Introduction
Waterproof fitness trackers have become wildly popular in the last ten years, and knowing which one will be the best for you very much depends on your requirements. While having a lot of choices is a luxury, it can equally be overwhelming. Differentiating between the top brands can be a minefield. Luckily, Superwatches is here to help you navigate that choice.
One requirement that could make or break your decision is waterproofing. Even if you’re not physically underwater, simply running on a treadmill creates sweat, and, over time, this can damage your fitness tracker. So we’ve come up with a list of the best waterproof fitness trackers in 2022 which allow you to get caught in the rain, forget you’ve got it on in the shower, or swim laps in the pool without worry.
As brands compete for the top spot in the market, wearables are getting better and better. As such, standards are incredibly high, and new developments are fast.
Basic trackers are used to tracking calories burned, steps taken, and your heart rate (though this last one wasn’t even a given). Later, we saw the introduction of built-in GPS and music storage. Now we seem to be getting used to seeing VO2 Max, ECG reading, blood pressure monitoring, stress tracking, recovery time, and much more.
But the one thing that ensures your device offers longevity and durability is waterproofing. Triathletes need trackers that automatically switch sports modes from running to cycling to swimming. Ditto those who go through a heavy lifting session and cool down with a yoga class. Some watches are specially designed for a given sport; you can even get watches for golf!
So, here is our list of the 20 best waterproof fitness trackers for 2022:
Garmin Instinct 2
When it comes to the original Instinct’s robust shell and high-contrast dual-screen display, the Garmin Instinct 2 improves on those aspects while also injecting some fun into the design. Additionally, the watch comes in a smaller 40mm casing size and a slew of new colours, as well as advanced fitness training capabilities and personalised workout recommendations.
It doesn’t have the best mapping capabilities, but that’s a tiny price to pay for the device’s impressive battery life. For those looking for a watch that is both practical and fun to wear, this is the best option.
Pros
- Sizes to choose from
- Although they’ve slimmed down, they’re still very tough
- The most recent and most effective methods of training
- Exceptional GPS monitoring
- Battery life that lasts a long time
Cons
- Maps don’t look good on this device
Garmin Fenix 7
New training tools for the Fenix 7 have been carefully crafted to make them more accessible for a broader variety of athletes, making it Garmin’s most advanced multi-sports watch to date, You can easily see how your workouts have impacted your fitness over the long term by looking at stats like your stamina and training load. This includes swimming, as the device comes with a 10ATM rating.
The new touchscreen is a nice feature for perusing menus, but users who prefer the five-button navigation on the Fenix series can turn it off. With no added weight, battery life has increased significantly, and mapping tools have been dramatically improved. There is one notable omission from the Fenix 7 Plus: a microphone for using your phone’s voice assistant and making phone calls.
Pros
- A wide range of innovative training aids are now available to the general public
- Extra-tough design VS. superior navigation apps
Cons
- There is no microphone for hands-free calling on this display
- More expensive than Fenix 6, but still less expensive
Garmin Epix 2
The Garmin Epix (Gen 2) sports watch takes Garmin’s most cutting-edge sports tracking technology and packs it into an ultra-rugged and stylish 47mm body, with an AMOLED display and 10ATM rating. For those who aren’t blown away by the Fenix 7, this is the watch to buy.
Although the Epix (Gen 2) delivers respectable battery life, it falls well short of the Fenix 7’s due to its more energy-efficient design. It’s up to you to determine if beauty or longevity is more important to you.
Pros
- The AMOLED display is stunning
- Tracking your fitness in a way that is both sophisticated and easy to use
- Accurate GPS and high-quality maps are required for this
Cons
- Faster drain on a single charge compared to the Fenix 7
- It’s the priciest Garmin ever!
Fitbit Charge 5
The latest Fitbit Charge model has round-the-clock tracking, including activity and advanced sleep tracking, plus all the bells and whistles you’ve come to expect from Fitbit in a state-of-the-art box.
The built-in GPS is reliable, as is the touchscreen, even when you have clammy hands. This is a superb option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly fitness tracker covering all the basics. It’ll even give you VO2 Max, maps, and other cool statistics.
You’ll get seven days between charges but be careful when using GPS mode as this will drain it.
The Fitbit Charge 5 has a waterproof rating of 5ATM (50 meters).
Pros
- Great watch for both health and fitness tracking.
- Accurate activity detection
- Accurate sleep tracking and stats
Cons
- None for now
Garmin Forerunner 55
While the Forerunner 55 is typically a great entry-level running watch, it doesn’t stop it from being great for off-land sports as well.
The 55 offers a good range of workout suggestions, including pool swims, and recovery time suggestions, and is very easy to use. It is also very reasonably priced, considering it was only released in June of this year.
The battery life is quite good, giving up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours when using GPS. It does lack some of the advanced features you see on other Garmin devices, however as we said before, this is an entry-level watch. You can still take advantage of an accelerometer and optical heart rate sensors, stress monitoring, smart notifications, and control over your smartphone’s music playback.
Pros
- Easy to use interface
- Good running tools
- Reasonable budget
Cons
- No open water swim tracking
- No ECG
Apple Watch Series 7
Apple remains firmly at the top spot of popular smartwatches. The latest model, the Apple Watch 7, isn’t a massive leap from its predecessor but comes with some advanced fitness features.
It comes in either 41mm or 45mm sizes and has a bigger screen than the Series 5. You can opt for Bluetooth (5.), Wi-Fi, or 4G LTE versions.
![Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS 41mm] Smart Watch w/Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport...](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31AlgnUntuL._SL160_.jpg)
It offers the latest S6 chip, ECG reading, blood oxygen tracking, fall detection, and an always-on display.
The chip means it’s faster than previous versions but doesn’t drain the battery life (though there’s no improvement here, it’s still around 18 hours).
It has a water-resistance rating of 5ATM, which means 50 meters underwater. It’s also ISO standard 22810:2010 certified, meaning you can take it shallow water swimming indoor or outdoor, including the ocean.
Pros
- Probably the most feature-rich, advanced smartwatch on the market
- Works faster and charges 33% faster than the Series 6
- Blood oxygen sensor, ECG and accurate onboard GPS
- The most popular, well-known brands. Great support and compatibility.
Cons
- As with all Apple models, the battery life isn’t great
- No blood pressure tracking – see why it is important
Apple Watch SE 2
Although the Apple Watch SE 2 does not technically belong on a list of the best waterproof fitness trackers, it is water-resistant, allowing you to use it while swimming up to a depth of 50 metres. However, this watch is not designed to be worn underwater for lengthy periods of time.
This model’s water resistance is not guaranteed when used in high-velocity water sports like scuba diving, kayaking, bathing beneath a waterfall, or waterskiing, according to Apple’s official statement.
The watch was given a 50-meter rating after being submerged for a brief period of time under static pressure. As this is not an aggressive standard, the test is not technically “waterproof”. As such, the true underwater life expectancy for the Apple Watch Series SE is unknown at this time.
If we follow the rules, you should be able to submerge the Apple Watch SE 2for 30 minutes if the water is less than 5 metres deep. Despite the fact that you are capable of going to a depth of 50 metres without endangering your watch, that time will be considerably shorter.
Swimming is a sport that requires a lot of movement, which means that the watch on your hand will be subjected to a lot of stress. As a result, swimming near the surface for a long period is good, but you should be more careful about the safety of your watch as the depth increases.
Do you know if the Apple Watch SE 2 is truly water-resistant?
To the best of Apple’s knowledge, swimming is considered a shallow-water sport, therefore the watch’s water resistance membrane is safe for lengthy periods of time in the ocean. However, don’t use it for deep-sea diving because pressure increases with increasing ocean depth.
What does the rating mean for the SE 2?
Apple Watch SE is water-resistant up to 50 metres, but it also offers a slew of useful capabilities that will come in handy while you’re in the water. It’s as if it has a built-in heart rate monitor that you may use at any moment.
The automated heart notifications and the fall detection, both of which are tailored for swimming exercise apps, are two of the app’s best features. If you suffer a heavy fall, the fall detection function will send an alert to emergency services.
How can I waterproof my Apple Watch?
In order to protect the water-resistant membrane that protects your apple watch from damage, you cannot make it waterproof by doing anything foolish. If the membrane or layer is damaged as a result, Apple will not be able to restore your warranty.
Is the Apple Watch water-resistant?
It’s important to note that the Apple Watch is just water-resistant, not waterproof, thus it doesn’t matter if the water lock is enabled or not if the watch is submerged.
Nevertheless, if the water lock is properly set up, it is unlikely that water from a nearby pool or the ocean would enter the speakers or internals. Once you’ve finished bathing or swimming, simply unlock the water mode on your Apple Watch, and the device will drain itself completely.
Read next: 2022 Apple Watch Comparison – Compare All the Models
Garmin Forerunner 945
The Forerunner range is one of the most popular from Garmin. The latest Garmin Forerunner 945 has had a facelift and now offers style and function.
It comes with built-in storage for up to 1000 songs, contactless payment, barometric altimeter, and menstrual tracking. As it’s a Garmin, it naturally offers an excellent training mode that provides in-depth data on heat, altitude, acclimation status, aerobic and anaerobic training effects, and recovery time.
Weighing in at 50g, you won’t even notice this wearable. This is impressive, considering the punch it packs. You’ll get up to 36 hours between charges if you’re using GPS mode, but less if you’re using the music function.
The Forerunner 945 is expensive, though. So, if you like the sound of all this but it’s not within budget, check out the Forerunner 45 instead.
This is another 5ATM rated watch.
Pros
- Decent 36 hour battery life in GPS mode
- Store and play music from your wrist
Cons
- Expensive
- Only comes in one colour
Garmin Venu Sq
Budget fitness watches have a budget look. Actually, they used to. Nowadays, we’re getting more and more styles thrown in. Enter the Garmin Venu Sq.
With this tracker, you get reliable GPS tracking, some basic running metrics like cadence and laps, VO2 Max, an optical heart rate monitor, and customized data pages. What’s more, it has a Pulse Ox sensor to measure your blood oxygen saturation. If you’re interested in storing music on board, this will cost you a little extra.
As with the others on this list, the waterproof rating is 5ATM.
Pros
- Good looking fitness tracker
- Sensors for advanced tracking not commonly seen at this price
Cons
- Doesn’t play music without paying extra
Suunto 3 Fitness
The Suunto 3 is a reliable and contemporary tracker. It looks as sleek as it functions. Once you put in your basic data like height, weight, and age, you will have a simple weekly training plan. This is a mix of workouts and rest days. If you put this watch into its Personal Training mode, you can get an overview of your workouts and when your rest days are.
Based on your VO2 Max data and resting heart rate, this tracker will make revisions to your plan to keep your fitness level improving as time goes on. This could be more intense or putting you on a rest day over the weekend when you can get some more sleep to recover. You’re able to look over your workouts afterwards and scroll through the basics as distance travelled and recovery time is needed.
The Suunto 3 is waterproof to 30m, so there’s no need to remove it before showering or swimming.
Pros
- Accurate heart rate
- A lot of data available on your wrist without needing the app
Cons
- Sadly, no built-in GPS
Read our full review of Suunto 3 here.
Suunto 7
The Suunto 7 is a fantastic all-rounder if you’re looking for a mid-range GPS sports watch or for frequent workouts.
Pool and open water swimming profiles are available, including speed and distance data for each. Underwater, the heart rate sensor offers precise readings, and the watch keeps track of your swimming stroke duration, type, and count. Recovery tools assist you in properly planning your training to get the most out of each exercise, and a diary is available for monitoring.
Our exercise data synced fast in our testing, and the app made it simple to go through them afterwards to identify patterns. You can operate the watch hands-free with voice commands (through Google Assistant), which is always a nice touch.
You’ll have to have both the Suunto app and Google Fit loaded on your phone, which is a bit more work than we’d like but not too bad. The Suunto 9 is a more complex gadget, but at this price range, the 7 is hard to match.
Pros
- Mid-range cost
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Relies on apps for full functionality
Suunto 5 Peak
You’ll get quick access to sports and outdoor functions, long battery life, and music settings with this little GPS watch. It also monitors your sleep patterns and your overall health and well-being during the day and night.
The Suunto 5 Peak has a long-lasting battery life despite its small size. There is no need to recharge frequently, as a full battery may last for up to seven days with daily activity and sleep monitoring as well as three hours of training with precise GPS. Selecting the tour option allows you to track your whereabouts for up to 100 hours.
With its lightweight and compact, comfortable fit, long-lasting construction, and water-resistant capabilities, this watch is the ideal partner for your active daily routine.
If you can think of a workout, there’s probably a built-in mode for it. An additional motivational tool is adaptive training coaching and fitness tracking. With sleep, recovery, and stress tracking, it’s easy to make sure you recover well. Your training, everyday activities, and sleep are all summarised in the Suunto app.
As a Suunto app user, you may quickly break out of your daily routine and explore new destinations near or distant. Investigate the heatmaps if you’re looking for a calm place to meditate. Adding routes to your watch is as simple as plugging in your smartphone. You’ll never get lost again thanks to your watch’s built-in GPS and turn-by-turn navigation. The breadcrumb function will help you find your way back if you get lost.
The perfect companion
You may adjust the volume, pause, and skip to the tunes that carry you farther with music controls on your wrist. Go ahead and plug in your headphones to your phone. Find playlists at different times of the day on our Suunto Spotify channel: sunrise, sunset, and midnight.
Early risers might benefit from the dawn alarm, which helps them get out of bed earlier than the sun. If you want to take in the sunset while you’re out doing some outdoor activities, use a sunset alarm. It’s a great way to travel back home or to your final destination before it gets dark.
Connect your Suunto 5 Peak to the Suunto app to keep tabs on your daily activities and sleep patterns, as well as your overall activity and adventure trends over time. Your finest achievements may be easily shared and connected with others in the Suunto network. At a glance, see all of your incoming phone calls, texts, and alerts. Using the Suunto app is simple and straightforward.
Is the Suunto 5 Peak waterproof?
Similarly to the SE, we’re being a bit cheeky calling this one of the best waterproof fitness trackers. It’s classified as water-resistant to 30 metres, which is a decrease from the 50-meter rating of the Suunto 5 (surprising considering robust design has traditionally been one of Suunto’s stronger strengths). This indicates it might be immersed in water to that depth in principle, although most watch merchants and manufacturers advise that timepieces with this certification should be considered “splashproof”.
Suunto goes against its usual narrative here and has supplied the 5 Peak with profiles for swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and even kitesurfing.
The firm claimed that their experience in creating diving watches means you can securely immerse the watch to the full 30 metres in real-world use.
Fitbit Inspire 2
The Fitbit Inspire 2 isn’t a top-end fitness tracker, but this brand is synonymous with quality. You’ll struggle to do better than this for less than $100.
It has a subtle aesthetic. It offers menstrual health tracking and sleep tracking, to name two more advanced features underneath the hood. If you enter what you consume during the day, it’ll offer a calorie analysis. There are 20 goal-orientated workout modes to choose from. And if you sit down for too long, it’ll buzz to remind you to get up. When you start to work out, it’ll automatically pick up on the sport you’re doing and run the appropriate analysis.
This smartwatch is waterproof to 50ATM.
Pros
- Incredible 10 day battery life
- Reliable brand
Cons
- Smaller screen
- No built-in GPS
Fitbit Sense 2
The Fitbit Sense arrived in late 2022, and it’s been giving the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 2 a run for its money.
This is a smart fitness watch with big dreams, specifically, for your wellbeing. It has as much concern over your mental state as your physical. It has an ECG sensor to detect irregularities with your heart rate, but stress monitoring is where it really shines, offering mindfulness and meditation sessions. Although these are only for Fitbit Premium subscribers, you get six months free to try it.
Naturally, as it’s a Fitbit, you’ll get excellent fitness tracking, with a particular note given to the heart rate zones. There are many sport modes to choose from, many tracking options, and great stats available via the app once you’re finished. Fitbit is also currently studying blood pressure monitoring for the Sense.
A nice touch is that it’s compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa.
The Fitbit Sense has a waterproof rating of 5ATM.
Pros
- Onboard GPS
- Premium look
Cons
- A great smartwatch offering from a fitness brand
If you’re confused about which Fitbit is best for you, our comparison article will help.
Whoop Strap 4.0
The Whoop band 4.0 is, firstly, an activity tracker. It’s very data-driven. What it measures, you can manage. For example, you can look at your activity performance, sleep, stress, and training load. All designed to help you understand and improve your performance.
The Whoop band will measure your calories burned, movements, and activity levels throughout your day to calculate your stress score between 1 and 21. The higher the score, the more strain you’re under. This is a way of measuring your overall stress for the day. You can pin it down to specific events. Work, for example.
This version of the band has the best battery life compared to its predecessors. You can get seven days between charges. It doesn’t actually have a screen, so you need your phone to check the numbers after a workout.
The Whoop Strap 3.0 is waterproof to 30m.
Pros
- Great metrics and tracking for a budget-friendly watch
Cons
- No on-board GPS
Polar Vantage V2
If you’re a runner, you know how well a waterproof tracker works for you. The Polar Vantage V2 has the Polar Flow platform for training that is best in breed. It has running specific metrics that get broken down into useable data to apply to your training to improve performance. You can even do a performance test, and the Polar will guide you through the twenty-minute session, and, over time, you’ll improve your pace.
After you’ve done this, the V2 will give you an estimate of your VO2 Max as well as max heart rate and training zones. It’ll even go into detail about optimal recovery periods.
The watch can be worn all the time, which is good because it also provides detailed sleep tracking needed for your recovery. You can automatically sync all this data with popular apps like Strava and TrainingPeaks.
We’ve saved the best till last because this watch will go to 100m, so it’s the best on this list if you’re into triathlons. Saying that, it’s also the most expensive of the bunch.
Pros
- Long 40-hour battery life
- Incredible level of data about your performance and recovery needs
Cons
- Expensive option
- No contactless payment or music storage, which you can get on cheaper alternatives
Read the full Vantage V2 review, here.
Garmin Swim 2
It’s strange to see a swim watch from a non-swim business among the top choices, but it’s true. It has received consistently positive ratings, and we have discovered through user feedback that it is very accurate when used (at reasonable speeds).
The most recent version of the Garmin Swim 2 has multi-sport capabilities.
Fill in the pool length and hit the road. There isn’t a lot of configuration work to be done, which is usually a plus. It keeps track of distance, strokes per lap, and average speed—everything you’ll need.
It’s a battery that you can change yourself. Specialized watches come with many issues, including the need to send the whole device in for a battery replacement. With the Garmin Swim 2, this is not the case. Approximately once a year, you will need to replace the battery.
This bad guy can withstand a depth of 50 meters.
It’s a nice-looking timepiece. Outside of the pool, it’s totally wearable. Other than that, it’s useless for gauging anything else.
Once you’re within range of your computer, you may wirelessly upload exercises (the software is compatible with both MAC and Windows).
All four strokes are automatically detected. There’s also a drill-logging function, which allows you to record different drills and other types of swimming (kick, for example).
While there is no heart rate tracking, Garmin does make a swimming-specific chest-strap heart rate monitor.
Pros
- Great if you’re specifically looking for a waterproof tracker for swimming
- Reliable brand
Cons
- Does have multisport mode, but isn’t as comprehensive as other trackers
Read the full Garmin Swim 2 review here
Garmin Vivofit 4
This great fitness tracker has a small but strong screen, and the battery life is an impressive one year (after which you simply need to pop in a fresh battery). It tracks your steps and awards you with a little on-screen celebration when you achieve your daily target. You can even alter your step target over time, since if you’re on track to 10,000 steps per day, the challenge can be increased, and if you’re falling short, the challenge can be reduced to keep you focused on achieving your goal.
The Vivofit 4 automatically captures activities like running and may emphasize lengthy walks as a separate activity in the great companion software, Garmin Connect. It’s still waterproof, but if you want to, you can wear it nonstop for the whole year because the battery lasts too long. A built-in heart-rate sensor is the only feature that is lacking.
Pros
- Reasonably priced
- Reliable brand
Cons
- Needs a heart rate sensor built-in
Read the full Garmin Vivofit 4 review, here
Amazfit Stratos 3
Amazfit (owned by Zepp Health) has made a name in smart, affordable fitness trackers, and the Amazfit Stratos is no exception. It’s a solid all-around fitness tracker.
In addition to its 1.34-inch full round transflective MIP display, the Amazfit Stratos 3 offers a bright, clear display with a clearer picture when the light is stronger. With the four physical buttons on the device, you can use the device without utilizing the touch screen.
With its dual primary control chips and two operating systems, the Stratos 3 is suitable for everyday use as well as professional applications. There are 80 different sports modes and professional algorithms provided by the 7-day intelligent mode, while the 14-day endurance mode allows users to conduct daily tasks.
In addition to its swim-tracking mode, there’s a built-in music player so you can hook up your waterproof headphones and enjoy music or podcasts are you train. You also get a dedicated triathlon mode that makes it easy to switch between cycling, swimming, and running without wasting a second.
Four global positioning systems are supported by Sony’s GNSS chipset: GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, and GALILEO. Any two of them may be combined to create three distinct positioning patterns, improving positioning speed and tracking accuracy.
Pros
- Excellent GPS service
- Clear, bright display in all lighting conditions
Cons
- No open water sport mode
Coros Pace 2
This lightweight mid-range sports watch looks similar to the Garmin Forerunner 245, but is a little bit cheaper and has triathlon tracking functionality. The GPS accuracy is excellent. With GPS backed by three additional satellite positioning systems, it offers runners, cyclists, and swimmers excellent location-tracking capabilities. It can even compute your stride length so you can keep track of your cadence when running through tunnels, and the ‘AI trainer’ will help you keep track of your training load. The screen might be brighter, but the Pace 2 is generally hard to criticize for the price.
It’s a nice upgrade from a Fitbit to something more competent. Its low weight and thin form, along with carefully crafted controls, make it ideal for tiny wrists and activities that need flexibility.
While dedicated athletes may choose the higher-end Coros Apex, this is an excellent option for anybody looking for a reliable gadget to help them stay on track with their training.
Pros
- Lightweight on the wrist
- Incredible GPS
Cons
- App needs more development for better features
Coros Apex
If the Forerunner 945 is beyond your financial reach, the Coros Apex is a great alternative, providing a wealth of training data to help you improve, and fast.
Do you want to increase your cadence? What if you could figure out how much training you need to undertake each week? Everything you need to know is within easy reach.
Everything you need is within easy reach. The Intelligent Stride Algorithm will keep track of your stride length and cadence. The gadget will meticulously record your journey and performance even if your run takes you outside of satellite range, such as via a tunnel or a distant location.
The navigation capabilities are particularly appealing to users, making it the ideal running watch for those wanting to change up their workouts and explore new routes.
Although it’s excellent overall, the display, like the Coros Speed 2, is a little dark during the day. However, turning on the motion-sensing lights solves this problem, allowing you to see your speed, distance, and heart rate while running without depleting the battery too much.
Pros
- Uncomlicated design
- Intuituve UX
- Comparison app is comprehensive
Cons
- None really. If we had to say something, the display could be brighter.
Read the full Coros Apex review here
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of our list of the 20 best waterproof fitness trackers for 2022. We hope you’ve found something you like to suit your budget and requirements. We’ve covered budget-friendly to more expensive options. We’ve also included basic to more in-depth watches. Waterproof smartwatches aren’t just for swimmers. Remember, sweat can damage your watch, so it’s always worthwhile to get a device with at least a 30m water-resistance rating.
If you’re looking for swimming watches, we’ve got you covered. Check out our article here.
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Last Updated on August 1, 2024
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