Smartwatches now are more adept at handling water than ever before. Many of them are rated IP68, which means they can handle occasional or accidental splashes of water.
But now manufacturers offer models with no less than 5 ATM water resistance. This means they can be under 50 meters of water without any functional problems. So, the best waterproof smartwatch even lets you swim or dive underwater.
Many people like wearing watches for either of two reasons: function or fashion. Smartwatches don’t only tell you the time, but they are much more than that. Today, normal watches are becoming less and less popular because of the smart watch’s functionality and looks.
A good smartwatch makes life so much easier. It has hundreds of amazing features catering to the need of every member of society.
Students
If you are a student, a smartwatch will help you schedule class timings or record lectures. You might also stop or reply to some notifications in the classroom without getting the mobile out of your bag.
Sports Enthusiast
And if you are a sport or health enthusiast, a smartphone will track all your movements, distance covered, calories burned, heart rate, sleep patterns, and whatnot! It is a perfect workout companion.
Health Conscious
Smartphones are big and heavy; bringing them with you during a jogging session can be a bit of a hassle. You can listen to your favorite playlist while running without having a heavy phone dangling in your pocket.
Working Person
An executive can reply to emails, an assistant can schedule meetings, or an entrepreneur can be reminded of appointments in a jiffy through a smartwatch.
Many people think these devices have come to replace smartphones. But in reality, they are rather a complement to those phones.
There is no way you’re not one of those who don’t want the best waterproof smartwatch. If you’re wondering which are the best ones in the market, take a look at our top picks.
The first sports watch to include a contactless payment system from Garmin is their Vivoactive 3 model. It has been designed to rival Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, and Google Pay.
With a traditional round-faced watch of 1.75 inches in diameter, the Vivoactive is 11.7 millimeters thick. The smartwatch won’t be distracting and will feel comfortable as it weighs only 43 grams.
A thick silver bezel is present around the circumference of the screen, which has a sensor embedded along the left side. It lets you scroll up and down the menus by brushing the finger. For this reason, the menus are organized vertically.
And the presence of a single physical button on the side means you have to be more reliant on the touchscreen. For sports watches, this feature sometimes can be a bit distracting, since buttons are easier to handle during a workout.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 has an optical heart rate monitor and a pogo pin-style connection on the back. It also packs in a full set of sensors, including a barometric altimeter, compass, GPS sensor, thermometer, and accelerometer.
To get the most out of this smartwatch, pair it with the Garmin Connect app in your iOS or Android app. It will sync all your activities, including workout data, number of steps, heart rate, amount of sleep, etc. Vivoactive 3 is also able to mirror the notifications on your phone.
You can also use the app to set up the Garmin Pay Contactless Payment system. Besides, the app lets you choose your watch face, in case you don’t like the default one.
Moreover, the watch is also water-resistant up to 50 meters, which means you don’t have to take it off for the shower. It gives a full battery backup of seven days in normal mode and 13 hours with the GPS running.
If you are looking for more than just a typical smartwatch, then take the Samsung Galaxy as the perfect pick. The device connects to your iOS or Android device and gives you minute-to-minute notifications along with news updates, sports scores, and much more.
It features a 1.3 inches AMOLED display with 360×360 resolution. With a 1.15 GHz dual-core processor and 768 MB RAM, the Samsung Galaxy gives a ton of amazing features that most smartwatches lack.
This Galaxy smartwatch has clear, responsive, and easy-to-use software from Samsung, which has the option to permanently display the time on the screen. You can even pick a watch face from a massive 60,000 options in the Tizen store.
And its 4 GB internal storage means you can listen to music offline directly from the watch. It is a great option for runners out there. As for the operating system, Samsung Galaxy uses its own Tizen OS that works by rotating the bezel and tapping the touch screen. Its advantage is that you have to swipe the display less often.
Moreover, this device has been specifically designed to be swim-proof. It can withstand pressure up to 50 ATM of both salt and chlorinated water. But make sure to rinse it afterward.
Samsung provides it with a 472 mAh battery cell keeping your active lifestyle in mind. With this much power, you can go on for days without recharging.
One of the major features of this smartwatch is Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby through which you can issue voice commands like “what’s the weather?”, “start workout”, and “play music”. You can even reply to texts using your voice through this assistant.
Pros
Samsung’s Tizen OS with rotating bezel
Voice assistant Bixby included
Integrated music storage with Spotify support
Great battery life with 50 ATM water-resistant smartwatch
One of the most difficult gadgets to get right is a smartwatch. As such, Huawei has fallen short in some of their previous versions of this tech, sometimes concerning software or other times with battery life.
But their GT Sport smartwatch is unlike the previous ones. With a gorgeous and executive look, the device heavily leans toward sports tracking in both its outlooks and works.
Thinner than an average sports watch, the Watch GT is 10.6 mm thick with a 1.39 inch bright and clear AMOLED display. The 454 x 454 pixels resolution of its display is quite higher than a lot of other smartwatches.
It has two buttons on the right edge with a firm click. Apart from the superb-looking smoky black ceramic bezel, its overall practical design will be of great help to any sports fanatic.
An onboard GPS, a heart rate sensor, and its connection to Huawei’s Health app, etc. give you a comprehensive fitness tracking ability.
And one thing that sets this device apart from most other smartwatches is the long battery life. Huawei promises almost two weeks of continuous juice with the heart rate monitor kept on and 90 minutes workout per week. But on average usage, it can even go up to stunning 30 days!
The Watch GT uses its own Lite operating system, which is the company’s first deviation from Google’s Wear OS. Its music storage and other feature-packed hub focus on really refreshing essentials.
This Lite OS runs smoothly and also loads quickly but sometimes has a small lag while scrolling. Besides, you cannot download third-party apps with it. You’re only limited to the basic apps that Huawei provides.
A rugged smartwatch that has all the features of a sports watch comes from Garmin. This outdoor watch takes the best of Fenix and rivals Casio in outlooks.
The watch screams ruggedness with its fiber-reinforced polymer case, which is heavily resistant to scratches. Besides, the chemically strengthened U.S. military standard of 810G thermal glass and 22 mm silicon straps gives you added stretchability and flexibility, not to mention outstanding durability.
This hardcore sports watch weighs 52 grams and measures 45mm across the casing. Its 128 x 128-pixel monochrome display makes it easy to read in the sunlight and also at night.
As for water resistance, this rugged outdoor watch is waterproof up to 100 meters. This is amazing since no other smartwatch we have seen provides this much resistance. Garmin Instinct has a standard 5-button layout, which is clearly labeled. It also has a customizable watch face.
So, you can customize anything from the data screens you view during workouts to widgets. Along with the tracking ability of the big three – running, biking, and swimming, it has over 25 different trackable activities.
It covers almost all the major health and wellness matrices like step counting, calorie-burning, sleep tracking, stair climbing, etc. The stress tacking it offers also gives you relaxing breathing sessions to lower your stress levels. If you become lazy and have been sitting for too long, its ‘move alert’ encourages you to move around.
Garmin claims this Instinct will push out 16 hours of continuous juice with GPS turned on and 40 hours with the optimizing mode. Additionally, the Garmin Connect app is also able to sync and track all your activities, including features like a complete mobile trip planning solution with unlimited cloud storage.
Smartwatches are becoming increasingly fitness-focused day by day. So, if you are a fitness maniac, then you should seriously consider this device.
The Samsung Gear Sport watch is a bit small device with compact dimensions of 44.6 x 42.9 x 11.6 mm. But it has got all the rugged sensibilities of a perfect sports watch. It has a metal body and feels quite okay on the wrist.
With a clear screen and robust glass on top, this device comes with a 1.2-inch super AMOLED display screen that is clear and vibrant, not unexpected from Samsung.
It has a slim design that comes at the cost of the battery size. You cannot expect too much from the 300mAh battery, but it can be pretty impressive as it can last almost three days on average usage. Although this will drop if you are using GPS.
One great reason for buying the Gear Sport is because of its ability to sync offline tracks from Spotify. So, just pair Bluetooth speakers with it, and you’re good to go on a great run!
As for the best waterproof smart watch on Android, this device is water-resistant up to 50 meters. But there is a special water lock mode you need to activate should you plan for a swim.
This smart watch automatically detects your activity, but to use GPS, you have to turn it on manually. Syncing it with its Health app on your Android device can open you to some other fitness features too.
You can even personalize the watch face from hundreds of options in the Gear app on your device. More so, its Tizen operating system is way more user-friendly than the common ones. The circular arrangement of the apps around the edge of the display makes it easier to use them.
The name Fitbit has been synonymous with fitness tracking watches since its inception. Its new model Versa 2 has come with a build quality, which is a total knock off. This device is light, small, and not too heavy.
Therefore, it is very light and fine to wear with a variety of wrist sizes. The case is made from aluminum with a tapered design that hides the bulk of the watch. Its smoother edges and rounded glass give it a great visual.
One important upgrade of Versa 2 compared to its predecessor is the AMOLED screen. It is colorful and bright enough to let you see both indoors and out. The always-on display feature also lets you always see your workout progress and time without draining too much power.
If you are looking for a smart watch that wouldn’t die just after a day, then have the Fitbit Versa 2 as your constant companion. Its excellent battery life can easily last for five days. This is by far more than any other smart watch we’ve reviewed.
Another interesting aspect is that the Versa 2 has a microphone added to it. This gives the watch some limited voice control abilities. There is no speaker, so you can’t really use it to listen to music. But replying to messages through speech-to-voice feature is quite easy.
This microphone works with the Alexa feature, which can be turned on by long-pressing the single side button. You can ask it questions and tell it to do tasks like set timers, show weather or control smart home gadgets, etc.
Fitbit Versa 2 has all the major fitness features including heart rate monitoring, intelligent work out detection, sleep tracking, etc. But one drawback is that it doesn’t have a dedicated GPS system.
Pros
Lightweight and comfy design
Long-lasting battery
Intuitive interface
Accurate fitness and health tracking
Microphone control with Alexa feature
Cons
Doesn’t have dedicated GPS tracking
7. Letsfit ID205L – Best Cheap Waterproof Smart Watch
For a super cheap smart watch, this one turns out to be pretty good. This smart watch claims to be the jack of all trades when it comes to fitness tracking. It monitors your heart rate, has a touch screen sensor, pedometer, sleep monitor, and many more.
ID205L is very lightweight, smooth, and comfortable to wear and has a fair amount of plastic bezel surrounding it.
The device looks a lot like the apple watch with a rectangular shape and a 1.3-inch large touch screen display. So, you can see all the necessary information on it with vivid details. The touchscreen is quite accurate and very responsive. You can easily learn the gestures as they are intuitive.
Letsfit ID205L is also water-resistant up to 5ATM, which lets you avoid any troubles while swimming or showering. Its solid battery life can run for almost 10 days with full charge too. This watch comes with a magnetic charger and has a solid feel to it.
You can even control music with it through its supporting app VeryFitPro which is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The display also shows any incoming messages and notifications in its display. Incoming calls can also be hung up with it.
However, for the downsides, it doesn’t have a built-in GPS system, and very few watch face options to choose from.
Pros
Has all the fitness tracking ability
Almost accurate sleep tracking
Powerful and long-lasting battery life
Smooth touchscreen sensor
Cons
Very few watch faces
8. YAMAY 020 Smart Watch – Waterproof to 50 meters
For an affordable but reliable smartwatch in terms of water resistance, a great choice would be the Yamay 020 smart watch. This watch has waterproof certification, which means you’ll be able to swim with it. However, it won’t track your swimming data.
The watch is made with highly durable TPE material that is a mixture of plastic and rubber. That is why it is able to withstand rough handling. Its highly sensitive HD color screen will give you clear insights into the data. Also, the device is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones and is very easy to use.
This smartwatch also doubles as a great fitness tracker. So, if you’re a fitness enthusiast, this is a great pick for you. This tracker will be your best buddy by tracking all the necessary fitness features like heart rate, step counts, sleep patterns, etc.
And the amazing tracking capability of this watch is because of the precision in counting the calories burned throughout the day and measuring distance covered. Its stunning 14 mode activity tracker allows you to choose any activity among running, jogging, walking, cycling, swimming, sleeping, etc.
Moreover, for those who love meditation, the Yamay smartwatch is an absolute gem! It has a breath guide feature that records reading of your inhale and exhale. Then it uses this data to guide your meditation technique.
Also, this tracking device will track your social media notifications. It lets you access the notifications by connecting all your accounts. With a high-performance battery built-in to the system, you can go on for 6 to 7 days without any problem.
Indeed, having all these cool features with this little price makes the Yamay one of the top options available.
When you look for an all-rounder smart watch, which would also work as your fitness tracker, then you got a solution here. This is the cheapest option in our list but not the least bit less efficient.
The Topffy-0731 comes in a rectangular shape with a power button and volume at the right. On the left, there is a USB charging port and a microphone. Its straps can be removed easily and has a great fit for almost all wrist sizes. In the matter of looks, it fits almost all attires from formal to casual and sporty.
And for the most exciting part, it has got a 1.3M HD camera! Who would’ve thought a tiny wristwatch cum fitness tracker would also include a camera to take photos? You can also access the camera of your phone and take photos remotely.
As for smart watch goes, this beats almost everyone you can think of. What truly amazes us that it also has a place to include an independent sim card in it! You can call and receive calls to your loved ones without even needing the phone. You can check here more smartwatch like this one.
It has also got all the fitness tracking features, including a pedometer, sleep monitor, sedentary reminder, etc. And it has its music storage system you can listen to your favorite songs during workouts. Compatible with iOS and Android, it has up to 33 feet connection range.
You must be thinking, if it does so many of these kinds of stuff, how long will the battery last? Well, the battery is pretty good too. With a full charge, it can easily last for 5 to 7 days on standby mode.
This device is already giving a tough competition to most branded smart watches on the list. Inspired by the design of Apple Watch 3, it has got all the features that you would expect from any fitness tracker on the market and more!
Pros
Internal HD camera
Sim-card slot for making calls
Remote camera controlling option
Independent TF card slot
All social media access
Cons
A small keypad on the screen makes it tough to text
Reading the name, you may have already guessed that this is a device made specifically for runners. It is a smart watch on the face of it, but it also works as a fitness, sleep, and heart rate tracker.
The watch will also connect with your smartphone to notify text messages, calls, or appointments. Although you won’t be able to reply, the feature is still helpful, especially while waiting for phone calls.
So, what makes the Forerunner the best device for runners? Well, the 235 model excels when it comes to tracking runs and distance. Because it supports GPS as well as GLONASS satellites together, increasing the coverage and accuracy. It also works great for other distance-based activities like cycling, jogging, etc.
Even if you’re on the stationary bike or a treadmill, it will accurately track your workouts via the accelerometer and pace data. After each activity, it will review the overall stats, including distance covered, time, average to maximum pace, etc.
It will also track your heart rate throughout the day and show them in a chart which includes current as well as resting heart rate etc.
As for the power, Garmin says the device will last for 11 hours on a full charge in Training mode with the GPS and Heart Rate sensor on. But on regular usage, it might even last for nine days or more.
Pros
Accurate GPS and distance tracking
Extensive heart rate monitoring
Water resistance of 5 ATM
Advanced workout tracking
Displays all phone notifications and texts
Cons
No music player included
Features to Look for Before Buying
When you start to look for the ultimate smartwatch for your needs on the web, you fall into the internet black hole of choices. So, if you really want to buy a great smart watch, here are a few important tips for you to consider.
Know the Purpose
This is a vital decision to make as you will buy a smart watch that serves your purpose. Should you want it for swimming, getting a waterproof one is perfect. Or if you just want to run, then look sports-specific smart watches.
Check Your Balance
Try not to rob yourself up buying the costliest smart watch there is. You should be smart by getting the best value for money while buying a smart device.
Like anything in life, money is always a great deal breaker. Not all the watches in this article are costly, some are really cheap but works like a charm.
Favorite Brand
When you visit the marketplace, be it online or offline, try to look for the brand you prefer or are familiar with. Brands usually make people calm and confident in the product. So, if you have a particular smart watch brand in mind, give preference to that over others.
Choose Your Style
People are more comfortable with things that go with their unique style. Smart watches come in various shapes and sizes with unique style and design.
When you choose a smart watch among many, you have to narrow down the list. And the best way is to give preference to looks. Something that is good on the eye might also be good on your wrist.
Device Compatibility
Since most of the smartwatches are designed as companions to smartphones, you must check its compatibility with your phone before buying. In most of the buyer reviews, the most common complaint is that their device isn’t compatible with the phone.
Display Size
You might not think it to be that important, but it actually is. Smartwatches provide you with lots of information on a tiny device. Its display is usually 10 times smaller than your phone’s.
So, a slightly bigger display will help you notice the information much more clearly.
Buttons or Touch
Opting for a touch screen smart watch seems like a no brainier, but sometimes it can be difficult to target items on a small display. Sometimes there is a lot of swiping involved on the screen to come back to the main watch face from some internal app.
Many brands are following the Apple Watch in this case by offering a combo approach. They have both a touch screen display with a side button on the right.Even though touch screens win out in the smart watch space, but if you love simplicity, physical buttons will also do the trick.
Specifications Of Water Resistant Smartwatch
Because a smart watch offers you a lot of features, it is called smart. The specifications and features that a smart device like this offer are many, and they are useful too. Let’s look at some of the most important ones.
Waterproof
You have to know the difference between waterproof and water-resistant first. Water-resistant means it will resist flashes of water on it. So, if you wash your hands, or there is slight rain or sweat, the watch will hold on its own, but not more than that.
As for a waterproof watch, it can be entirely submerged underwater up to a certain degree. Many smart watches will show they are IP68 rated, which means you can keep the watch 1.5m underwater for half an hour without a problem.
GPS
The next thing you should look for is if the device has a built-in location-based tracking system or GPS. In this case, you won’t need to bring the smartphone with you.
Other models don’t have their own GPS system but use that of the smartphone it is connected with. GPS will help to track all your movements, distance covered, etc.
Media
In the case of smart watches, media refers to the ability to see photos, play videos, and music on the device. You may also find FM radio and recording systems too.
Internal Storage
If your device has media support, then it is necessary to have good internal storage too. Because photos, videos, music, etc. takes up a lot of space. The absence of a good amount of storage will make the media feature valueless. Some watches also have dedicated SD card slots for extra storage.
Notifications
Since your smart watch is running with the smartphone, you are bound to get notifications. And pulling out the phone from your pocket every time is a hassle. Any good smart watch will show notifications from text messages, incoming calls, social networking sites, and emails, etc.
Personalization
This refers to individual customization according to the user’s unique style and taste. Usually, this customization comes in the form of color, different straps, and watch faces.
Good smart watches offer you a choice of straps or the ability to use one from a third party. They also provide you with the feature to change the watch face from a variety of options.Some of the models we have mentioned here offer hundreds of different watch face options.
Battery Life
All the smart watches you see in the market include rechargeable batteries. The life of these batteries varies from brand to brand, model to model. And the branded smartwatches give you better battery life.
But on average, a great smartwatch with lots of amazing features can run almost three to four days on a single charge. Some of the models on our list even go for ten days!
Fitness Tracking Features
Just because you are buying a smart watch doesn’t mean it can’t have great fitness-tracking abilities. In fact, fitness trackers fall into the greater smart watch category.
Let’s look at some of the major fitness tracking features in a smart watch.
Heart Rate Monitoring (HRM)
This one sounds like the best feature ever. There are a few kinds of heart rate monitors, and a built-in one sometimes drives up the price of the watch. But still, this is an amazing feature to have.
And this feature will show the average heart rate in past hours along with maximum and minimum rates in a chart or graph. This way, you can easily adjust your meditation technique or your workouts.
Sleep Tracking
Some smartwatches have dedicated sleep tracking features in it. This works by watching the movement of your body using a three-axis accelerometer during the night. Later on, the watch reports you with a graph showing your light and deep sleep pattern, as well as how much sleep is necessary for you.
Distance Tracking
Another great fitness tracking option is the tracking of distance covered by you while walking or jogging. This works with the help of GPS that is built-in your smartwatch or by using the GPS on your smartphone. And this also helps calculate the number of calories you have burned during the process.
Top-Rated Rugged Smartwatch Brands on the Market
In the previous section, we talked about prioritizing brands while choosing smartwatches. Better known brands provide the best values for money too. Some of the top brands in the smart watch industry are as follows.
Apple
The brand Apple is the pioneer in the smart watch as well as the smartphone industry. In marketing terms, they can be referred to as innovators. Their Apple Watch designs are being replicated by many other brands too. Unfortunately, Apple watches are only compatible with iPhones
Samsung
As good as the Apple watches are, Samsung smart watches aren’t that far behind. In terms of marketing, they are the early adopters. These watches are mostly Android-based and have a lot more features to offer than Apple watches.
Garmin
Garmin watches are becoming popular day by day. There are many Garmin watches to consider, and most of them are good in terms of looks and performance. The variety of their watches means there is something for everyone.
Fitbit
They are one of the best-known names amongst fitness-tracking smartwatches. Having a wide range of trackers in their production makes it tough to choose one. All the Fitbit watches work with the core Fitbit app.
Amazefit
Finding a smartwatch to check every box in your wish list isn’t easy, but Amazfit does it all. Although not as well-known as Fitbit, it keeps growing and is offering plenty of great choices at great prices.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here we have the most commonly asked queries regarding waterproof smartwatches:
Which smart watches are waterproof?
Almost all the smartwatches today are made waterproof or at least water-resistant. As for Fitbit watches, all of them are waterproof up to 50 meters except the Fitbit Ace.
What is the best waterproof smartwatch?
Finding only one best smartwatch is almost as tough as finding a needle in a haystack. But the models we have discussed in this article are waterproof to a great degree, and with all the necessary features combined, they are the best in the market.
How to get music on a kid’s waterproof smart watch?
If you want to upload music on your kid’s smart watch, you’ll need to pull out the micro SD card from it. A smart watch usually doesn’t have any USB port. The only way to transfer music is to upload music the SD card and fix it back to the watch.
Kids’ smartphones have internet access to them as well as GPS trackers. But if the internet doesn’t become available even after inserting a sim card into the watch, then you might need to set the correct APN from the operator.
To set the APN, you have to test the settings to the watch in the format advised by the manufacturer. You can also find the APN parameters using Google by searching APN settings for the operator of the sim.
Which Garmin smart watch is waterproof?
All of the Garmin made smart watches have some form of water-resistant capability to them. But the Vivosmart HR and Vivoactive 3 have the best waterproofing ability.
Final Words
Now that you have taken in all the information for the best waterproof smart watch and know our top picks, it should be a piece of cake to buy your next smart companion.
Hi there! My name is Jared Orkin and I am the owner of smartwatchpicks.com. With 5 years of experience in the smartwatch and wearable tech industry, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. I am dedicated to providing in-depth and informative reviews, guides, and analyses on the latest smartwatches and wearable technology.
My aim is to help my readers make informed decisions and find the best product that suits their needs and lifestyle.
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