In our series of headphones and ear buds for runners, I recently reviewed H2O Audio’s Ript Lite, which are great running in-ear headphones for a great price. However, despite their name, they are not fully waterproof and are limited to running, hiking, or active lifestyle use. 

The H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multisport ($150), designed for both running and swimming, can be fully submerged in water, and that’s a bit of a game changer for me as I find swimming very boring. But with music, that would undoubtedly change. I don’t do triathlons myself, but I’m guessing these are also a game changer for those who prefer to work out with tunes as they swim, bike, and run their way through their training cycle. 

The H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multisport are open-ear bone-conduction headphones, meaning they wrap around the back of the head and sit just outside of the ears and transmit sound waves through the bones in the head, specifically the cheekbones and jaw. Typically, bone-conduction headphones allow for a good balance between hearing your music with clarity and ambient sounds like traffic or your running partners talking alongside you.

Over the past few weeks, I have worn the Tri 2 Pro primarily for running. As with every test I do, I logged at least 50 miles with them before giving them a review. I also try to wear them in all weather conditions; so, in this case sunny, windy, sprinkling and, yes, driving rain, as well as for all types of workouts including long runs, track work and recovery runs. 

Here’s my breakdown of the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pros, the ninth pair in our series of best headphones for runners or anyone with an active lifestyle.

Overall Quality

The Tri 2 Pro headphones arrive in a very nice, compact nylon case, which I appreciate as it’s key to have both the headphones and all of the extra pieces and parts in one place when you’re on the go. In addition to the headset, they come with a USB cable for charging, a set of solid ear plugs (which are recommended to help reduce the ambient noise when you’re swimming), and a small leash that you can attach to a pair of goggles or sunglasses to avoid losing them when you’re moving. 

Once charged (1-2 hours before first use), they are easy to turn on and begin to use. The headphones can be used in either Bluetooth or Memory mode – the former for swimming and the latter for all other uses. The Bluetooth mode does not work in water so you have to download audio into the memory in order to play music while you’re swimming. It’s not a big deal, but it is one small extra step that should be noted when considering them. 

You can add up to about 8 GB of music (that’s a lot!) to the Memory playlist through a simple USB connection to your computer. The company sent my headphones fully loaded with music that I like (they asked me), which obviously is awesome as it took that extra step out for me. The frames themselves are light and comfortable but also feel sturdy and very well made. Fully charged, the battery lasts for nine hours in Bluetooth mode and six hours in Memory mode. All in all, they appear to be a very high-quality product.

Sound Quality

The sound on these is good. They are not as loud as in ear headphones for obvious reasons but at full volume they work just fine for me. As I’ve said in past reviews, I’m not a big sound person, meaning how the music comes through is not that important to me. If I can turn them on and hear the songs while I’m working at a high intensity level, I’m pretty much good to go. The sound on these doesn’t wow me, but it doesn’t have to for me to like the product. They claim to have the “best sounding bone conduction” compared to similar products as well as amplified bass. 

Connection

Once I had them charged, I connected them to Bluetooth without any issues. When running with them, the connection was crystal clear no matter what pace I was cruising at. I was also able to hear them down in my basement even though my phone was up in my room which I thought was pretty impressive. But here’s the minor issue I have with these. There is a small, round button in the middle of the control panel, which is also very small, that enables you to toggle between Memory mode and Bluetooth mode. As I previously mentioned, in order to swim with them, you have to be in Memory mode. 

To switch between modes you just need to double click the small button in the middle. One click pauses the music and I found that, despite my trying to carefully and intentionally double click, more often than not it was just one click and the music would stop. I don’t know if it’s because my fingers are too big or my reflexes are not fast enough, but successfully double-clicking to change modes was oddly difficult for me, which I found pretty frustrating. This could definitely be a “me” thing, but I do feel it’s worth mentioning. 

Fit

I have a very small head and these work just fine. They fit comfortably around the back of my head with a little bit of room but not too much. The discs that sit on the outside of my ears are nice and smooth and even on long runs they are not too noticeable. In the beginning of a run, the wire in the back that connects the headphones does bounce around a little bit but that subsides as you start rolling and you likely won’t notice it after a few minutes. 

Price

These headphones run for $150. For all that they do, particularly the fact that you can wear them underwater, I feel this is a very fair price. To date, I haven’t found a pair of headphones that work well for both swimming and running, so these are high on my list. They definitely provide a lot of bang for your buck. The buttons are the main negative for me, hence the slightly lower grade. That and the fact that I prefer my headphones to rest inside my ears, rather than the bone-conduction style that sits outside of them.

OVERALL GRADE: B+