We’ve been fans of H2O Audio for a long time. The San Diego brand doesn’t have the marketing machine that Shokz does, but in our experience its headphones perform every bit as well, especially when the workout involves water, rain, sweat, or anything else you throw at it.

One thing they have over Shokz? A brand-new set of headphones they claim will last for 24-hours on a single charge.

That’s right. Meet the TRI ULTRA and TRI ULTRA PRO, a new pair of bone conduction headphones that the company says delivers up to 24 hours of battery life, the longest of any bone conduction headset.

That’s enough to cover an ultramarathon, a full-day ride or a long brick session with juice left over.

What’s New and Better

The Battery. H2O Audio says the TRI ULTRA series runs up to 24 hours depending on use and volume, which is the longest it claims for any bone conduction headset. All in the same sized package as the previous models. For anyone who has had headphones die during a long ride, run, or race, there is truly nothing more annoying. We haven’t tested it yet, so treat 24 hours as the company’s figure for now but those always feel inflated.

Better Comfort. H2O Audio also tuned the headset’s clamping force for comfort during prolonged wear, aiming for a fit that stays secure without becoming a headache at hour ten. The company says it built the line with feedback from athletes chasing longer rides, runs and events.

The Controls. These are upgraded too. There’s now a dedicated Mode button for switching between Bluetooth and onboard memory playback. On previous models that meant double-clicking Play/Pause, which is fine until you’re doing it with wet or gloved hands mid-session. It was just previously clunky. Now it’s one touch.

Under the hood, nothing about the core experience changes. The TRI ULTRA series keeps H2O Audio’s dual-magnet bone conduction drivers, its signature sound tuning and the Beyond Waterproof technology the brand is known for.

Both models also carry the same 8GB of onboard memory, so you can leave the phone behind on the trail or in the water.

TRI ULTRA vs. TRI ULTRA PRO. The Difference is?

We actually had to ask H2O Audio directly because even we were confused why one was “PRO” and $50 more.

Both models support Bluetooth for live streaming, and both share the extended battery life, waterproof technology and improved controls. The split comes down to how music gets onto the headphones.

The TRI ULTRA ($199) has 8GB of onboard memory, so you can load music and podcasts from your computer and listen without your phone, including underwater. You can drag files over directly or use H2O Audio’s free H2O SYNC desktop app, which makes the one-click transfer of music and podcasts you own much easier.

The TRI ULTRA PRO ($249) does everything the standard model does and adds H2O Audio’s proprietary Playlist+ technology. Think of it like an old-school tape recorder. You connect the headphones to your phone over Bluetooth, play something from Spotify or another streaming app, and Playlist+ records the audio directly into the headphones’ memory as it plays. Once it’s saved, you can listen anytime without your phone, an internet connection or a live Bluetooth link, even in the pool. The PRO also works with H2O Audio’s iPhone and Android app, which lets you manage your files and control Playlist+ recording from your phone.

The biggest difference is exactly that. The PRO can capture audio from streaming services, while the standard ULTRA relies on files you transfer from a computer.

But let’s break it down anyway.

	TRI ULTRA	TRI ULTRA PRO
Price	$199	$249
Colors	Ocean Blue, Summit White	Black
Battery	Up to 24 hours	Up to 24 hours
Onboard memory	8GB	8GB
Load music from a computer (H2O SYNC)	Yes	Yes
Playlist+ streaming capture	No	Yes
H2O Audio mobile app	No	Yes

Who Are These For?

If you train for hours at a time, the TRI ULTRA series is aimed squarely at you. Ultrarunners, long-course triathletes and gravel and road cyclists who stack big days are the obvious fit, and the swimmers who want music in the pool are covered too, since both models are built to work underwater.

And we love that you can swim in these. Shokz also has their own swim version, the OpenSwim PRO, but not all of their headphones can handle the water, just those.

Fewer charging stops is glorious and a one-touch Mode button is nice but an add on we could have lived with or without. But it is a nice quality-of-life upgrade.

Choosing between the two is mostly a question of how you listen.

If your library is already on your computer, in the form of purchased music, podcasts and audiobooks, the standard TRI ULTRA at $199 does the job, and H2O SYNC keeps loading it painless.

If you live on Spotify or another streaming service and don’t want to build a separate library, the extra $50 for the PRO buys Playlist+, which lets you record what you’re already listening to and take it phone-free into the water or onto the trail is perfect.

And about that SHOKZ comparison: H2O Audio has never been the louder brand, they don’t have the money like Shokz does and that’s ok too.

It’s been building waterproof, phone-free audio for more than two decades and like we said, their stuff is up to snuff.

The TRI ULTRA series is a strong reminder that you don’t need the biggest marketing budget to make headphones athletes want to use. Just make good stuff with features athletes want.

Pricing and Availability

The TRI ULTRA is $199 in Ocean Blue and Summit White. The TRI ULTRA PRO is $249 in Black.

Both are now available in limited quantities at H2OAudio.com and on Amazon in early November, so if you want a pair for a fall or a winter training block, have at it. Or maybe get a pair for the holidays when you need to block out the in-laws.