So you've got one of the best smartwatches, and now you want to take good care of it; chances are you're wondering just how safe it is around water and if it is waterproof. While most smartwatches have some degree of water resistance, not every model is equally waterproof, so you'll need to inspect your individual one to see what it can stand up to.
Luckily, we're here to help. We'll address some of the general questions you might have regarding smartwatches and waterproofing, as well as teach you how to read a waterproof rating and what it all means.
Can you swim with a smartwatch?
As we said, this depends on what type of smartwatch you have. However, most big brands such as Apple and its Apple Watch have made sure their models have some degree of waterproofing, so at the very least you won't have to worry about the occasional splash or shower of rain.
For swimming, Apple smartwatches are definitely a safe pick. The series one models were splash-resistant, but every generation from Series Two all the way up to Series 9 have been completely safe to be submerged. It's recommended that for most of them, you shouldn't delve deeper than 50 metres, but the Ultra models can handle a deeper dive.
While we do urge you to inspect each watch's individual specs, most makes are consistent. Since Garmin watches are designed for exercise and athletics, it's no surprise that most of them are fairly waterproof. On the other hand, Samsung smartwatches should be kept away from swimming pools and the ocean, but they can handle a splash here and there.
How to tell how waterproof a smartwatch is?
Just about every smartwatch should list its specs somewhere, even if it's just on its product page. While some are very clear and tell you how deep or how long they can be submerged, others might give you a phrase such as IPX5 or IP67. This is the smartwatch's ingress protection rating, and it's a handy bit of jargon to understand.
When it comes to waterproofing, you can ignore the first number (or X), as that just denotes how protected your device is against dust and other small solids. Handy to have but not really essential.
Can you wear a smartwatch in the shower?
If you can wear your watch in the ocean, it should have no trouble surviving a shower. That said, we do recommend you take it off in most circumstances, so long as you have a safe spot to keep it. While water might not phase a resilient smartwatch, the chemicals from shampoo and body wash might, so it's better to play it safe and take it off.
Kyle Purves is a tech product writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.
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