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Best Waterproof Fitbits for Swimming (2024)

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The best waterproof Fitbits are worn on the wrist like a regular bracelet or watch to track your daily activities, record your biometric data, and provide you with detailed information about your physical fitness and health status. Whether you’re trying to get in shape, monitor your heart condition, or analyze your sleep patterns, you’ll need one of these wearable devices.

Electronics and water usually aren’t the best combination, but Fitbit is no stranger to changing the game. The latest Fitbit trackers are dustproof and water-resistant, or what we always confuse with the term “waterproof”.

While Fitbits aren’t completely waterproof, they can withstand extreme weather conditions and accidental spills. Users can wear them in the pool, at the beach, or in the shower. Even intense workouts at the gym won’t compare to waterproof Fitbits.

If you’re considering a Fitbit that you can take swimming or snorkeling with, this guide can help. Below, we’ve showcased the best waterproof fitness bracelets that meet everyone’s needs. All the following fitness bracelets and smartwatches have a certain level of waterproofing.

Best Waterproof Fitbits for Swimming

1. Overall Best: Fitbit Charge 5

Pros

  •    Built-in GPS accurately tracks distance and pace
  •    Sleek strap design
  •    Waterproof up to 50m
  •    ECG and EDA sensors for health monitoring

Cons

  •    Some features remain exclusive to Fitbit Premium
  •    A bit pricey for wearable devices of this form factor
  •    Altimeter removal

The Fitbit Charge 5 is essentially an upgrade to the Charge 4 tracker with enhancements like an active zone minute feature, built-in GPS, built-in Spotify controls, etc.

It’s equipped with advanced health monitoring features such as a wrist-based ECG scanner for detecting irregular heart rhythms or signs of atrial fibrillation. Additionally, the Charge 5 supports 24/7 heart rate tracking and comes with an EDA sensor that assesses your stress levels.

The tracker can detect skin temperature and measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). Users can also track their sleep patterns to understand their nightly habits.

A significant improvement of the Charge 5 compared to its predecessor is the bright color AMOLED display, which is twice as bright and supports an “always-on display” feature.

In addition to built-in GPS, the tracker has over 20 exercise modes to help you achieve your fitness goals. And just like the Charge 4, it can automatically detect and track your daily activities.

The Charge 5 also boasts waterproofing up to a depth of 50 meters, meaning it can withstand pool exercises, heavy rain, and other places where the tracker might get wet. On average, you can expect 7 days of use on a full charge, but with GPS enabled, this time is reduced to a few hours.

A six-month free Fitbit Premium membership unlocks the full potential of the Charge 5. With the Fitbit mobile app, you can receive personalized daily readiness scores based on various health metrics. The subscription also grants access to hundreds of workout videos tailored to your fitness goals.

2. Best Waterproof Smartwatch: Fitbit Sense

Pros

  •    Built-in GPS
  •    State-of-the-art motion and health sensors
  •    Loudspeaker/voice assistant
  •    Abundance of smartwatch features

Cons

  •    Some features require a premium subscription
  •    Bulkier than most Fitbits

The Fitbit Sense is a full-fledged smartwatch with fitness tracking and health monitoring features typical of regular Fitbit bands. They are swim-resistant and have a 5 ATM waterproof rating, so you can safely wear them while swimming and engaging in other water activities. The Sense also has a built-in GPS, which tracks your running, cycling, and hiking sessions.

These premium Fitbit smartwatches spare no features for active lifestyles. For instance, they offer wrist-based ECG scanning, which measures your heart rate zones and alerts you to irregular heart rhythms. Additionally, the watches can track SpO2 levels and skin temperature to predict the onset of common illnesses.

Fitbit Sense comes with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants. Whether you need to ask a question, check the weather forecast, or control smart home devices, you can simply activate your preferred assistant via loudspeaker for assistance. The built-in speaker and microphone also enable wrist-based phone calls.

You can track your daily progress and get detailed insights into well-being trends with the Fitbit companion app. A premium subscription unlocks even more convenient features, such as daily readiness assessments, in-depth sleep analysis, and unlimited access to audiovisual workout sessions. Like Charge 5, Fitbit Sense offers a six-month trial of premium service.

Sense is a smartwatch, but Fitbit promises at least six days of standard use on a single charge. Of course, using Bluetooth, GPS, or enabling the “Always-On Display” feature will affect battery life.

3. Budget Pick: Fitbit Inspire 2

Pros

  •    Quite an affordable price
  •    Unobtrusive design
  •    Comes with a one-year Fitbit Premium warranty

Cons

  •    No SpO2 monitoring
  •    Monochrome display

Thanks to its elegant profile and solid 10-day battery life, the Fitbit Inspire 2 continues to inspire. It’s the perfect budget-friendly option for those who don’t like bulky smartwatch cases but still want the activity-tracking features of Fitbit. Additionally, its 5 ATM waterproof rating means the tracker can withstand water pressure at depths of up to 50 meters, making it suitable for swimmers.

The Inspire 2 supports automatic exercise recognition and includes basic activity tracking features like steps, pace, and distance, as well as daily calorie burn estimates and active minutes to help you reach your weekly fitness goals.

In terms of health, it offers heart rate data collection in 24/7 mode, female health tracking, stress relief tools, and more. Sleep tracking is also available, though for a detailed view, you’ll need a Fitbit Premium subscription. Fortunately, Fitbit provides a free 1-year membership with the Inspire 2, so you can access all your health information and get personalized insights.

The main drawback is that unlike Charge 5 and Sense, the Inspire 2 lacks built-in GPS and instead relies on phone tracking. It also lacks smart features such as contactless payment via Fitbit Pay, music control, loudspeaker, and voice assistant. However, you can view incoming notifications from your smartphone when connected.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 was recently released with a color OLED screen, ambient light sensor, SpO2 sensor, and a six-month Fitbit Premium warranty. It’s also swim-proof but more expensive than the Inspire 2, which is disappointing considering the incremental changes. Therefore, we recommend purchasing the older model, especially since it’s available at very low prices.

4. Best Waterproof Fitness Tracker for Kids: Fitbit Ace 3

Pros

  •    Appropriate for children aged six and above.
  •    Tracks basic activities
  •    Goals styled as fun games/virtual rewards
  •    Durable waterproof silicone strap

Cons

  •    Limited color options
  •    Monochrome screen
  •    Built-in heart rate sensor disabled

If you have kids heading to their first swimming lessons or pool/beach parties, the Fitbit Ace 3 can handle all the falls, dips, and spills.

Like most Fitbit models, the Ace 3 is waterproof up to 50 meters, so your kids won’t have to take off the tracker before joining in on fun water activities. It comes with a comfortable silicone strap with an adjustable buckle.

The Ace 3 defaults to tracking steps, active minutes, and sleep time, and you can add additional activities like swimming and biking through the Fitbit app. Kids can also challenge their friends and family members by completing tasks to earn digital rewards.

With an eight-day battery life, a variety of animated clock faces, and fun celebrations for hitting activity goals, the Ace 3 is the best waterproof Fitbit to ensure your kids stay active and grow, developing healthy habits.

5. Stylish yet Waterproof: Fitbit Luxe

Pros

  •    Luxurious construction
  •    Fashionable and comfortable
  •    Bright AMOLED display
  •    Excellent health tracking suite

Cons

  •    Average battery life
  •    No Fitbit Pay/built-in GPS
  •    Occasionally hard-to-read screen

With its sleek design, stylish stainless steel casing, and attractive jewelry-style bands, the Fitbit Luxe is one of the most appealing smart wearables for women. However, you can dive and swim with the Luxe as it tracks your laps, duration, strokes, and other swimming data. The tracker is waterproof up to 50 meters and can be worn in the pool and shower.

When you’re on land, the Fitbit Luxe uses your phone’s GPS to track your runs, bike rides, and other activities with precise pace and distance metrics. And while connected to your phone, you’ll also get text message notifications and call alerts. Meanwhile, Luxe’s built-in sensors track your daily activity, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep phases, menstrual cycle status, and skin temperature fluctuations.

Fitbit advertises the average battery life of its Luxe tracker for up to 5 days. The built-in light sensor automatically adjusts the screen brightness based on indoor/outdoor lighting conditions, thus extending battery life.

Characteristics to Seek in a Waterproof Fitbit Tracker

When looking for a waterproof Fitbit tracker that you plan to use regularly in water, there are several things to consider:

1. Waterproof Rating: Look for a Fitbit with a water resistance rating of at least 50 meters, which is typically found in most Fitbit models except older ones.

2. Swimming Tracking: Seek Fitbit devices that support swimming tracking and can provide you with detailed data. Some Fitbit trackers are only splash-proof and may not survive full immersion in water, while others can automatically detect your actions in water and start tracking.

3. Water Lock Feature: Confirm whether the Fitbit model supports a “Water Lock” feature. Once activated, this feature prevents accidental screen touches during activities like showering, swimming, or other water-based activities such as snorkeling, surfing, or water skiing.

Final Words

Above, we’ve shown you the best waterproof Fitbits you can buy. Although we’ve used the terms “waterproof” and “water-resistant” interchangeably in the guide by what Fitbit and the rest of the fitness tracker market use, the following Fitbit devices are not completely waterproof and are still susceptible to water damage.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t wear them in the shower, pool, or at the beach. The only time we recommend removing your Fitbit is when you’re engaging in extreme water sports or scuba diving, where high-speed water jets or high-pressure water may exceed the device’s waterproof ratings and penetrate internal components.

It’s also worth noting that the water resistance of each Fitbit diminishes over time with frequent contact with soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, sunscreen, and similar products. After several years of use, you may want to avoid bringing your Fitbit near water.