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Daniel Carter
- 20 Mins Read
Not all fitness trackers stand up to moisture. Some only handle splashes, while others dive into deeper waters without missing a beat. The best fitness trackers on this list are sealed and submersible — they allow you to withstand a sustained soak without any damage. Whether it’s for swimming, diving, or water aerobics, the right tracker makes a real difference. Models built for diving and high-velocity water sports require more protection than standard wearables.
For this roundup, we tested and gathered the best waterproof fitness trackers across form factors — from watches and bands to rings and goggles — to give you a variety of options that suit your aquatic activities. Our top pick is the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which earns the title of best waterproof smartwatch thanks to its diving features, auto-depth tracking, and native and third-party app support — a formidable choice for serious water athletes.
Our expertise in fitness allows us to provide the best information on waterproof fitness trackers. Our team includes certified personal trainers, competitive athletes, coaches, and other experts who give you honest and expert opinions on wearable fitness technology.
We spent time testing out waterproof fitness trackers and graded their water resistance, rated from 1 to 5, alongside other key features that matter in and out of the water.
What we evaluated:
- Aesthetics and Design: What colorways and designs are available?
- Adjustability: Does the sizing and fit accommodate different people?
- Technological Capabilities: What metrics and other features does the fitness tracker incorporate?
- Durability: How is the fitness tracker built out? And what’s the battery life?
- Value: Does the price make sense for the features and functionality you’re getting?
Quick List
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Garmin Forerunner 970
- Hume Band
- Huawei Watch 5
- Oura Ring Gen 3
- Garmin Venu 3
- Amazfit Active 2
- Fitbit Inspire 3
Apple Watch Series 10
- Waterproof Rating: 5ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
The mid-range Series 10 proves itself as a good pool/water companion that punches above its class. It covers distance covered, lengths, average pace, and stroke detection through its dedicated workout app features, and supports multiple swimming modes, including pool swim, open water swim, and multisport for triathlons — something previous generations handled less gracefully, and a gap that separates it clearly from Ultra’s exclusive features.
The Series 10 lets you customize your sessions and set up proper pool intervals using its built-in depth sensor and water temperature sensor. It even supports snorkeling through the Oceanic+ app and the Depth app — though it can’t go on deep dives like with the Ultra.
The ultra-wide display stays inactive during swimming activities, which keeps the watch protected. When you raise your arm out of the water, you can check real-time progress at a glance.
In terms of accuracy, the Series 10 holds its own well for everyday athletes, even if it doesn’t quite match dedicated sports watches for a competitive swimming experience. Core data is strong — you get distance, lap counts, and average pace — and control testing confirmed the numbers are reliable. It’s comfortable to wear in water, and the Apple Activity app keeps all your swim history organized in one place.
As an annual refresh, the Series 10 lands as an excellent option for years to come for anyone who wants a capable, waterproof Apple Watch without stepping up to Ultra pricing.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
- Waterproof Rating: 5 ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
The Galaxy Watch 8 brings several incremental updates, but together they add up to a significant step forward — making this the most compelling mid-range smartwatch Samsung has released in a while. The integration of Google Gemini as an intelligent AI assistant on your wrist makes it capable of handling complex queries, from workout planning to health summaries.
It comes in two sizes (40mm and 44mm) with a new ‘cushion’ case design borrowed from the Ultra model, giving it a cleaner, more refined look. The AMOLED display is brighter and sharper than before, and subtle UI improvements to the Wear OS software make it smoother and more intuitive to navigate day-to-day.
GPS accuracy and heart rate tracking are impressively accurate, even during intense exercise. With its 5 ATM rating, it’s fully Waterproof up to 50 meters and accurately tracks pool and open water swims. It monitors key metrics, including distance, strokes, lap time, and SWOLF for swimming efficiency, and its accuracy in the water is solid for a smartwatch in this category.
The series’s biggest weakness remains battery life. Daily charging is a reality here, and those battery limitations will frustrate users who want to track multi-day adventures. That said, battery limitations aside, the Galaxy Watch 8 is a resounding success — the polished design, accurate heart rate sensor, and utility of Google Gemini make it an appealing option for waterproof Wear OS smartwatch shoppers, especially if you own a Samsung phone and can access the extra health features.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Waterproof Rating: 10 ATM (100m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
- Dive: EN13319
The Ultra 2 sits at the top of the list of ultimate waterproof smartwatches. Rated 10ATM and suitable for diving with EN13319 certification, it’s a few lengths ahead of competitors on this list.
When you go submerged in water, the watch automatically switches into dive computer mode, giving you a live depth reading in an easy-to-read view for dives up to 40m. It integrates directly with the Oceanic+ app, making it a specialist tool that serious divers and snorkelers find well catered to their needs. The Ocean strap is a favorite among users over the standard-issue bands.
It delivers excellent tracking — clearly a step above what you get with the standard Series 10 and Apple Watch SE models. The trade-off is that it’s an entirely different beast to wear. The 49mm case runs chunky on the wrist, and for women, it can feel more uncomfortable than a standard-sized watch.
Battery stretches across day(s) of use comfortably — one of the best in its class. It carries strong outdoor vibes but handles the mundanities of everyday wear just as well.
Garmin Forerunner 970
- Waterproof Rating: 5 ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
The Forerunner family shares strong similarities in swimming tracking across its lineup — whether you go for the flagship 970, mid-tier 570, or entry-level 165, you get a lightweight design built for serious training.
In the pool or open water, both workouts on the 570 and 970 (and their last-gen versions) let you train and race the triathlon or tackle swim-run sessions. The different versions offer the right fit depending on your screen size preference and training demands.
Performance and accuracy stand out clearly. Metrics including distance, pace, stroke count, and SWOLF scores are tracked with precision, matching what you’d expect from a dedicated sports watch at this price range.
Battery life is impressive across this sports watch family, though the size of the case matters — the higher-priced Forerunner will last longer between charges. As a solid companion for endurance athletes, the Forerunner 970 is feature-rich and accurate, offering plenty of smarts and tracking insights to support serious training.
Oura Ring Gen 3
- Waterproof Rating: 10 ATM (100m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
Swimmers who prefer a ring over a wristwatch or band tracker will find the Oura Ring Gen 3 a compelling choice. The battery lasts 7 days and charges in 20 minutes. It’s water resistant up to 100 m, monitoring heart rate, oxygen saturation levels, and skin temperature. It can track your sleep patterns and suggest improvements based on your data.
More waterproof options exist at this price, but few match the Oura’s ability to withstand pressures at depths of up to 100 meters in a fitness tracker ring that’s far less clunky than a watch or band.
The ring will develop scratches with daily wear, and it does offer Limited statistics compared to full smartwatches. It’s also comparably expensive for what you get.
That said, as a fitness tracker that’s subtle and sleek, it works well as an alternative to the traditional wrist tracker. The Oura Ring stands out as a great alternative option — its stylish frame fits comfortably on most fingers, compiling holistic health insights around the clock.
It’s most popular for sleep tracking. For sleep insights, you get a score based on REM cycles, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) during the night, along with tracking of wakeful moments throughout the night. The sleep score and recovery score are very useful for helping you gauge and adjust your workouts.
The ring isn’t large enough for a display, so you rely on the app on your smart device. A monthly subscription costs under $6 per month — not a terrible price, though the subscription may deter some users. For sleep tracking alone or as a low-profile waterproof ring, it may be worth the cost.
Hume Band
- Water Resistance: IP68
- Pool and Open Water: Only Occasionally
The Hume Band is an interesting inclusion on this list because it’s not a traditional smartwatch with a feature-rich display. It takes a different approach by stripping away constant notifications and display interaction, focusing instead on passive biometric tracking and delivering health insights through its companion app.
It carries an IP68 rating for water resistance up to one meter for up to two hours, making it suitable for sweat, showers, and brief immersion in water. However, it doesn’t carry an ATM rating, which we’d usually look for in dedicated swim watches — so it’s water-resistant but not a true swim-first wearable.
That makes it not our top recommendation for swimmers who need advanced pool metrics. But as a discreet wearable built around recovery, stress management, and health data, it serves a specific type of user well.
Rather than focusing on pace or lap counts, the Hume Band helps you understand sleep, training load, routine, and recovery — tracking how these factors are affecting energy levels and body stress. If you’re trying to improve habits and avoid burnout, this band offers a clearer picture of recovery than most wearables at this size. That focused purpose may well appeal to the right user.
Huawei Watch 5
- Waterproof Rating: 5 ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
- Dive: EN13319
Huawei builds some genuinely stylish smartwatches, and the Watch 5 carries on the brand’s legacy of exceptional hardware design with a premium, classic watch aesthetic paired with a deep suite of native health features — though it does come as a more expensive option than Huawei’s Fit line.
The standout feature is the stunning LTPO AMOLED display — incredibly bright and sharp — alongside a side-mounted X-Tap sensor that enables fast health checks without navigating through menus.
GPS performance and heart rate tracking are reliable, even if they fall short of the precision needed for serious athletes. In terms of durability, the IP69 rating and freediving capability up to 40 meters make it a capable companion in the pool or the sea.
It’s not suitable for hot showers or scuba diving, but its overall waterproof package handles laps, calories, distance, speed, SWOLF, swim stroke rate, and frequency effectively across both pool and open water sessions.
The primary compromise is HarmonyOS. The experience is fluid, but the app ecosystem is limited, with patchy payment support and a lack of third-party apps compared to Wear OS or watchOS.
Garmin Venu 3
- Waterproof Rating: 5 ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
The Garmin Venu 3 is a strong choice in the mid-range category — an excellent all-rounder that balances two things well: a sporty smartwatch with enough fitness depth to satisfy active users, and a fairly basic sports profile that won’t overwhelm casual athletes who want low-level data for running and cycling alongside an excellent array of swimming metrics.
Garmin has long led the way in stroke detection, and the Venu 3 tracks backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle automatically. It handles length tracking and the SWOLF metric alongside continuous heart rate monitoring — even underwater, using its optical sensor.
As a wellness watch, it delivers in-depth metrics: a sleep coach, Morning Report, HRV Status, Body Battery, stress tracking, respiration, and heart rate give you a full picture of how your body is performing day and night.
It comes in two sizes (45mm and 41mm) in varied colors. Battery life ranges from several days up to longer, with the AOD disabled, and exact figures depend on the model size you choose.
Amazfit Active 2
- Waterproof Rating: 5 ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
The Amazfit Active 2 delivers a decent swimming experience at a budget price tag, making it easy to recommend for anyone who wants water-ready fitness tracking without a premium spend.
Pool swimming is automatically detected, and the bright AMOLED display is well-suited to keeping up with metrics during tracking of open water or pool swims. It logs distance covered, swim duration, and calories burned, along with average pace, speed, and strokes per minute — core data that covers distance, lap counts, and average pace comprehensively.
The Amazfit app plays nicely with Strava, making it a great place to record and review swimming data alongside your other training activities.
As a workout companion, it also serves runners well, with readiness assessments that help you gauge when to work out and when fatigue is building up.
It lacks third-party apps, payments, and streaming music support — but it’s tough to argue with what you get at this price.
Fitbit Inspire 3
- Waterproof Rating: 5 ATM (50m)
- Pool and Open Water: Yes
An affordable fitness tracker available in 3 colorways with up to 10 days of battery life. It’s water resistant up to 50 m, and the Thin, slim design features an improved screen that stands out for a tracker at this price point.
It tracks heart rate and steps, delivers sleep scores and stress scores, and automatically detects the number of lengths in the pool. You can also start and stop sessions manually through the Exercise app for more control over your workouts.
On aesthetics and design, the Inspire 3 delivers a streamlined look with a color touchscreen. It runs small — roughly the size of a bracelet — which means it can be difficult to see and read during a workout.
There’s no GPS tracking on board, but as a powerful fitness tracker that packs tons of metrics and solid water resistance at 5 ATM, it remains the standout budget-friendly waterproof device for swimming and pool exercises.
Benefits of Waterproof Fitness Trackers
Waterproof fitness trackers offer real benefits that go beyond just surviving a splash. Here’s why the waterproof features actually matter:
Ease of Use
When you wear a standard tracker, you often forget to take off your fitness tracker before washing the dishes — and if the tracker doesn’t have water resistance, that moment can be detrimental to your tracker. Waterproof fitness trackers protect your tracker whether you’re washing dishes or in the shower, making them a genuinely convenient piece of fitness technology. You never have to worry about whether to leave your tracker on or off — it’s protected either way.
Water Sports and Exercises
The biggest benefit of waterproof fitness trackers is what they unlock for swimmers, divers, and people who participate in water sports. They double as activity trackers — waterproof fitness trackers can track your underwater activities in ways a standard device simply can’t. The ability to measure swimming workouts across different modes — pool swim, open water swim, and multisport for triathlons — extends to specific water activities like water aerobics, water polo, and more.
Better Recovery
Fitness trackers provide more than workout data. They include sleep tracking features that give you insights on how to improve your sleep — tracking your REM cycles and light and deep sleep to deliver a recovery score that helps you determine how well-rested you are from the previous day. Many also function as sleep trackers that offer tips and pointers on improving your sleep hygiene, such as avoiding blue light before bed and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule.
Goal Tracking
If you have a hard time meeting your goals, tracking your progress can be a huge motivator. Fitness trackers provide personalized feedback that helps individuals stay motivated and change habits and behavior over time. That kind of consistent nudge is a big help when it comes to efficient goal setting and tracking — whether you’re chasing lap counts or weekly step targets.
What to Look for in Waterproof Fitness Trackers
Before you purchase a waterproof fitness tracker or health tracker, there are specific features and things to consider that will help you make the right call.
Water Resistance
Water resistance works on a rating system based on atmospheric pressure. Swim-friendly fitness trackers are built to protect against water pressure down to a certain depth.
When shopping for a waterproof fitness tracker, look for at least 5 ATM or 10 ATM for solid activity tracking in the water. Professional scuba divers need a higher rating that can last the pressures and water at deeper depths.
Keep in mind that a resistance rating won’t be permanent. Over time, a watch or band ages, and its seals can become brittle, raising the possibility of leaks. Heat and impact also affect the seals. To best protect your fitness tracker, it’s recommended not to use it in a sauna. It may be possible to use lower water resistance settings for sauna use if the water resistance rating is high enough — but for the best preservation, limit or avoid sauna use altogether.
ATM Rating Guide:
- 1 ATM: Equivalent to 10 m depth; essentially not waterproof
- 3 ATM: Equivalent to 30 m depth; protects against light splashes, but still not durable enough for swimming or home sauna use
- 5 ATM: 50 m depth; can handle showering and surface water swimming, although not recommended for lengthy periods
- 10 ATM: 100 m depth; handles swimming and open water snorkeling, but not scuba diving
- 20 ATM: 200 m depth; suitable for scuba diving, although not deep diving
- 30 ATM: 300 m depth; works for deep diving and professional diving
Battery Life
Battery performance varies from product to product. More tracking and real-time data means more power usage — intensive smartwatches can last less than 24 hours under heavy use. Fitness trackers with extensive batteries are capable of lasting a week or longer, and the tracking modes you choose can change the length of battery life significantly.
Traditional smartwatches typically need charging every couple of days, while fitness-focused watches can last a week or more. That difference is better suited for triathlon training or holiday use, where charging access isn’t guaranteed.
Display Size
Think about what you want your tracker to do. If you’re interested in viewing your data during or after a workout, or want to keep an eye on your laps in the pool, look for a tracker with a bright screen that’s capable of responding to your strokes underwater.
Metrics, Activities, and Features
If you’re a swimmer looking for a sports watch, swim tracking capability should be near the top of your list. The best smartwatches and fitness trackers handle metrics and activities that go well beyond step counts. Most of the trackers on this list act as pedometers that track your step count throughout the day, but also track workouts across multiple sports modes, including specific water sports available for tracking.
Look for heart rate tracking and other metrics like sleep tracking, stress levels, and blood oxygen levels. Some have more basic metrics, while others provide more detailed data for serious athletes. Built-in GPS is ideal — some trackers only work when connected to your smartphone, while others include it natively. Other smart features like text and call notifications and calendar reminders can be useful if you want a tracker that works both in and out of the water.
Third-Party Apps
Apps for swim trackers have improved significantly. They upgrade the overall experience through features and analytics that built-in apps don’t always cover. Third-party swim apps offer online communities, programmed workouts, and a detailed dashboard where you can review and analyze your data. These apps connect with your smart watch or fitness trackers to give you a deeper look at your performance over time.
Cost
Prices vary wildly — from under $100 to over $1,000. The metrics you get from gadget to gadget differ, and several aspects impact the price: durability, battery life, and waterproof rating all play a role. Whatever your fitness goals, make sure your fitness tracker purchase fits within your budget. Many brands offer financing options to help spread the upfront cost if needed.
How We Picked and Tested the Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers
We looked at top fitness trackers across the market, covering a wide range of brands and price ranges, to make sure we had some decent experience across the full lineup of waterproof fitness trackers.
After testing out each option, we rate the following features to build our assessments, along with the warranty, return policies, and customer service offered by each brand.
Aesthetics and Design
With a band, watch, or ring on, you look in the mirror. How stylish it looks matters. We look at the design and style of each fitness tracker — the number and aesthetics of each colorway — to assess whether it’s a device people will actually want to wear.
Adjustability
We assess how easily you can adjust the fitness tracker for proper sizing, what different sizes are available, and whether adjustments can be made to comfortably fit a range of users.
Technological Capabilities
We look at what metrics the tracker can measure, how accurate it is, and how many workout profiles it can track across different activity types.
Durability
We evaluate each fitness tracker’s durability, taking note of the aspects of the build — the materials used, the general feel, and the tracker’s construction — alongside battery life and the overall longevity of the tracker.
Community
The apps associated with fitness trackers often include a robust community with features to connect to other users, helping with motivation and accountability. We check whether any of these features are present and assess the ease of use.
Value
The cost of the fitness tracker needs to match the features, functionality, and durability on offer. Looking at the product as a whole helps us determine whether the price is competitive against similar fitness trackers and whether the price makes sense for what you’re getting out of it.
After rating each fitness tracker, we look at water resistance ratings. Those with lackluster ratings get tossed to the side in favor of more durable options. We aimed for a water resistance rating of at least 50 meters to determine which watches fit the criteria for our top picks — and then created the list you have before you.
Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers: FAQs
Fitness trackers built for swimming perform well in the water — but not all are built for it. Always look at the water resistance rating, which is presented as either atmospheric pressure (ATM) or a specific depth. A rating of 5 ATM or 50 meters is ideal for light surface swimming, while anything higher is suitable for longer sessions. Trackers rated less than 5 ATM can resist light splashes but are not considered truly waterproof for swim use.
The best fitness tracker for pool swimming and water activities will depend on the types of swimming activities you’re using it for. It’s important to note the water resistance level and match it to the type of activities it’s suited for — from casual lap swimming to open water racing and triathlons.
Water resistance is an indication of the amount of pressure a device can endure before leaking and receiving water damage. The rating is expressed in atmospheric pressure (ATM), which gives you the equivalency of depth in meters. 1 ATM (10 meters) is typically not waterproof, and contact with water should mostly be avoided. Five ATM (50 meters) offers limited waterproof protection — enough to endure light splashes and surface swimming for limited periods of time. Ten ATM opens up swimming and snorkeling, while you’ll want a higher rating for scuba diving or deep diving.
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