The Best Rugged and Waterproof Smartwatches

　　The best smartwatches you can swim with, featuring at least 50-meter water resistance…

　　Smart watch waterproof are now mainstream, as most of the major manufacturers now offer models with 50-meter (a.k.a. 5 bar or 5 ATM) water resistance. In the past, most smartwatches had an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP68 and were tested to survive submersion in shallow water for a short period of time, but were not intended to be used for swimming or water sports. IP68-rated watches are designed to withstand accidental water exposure and the occasional dunking, but they are not intended for regular use underwater or for water-based activities like swimming. If you plan to expose your smartwatch to water regularly or want to swim with it, it should have at least 50-meter water resistance.

　　Note: “Waterproof” is used as a descriptive marketing term when it comes to electronics and should not be taken literally (since increasing depth, pressure, and time will eventually overcome most waterproof devices). “Water-resistant” is the more accurate term that is commonly used when referring to traditional watches. This list focuses on smartwatches that are at least water-resistant to 50 meters. A 50-meter water resistance rating is suitable for swimming. For more intense activities like snorkeling and surfing, a watch with 100-meter water-resistance is recommended. For the best water-resistance currently available, consider the following smartwatch models.

　　G-Shock GSWH1000-1 Wear OS Smartwatch with 200-Meter Water Resistance

　　The G-Shock GSWH1000-1 is the first G-Shock watch with Wear OS and supports multi-sport training. It is most likely the toughest smartwatch in existence. It is the only Wear OS smartwatch with 200-meter water resistance, and it has all the extreme shock protection one would expect from a G-Shock. The watch is equipped with a dual-layer color touchscreen with a power-saving monochrome mode, heart rate monitor GPS, step counter, gyrometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, microphone, and vibration alerts. The GSW-H1000 is an excellent choice for athletes such as surfers and snowboarders, and for anyone else who demands full smartwatch functionality while performing hazardous outdoor activities.

　　Amazfit T-Rex Rugged MIL-STD Smartwatch with 50-Meter Water Resistance

　　The Amazfit T-Rex is a rugged fitness smartwatch that is compliant with 12 MIL-STD-810G durability tests and can handle extreme temperatures (-104F to 150F), high humidity, and salt spray. It includes an optical heart rate monitor, and the built-in GPS tracks route and distance for smartphone-free outdoor workouts. The T-Rex can track 14 different sport modes and activities. The watch has a 1.3″ color AMOLED touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 3 and weighs a very light 58 grams. The styling owes a lot to G-Shock and adds to the rugged appeal of this popular fitness watch. The T-Rex also offers very impressive battery life at an estimated 20 days (without using GPS, or 20 hours with continuous GPS use). The T-Rex supports Bluetooth pairing with a smartphone and notifications.

　　Update: Amazfit T-Rex Pro with 100-meter Water Resistance and Altimeter

　　The T-Rex Pro has the same design as the original T-Rex and adds 100-meter water resistance and a metallic paint finish on the bezel for a more premium look. The watch passes 15 military-grade stress testing certifications versus the 12 of the original. With its upgraded BioTracker 2 PPG sensor, the watch measures blood-oxygen saturation for safe ascensions at high altitudes. The watch also has an altimeter and uses 4 GPS systems versus 2 for the original.

　　Garmin Instinct Rugged Smartwatch with 100-meter Water Resistance

　　The Instinct is Garmin’s affordable rugged smartwatch, with a fiber-reinforced body, silicone straps, and 100-meter water resistance. It is compliant with MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance. Other features include multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) support, ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) sensors, step counter, wrist-based heart rate monitor, and built-in sports apps. The display is a 128×128 MIP LCD display, which provides easy viewing in sunlight and great battery life (up to 14 days in smartwatch mode). The Instinct is compatible with multiple sports and activities and is recommended for those who need a durable fitness smartwatch with superior water resistance.

　　Also: Garmin Instinct Solar

　　Garmin also offers a solar-powered version of the Instinct that can get up to 54 days of battery life and unlimited battery life using Battery Saver Watch Mode and solar. The Instinct Solar also offers improved battery life during GPS use, with up to 38 hours with solar and up to 145 hours in Max Battery GPS mode with solar.