Best Waterproof Smartwatch 2024

Not long ago smartwatches were only seen in futuristic movies and we were hardly able to imagine that we will get a chance to actually use them ourselves. Yet, here we are in 2020, and smartwatches are highly accessible. Moreover, there is quite simple to get a waterproof smartwatch these days, which makes thing even more practical as you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.

More and more population starts to realize that there are many benefits to owning a smartwatch. Especially, a smartwatch with a speaker can be extremely handy.

In this article, we will cover a lot of grounds regarding waterproof smartwatches. We will start by explaining why you would need a waterproof smartwatch in the first place, which will help you determine if s waterproof smartwatch is something you need. Then we will list the 10 best waterproof smartwatches and have a closer look at their features. Furthermore, we will also provide you with a short buyer’s guide that will help you choose the best waterproof smartwatch for you and your needs even if you decide to look beyond the list of 10 best waterproof smartwatches that we will present herein.

We will also explain the difference between waterproof and water-resistant and wrap things up by naming a few solid places where you can buy your own waterproof smartwatch.

So, are you ready? Let’s dig in.

Why Would You Need a Waterproof Smartwatch

To answer this question, you should ask yourself the following question: Am I wearing a watch now? Would it be practical for me to replace it with a smartwatch? If so, would I like to wear it during the water activities and be carefree?

As a rule of thumb: if you have a regular waterproof watch then you should absolutely consider getting a waterproof smartwatch as well. On the other hand, if you were able to get by without a waterproof watch, you will also be able to survive without a waterproof smartwatch.

Below is a list of activities that have the most impact on people’s decision to purchase a waterproof smartwatch. This list may help you decide whether you need a waterproof smartwatch or not.

For what purposes will you be actually using your waterproof smartwatch is up to you, of course.

When You Are Swimming

Swimming is one of the best types of workout. Whether you are swimming very occasionally or regularly, having a watch to time yourself and track your progress can be extremely useful. A smartwatch will help you track much more and can be a great gadget to improve your form and motivation.

When You Are Diving

Whether you are a diver (diving from a diving board), breath diver, or scuba divers, having a waterproof watch is a must. So to be as equipped as possible, it makes sense to get a waterproof smartwatch for those activities.

If you plan on using your waterproof smartwatch for scuba diving, you need to make sure to choose the one with the highest level of resistance, which will enable you to go up to 100m deep. However, there is no smart waterproof smartwatch that would allow you to go deeper.

Water Activities

Smartwatch does a lot more for you than just tell time. It keeps you connected, enables you to track your vitals, send messages, make calls, snap photos, and more. Of course, the exact features vary from model to model, however, every waterproof smartwatch can be a useful accessory when it comes to all water activities. To name a few: windsurfing, kiting, surfing, jet skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding, etc.

When You Are Jogging in The Rain

If you are a serious jogger or a runner, a rainy day probably never stopped you before, right? Well, if you want your smartwatch to function on those occasions properly, you definitely need a waterproof smartwatch, though the level of waterproof does not have to be the same as for swimming or even diving, of course.

There are probably many other activities that you can think of that would require a waterproof smartwatch. Even a task as simple as hand washing is much less stressful if you have at least a basic waterproof smartwatch.

10 Best Waterproof Smartwatches Reviews

Now that you have a much better clue whether you need a waterproof smartwatch or not, it is time for us to take a closer look at the 10 best waterproof smartwatches. We will list each watch’s main features, specifications, pros, and cons.

The list should help you find the best smartwatch for a teenager, adrenaline junkies, outdoor lovers, and more.

1. Fitbit Versa Waterproof Smartwatch

Fitbit Versa smartwatch comes in a single size with two band sizes to best fit your wrist. It is available in various colors, which is reflected in its frame and band. It has a classic smartwatch squared design. The Fitbit Versa is a very compact smartwatch. It packs many features, including activity and sleep tracking, on-screen workouts, and over 300+ songs (the last two are not available in the Versa Lite Edition model). It offers 24/7 heart rate tracking. The Fitbit Versa is waterproof and it even offers swim tracking options. It is built to survive up to 50m of water. It also has a rather solid battery that can last up to 4 days. This smartwatch lets you access your calendar, get phone notifications, send texts, and more.

Specs:

• Battery: 4+ days
• Compatibility: iPhone, Android, and Windows phone
• Water-resistant to 50 meters (5ATM) (not recommended for hot tub or sauna)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi
• Storage: 2.5GB

2. Samsung Galaxy Waterproof Smartwatch

The Samsung Galaxy Watch smartwatch has a round design and offers various display options, including the one that makes this smartwatch look like a regular chronograph watch. It comes in various colors, including, Midnight black, rose gold, and silver. The smartwatch is available in 42 mm size and 46mm. The Samsung Galaxy Watch lets you send texts, make calls, and even stream via cellular. It offers heart rate and calorie monitoring. This waterproof smartwatch offers fitness tracking, including swim tracking, and is extremely durable thanks to its Mil-Std 810G Gorilla Glass DX+

Specs:

• Battery: up to 5 days
• Compatibility: iPhone (iOS 9.0 or above), Android (5.0 or above)
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, WiFi
• Storage: 4GB

3. Fitbit Ionic Waterproof Smartwatch

The Fitbit Ionic Watch is a GPS smartwatch. It lets you track dynamic personalized workouts on your wrist with step-by-step coaching. Certain features like smartphone notifications may require android 5.0 plus. Also syncs with Mac iOS 10.6 and up, iPhone 4s and later, iPad 3 gen. It is also compatible with Windows 10 devices. It lets you store and play 300+ songs, and download playlists from Pandora. Smartwathc’s built-in GPS lets you track pace, distance & routes and get Pure Pulse continuous heart rate tracking & real-time zones. It lets you access your favorite apps for sports, weather & more and even make payments on the go with a built-in NFC chip. It also packs a durable screen corning gorilla glass 3, which makes it tough and damage-resistant. You can track runs, swims, rides, workouts, all-day activity and sleep with 4+ day battery life. There is also a special Adidas version available.

Specs:

• Battery: 4+ day
• Compatibility: iPhone (iOS 10.6 or above), Android (5.0 or above), Mac, Windows
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, WiFi
• Storage: 2.5GB

4. Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch Series 5 is without a doubt the best smartwatch for iPhones that is if you can afford it, as it is very expensive. It is available in 40mm or 44mm sizes. It comes in various colors, including Space gray aluminum, silver aluminum, and gold aluminum, with a wide selection of bands in different colors, shapes, materials, and sizes. The Apple Watch Series 5 packs many amazing features, including emergency SOS, fall detection, electrical and optical heart sensors, ECG app, GPS, a built-in compass, and much more. It is also waterproof and suitable for swimming.

Specs:

• Battery: 18h
• Compatibility: iPhone, Mac
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth (5.0), GPS, NFC, WiFi
• Storage: 32GB

5. Fossil the Sport Waterproof Smartwatch

Fossil The Sport Smartwatch is an ultra-lightweight smartwatch. It is up to% lighter compared to other smartwatches. It measures 43mm in diameter and comes in various colors, including red, navy blue, black, smoke blue, and smoke green. Also It is powered with Wear OS by Google and works with iPhone and Android Phones. Heart rate and activity tracking are enabled using Google Fit. Built-in GPS for distance tracking, swim-proof design 5ATM, Google Assistant built-in – it’s your own personal Google, always ready to help and lets you speed through checkout using Google Pay. It lets you receive smartphone notifications and app alerts, manage your calendar, control your music, download third-party apps (your favorite ride-sharing or music apps), and customize your watch interface; touchscreen functionality, and more. It has a microphone that lets you make calls with your watch.

Specs:

• Battery: 24h
• Compatibility: Android, iPhone
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, WiFi
• Storage: 4GB

6. Garmin Vívoactive 4 Waterproof Smartwatch

The Garmin Vívoactive 4 comes in 40mm and 45mm sizes and four different colors, including black, silver, pink/gold combo, and white gold combo. This smartwatch helps you keeps track of your energy levels, Pulse Ox, respiration, menstrual cycle, stress, sleep, estimated heart, hydration, and more. It enables you to easily download songs, including playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music, or Deezer, and connect with headphones. It comes with 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps for tracking yoga, running, swimming, and more.

The Garmin Vívoactive 4 provides you with easy-to-follow, animated workouts right on your watch screen, including cardio, strength, yoga, and Pilates. It has a very impressive battery that can go on for 8 days in smartwatch mode or up to 6 hours in GPS and music mode. It lets you stay connected with smart notifications (when paired with a compatible device) for incoming calls, text messages, calendar reminders, and more.

Specs:

• Battery: up to 8 days (in a special no GPS mode); 6h with GPS and music
• Compatibility: Android, iPhone
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Storage: 4GB

7. Amazfit T-Rex Waterproof Smartwatch

The Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch is ultra-rugged. It is a military standard watch with 12 military certificates, which makes it ideal for extreme adrenaline activities and a tough environment. Highly suitable for athletes and adrenaline junkies. Thanks to its rugged exteriors, this smartwatch can withstand tough environments, like the extreme cold (-140°F) to extremely hot weather (+150°F) to 240 hours in damp heat, etc. It has an average battery that lasts for up to 20 hours on a single charge. Also it has a 28nm Sony GPS chip to make sure your power consumption remains low even with continuous GPS usage. It packs a 1. 3” AMOLED screen with an always-on display, and 5 bold colors to choose from. There are 14 sport modes to select and 5 ATM water-resistant body makes it great for swimming and diving.

Specs:

• Battery: 20h (with continuous GPS) (up to 66 days in basic watch mode)
• Compatibility: Android, iPhone
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS

8. Withings Steel HR – Hybrid Waterproof Smartwatch

The Withings Steel HR is one of the most stylish smartwatches and offers the most resemblance to classic watches. It is available in 36mm and 40mm sizes and various colors. It operates based-on Nokia Health (which is now Withings). AlsoIt packs a great heart rate monitor that helps you maximize your workouts with continuous heart rate and in-depth reporting plus daily and overnight HR. It comes with up to 25 days of battery life on one charge, plus 20 more days on power reserve mode (time & activity tracking only). It lets you automatically track walk, run, swim, and 30+ activities in workout mode. Its GPS provides a map of your session with distance, elevation, and pace. It also lets you enjoy Strava integration. Steel HR is water-resistant as well (5ATM). The Withings Steel HR also offers details about sleep tracking.

Specs:

• Battery: up to 25 days
• Compatibility: Android, iPhone
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS

9. Garmin Fenix 6 Waterproof Smartwatch

The Garmin Fenix 6 (6S, 6 Pro, 6X Pro, 6S Pro, 6S Sapphire, 6X Pro Solar, 6X Sapphire) is an extremely rugged smartwatch with sophisticated design and many upscale features. It offers an always-on 1.3” (18% larger than previous fēnix models) sunlight-readable display with stainless steel bezel and buttons. It offers an enhanced estimated wrist heart rate and Pulse Ox to support advanced sleep monitoring and altitude acclimation at high elevations.

Also It includes training load balance, training status, and running and cycling dynamics stats. You can use it to navigate the outdoors with built-in sensors for a 3-axis compass, gyroscope, and barometric altimeter. It supports multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo). Its connected features include smart notifications (when paired with a compatible smartphone) and Garmin Pay contactless payments. It can go up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, up to 36 hours in GPS mode, up to 28 days in expedition GPS activity mode, and up to 48 days in battery saver watch mode.

Specs:

• Battery: several modes (36h (max GPS performance) to 48 days in battery saver mode))
• Compatibility: Android, iPhone
• Water resistance: 10ATM (100m)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS
• Storage: 32GB

10. Garmin Vívoactive 3 Waterproof Smartwatch

The Garmin Vívoactive 3 is Vívoactive 4’s predecessor and as such a more affordable option. It comes with Garmin Pay contactless payment solution that lets you pay for purchases with your watch. You can personalize your watch with thousands of free watch faces, apps, and widgets from their Connect IQ store. There are more than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including yoga, running, swimming, and more. With the Garmin Vívoactive 3, you can monitor your fitness level with VO2 max and fitness age estimates, plus keep an eye on how you handle stress. It also offers many connectivity features such as smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, LiveTrack, and more. It has a very solid battery life that can go on for up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS mode.

Specs:

• Battery: up to 8 days (in a special no GPS mode); 6h with GPS and music
• Compatibility: Android, iPhone
• Water resistance: 5ATM (50m)

What to Consider Before Buying a Waterproof Smartwatch

Below are the aspects you should consider when buying a smartwatch.

Tracking Features

Not all smartwatches offer the same tracking features. Some are great for certain sports, while others perform better for other types of activities. Make sure you know what your main point of interest is and go with a smartwatch that suits your needs and expectations.

Apps

Not all watches support all apps. If you already have specific activity tracking apps you should make sure to check that your potential new waterproof smartwatch will be compatible with it.

GPS

Would you like to use the navigation on your smartwatch or use it to track your location? Then you need to make sure it as a built-in GPS. This option tends to use a lot of battery, thus it may not be essential for users that plan on having a smartphone nearby and connected to the smartwatch most of the time.

Internal Storage

Again, if you plan on using your watch in combination with your phone most of the time, then this option is not essential. However, if you want to go for a run and leave your phone at home and still be able to listen to music, then this function might be a must for you.

Cost

There is quite a wide price range when it comes to waterproof smartwatches. Make sure to choose a smartwatch that suits your financial situation. However, it is advisable to stick to reputable brands, which means that you automatically pay slightly extra.

Design

The main two options are squared and round. So first decide between the two. Then there are sizes and colors. If you are a person that gives extra importance to color matching, consider a smartwatch that enables simple and fast band changing and offers a wide selection of colors.

Battery Life

Again, make sure that the battery meets your needs. However, for an average user, it is ok as long as the battery lasts the entire day since we can easily charge it during the night (that eliminates sleep tracking option though).

Weight

If you are one of those who gets bothered by a weight on the wrist, make sure to consider lightweight options. Generally, more heavy-duty smartwatches pack more weight.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Both

Most smartwatches pack Bluetooth connection, however, you may want to also have a Wi-Fi option. Make sure to pay attention that the smartwatch includes what you prefer. Having both connection options will normally come with an extra expense.

Compatibility

Most smartwatches have universal compatibility, however, some are limited only to Android phones and other to iPhones. Makes sure to check that.

Difference Between Waterproof and Water-Resistant

Waterproof means that you can actually take the smartwatch under the water (full immersion), while water-resistance refers only to water splashes.

All waterproof smartwatches presented above have a 5ATM or 10ATM standard, that lets you use them for swimming and snorkeling. However, there are no smartwatches suitable for scuba diving.

Where to Buy a Waterproof Smartwatch?

In 2020, you surely have the best selection online. Amazon is a great place to find good prices, though you should pay extra attention to stick to sellers with a good rating. Best Buy and other electronics stores are also a solid choice. Though, if you have a specific brand of the waterproof smartwatch in mind, you can go directly to that brand’s official online store.

However, the best deals for smartwatches are currently offered by wireless providers. In combination with phone and unlimited plans, you can even get a smartwatch for free. Thus, it makes sense to check out the main wireless providers’ deals.

FAQ – Waterproof Smartwatch

Can you swim with a smartwatch?

Not with every smartwatch. If you want to go swimming with your smartwatch, make sure it is waterproof. It is recommended that it is graded for 5ATM.

How do I know if my smartwatch is waterproof?

Every watch, regular or smartwatch, has that indicated, either directly on its back or inside the instructions. The level of waterproof is normally marked with the amount of ATM that the watch can withstand. For a watch to be suitable for swimming, it should have a grade of 5ATM.

Are AirPods waterproof?

Officially, AirPods are not graded as waterproof, which means that Apple takes no responsibility if AirPods are damaged by water. However, many users have tested them under the shower and they continue to work flawlessly. Know that it is up to you whether you decide to get your AirPods wet, however, Apple advises you against it.

Can you wear your Apple watch in the shower?

Yes, Apple Watch has a 5ATM waterproof grade and is suitable for swimming, thus you may ware it in the shower. You can shower with watches that have 3ATM water-resistance or higher.