The Zwifty socials were all abuzz last week when Mathieu van der Poel donned Zwift-branded headphones for his TdF TT warmup. Turns out, these headphones are a collab with H2O Audio, headquartered in San Diego, California just a bit south of Zwift’s Long Beach headquarters.
Mathieu’s headphones basically match the in-game headphones which were originally available via the Big Spin 2024 prize spinner:
Unlock In-Game Headphones
The in-game headphones are available through some time in August as a reward for completing one of the Tour Fever or Watch the Femmes Workout of the Week events. You’ll also receive a 20% discount code when you complete the workout!
Wireless, Bluetooth, with active noise cancellation and a built-in microphone for seamless calls (and Discord!)
100% sweatproof design with removable and washable silicone ear cushions (Patent Pending)
Powered by custom-developed 45mm drivers that deliver rich sound and deep bass
50h battery life
To be clear: this isn’t Zwift getting into a new line of hardware. These are simply a Zwift-branded version of H20 Audio’s flagship “RIPT Ultra” headphones.
The most popular response to over-the-ear (OTE) headphones + Zwift seems to be “it will be too sweaty.” (It reminds me of the concerns people have with Zwift and virtual reality glasses. The concepts have merit – virtual reality, high-quality audio – but there are potential sweaty downsides…)
Riders are concerned about possibly damaging their expensive headphones or experiencing discomfort caused by sweat accumulating around the ears. Both valid concerns, which I share as well.
H2O Audio claims this a 100% sweatproof design, and I’ve got a set arriving today to test. I’ll be wearing them in some very sweaty Zwift heat training sessions in the coming days… for science! Watch this space for a full review.
Questions or Comments?
These headphones are eliciting some very polarized opinions. Most Zwifters seem to be saying either, “Take my money!” or “Way too sweaty!”
What about you? Thoughts on this product? Share below…
Eric runs Zwift Insider in the spare time he finds between riding his bike and managing various business interests. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife Monica. Follow on Strava
Noise cancellation to drown out the noise of the fans and drivetrain is compelling, but I’m skeptical that they’ll be very comfortable on long, sweaty indoor rides. I could have my arm twisted into giving them a try with that discount code, though.
Andrew
1 year ago
Just to add my 2c on Over-Ears; I was, up until very recently, using Treblab Z2 over ears since I purchased them at the end of 2022. They have a IPX4 rating, but still had faux leather cups and a leather and foam headrest.
They worked flawlessly for me until the leather began to fall apart about 1 month ago, using daily, in what some people might consider “extreme heat.” (see below)
Are they warmer than earbuds?
Yes… but not as much as one might think.
Sound cancelling headphones vs earbuds?
For me, noise cancelling is a requirement. Over-ears are able to handle wind noises better than earbuds I presume just down to how wind is going over your ears / the device.
Sweat?
If anyone cared to look at my Intervals page, they would quickly see I am in 78-92F (26-32C… that’s 26/78 in winter mind you) indoor temps every day, and while I had to pull the ear cups out and wash them every so often, not only did I not have issues with smell (if you suffer with smelly things like HRMs, get some Lysol Disinfectant spray!), I also never had issues with sweat pooling (use a sweatband anyway! a thick one!)
Since I swapped to earbuds just to try them out (cheaper, back when I got the Treblabs in 2022 they were literally half the price they are now ($45 vs $90).
I personally have more annoyances with my earbuds due to sweat going into my actual ear via the earbuds and seal, than I ever had with over-ears.
Between sweat going directly into ear canal and being able to better hear what others are saying while on Discord/Zoom, I am sticking to my guns on over-ears. They aren’t as bad as some people might fear.
Warmer, but not hot. Less noise from fans with ANC, and no sweat seeping into my brain…
My additional 2c for everyone regardless of what you use:
Get yourself a set of magnetic USB connectors. It makes charging a breeze, no matter what USB connection you have, C, micro… magnetic coupling chargers are the best thing for earbuds and headphones alike, and I cannot recommend them enough.
+1 for the Treblab Z2s. I’ve got 4 pairs in rotation now so they can properly dry out and they’ll all last longer. I ride a *ton* and it’s mostly races. The treblabs don’t last forever but they do last for hundreds and hundreds of zwift sweaty hours before they die, and they’re like $80
Tony
1 year ago
Shokz are surely the best design of headphones for Zwift sessions. Neither in your ears, nor over them, do not fall out during sprints or vigorous towel wiping, and sound great.
I think Shokz are great for some people, but they aren’t the solution for everyone. Two issues I have with them:
1) the sound quality is worse than good in-ears or headphones
2) no noise canceling, which I like to have, especially when my fan is going full blast and I also want to drown out the sound of my own heavy breathing! 😀
They do have noise cancelling or at least some versions which for discord usually works pretty well i find. But that could be discord doing some of the active noise cancellation
I think you’re referring to what Discord calls “noise suppression”, which is just for your microphone, to take background noise out of it. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is when the device actually “listens” to the noises around you, and plays sound waves through the speakers that cancel out those sounds.
Two very different (yet both very useful) technologies.
True – i use Shokz for running, Zwifting, listening to podcasts whilst walking the dog or for long Zoom calls on the laptop. Sound quality is perfectly good for those scenarios, when audiophile quality is not what I’m after. For properly listening to music or for flights, my over-ear noise cancelling cans are certainly preferred.
horses for courses – i like to hear the sound of my drive train, gear changes, my breathing etc. Makes it feel more like i am actually cycling!
For me it’s not so much about making it more realistic, but I like to hear when I need to adjust my derailleur as there’s a bit of chain noise or if it’s time to re-wax the chain. Earbuds let me hear just enough to do that.
I can’t stand hear wax gunk covered in-the-ear headphones. Plus they tend to fall out.
I prefer full fidelity over the ear headphones, but not when the sweat would damage the them. Noise cancelling is great for work purposes with such headphones.
My requirement is to not wake people up when they are sleeping, so the Shokz work well enough. Shokz works even better outside for running when you want to hear traffic noise for safety purposes.
Taylor
1 year ago
When I use to zwift, I would not wear over the ear headphones.Who likes wet ear muffs?
Jak
1 year ago
Very exciting! I would appreciate an update to how they hold up on 2hr+ rides. I’ll be keeping an eye out 😊
Vic Mackey
1 year ago
Have they got anything that cancels the noise of your legs and lungs screaming at you to stop? … I’d by those….not orange earmuffs
sergio
1 year ago
OK, a partial review as I received mine yesterday and did a 2 hour Zwift ride this morning.
Sound quality, for those who care, is a 7/10. I am, unfortunately for my saving account, an audiophile but I do try to not compare them to $2000 Focal headphones and for the price am actually pleased with their audio. If youre looking for deep bass these are adaquate, but their sound signature is more neutral which is smart. Vocals are a 7/10, high frequencies 8/10 and overall better than I expected for non-audiophile cans.
Comfort wise, which was big for me, is suprisingly not as bad as I thought, a solid 8/10. I feared over the ear cans would bother the top of my head after a while but after the first 45 min or so, I didnt even think about it any longer. Are they as comfortable as in ear phones or bone conducting phones?, no of course not. But their sound signature makes up for it as their ability to keep sweat out. I am a heavy sweater and no sweat accumalated inside the pads. The pads are silicone with ridges built in that prevent sweat from getting in. They also come with a set of leather ear pads which you can interchange for regular use. I also called my wife using them before Zwifting and asked her how she heard me and she just assumed I was on the regular phone and not BT headphones. She noted it actually sounded as if I was in a closet which I guess is good as far as sound quality for outgoing calls via cell. I was able to speak at a regular voice and not yell. The only thing I didnt try was speaking with my three fans blowing which I dont believe would make a diff, but would have been nice to verify.
Noise cancellation was actually quite good which is to be expected for over the ear headphones. Comparable with my Sony noice cancelling headphones but not quite a good as Bose headphones but in all fairness, Bose are in my opinion the best as noise cancellation technology.
The only negatives I can find are one, most of us sweat buckets while Zwifting and just the feeling of enclosed, over the head headphones cause discomfort, even if its in our minds. The pros are sound quality compared to in-ear phones, what appears to be great BT audio if you use Discord, interchangeable ear pads, sweat-proof construction, and for some of us most importantly, they really do look good and stand out with their Zwift colors.
Are they worth $250? I would say yes based on the fact they are sweat proof and Zwift “branded”.
Thanks for taking the time to post this! My findings thus far after a couple of rides line up with yours, although I don’t have sweet $2000 Focal headphones to set the 10/10 standard!
I’ve used a couple of pairs of whatever knock-off brand $20 earbuds I’ve found on Amazon – the kind with the hook on the ears and the wire between them. They’ve gotten me to level 100 over several years of zwifting. The sweat hasn’t killed them, but I did have a battery fade out on one. The sound is good for audiobooks, music, TV, and occasional calls – “I’m zwifting now, I’ll call you back!”
Todd Tannenbaum
1 year ago
@Eric Schlange When you do your tests, please test microphone Discord sound quality when your fan is blowing on you full hurricane speed :). I have yet to find headphone mics that can work decently with my Lasko floor fan moving air on high speed at my head/torso. Thanks!!!
I will, but I don’t hold out much hope. Even a very well made microphone won’t do a great job when it is pointed straight at a strong fan. All it will do is pick up the sound of the fan in very fine detail!
Todd, no microphone will do a great job with that – the fan noise is just so overpowering,
The best you can do is to have good dynamic microphone with strong cardioid picking pattern and a good quality real time noise reduction software that won’t distort your voice too much (I use Extract:Dialogue when streaming and it works great).
But unfortunately, no headphone microphone is going to do a good job.
Andy
1 year ago
They have piqued my interest. But after reading those articles about sweat/water repellent sports- and outdoor wear with treatments containing PFOA/PFAS, I’ve become quite conscious about wearing “sweatproof” clothing or apparel on sweaty skin (aka my ears in this case). So I would want to know the exact materials and any special treatments these silicone ear cushions have.
Last edited 1 year ago by Andy
Henri
1 year ago
These ship from the US right? So EU buyers can expect significant import duties I assume?
I had some delivered to the UK yesterday. £180 with the discount code and nothing extra to pay when they arrived 👍🏻 They were shipped from San Diego via FedEx.
I was wrong, I have just been texted a link to a customs bill of £47.53! 🙄
Max Schemansky
1 year ago
Not sure my aviator can handle the additional grams, I might be better off sticking with my ear pods
Alex Dale
1 year ago
I tried these for the first time today. Early impressions are quite good. I think the sound is pretty solid – they are not audiophile quality but the house music I played had a good range of midtones and bass. The noise cancelling is very good and removes the noise of the Zwift bike chain and fan completely.
One thing I did notice – and am slightly wary about – is that when you wear with glasses the headphone seals don’t close and I found after a quick 30m spin I had quite a lot of sweat pooling in the cups. I think over a longer rides I will have to take the phones off and drain them out a few times for fear of sweat getting into the speakers. Will have to see how that goes longer term and how durable they actually are for this type of use.
john
1 year ago
i bought a pair (thanks for the discount code) i was using apple air pods and Shozk open fit 2 before and after just using the H2O Zwift headphones are much better for me, no issues on 1hr or 2 hr rides i cant fault these the fact they tell you to ride on when you power them up is nice.
I been using my son’s old gaming over the ear headphones for a year now and never had a problem and I race WRTL and ZRL. I will just make some Z stickers and save myself $200! Love them thou and looked great on MVDP
Karol
8 months ago
I’ve noticed that the Zwift H2O headphones are no longer available on your website.
Could you please let me know why they’re not listed as available anymore?
Have they been discontinued, or are they just temporarily out of stock and coming back soon?
I actaully own a set and my god these smashed it out of the oark for me im really happy with them. Cant wait to try them on the bike with the head wind going at me full pelt with a fan up the rear same deal.
Noise cancellation to drown out the noise of the fans and drivetrain is compelling, but I’m skeptical that they’ll be very comfortable on long, sweaty indoor rides. I could have my arm twisted into giving them a try with that discount code, though.
Just to add my 2c on Over-Ears; I was, up until very recently, using Treblab Z2 over ears since I purchased them at the end of 2022. They have a IPX4 rating, but still had faux leather cups and a leather and foam headrest.
They worked flawlessly for me until the leather began to fall apart about 1 month ago, using daily, in what some people might consider “extreme heat.” (see below)
Are they warmer than earbuds?
Yes… but not as much as one might think.
Sound cancelling headphones vs earbuds?
For me, noise cancelling is a requirement. Over-ears are able to handle wind noises better than earbuds I presume just down to how wind is going over your ears / the device.
Sweat?
If anyone cared to look at my Intervals page, they would quickly see I am in 78-92F (26-32C… that’s 26/78 in winter mind you) indoor temps every day, and while I had to pull the ear cups out and wash them every so often, not only did I not have issues with smell (if you suffer with smelly things like HRMs, get some Lysol Disinfectant spray!), I also never had issues with sweat pooling (use a sweatband anyway! a thick one!)
Since I swapped to earbuds just to try them out (cheaper, back when I got the Treblabs in 2022 they were literally half the price they are now ($45 vs $90).
I personally have more annoyances with my earbuds due to sweat going into my actual ear via the earbuds and seal, than I ever had with over-ears.
Between sweat going directly into ear canal and being able to better hear what others are saying while on Discord/Zoom, I am sticking to my guns on over-ears. They aren’t as bad as some people might fear.
Warmer, but not hot. Less noise from fans with ANC, and no sweat seeping into my brain…
My additional 2c for everyone regardless of what you use:
Get yourself a set of magnetic USB connectors. It makes charging a breeze, no matter what USB connection you have, C, micro… magnetic coupling chargers are the best thing for earbuds and headphones alike, and I cannot recommend them enough.
+1 for the Treblab Z2s. I’ve got 4 pairs in rotation now so they can properly dry out and they’ll all last longer. I ride a *ton* and it’s mostly races. The treblabs don’t last forever but they do last for hundreds and hundreds of zwift sweaty hours before they die, and they’re like $80
Shokz are surely the best design of headphones for Zwift sessions. Neither in your ears, nor over them, do not fall out during sprints or vigorous towel wiping, and sound great.
I think Shokz are great for some people, but they aren’t the solution for everyone. Two issues I have with them:
1) the sound quality is worse than good in-ears or headphones
2) no noise canceling, which I like to have, especially when my fan is going full blast and I also want to drown out the sound of my own heavy breathing! 😀
I think you’re referring to what Discord calls “noise suppression”, which is just for your microphone, to take background noise out of it. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is when the device actually “listens” to the noises around you, and plays sound waves through the speakers that cancel out those sounds.
Two very different (yet both very useful) technologies.
For me it’s not so much about making it more realistic, but I like to hear when I need to adjust my derailleur as there’s a bit of chain noise or if it’s time to re-wax the chain. Earbuds let me hear just enough to do that.
Everything with headphones is a compromise.
I can’t stand hear wax gunk covered in-the-ear headphones. Plus they tend to fall out.
I prefer full fidelity over the ear headphones, but not when the sweat would damage the them. Noise cancelling is great for work purposes with such headphones.
My requirement is to not wake people up when they are sleeping, so the Shokz work well enough. Shokz works even better outside for running when you want to hear traffic noise for safety purposes.
When I use to zwift, I would not wear over the ear headphones.Who likes wet ear muffs?
Very exciting! I would appreciate an update to how they hold up on 2hr+ rides. I’ll be keeping an eye out 😊
Have they got anything that cancels the noise of your legs and lungs screaming at you to stop? … I’d by those….not orange earmuffs
OK, a partial review as I received mine yesterday and did a 2 hour Zwift ride this morning.
Sound quality, for those who care, is a 7/10. I am, unfortunately for my saving account, an audiophile but I do try to not compare them to $2000 Focal headphones and for the price am actually pleased with their audio. If youre looking for deep bass these are adaquate, but their sound signature is more neutral which is smart. Vocals are a 7/10, high frequencies 8/10 and overall better than I expected for non-audiophile cans.
Comfort wise, which was big for me, is suprisingly not as bad as I thought, a solid 8/10. I feared over the ear cans would bother the top of my head after a while but after the first 45 min or so, I didnt even think about it any longer. Are they as comfortable as in ear phones or bone conducting phones?, no of course not. But their sound signature makes up for it as their ability to keep sweat out. I am a heavy sweater and no sweat accumalated inside the pads. The pads are silicone with ridges built in that prevent sweat from getting in. They also come with a set of leather ear pads which you can interchange for regular use. I also called my wife using them before Zwifting and asked her how she heard me and she just assumed I was on the regular phone and not BT headphones. She noted it actually sounded as if I was in a closet which I guess is good as far as sound quality for outgoing calls via cell. I was able to speak at a regular voice and not yell. The only thing I didnt try was speaking with my three fans blowing which I dont believe would make a diff, but would have been nice to verify.
Noise cancellation was actually quite good which is to be expected for over the ear headphones. Comparable with my Sony noice cancelling headphones but not quite a good as Bose headphones but in all fairness, Bose are in my opinion the best as noise cancellation technology.
The only negatives I can find are one, most of us sweat buckets while Zwifting and just the feeling of enclosed, over the head headphones cause discomfort, even if its in our minds. The pros are sound quality compared to in-ear phones, what appears to be great BT audio if you use Discord, interchangeable ear pads, sweat-proof construction, and for some of us most importantly, they really do look good and stand out with their Zwift colors.
Are they worth $250? I would say yes based on the fact they are sweat proof and Zwift “branded”.
Thanks for taking the time to post this! My findings thus far after a couple of rides line up with yours, although I don’t have sweet $2000 Focal headphones to set the 10/10 standard!
Thanks for the details! What Bluetooth codec do they support? I saw one reviewer mention Aptx-HD, but I haven’t seen confirmation of that.
I just asked H2O Audio support…
Audio codec: APTX (Qualcomm aptX Audio, Qualcomm aptX HD)
Audio Sampling frequency: 48KHz
Speaker Frequency: 20Hz~15KHz
Sound pressure level 114±3dB
Impedance 32Ωohm
Diameter Φ45 mm
Bluetooth chipset Qualcomm QCC3034
Awesome. Thanks! That seals it for me. I’m putting my order in with Aptx-HD support.
Did the workout, got the in-game version, but how do you get the discount code? Might have missed it if it was displayed in game.
I also did the workout of the week, Alpecin warm up, and didn’t notice anything regarding a discount on the headphones.
They will send an email. They probably queue promotional emails up and send them out according to a schedule.
got it via email …
I’ve used a couple of pairs of whatever knock-off brand $20 earbuds I’ve found on Amazon – the kind with the hook on the ears and the wire between them. They’ve gotten me to level 100 over several years of zwifting. The sweat hasn’t killed them, but I did have a battery fade out on one. The sound is good for audiobooks, music, TV, and occasional calls – “I’m zwifting now, I’ll call you back!”
@Eric Schlange When you do your tests, please test microphone Discord sound quality when your fan is blowing on you full hurricane speed :). I have yet to find headphone mics that can work decently with my Lasko floor fan moving air on high speed at my head/torso. Thanks!!!
I will, but I don’t hold out much hope. Even a very well made microphone won’t do a great job when it is pointed straight at a strong fan. All it will do is pick up the sound of the fan in very fine detail!
Todd, no microphone will do a great job with that – the fan noise is just so overpowering,
The best you can do is to have good dynamic microphone with strong cardioid picking pattern and a good quality real time noise reduction software that won’t distort your voice too much (I use Extract:Dialogue when streaming and it works great).
But unfortunately, no headphone microphone is going to do a good job.
They have piqued my interest. But after reading those articles about sweat/water repellent sports- and outdoor wear with treatments containing PFOA/PFAS, I’ve become quite conscious about wearing “sweatproof” clothing or apparel on sweaty skin (aka my ears in this case). So I would want to know the exact materials and any special treatments these silicone ear cushions have.
These ship from the US right? So EU buyers can expect significant import duties I assume?
I had some delivered to the UK yesterday. £180 with the discount code and nothing extra to pay when they arrived 👍🏻 They were shipped from San Diego via FedEx.
I was wrong, I have just been texted a link to a customs bill of £47.53! 🙄
Not sure my aviator can handle the additional grams, I might be better off sticking with my ear pods
I tried these for the first time today. Early impressions are quite good. I think the sound is pretty solid – they are not audiophile quality but the house music I played had a good range of midtones and bass. The noise cancelling is very good and removes the noise of the Zwift bike chain and fan completely.
One thing I did notice – and am slightly wary about – is that when you wear with glasses the headphone seals don’t close and I found after a quick 30m spin I had quite a lot of sweat pooling in the cups. I think over a longer rides I will have to take the phones off and drain them out a few times for fear of sweat getting into the speakers. Will have to see how that goes longer term and how durable they actually are for this type of use.
i bought a pair (thanks for the discount code) i was using apple air pods and Shozk open fit 2 before and after just using the H2O Zwift headphones are much better for me, no issues on 1hr or 2 hr rides i cant fault these the fact they tell you to ride on when you power them up is nice.
Do you recognize the voice telling you to Ride On? It’s Matt Stephens!
Thought it was some one familiar
I been using my son’s old gaming over the ear headphones for a year now and never had a problem and I race WRTL and ZRL. I will just make some Z stickers and save myself $200! Love them thou and looked great on MVDP
I’ve noticed that the Zwift H2O headphones are no longer available on your website.
Could you please let me know why they’re not listed as available anymore?
Have they been discontinued, or are they just temporarily out of stock and coming back soon?
They aren’t on my website, I don’t sell ‘em! But you can buy them on H2O Audio’s site at
https://h2oaudio.com/pages/zwift?sca_ref=9210075.9z5haFQd7KPQr5PA&utm_source=affilliate&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=eric-schlange
I actaully own a set and my god these smashed it out of the oark for me im really happy with them. Cant wait to try them on the bike with the head wind going at me full pelt with a fan up the rear same deal.