Best Waterproof Smart Watch for Swimming

The best waterproof smartwatches can be eye-catching and will never abandon you in the rain

The rugged smartwatch has developed from the traditional wearable (which could have been mechanical or with a battery, as well as waterproof / water-resistant) to become a gadget more appropriate for this century, just like the regular smartwatch.

While I won’t dispute the value of all the integrated technologies (such as fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, IoT integration, smartphone pairing, and more), there are still some issues with all smart wearable technology. For mechanical watches, the battery life has decreased from years to days or even hours. But given that no apparent solution is at this time, we must accept that.

The idea of a smart watch is not particularly novel; engineers have long attempted to attach a miniature computer to the wrist. However, the Pebble series was the first to successfully enter the consumer market, and the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear, and Motorola 360 followed (along with the implementation of the Android Wear as a general OS for non-iOS smartwatches – some other third-party operating systems have also been developed afterwards).

Since there are already a lot of devices on the market, smartwatches won’t need an introduction in 2023. However, the focus of this article will be on the most rugged smartwatches, which will withstand a harsher environment and all the punishment associated with participating in outdoor sports and activities. Without further ado, let’s check out the top waterproof smartwatches (that can withstand punishment) currently available.

What factors to take into account when choosing the best waterproof smartwatch

Because life is unpredictable, everyone can gain from the extra security offered by waterproof smartwatches. While the advantages of hiking and outdoor activities are obvious, wwaterproof smartwatch is a wise choice for supplemental protection from far more common activities like handwashing or gardening. For the benefit of their customers, well-known brands like Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin all offer waterproofing features. For customers who live an outdoor lifestyle, sport models offer even higher levels. You can make calls and stay connected without a phone with LTE-enabled options, giving you even more freedom to plunge into adventure. Choose the level of protection for your watch based on your activities.

Going off the grid?

There is a level of preparedness that can match, regardless of whether your plans include day trips into National Parks or navigating much longer trips into the backcountry. Look for a watch with a water resistance rating of 5ATM (5 atmospheres) if your main concern is getting caught in the rain or negotiating a tricky creek crossing. This rating indicates that the watch can withstand underwater pressures at depths of up to 50 meters.

Thus, 10ATM and 20ATM are equivalent to 100 meters and 200 meters, respectively, making them suitable if you intend to switch from just hiking and fishing to sailing, surfing, or snorkeling. This waterproofing safeguards the entire collection of sensors, including GPS, altimeters, barometers, and compasses, which can make a tactical smartwatch with the right specifications an indispensable tool for an expedition.

Bringing kids to a wild place to cool off?

Most likely, if your electronics ended up close to a pool, you would consider whether to leave them securely in a car or locker. However, your child simply wants to dive in. Additionally, if you instruct someone to remove something while still maintaining care for it, something probably won’t make it home. Therefore, a kid’s smartwatch needs to be affordable and robust. Fortunately, manufacturers have taken this into account and created kids’ smartwatches that are less expensive than their adult counterparts while still having some surprisingly useful features, like waterproofing. The best smartwatches for children are enjoyable and motivate your child to stay active. Additionally, they are resilient enough to follow the child while monitoring their well-being and whereabouts.

Want a watch you can wear from work to the weekend?

It makes sense to choose an Apple Watch if your professional life is already tightly integrated with Apple’s ecosystem in order to maintain and possibly even improve productivity. Like the majority of Apple products, they are made to work in unison and seamlessly transfer data, apps, and alerts. Additionally, they are water-resistant and go well with both sportswear and casual wear. They also look great with both bathing suits and three-piece suits. The point is that an Apple Watch strikes a balance between function and style.

Have an Android smartphone?

There are many different companies that sell Android smartwatches, including TicWatch, Samsung, Fossil, Fitbit, Misfit, and more. The Android smartwatch is conveniently compatible with both Android smartphones and Apple iPhones, unlike the Apple Watch. The cost of the best smartwatches for Android varies depending on how many features you want, but it usually ranges between $150 and $300. You can choose from a wider variety of styles and looks than you can when buying an Apple Watch thanks to the wide range of manufacturers, including many that are made to withstand the rigors of the workplace and the elements.

Focused on fitness?

The ratings of waterproof smartwatch are typically evaluated under extreme conditions. However, if your primary concern is fitness, taking into account a best smartwatch’s water-resistance makes sense due to one obvious factor: perspiration. Whether it’s raining or shining, you need a watch that can withstand the most strenuous workouts and still record important data like skin temperature, oxygen saturation, breathing rate, and heart rate. You want the watch to continue functioning in addition to safeguarding those sensors so it can continue to play the music and podcasts you need to stay motivated.

The best waterproof smartwatches

The water pressure and your level of activity won’t harm a great waterproof smartwatch. Even a last-minute trip to splash in the ocean won’t deter it. Neither will rain, sleet, or snow. The best waterproof smartwatch can help you track your own hydration and other levels in addition to how much water it can withstand, keeping you in top physical and mental health while out adventuring. Your ideal timepiece will always keep up. Here are a few recommendations.

Fitbit Versa Smart Watch

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• 15 exercise modes
• Waterproof up to 50m
• Female-health tracking

The Fitbit Versa Smart Watch is the next in our reviews and can be ranked right near the top when determining which is the best waterproof smartwatch. This is going to be a popular option for those of you looking for the best value for your money because it is the least expensive item on our list.

To put it simply, you are getting a great smartwatch for your money. The Fitbit Versa smartwatch has 15 different exercise presets, it can track your activity and sleep around-the-clock, and you can store up to 300 songs to playback and download from a library of more than 500 practical apps. It is waterproof up to a depth of 50 meters.

When you first see and use the Fitbit Versa, you’ll notice how light and thin it is in comparison to many of its rivals. This is something that we actually like, and many people will like the watch’s design as well. Its 38.6mm display is comparable to those of most other smartwatches and strikes the perfect balance between being large enough to improve functionality and being not too large as to be unsightly.

It is a little disappointing that there is no internal GPS and that many of the fitness tracking features require a smartphone connection. This seems a little counterproductive because most people who jog or swim prefer to only bring one device with them. Once connected, this water-resistant smartwatch for Android and iOS smartphones will be able to provide you with excellent fitness tracking features.

There are a lot of benefits to the FitBit Versa, despite the fact that this is its main drawback. On the water-resistant smartwatch, you can store up to 300 songs, which is something you cannot do on the more expensive Garmin vvoactive 3 we previously reviewed.

The features it has for tracking female health are also a nice little touch. Women can keep track of their menstrual cycles, symptoms, and learn when they will be most fertile.

In terms of the app store, you may not have as many options as with most other smartwatches, but there are still about 500 or so to choose from. The benefit of these apps is that not all of them are fitness-related, so you can use apps that were made for other purposes as well.

PROS

• A variety of exercise options
• 50-meter maximum waterproofness
• Tracking of female health

CONS

• No built-in GPS

VERDICT

In conclusion, the FitBit Versa is an excellent waterproof smartwatch for the money. When in use, you can enjoy a battery life of up to four days, an ATM rating of 5, which allows you to go swimming with it, music storage, and of course, use the fantastic fitness tracking features that it has.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro Smartwatch

• Waterproof: This watch’s waterproof construction extends up to 100 meters, making it ideal for divers.
• Battery: The T-Rex can go a jaw-dropping 18 days without needing a recharge.
• Display: 1.3” AMOLED, always-on display.
• Fitness: Heart Rate monitor, sp02, sleep monitor, travel speed, accelerometer, GPS, calories-burned, and personalized health evaluations.
• Build/Design: The T-Rex was built tough and can withstand freezing temperatures, extreme heat, and is resistant to sea spray, shock, humidity, and freezing rain.

You can’t go wrong with the Amazfit T-Rex Pro if you want a watch that is primarily intended to collect your health data and prefer a tough, vintage design.

The T-Rex comes with over 100 “sports modes” designed to collect health data regardless of the physical activity you engage in, and it has a design reminiscent of the tough Timex watches of the past.

Even better, it has a 1.3″ AMOLED display and an 18-day battery life. Data retrieval on the Zepp app is where the T-Rex, regrettably, starts to lose some of its shine.

The Amazfit T-Rex is pretty amazing in every way, including its enormous selection of data and health features. Anyone who doesn’t like tough, military-style designs won’t likely be impressed by its design.

Zepp is a helpful app that works well with the T-Rex. That’s where it stops, which is the issue. There are no external integrations available for the Zepp app. Apart from the ability to share content on social media, no other apps are supported.

PROS

• 18-hour battery life
• A wealth of data recording information and capabilities
• 100 meter waterproof build
• Sturdy design with a toughened resistance to the elements along with tempered glass, AMOLED display
• Inexpensive

CONS

• Not much in the way of app integration
• Rugged design doesn’t appeal many

Willful Smart Watch for Android Phones and iOS

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Willful fits every requirement for an extremely low-cost smartwatch, which makes sense given its price. It has nine different sports modes, an excellent battery life, a heart rate sensor, a sleep cycle sensor, steps, distance, and calories.

The Willful’s outdated operating system and its faulty, imperfect step counter, on the other hand, are its weaknesses. In terms of long-distance travel, it’s not exactly genius-level software either.

It does, however, have a special feature called “Breath Guide/Relax Mode,” a straightforward tool that guides you through breathing exercises to calm down or destress.

• Battery: Five to Seven days—depending on usage—is right up there with the best smartwatches.
• Waterproof: Up to a meter with an IP68 rating. Showers, baths, and brief stints in the swimming pool are covered.
• Aesthetics: Apple-type design with replaceable bands.
• Software: Basic health data and a solid app that will work great for first-time smartwatch owners.
• Smartphone integration: Receives notifications and alerts.
• Display: 1.3” TFT LCD with 240 x 240 resolution.

The Willful’s features, design, functionality, or aesthetic appeal aren’t going to blow anyone away. Up until a close inspection is possible, it resembles an Apple Watch.

It does, however, cover the fundamentals for someone entering the smartwatch and fitness tracking space for the first time. Additionally, it has a fantastic battery life that some of the most feature-rich and expensive phones can’t match.

PROS

• Very cost-effective
• Band replacements
• Fantastic sleep monitor attributes

CONS

• Having issues with distance or step counts
• IP68 shallow waterproof construction
• outdated software and an LCD display
• Lackluster overall design

Garmin Forerunner 235

The Garmin Forerunner 235, our second suggestion from the top maker of smartwatches, is last but certainly not least. Even though it’s an older model on our list, we believe it still has enough to compete with some of the more recent models available. This is primarily due to the fact that it is now widely accessible and offers excellent value for money at a much lower price than it did previously.

The Forerunner 235, which is primarily designed for runners, is renowned for providing some of the most precise and comprehensive fitness tracking currently available. Traditionally, a running watch would only keep track of your pace and distance traveled, but with the 235, you can expect it to keep track of your heart rate, stress levels, calories burned, and a host of other significant data points. In addition to providing you with your stats, it will also coach you.

Run, Run Indoor, Cycle, and ‘other’ are the four pre-sets that will track the various things needed for each activity. Any outdoor activity makes use of the Forerunner’s built-in GPS, which is renowned for quickly locating you. A really useful feature to have is automatic syncing with your smartphone because it seems to be much more dependable than most others.

Unfortunately, due to its age, you won’t be able to enjoy touchscreen, but this is not a significant complaint. Five side buttons are used to control everything, and once you’ve used them a few times, you can easily get the hang of them. Additionally, Garmin offers a wide variety of apps, and the battery life is excellent—it can go for the better part of a week without using GPS. This is significantly reduced to just 11 hours of usage when GPS is active, which is understandable.

PROS

• Lightweight, clever design
• Excellent tracking of your health, sleep, and fitness
• High value for the money

CONS

• Heavily focused on fitness

VERDICT

For runners of all skill levels, the Garmin Forerunner 235 is a fantastic option, and at this price, it’s definitely one to take into account. Nevertheless, given its age, it has some shortcomings, with WiFi connectivity being a particular concern. While it is not ideal, most of you will bring your smartphone with you while you run because you want to listen to music while you exercise. In order to connect it to a smartphone, you will be able to access the internet.

Apple Watch Series 6

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With a 33.5% global market share and roughly 60% of the revenue in the smartwatch market, Apple is clearly the market leader—and for good reason.

Apple smartwatches are incredibly well made, and they make up for any features that they may lack in comparison to the competition with a strong, high-tech design and flawless software.

It is not just a Series 5 with a facelift, but the Apple Watch Series 6 is no exception.

• Swimproof: The Apple Watch Series 6 is locked down whether it comes with an aluminum casing, stainless steel, or aluminum for up to 10.4 meters in water depth.
• Faster Processor: The S6, dual-core processor with a W3 chip is 20% faster than its predecessor, the Series 5.
• Fitness: Fitness enthusiasts will get an sp02 (blood oxygen saturation app), GPS, heart rate monitor, ECG, altimeter, accelerometer, and sleep cycle.
• Battery: The Serie 6 has an 18-hour battery under moderate use.
• Display: OLED display with 1,000 nits brightness when the wrist is up and 250-500 nits when the wrist is down.

In almost every respect, the Apple Watch Series 6 is an improvement over the Series 5. Unfortunately, the key word here is “almost,” as there hasn’t been much of an improvement in battery lifespan.

The Series 6 is available in a variety of colors, including Red and Navy Blue, and includes all of the apps and entertainment features of its predecessors. It also runs on the watchOS operating system.

PROS

• A quicker processor
• 10.4 meters of water resistance
• Brighter Display sp02 and ECG addition
• Additional strap color choices
• 32GB of storage

CONS

• The battery life could be better.
• Compared to the competition, sleep readings are poor.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

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• 40mm and 44mm case size options
• Works with Android only
• GPS
• Tracks pool and open water swims
• 5ATM (up to 50 metres) water resistant rating

The Galaxy Watch 4 is Samsung’s newest wristwatch and represents a significant software upgrade over the Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3. You can access Google services like the Play Store and the ability to download Google apps because it is powered by Google’s Wear OS 3.

From that perspective, it still seems very Samsung in terms of its sports tracking capabilities, so you can anticipate comparable swim tracking in both the pool and open water from it. Like the Watch Active 2 and the Watch 3, it is also waterproof up to 50 meters.

You may monitor data like distance, strokes, lap time, and SWOLF (to assess swimming efficiency) on the Super AMOLED display of this wristwatch. You can now track swims using third-party applications in addition to Samsung’s Health companion app thanks to Wear OS. which also

The Watch 4 exclusively functions with Android phones, in contrast to earlier smartwatches. Overall, it provides good accuracy underwater, and it’s also a pleasant watch to wear. In addition, you get one of the greatest smartwatch experiences outside of Apple’s, with features like music playback, notification support, and now considerably improved app compatibility.

• Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50 meters )
• Pool and open water: Yes

Apple Watch Series 7 and SE

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• 41mm/45mm (Series 7) and 40mm/44mm (SE) case size options
• Works with iPhones only
• Built-in GPS
• Tracks pool and open water swims
• Up 18-hour battery life
• Works with third party swimming apps
• Heart rate and SpO2 monitoring
• 5ATM water resistant rating

The Series 7’s swim tracking hasn’t altered all that much, but that’s not always a negative thing. This is because one of the greatest smartwatches we have tested is the Apple Watch.

Similar to the Series 6, the Series 7 has all the swimming functions of earlier Apple Watch models, but with bigger casings and a bigger screen to display your swimming statistics in a pool or the open ocean.

You’ll be provided with a wide range of stats, such as lengths, average pace, and stroke type in addition to distance traveled and average pace.

Although the touchscreen is dormant during the swim, the always-on display allows you to lift your arm to monitor progress in real-time.

The Apple Watch is among the most accurate sports watches in terms of accuracy, and swimming with it is a really positive overall experience.

It’s a great pleasant watch to wear in the water, and the core stats (distance, lap counts, and average pace) were all quite consistent. Although data is stored in the Apple Activity app, you can also use third-party Apple Watch swimming applications for an additional dose of analysis.

The key to Apple’s superior wristwatch experience is granting you access to the Apple App Store, which has a wide selection of applications, many of which are swim-specific and may improve swim tracking.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can have the same tracking experience in open water and swimming pools with the Apple Watch SE for less money. Smaller screens are available due to varying case sizes, but they still offer brilliant Retina displays that are perfect for tracking your progress.

Both are on par with the Garmin as one of the finest smartwatches for using while swimming, and they also look beautiful when worn outside of the pool.

• Waterproof rating: (50m) |
• Pool and open water: Yes

Conclusion

Considering that each of those waterproof smartwatches has advantages and disadvantages, we believe that any of them would be a suitable decision. Others will have better functionality, more precise health and fitness tracking, or the ability to play music, negating the need for your smartphone. Some will provide better value for money.

What you individually desire from your smartwatch and your available money will determine which one you should get. Simply because it is a superb all-arounder, if we had to choose a favorite, it would be the Garmin Vivoactive 3. However, considering that the Samsung Galaxy Watch and the TomTom Sparks 3 are both excellent smartwatches for swimming, it was really close with many of the others.

But if we had to choose one for value for money, it would have to be the FitBit Versa Smartwatch since it offers so many great features for such a low cost. The Garmin Forerunner 235, another excellent option for runners, is its lone rival in terms of value.

Client’s Guide

You should first be aware of the many factors you will need to take into account before you go out and purchase a smartwatch that is suitable for usage underwater.

As our list of suggestions demonstrates, there are many excellent alternatives available, but your choice will be based on many factors than just cost, brand, and appearance.

Look through our buyers guide, where we’ll show you every aspect you need to take into account before selecting your new waterproof wristwatch.

• The distinction between waterproof and water-resistant

You might be surprised to learn that a large portion of the population thinks waterproof and water-resistant mean the same thing. We’re here to tell you that this isn’t the case, though. A water-resistant smartwatch or any other product that makes the claim that it is water-resistant will be able to withstand the occasional light drenching but not being plunged underwater or thoroughly soaked.

Basically, being water-resistant only means that precautions have been taken to assist stop water from getting into the electrical equipment and components.

However, the word “waterproof” itself is frequently abused. This is due to the fact that everything has a waterproofness scale. Comparatively speaking, certain items will be more waterproof than others. This is why it’s critical to learn more about a product’s specifications in order to determine how waterproof it truly is. How deep may they be utilized without risk of damage?

• What Objectives Will You Use It For?

Relating to the aforementioned, you will want a smartwatch that is assured to function well at shallow depths if you wish to wear it while swimming. If you want one for diving, you’ll need one that can function at even greater depths. Here, you may look for something much more basic in terms of its waterproofness if all you want to wear when jogging in the rain.

Even if you exclude the waterproof feature, several smartwatches cater to particular demographics. Some will target runners, while others will be a better option for people who want to listen to music while running, for instance.

The following factors/ battery life

Before making a choice, you must take into account several other factors in addition to how waterproof a smartwatch is. We’ll explore at these and many other aspects of a smartwatch below that can influence your choice, including its features, specifications, price, and design.

Tracking Features

For those of you who take your fitness seriously, this will be one of the most crucial factors to take into account. While the majority of smartwatches are excellent at measuring your speed, distance, and calories burnt, some also provide more sophisticated capabilities like a heart monitor, GPS-based tracking, and even the ability to measure your stress levels and provide coaching recommendations.

Apps

These watches are smartwatches, so you can download and utilize a variety of apps on them. Some will be heavily focused on fitness, while others will have some applications in daily life. Knowing how many applications your wristwatch will have available for usage in its store is essential, and anything fewer than 500 is quite disappointing.

GPS

Does the wristwatch you’re considering have an internal GPS system? If you want to experience location-based monitoring while out riding or jogging, this is crucial. This feature of a wristwatch eliminates the need for you to carry your phone about, which is a major benefit. If you get lost, GPS will be able to follow your exact path and even guide you back to your house.

Internal Disk Space

This is yet another important factor to take into account, particularly if you wish to listen to music while jogging. If you do, this could be important since, without internal storage, you will need to bring your phone once again. You will want a smartwatch that can hold at least a few hundred songs so that you can run along to your favorite heart-pumping tunes.

Cost

Cost will always be a key deciding factor in life, as it is in everything. While many smartwatches will justify their price, you may be able to discover something far less expensive that serves as a better compromise. We’ve already given you a few examples of smartwatches that offer excellent value for the money, but we should caution you that some less expensive devices might not.

Design

We are aware that many of you would at least want to wear something that is attractive, even if a smartwatch is primarily intended to perform a purpose rather than be attractive. Others will be made of higher-quality materials, some will have better-designed faces, some will be lighter, and others won’t be as bulky. Additionally significant is comfort, as it might be uncomfortable to wear a watch with excellent performance.

Specs

The specifications of each smartphone will, of course, be compared when you go to purchase one. Since they both employ the same technology, a smartwatch is no different in this regard. The operating systems they employ, battery life, storage, memory, and CPU performance should all be taken into account. Does the smartwatch support Bluetooth or WiFi? Does it support smartphone pairing? How long will a full battery last and how long will it take to charge?

Wrap up

You will be in a lot better position to choose a smartwatch to purchase after you are able to absorb everything mentioned above and apply it to each one you are thinking about.

Nothing is worse than purchasing anything without completing your own research, only to discover afterwards that it lacks a feature you thought was crucial. To prevent it from happening, take the time to examine any smartwatch in-depth before making a purchase.