Rayofi SwimComm review: Stream music while you swim

Ella Foote tests the Rayofi Swimcomm and Swimcomm Pro waterproof earphones that connect to a radio transmitter and streams music or coaching while swimming

I love the sound of water sloshing around my ears, especially in wild and interesting places, but when it comes to the pool or looping lake courses for long-distance training, I get bored and lazy… maybe only one more loop, when I need to do at least two.

Back in the early 2000s a range of MP3 players were developed with special underwater headphones. I was an early adopter, and listening to music as I swam lengths of my local pool transformed lane swimming. There are now several brands offering audio options for swimming, but almost all of them still only offer an MP3 option, which means you must buy and download music to listen to it. Other audio like books and podcasts stays reserved for landbased activities.

There is good reason for this. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi frequencies don’t travel through water. If you wear standard waterproof Bluetooth earbuds and submerge your head, the audio will instantly cut out. Because of this physics limitation, traditional swimming headphones require local file storage. However, a couple of brands are experimenting with solutions, one of which is Rayofi.

“For years, swimmers wanting to listen to music in the water had to accept one major limitation: no streaming,” says founder and Dutch engineer Johnny Ottema. “Rayofi SwimComm was developed to solve that problem. Instead of relying on Bluetooth underwater, SwimComm uses a small transmitter connected to a smartphone. The transmitter sends audio to a waterproof bone-conduction headset using radio technology that works in the water.”

Johnny is a triathlete who spends countless hours swimming, cycling and running. Outside the pool he listened to Spotify everywhere, until he got into the water. “It felt strange,” he says. “Everything else had moved to streaming, but swimming was still relying on MP3 players.”

As an engineer, he started looking into why, and what began as a personal project eventually became Rayofi SwimComm. The result is something many swimmers have wanted for years: the ability to stream Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts and audiobooks while swimming.

As SwimComm developed, another benefit was discovered: communication. By adding a microphone to the transmitter, coaches can speak directly to swimmers, delivering instant feedback for technique correction, beginner instruction and adaptive support for swimmers with visual impairment.

For me, this kit is incredible. You link your smartphone to the transmitter, pop both in a tow float and off you go. It has been brilliant for coaching, especially in open water, and the sound quality is as good as, if not better than, other MP3 players.

There are two versions, both with bone conduction. The SwimComm has traditional headphones, while the SwimComm Pro sits on your goggle strap, has longer battery life and stores 32MB for use without the transmitter. You can receive audio at distances up to 200m, great for pool swimming or training close to shore.

SWIMCOMM, £110

SWIMCOMM PRO, £160

Pro: Great for coaching and streaming audio over long training sessions

Con: Extra transmitter means extra bit of kit