Water resistance should always be one of your primary goals when shopping for wireless earbuds, or outdoor headphones of any kind, for that matter. Few things are going to ruin your day faster than $200, $300, or even $400 buds being ruined by a rainstorm or spilled drink. And if you’re serious about fitness, water resistance also equals sweat resistance, at least to a degree.
Apple’s AirPods are extremely popular for workouts and general listening, but which models are genuinely water-resistant? And how far does that protection go in the real world?
Which AirPods are water-resistant?
From some defense to no protection at all
Pocket-lint
The best-protected AirPods at the moment are the second-generation AirPods Pro. The earbuds have an IP54 rating, which means they should be safe against dust and light splashing. It’s worth emphasizing the “light” part, however — while they can survive things like sweat and light rain, harder rain or shower jets could pose a threat. They’re also not meant to be submerged at all, so if they accidentally fall into a bathtub or toilet, you’ll want to rescue them immediately and break out the silica packets or dry rice.
The first-gen AirPods Pro and the third-gen basic AirPods share an IPX4 rating. That gives them water resistance similar to the second-gen Pro, simply without a dust seal. Don’t go riding dune buggies in Nevada with them, in other words.
I suggest finding safer headphones for lifting and running.
First- and second-gen AirPods lack any kind of water resistance rating, as do the AirPods Max. They won’t be immediately destroyed by liquids, but you can’t count on them being protected, either. For that reason, I suggest limiting your use of them to dry environments, and perhaps finding safer headphones for lifting and running. Ignore the Max’s popularity at gyms if you want to dodge a costly mistake.
Are AirPods waterproof?
Waterproof is not synonymous with water-resistant
No, they’re not. Truly waterproof headphones can be submerged in fresh water for long periods of time. You can’t go swimming with AirPods or shower with them. If you drop them in a pool or the ocean, they may stop working before you have the time to fish them out, since chlorine and saltwater are corrosive.
Serious athletes should stick to earbuds with better IP ratings.
What resistance AirPods do have is temporary anyway, as any repeated liquid exposure will slowly wear down their seals. If you tend to sweat a lot during workouts, those seals will break down even faster, possibly in as little as a year. Serious athletes should stick to earbuds with better IP ratings, such as the Jabra Elite 8 Active. Its IP68 classification means it can withstand depths up to 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) for 30 minutes.
Will Apple eventually deliver rugged headphones? Probably. Jabra is hardly alone in offering tougher AirPods alternatives, so competitive pressure may force the company’s hand.
FAQ
Q: Why aren’t AirPods fully waterproof?
It’s probably inherent to the design of most headphones, which need some way of delivering sound into your ear canal, not to mention microphones to pick up your voice and/or trigger noise cancelation. There are swimming-ready headphones — but these typically rely on bone conduction, which doesn’t isolate ambient noise.
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