Are there any small MP3 players that don't short out when you sweat on them?

Have someone follow you on a bike. Put a blue tooth speaker in their back packer.

Podcaster wrote:

I hate carrying a cell phone because it's too bulky. But all of the small belt-clip mp3 players that I have tried--including the iPod Shuffle--have shorted out due to sweat. Does anyone have one that can survive more than a few workouts?

Interested in this as well.

I have recently gone through two Sandisk Clip players. The don't short out, but in both the clip broke---one after a year, the second after a couple months. The metal spring rusts from sweat, and the plastic clip just isn't heavy-duty enough for regular repeat use, and so it fails (or has for me). Need something better.

The shuffle should be clipped on your hat, sweatband, or sunglasses. This gets all the cables out of the way and reduces the amount of sweat that gets on it.

You can do that with any of the small “clip on” players.

You can also increase the waterproofing with dielectric grease (injected into the headphone jack), and waterproof tape over the controls. Or put it in a bag.

I appreciate your MacGyver advice, but are you really telling me that I have to put my mp3 player in a bag because there are no well-built ones?

I guess I'll have to buy a $125 waterproof one designed to be worn by swimmers and submerged in a pool.

Rain Runner wrote:

You can also increase the waterproofing with dielectric grease (injected into the headphone jack)

I second this. I've done it with the iPod shuffle and it works pretty well.

I gorilla glued a clothes line clip to mine. Cut the tops slightly. Works fine.

ipod nano is rugged

I've had trouble with the standard Sandisk Clip series. Within a week or two, sweat and/or rain would fry the thing.

The SanDisk SportClip Plus (Note the "Plus" at the end) is waterproof enough to handle salty sweat and rain. I've had it for a year and a half so far with no troubles...except that the clip broke off! I used a cell phone clip kit, and that eventually broke, too. I may try a regular clothes clip next, but I've just been putting it in my shorts pocket for now.

I had a 128MB Nomad MuVo MP3 player that lasted 14 years before the on/off switch got stuck a few days ago.

Sweat and water got into it as well.

Dollar General headphones for $5--the old ones in 2017 I got lasted 3 years, but the ones I got a few weeks ago died. Everything is made so cheap to fail.

MuVo was solid but it would go through AAAs in 2-3 weeks.

I have a Nano 5th Gen 8GB and what I do is I put it on shuffle, then lock it so it doesn't bounce or switch menus, then put it in my SpiBelt when I run.

Mighty player. I sweat like a pig all over this and works fine. BUT it uses spotify

Not a cheap solution, but the apple watch with LTE and a set of airpods is an awesome combination. I still use garmin for some workouts and all races, but just day to day miles, it's been great. Podcasts, music, wireless, and have LTE in a pinch..can't recommend enough.

Found that I liked the garmin 245 for this MUCH better. Apple Watch was starting to get old so I switched. Not as much smart watch features, but does music and running perfectly well for what I need. Still use the airpods, expensive solution but works very well.

Just get a garmin that has music.

If you want to stream Spotify songs, you can try iPod nano. Download Spotify songs with TunesKit Spotify Music Converter and then put those songs on the player. Put down your phone and sweat with this tiny thing is absolutely amazing.

Clipper wrote:

I've had trouble with the standard Sandisk Clip series. Within a week or two, sweat and/or rain would fry the thing.

The SanDisk SportClip Plus (Note the "Plus" at the end) is waterproof enough to handle salty sweat and rain. I've had it for a year and a half so far with no troubles...except that the clip broke off! I used a cell phone clip kit, and that eventually broke, too. I may try a regular clothes clip next, but I've just been putting it in my shorts pocket for now.

That was well over a year ago, so I've had the same Sport Clip Plus for over 2.5 years. It is STILL holding up well. I found a permanent solution for the broken clip, and if you do get this MP3 player, you will almost definitely need a replacement clip. I found the Nite Ize HipClip. It's under $10 from Amazon, it's stainless steel, and the adhesive is out of this world. It's made for smartphones, so it has way more strength than is needed to hold up the Sport Clip Plus. I've had that on for at least a year and it works absolutely perfectly.

I use both the wired and wireless option for the headphones, and both work equally well through hard rain, sweat, etc.

Some Garmins do have music, but my Garmin doesn't have that option. The storage space on the current crop of Garmins might be limiting (4GB on the 945). You can get the Sport Clip Plus for $50 with 16GB on Amazon.

I dunno, man. I went through three iPod Nanos over the past few years before I realized how much of an idiot I was to keep going back. They aren't made to stand up to sweat and exercise. I don't have a solution, but I know not to get those anymore.

A really good one (high res audio) is the shanling M0 you can get a clip case for it. I clip it to the back of my shorts and forget its there.

SanDisk Clip works well for me but yes when it rains you HAVE to protect it somehow.

I use a drawstring waterproof 'jacket' which protects the unit whilst keeping the clip functioning. Bluetooth still works through it. All good.

Garmins just aren't as user friendly as MP3 players, sadly. I have the 645 music but only used it once or twice before going back to SanDisk