Most wireless headphones have one major weakness in a swimming pool: Bluetooth doesn’t reliably work underwater. H2O Audio’s TRI ULTRA Multi-Sport gets around that problem by putting 8 GB of music storage inside the headphones themselves. Swimmers can leave their phones on dry land and listen while doing laps — and H2O claims the headset can last between 17 and 24 hours per charge, depending on playback mode and volume.
At $199.99, the TRI ULTRA is not an inexpensive pair of workout headphones. But it combines an onboard music player, Bluetooth 5.3 for use out of the water, and an IPX8 waterproof rating in one open-ear bone-conduction design. The manufacturer rates it for submersion down to 12 feet (3.6 meters). Those are manufacturer specifications, not results from our own testing.
Why These Headphones Work When Bluetooth Doesn’t
Water severely weakens the 2.4 GHz radio signal Bluetooth relies on. H2O specifically says Bluetooth playback does not work underwater and instructs swimmers to switch to the headset’s built-in MP3 mode instead. That means transferring compatible audio files to its 8 GB storage before a swim rather than streaming straight from Spotify or Apple Music in the pool.
H2O says the memory can accommodate about 2,000 songs, depending on file sizes. The standard TRI ULTRA does not include Playlist+, the company’s feature for saving streaming audio for offline use. That feature is reserved for the more expensive TRI ULTRA PRO, listed at $249.99.
The Big Upgrade Is Battery Life
The older TRI 2 Multi-Sport is rated for 6 to 9 hours, while the TRI ULTRA is advertised at 17 to 24 hours — a substantial increase on paper. There is a catch: H2O’s own product page contradicts itself. One section says up to 17 hours in Bluetooth mode and 24 hours using onboard memory; another reverses those figures. The safe takeaway is the claimed 17–24-hour range, not a guarantee of 24 hours of music during swimming. Independent battery testing would be needed to confirm it.
H2O also added four physical control buttons, compared with three on the TRI 2, and includes swim earplugs. The wraparound neckband is designed to stay put during exercise, though fit and sound quality are personal considerations that we haven’t tested.
What to Know Before Buying
The trade-off is convenience. On land, the TRI ULTRA works as Bluetooth headphones. In the water, you’ll need to manage audio files and switch to onboard playback. Bone conduction also leaves the ear canals open, a design that may appeal to swimmers who prefer not to wear conventional in-ear headphones.
The white model’s official product page currently shows a sold-out notice, so check color and inventory before ordering. The $199.99 price and all performance figures above come from H2O Audio; we have not conducted a hands-on review.
Sources: H2O Audio TRI ULTRA Multi-Sport product details; TRI model comparison; TRI ULTRA family overview.