Introducing the Shokz OpenSwim Pro. In the water, working up a sweat, or simply doing your thing, the ease of use is unbeatable. The added capacity to transition from MP3 to Bluetooth and back again with the touch of a button, the OpenSwim Pro easily integrates into all aspects of your life. Bone conduction technology at its best, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro is perfection.
I swim a lot. When not writing for DRN or at my full time other career, I’m also an Austswim Instructor from babies through to young teens. It’s the submerging myself which I love, soothing the soul and providing a calm away from life’s stresses. But if you do a lot of laps like me… let’s be honest, it gets boring.
Which is why I’m delighted to trial Shokz’s new OpenSwim Pro. When you spend as much time in the pool as I do, keeping the motivation levels up can be a tricky process.
Disclaimer: I already own the original OpenSwim and use it weekly. It was a replacement for another brand which was an in-ear variety (rhymes with Pony) and the fiddliest buttons known to man. It once was stuck looping on the flute music from that great Down Under classic *coughs and I threw it out of the pool in frustration! Hence purchasing the original OpenSwim for the simplicity of function, operation and bone conduction technology.
But the OpenSwim Pro is standing there staring at me, so let’s unbox and see how it stacks up against its predecessor and the competition.
Unboxing
In the neat packaging you’ll find:
- OpenSwim Pro Headphone
- 4-Pin Magnetic Charging Cable
- Swimming Earplugs
- Silicone Rubber Carrying Case
- User Instructions
I’m pretty excited to receive the Red headphones (the headset also comes in Blue), as everything else I own is either blue or black. The swimming plugs are a nice blue silicon and fit easily in my ear. They serve a great purpose as they enhance the OpenSwim Pro sounds which are slightly less defined in the water without the earplugs. So yes, you’ll want to use the ear plugs and no, you won’t even know they’re there.
The included silicon carry case fits everything perfectly and has some extra air holes to allow your headphone to dry out post swim. Perfect.
Before You Start
Pairing is easy peasy. Honestly, it took all of 10 seconds. I turned on the OpenSwim Pro, hit the pairing button on the outside left ear hook, and voila. I wish other devices had such seamless bluetooth integration technology. Audio is clear and my ear drums feel safe from excess noise. I have tinnitus so appreciate the ability of the OpenSwim Pro to protect my fragile hearing.
Download the Shokz App
In terms of audio devices, the Shokz app is quick with an easily navigated interface. The app will guide you through pairing with your new OpenSwim Pro and perform any necessary firmware updates. It took all of a minute via Bluetooth and I’m ready to go.
There are various options for customising buttons, adjusting EQ for standard or vocal or Bluetooth mode or MP3 mode. You can also multipoint share. When in MP3 mode you have playback options of normal, shuffle or repeat. But first you need to upload some music or audio books. Further down the review I’ve written about MP3 conversion programs and how you can use these to upload into the internal storage. 🙂
EQ Standard Mode
MP3 Mode
Customisable Controls
EQ or Vocal Mode
IN THE POOL
Come with me as we head down to do some laps… no, that is not me!! I would have loved to take some pool photos but, due to privacy restrictions in a public pool environment, I was unable to do so.
DESIGN
The OpenSwim Pro is designed to provide a streamlined fit without any discomfort. No need to put anything in your sensitive ear canal. The ear hooks sit directly in front of your ears and transmit through bone conduction technology. So whether you’re in the pool, walking, cycling or even rock climbing, you maintain perception and awareness of your surrounds without having to worry for your safety.
COMFORT
Soft, lightweight and very comfortable ear hooks means wearing the OpenSwim Pro is so effortless you will forget it’s there. The band goes around the back of your head and works with long or short hair. The addition of a swimming goggles and cap poses no issues. There’s no tight areas, no pinching and most importantly, no slippage.
Having just cut off my hair, I found the AfterSwim Pro was comfortable regardless of hair length or style. There’s no sense of anything loose around your neck – the ear hooks stay firm but not constrictive and the narrow neck band cannot be felt unless you reach back to touch it. Seriously comfortable and stylish, the OpenSwim Pro has become even more streamlined than its predecessor.
HAT-ABILITY (n. the state of being worn on the person)
What I especially like about the OpenSwim Pro is the fact that, whether I’m in the pool or using it around the house or on a walk, I can still wear a baseball cap or even a full brim hat. There’s no sense of restriction which, to someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in the water, is important. The OpenSwim Pro worked very well for me in both a training and a recreational pool setting. Floating around whilst wearing the OpenSwim Pro is crucial to restoring one’s equilibrium!
And, if you wear a helmet or other sporting headwear, the OpenSwim Pro will seamlessly integrate and provide the audio you’re after and the adaptability you need. Light as a feather, you will forgot you’re wearing it.
OPERATION
The buttons on the OpenSwim Pro number … three. Yes, that’s right, all you need to worry about mid lap or walk is three buttons. These sports-optimised physical buttons are also customisable. There’s nothing fussy and no need to memorise an intricate pattern of commands. Each button feels different so are easily distinguishable without the need to take off and look at the headset. Th
The right hand side bottom on the headset buttons are for volume and customisable for toggling.
The left front of the headset customisable for Bluetooth/MP3 toggling.
POWER UP
The OpenSwim Pro includes their specific power cord with a USB A connector. In the future I envisage this may transition to USB C for compliance with EU regulations, but at the moment, the USB-A it is.
NOISE-FREE CONVERSATIONS
Shokz have ENC and DNS noise reduction technologies in the OpenSwim Pro to enhance audio calls. This means environmental noises and echoes are eliminated and your conversation will be beautifully clear.
One big gripe of mine with any headset is noise reduction. It is very difficult to have a conversation with anyone via headsets in noisy environments. I tested this by calling my daughter who drives a large 4WD and whose calls from said vehicle have the audio quality of trying to talk beside a mining crushing plant. I was very impressed with the OpenSwim Pro’s ability to block out most of the ambient noise and provide me with a clear conversation.
BONE CONDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Shokz have utilised their PremiumPitch TM 2.0+ bone conduction technology to provide a rich and consistent audio experience. The ability to switch modes, make calls and participate in any sport or activity without loss of audio quality or power is a credit to Shokz’ product development team.
BLUETOOTH
Have no fear, Bluetooth is still built in, allowing you to seamless toggle between modes using either your headset or app for no drama listening once you’re out of the pool. Or at the gym, going for a run or simply lazing around contemplating your next Shokz purchase. <- Cheeky plug, I know!
But Bluetooth does not work underwater which is why the built in MP3 player is required. Sorry if that sounds simplistic, but you’d be astounded by the number of people who misinterpret the science.
Quick recap: all Bluetooth devices use 2.4GHz radio frequency which does not work well in water. Why? Because water molecules absorb the signal which means the signal loses strength which results in loss of range and reliability. In short – yeah nah, not going to happen.
WATERPROOFING
With an IP68 waterproof rating, the OpenSwim can stay under for two hours at 2 metres. I don’t know about you, but unless you’re a free diver with a deep pool at your disposal, 2 metres is plenty of depth for the avid swimmer. And let’s face it, if you’re doing laps, it’s hopefully on top of the water. I’m sure you could quite easily use it snorkelling, sailing or even a simple long bath. Honestly, the OpenSwim is highly adaptable to any situation.
MP3
With a nice 32GB of storage, you’d be hard pressed to fill it to capacity. There’s no excuse for unmotivating workouts with the capacity for 8,000 songs, so sort out your playlist and upload those workout tunes. The enhanced compatibility with a variety of music formats improves yet again the diversity of options available to you.
CONVERTING YOUR MUSIC/AUDIO BOOKS
There’s plenty of third party conversion programs out there. I’ve had a lot of success using the Spotify conversion program and various others. The Big Fruit’s music conversion enables specific file conversions too. My recommendation is find what works for you and stick with it. The great news is Shokz have increased the compatibility of music formats, so you’re good to convert/upload and go.
OBSERVATIONS
You can use this well designed headset anywhere and why wouldn’t you; honestly, you’re not going to lose it at the beach or on a run because it is securely looped over your ears, not stuck in your ear. And a bit of sweat, rain or the pool is not going to hurt them, because they’re built of tough stuff!
Bone conduction is awesome but traditionally you don’t even try to use it on a plane. I’ve already attempted this with another same brand bone conduction headset and the plane is just too noisy. But in the case of the OpenSwim Pro and the use of the included earplugs, I think it would cope… swimmingly. Pun intended.
Recommendation
This is an easy one – yes!! I highly recommend the Shokz OpenSwim Pro headset. The OpenSwim Pro is easy to use, easy to upload with great connectivity, and seamlessly switches between Bluetooth and MP3 mode. Retailing for $299, you can find this excellent bone conduction headset at shokz.com.au; JB Hifi and sporting stores. I believe the OpenSwim Pro is the best swimming headset currently on the market.
If you aren’t convinced yet, head on over here and check out what Kevin’s thoughts are on these.
Thank you Shokz for the opportunity to trial and review the OpenSwim Pro – I honestly love it. So much so it gets the DRN Pulse Award. Congratulations Shokz!
Specifications
