizing people drowning around you. Hence, you should stay more aware while swimming with headphones.
It can happen that you are running a risk as you might miss the signs of any danger and environmental changes. But don’t worry, always have an eye for the weather and listen to music in an apt low sound.
๐กMusic While Swimming Frequently Asked Questions
Can I swim with AirPods?
AirPods are not claimed as waterproof, even by their parent company. But it is water-resistant to some extent, and it can easily handle sweat from work out, and also, a mild rain won’t do any damage.
But using it underwater may not be advisable; it might get damaged as the water pressure increases as we go deep. Also, the Bluetooth connectivity won’t be optimal underwater.
How deep can you swim with music devices?
You can typically swim up to 12 feet without any trouble. It is advisable not to go beyond that.
Does the Internet work underwater? (So you can stream music online)
Unfortunately, WiFi signals won’t be good enough to provide you with internet under the water. You might need an underwater internet cable to stream online music.
Can other swimmers hear your music with bone conduction headphones?
The answer would be no. Water is much denser than air, making the sound waves very difficult to pass through, thus unlike normal cases, we won’t be able to hear other people’s music.
Finally, I will encourage you to read this guardian article to know more about Michael Phelps’s passion for music.
If you have questions about How To Listen To Music While Swimming, don’t be shy to share your feedback in the comments section. I’ll not read them.
I’ll cherish them for a fruitful discussion ๐