Lucy Charles-Barclay x TRI 2 PRO headphone Review
For athletes who train across multiple disciplines, headphones need to do more than survive a sweaty workout. Swimming presents an entirely different challenge: the music needs to keep playing when a phone’s Bluetooth connection cannot reach you underwater.
The Lucy Charles-Barclay x TRI 2 PRO from H2O Audio combines open-ear bone conduction, Bluetooth listening on land, and stored audio for phone-free workouts. Created in collaboration with Lucy Charles-Barclay, this edition is aimed squarely at multisport training.
What interests me most is the ability to prepare music before a workout and then leave the phone behind. Coming from a cycling and triathlon background, I appreciate equipment that can fit into different parts of a training week.
Lucy Charles-Barclay x TRI 2 PRO headphone Review — Pros and Cons
Pros
- Designed for both water-based and land-based training.
- Stored audio enables phone-free listening.
- PLAYLIST+ offers an alternative to transferring individual MP3 files.
- No Apple Watch is required for PLAYLIST+.
- Open-ear design leaves the ear canals uncovered during normal use.
- My MP3-transfer approach worked once the files were prepared.
Cons
- You need to save music to the headphones before swimming.
- Downloading and transferring a large MP3 playlist can take time.
- PLAYLIST+ records music as it plays, so saving a long playlist isn’t instant.
- You can’t stream music from your phone underwater.
- At $219.99, they’re expensive if you only need headphones for running or gym workouts.
- Proprietary Charging Cable: Requires a proprietary dedicated charging cable.
What the TRI 2 PRO Offers
H2O Audio lists the Lucy Charles-Barclay edition at $219.99. Its published features include an IPX8 waterproof rating, Bluetooth 5.3, a built-in music player, PLAYLIST+, and an app for music management and software updates. The manufacturer lists up to nine hours of Bluetooth playback and six hours in memory mode, with actual runtime depending on use and volume. These are manufacturer specifications, rather than battery results from my own testing.
The open-ear design leaves the ear canals uncovered during normal use. The package also includes swim earplugs, a USB cable, and a protective case.
Proprietary Charging Cable: I wish the headphones had a standard USB-C charging port. Instead, they require a dedicated charging cable, which means keeping track of another cord and remembering to pack it when traveling. Being able to use the same USB-C cable I carry for my other devices would be much more convenient.
Getting Music onto the Headphones: My Experience
My initial approach was to load MP3 files. I found a third-party website called SpotiDown that allowed me to obtain files corresponding to songs in my Spotify playlist, then transfer them to the headphones. That approach worked for me, although preparing a large playlist took time.
That is my experience with one third-party service, not an official Spotify export feature or an endorsement of that service. Readers should use audio they own or have permission to copy and check their music service’s terms. The important practical point is that preparing a substantial offline music library involves some setup before you can train.
What I subsequently learned from H2O Audio is that downloading MP3s is not the only option. PLAYLIST+ provides another way to save audio directly on the headphones.
PLAYLIST+: An Old-School Mixtape Approach
H2O Audio describes PLAYLIST+ as a digital version of a tape recorder. You connect the headphones to your phone through Bluetooth, play audio, and double-click the + button to start recording that audio into the headphones’ memory for later playback.
An Apple Watch is not required. Once the audio is saved, you can listen without the phone, including underwater. This is recorded playback rather than a live Spotify connection or automatic playlist synchronization.
The distinction matters because it changes how you prepare for a swim. Instead of expecting a streaming connection in the pool, you save the audio ahead of time. Recording also takes planning: audio must play while it is being captured, so a long playlist is not an instant transfer.
H2O Audio’s PLAYLIST+ explanation was provided to me by the company; I would still want to evaluate the recording process myself before making claims about its ease of use or recording quality.
Bluetooth on Land, Stored Audio in the Pool
Bluetooth does not work underwater for this product. H2O Audio directs swimmers to use MP3 or PLAYLIST+ playback instead.
Key Features & Specs
- Audio Technology: Open-ear bone conduction delivers audio while leaving your ear canals uncovered.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 connects to iPhone, Android, and compatible music-enabled smartwatches.
- Waterproof Rating: IPX8-rated, with manufacturer-rated submersion protection down to 12 feet (3.6 meters).
- Listening Modes: Choose Bluetooth streaming, stored music playback, or PLAYLIST+ recordings.
- Underwater Listening: Use stored music or PLAYLIST+ while swimming; Bluetooth does not work underwater.
- PLAYLIST+ Recording: Double-click the + button to record playing Bluetooth audio for later phone-free listening. No Apple Watch required.
- Music File Support: Built-in player supports MP3 and M4A files.
- Battery Life: Up to 9 hours in Bluetooth mode or 6 hours in memory mode, depending on volume and usage.
- Charging Time: Approximately 2 hours.
- Fit & Finish: Wraparound neckband with a soft silicone finish and physical button controls.
- Microphone: Built-in waterproof microphone.
- Companion App: Free H2O Audio PRO app for Apple and Android supports music management, folders, PLAYLIST+, and software updates.
- Included Accessories: USB cable, protective case, swim earplugs, quick-start guide, and user manual.
- Price: Listed at $219.99. h2oaudio.com
- Leave storage capacity out until H2O Audio confirms the conflicting 4 GB and 8 GB figures.
Audio Technology: Open-ear bone conduction delivers audio while leaving your ear canals uncovered.Initial Verdict
The Lucy Charles-Barclay x TRI 2 PRO has an appealing proposition for athletes who want music across swimming and land-based workouts. The combination of Bluetooth and stored playback is more relevant to my training interests than a Bluetooth-only headset.
My practical takeaway so far is that loading music is manageable, but it deserves its own section in a review. The MP3 route worked for me, and PLAYLIST+ provides another option worth exploring. Understanding those two approaches should make the setup much less confusing for a new owner.
Before assigning a final rating, I would add hands-on observations about underwater sound, comfort during longer sessions, fit with goggles and a swim cap, button operation, PLAYLIST+ recording, and measured battery life. Those experiences will determine whether the headphones’ promising feature set translates into a product I would recommend without hesitation.
Editorial notes before publishing
- Confirm storage with H2O Audio: the product page lists 4 GB for MP3 storage but up to 8 GB for PLAYLIST+. Do not assume these figures describe separate storage allocations.
- Add your actual swim/run/ride testing observations; the draft does not invent those results.
- Add the appropriate disclosure if the headphones were supplied for review.
- The supplied Google Drive press release and photo folder could not be accessed during drafting.
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