Can you swim or shower with earbuds? What the IP codes say
The short answer
Do not swim with ordinary Bluetooth earbuds, not even water-resistant ones. The IPX4 and IPX5 codes on sport earbuds mean resistance to sweat, splashes and water jets, not to being submerged. And even buds that survived under water would get no sound there: the Bluetooth signal stops almost at once in water.
For swimming there are special players with the music stored inside, made for the water. The earbuds in this guide are for everything on dry land, rain and sweat included.
What the codes mean
The IP code has two digits: the first for dust, the second for water; an X means that part was not tested. IPX4 handles splashes from any direction, meaning sweat and light rain. IPX5 handles water jets. IP67 means dust-tight and resistant to immersion down to 1 m for 30 minutes.
The Free7 are IPX5, and the Pod Pro and Pod mini speakers are IP67. TESNA earbuds go up to IP56 at most, so none of them is made to go under water.
In the shower
Earbuds rated IPX4 or IPX5 handle splashes, but a shower means warm water, steam and soap, which get into the driver mesh more easily than rain. Better not to wear them in the shower.
For music in the shower, a speaker is the better choice. The Pod mini, at IP67, can sit in the bathroom next to the shower, and a splash will not harm it. Rinse it with clean water if soap got on it and let it dry before charging.
In the rain and at sport
For running in the rain and gym sweat, IPX4 is enough, and IPX5 gives you extra margin for heavy rain. The issue at sport is not one shower of rain but sweat building up day after day, leaving salt on the contacts and in the mesh.
After a wet workout, wipe the buds with a dry cloth and let them dry before putting them in the case. Our guide to cleaning wireless earbuds goes through it step by step.
If they fell in water
Take them out at once, wipe them and do not put them in the case wet: charging contacts and water do not mix. Hold them mesh down and shake them gently, then let them dry at room temperature for at least a day. Do not use a hair dryer, an oven or a radiator: heat harms the battery and the glue.
Rice helps no more than air. If after drying the sound is weak or crackly, water reached the driver; write to us.
Salt water and chlorine
Sea water and pool water are harsher than rain: salt and chlorine leave deposits that can corrode the contacts. Even an IP67 speaker such as the Pod Pro should be rinsed in fresh water after the beach or the pool.
At the beach, keep the buds in their case and the case in your bag, away from sand. Fine sand gets into the mesh and the case hinge more easily than water.
What you can do instead
If you want music at the pool or the sea without taking it into the water, put a water-resistant speaker on the poolside or on your towel. The Pod mini, at IP67 with a silicone strap, hangs easily from a bag or a beach chair, and a splash will not harm it. The Pod Pro is louder, for a group of friends.
For aqua aerobics or leisure swimming, where you would still like sound in the water, the only safe option is a player made for swimming, with the music inside it. For running on the beach or walking by the water, IPX5 sport earbuds such as the Free7 are fine: they handle splashes and sweat, just do not submerge them.
Every model is in the shop, under Bluetooth speakers and open-ear sport earbuds.