Are apple earbuds waterproof or water-resistant? (Explained In Detail)

Just like any other Apple product, their earbuds are also quite expensive. So, as a user of Apple AirPods, it's natural to worry about their protection against water. You may wonder, are apple earbuds waterproof? Or water-resistant.

Whether they are waterproof or water-resistant can have a lot of impact on buying them or avoiding them.

Imagine this, you are out walking on the road, and suddenly it starts raining. Then it just ends up damaging your expensive AirPods; you wouldn't like it, would you?

So, let's get through the whole thing and see how AirPods withstand water damages.

Waterproof vs. Water-resistant 

First, let's take a quick look at the differences between waterproof and water-resistance, as both these terms can be a bit confusing.

When you say waterproof, the device is immune to water damages. No form or level of water can damage the item when it's waterproof.

Water-resistance means that it is immune to water damages to a certain extent. But they are still susceptible to water damages in a lot of cases. There are different ratings based on the level of protection the water resistance provides.

Now that this is out of the way let's get started with the real thing.

Related: Waterproof Rating Meanings; IPX7 vs IP67, Ipx8 vs Ip68

Is AirPods waterproof or water-resistant?

Starting with waterproofing, there is hardly any headphone or earbud you will find. AirPods are no different either. They are not waterproof, so they can still receive some water damage when it surpasses a certain level.

Even though there are no water resistance claims on the AirPods, they have some level of water resistance. There are no official water resistance ratings on them, so there is no way how far you can take them in terms of water damages.

Having said that, if you are worried about water splashes or a little bit of rain here and there, then it should work out just fine. Some AirPods have gone through a trip in the washer as well.

However, since there is no official waterproof rating on the AirPods, it's better that you avoid any water damages. You have to make sure you are not going out on a rainy day. Here are some things you should avoid to protect your AirPods from water damage.

• It would help if you never took your AirPods while you were swimming.
• Make sure not to shower while having AirPods on.
• Avoid taking your AirPods out when it's raining heavily.
• Also, never take your AirPods to a steam room or a sauna.

What about the AirPods pro?

Unlike the AirPods, AirPods pro does have a water resistance rating of IPX4. This means it comes with sweat and water resistance for better water protection. An IPX4 rating means that your AirPods can withstand heavy splashes of water without any trouble.

But, it's not a permanent, water-resistant solution. AirPods Pro only comes with a water-resistant coating. Over time, the water-resistant coating comes off, so they are not permanently water-resistant.

Also, you have to always keep in mind that, even though the AirPods may be water-resistant, the charging case isn't waterproof.

What can you do when the AirPods get wet?

Let's get real; it's pretty difficult to avoid water damages on these devices. You can't predict a heavy rainfall out of anywhere. So, what do you do when the AirPods get wet? That's what I will go through now.

Related: How To Get Water Out of Earbuds

There are several things you can try out for fixing the AirPods. These things may not work all the time, but they are worth trying.

Here are the things you can do when your AirPods are wet.

• First of all, never put back your AirPods in the charging case right away after they get wet. That may even damage the charging case.
• Next, you can use a lint-free cloth to wipe the earbuds. Make sure the fabric is completely dry. Using a microfiber cloth works the best in this scenario.
• After wiping them, you have to dry them out in the open air. You have to keep them like that for about two hours. Also, make sure not to attempt to use your earbuds right away.
• The best option would be to leave the earbuds like this overnight.
• After this, you can try using the earbuds, and they should work typically.

Like I said earlier, this may or may not work out all the time. Significantly, if the AirPods get damaged too much and go through a lot of water pressure, you may not be able to fix them.

Now, something that you should never do is use a rice box for this case. As earbuds are smaller, they can easily get damaged when you use them in a rice box.

You can do as a preventive measure to get a waterproof charging case for your AirPods. You can find several options that are compatible with AirPods and work pretty similar to the stock case.

Alternatives to AirPods with better water resistance 

Well, if you are not too attached to that brand loyalty and adamant about using AirPods, there are several alternatives you can try out.

The ones I am going through here all come with water resistance that is comparatively better than the ones you get on AirPods Pro. As for the quality, they might not be as good as AirPods, but they cut it pretty close.

Let's take a quick look at each of them.

• Jabra Elite Active 75t

This earbud comes with an IP57 rating on water resistance. This means that the earbuds can survive under 3 feet of water for 30 minutes without any issue. I guess that says a lot about how good these earbuds are for water protection. They are also quite remarkable with dust resistance on them.

Other than that, you get great value out of this earbud because of its excellent features—the battery life, sound quality, noise cancellation features, and so forth. However, the price of this one is a bit more than the standard AirPods. This can be an issue for some.

• Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

When it comes to competition with Apple, Samsung is always up there. This one is no different either. For the protection against water, it offers you an IPX7 rating, which is one of the highest water-resistance ratings you can get. It's pretty similar to the other earbud I discussed above.

Aside from that factor, there are so many features you can find on this earbud. Since it comes from Samsung, you can always rely on the quality you get out of this earbud. So, this can be a great alternative to the AirPods.

• Beats Studio Buds

This one has a similar water resistance rating as the AirPods pro. However, this one doesn't only use a coating, so it's more of a permanent thing for this earbud. Also, several other features make it worth checking out.

This can be a great pick if your AirPods are already damaged because these are pretty affordable. They come with active noise cancellation in a budget package. The only issue with this one is the lack of a wireless charging feature.

• Sennheiser CX True Wireless

Here is another cheaper alternative to AirPods with a similar IPX4 rating as the AirPods pro. You get the same water and sweat resistance from this earbud. Where you may find this one better is the price of the earbud.

It's comparatively a lot cheaper than Airpods or Airpods Pro. Also, they come from Sennheiser, so you can somewhat rely on the sound quality.

There are some issues with this one, especially if you compare it to AirPods. So, whether it works out for you or not will come down to how much these factors matter for you.

Well, not all of these earbuds will provide you the same quality as you get on AirPods. But as far as water resistance or waterproofing goes, they are competitive, and some are even far better than the AirPods.

So, if you just need a waterproof or water-resistant earbud for your usage, you can check these out.

Is AirPods still worth it?

The quality, performance, and features you get from these AirPods are indeed worth it. Yes, they are expensive, but all Apple products are. At this point, you are paying that extra money for the reliability and the brand value you get.

So, considering all that, AirPods are still worth it. But if you are related to anything that involves a lot of water around you, then I would say you should at least have a backup earbud.

Wrap up 

All in all, I hope you got your answer to are apple earbuds waterproof or water-resistant. They are nowhere near waterproof; you only get that officially on the AirPods pro as for water resistance. So, if you have water damage on the AirPods, you won't get any support from Apple at all.