Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers (Summer 2020)

Depending on your fitness goals and the type of activities you engage in, you’re likely to find a dizzying array of different gadgets to help you get the most out of the way you train. At times, it can feel difficult to even know where to start, let alone parse the different features and benefits of each tracker as you decide which is right for you. 

Before you start shopping for your new fitness tracker, you’ll want to learn everything you can about the different specs and features associated with the best waterproof fitness trackers. Here’s what you’ll need to know.

Types of Fitness Trackers

When it comes to fitness trackers, they all fall into two basic categories, the all-day tracker and the training tracker.

All-Day Trackers

All-day trackers are the more basic of the two, and they measure variables such as steps taken, stairs climbed, time spent active, exercise time, and sleep. These trackers are ideal for most people, as they’re affordable and they provide all of the critical basics people want from their device. 

Training Trackers

Training trackers are more advanced and provide many additional features designed for rigorous training and sport. Training trackers will provide all of the basic information you’ll find in an all-day tracker, plus things like breathing pattern, heart rate, miles traveled, speed, pace, lap time, altitude readings, and more. 

Training trackers tend to be more expensive, but for anyone who is looking for a top of the line fitness tracker, or for those who are looking to optimize a high-end workout and fitness routine, a training tracker is a practical necessity. 

Smart Watches

Today’s smartwatches feature fitness tracking metrics almost universally, and a smartwatch may be a great choice for you if you’re looking for a wearable that can provide you with actionable data about your activity and workouts, while also keeping you connected to the world. 

These devices often feature cellular connectivity in addition to GPS, allowing you to do virtually anything you’d use your smartphone to do, such as answering calls, sending texts, and even listening to music or watching a video.

Since smartwatches aren’t necessarily designed with fitness tracking as a primary focus, you may find that they aren’t as accurate or full featured as you need. In that case, a training tracker may be a better choice for you. 

Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant

At this time, there’s really no such thing as a waterproof smartwatch or fitness tracker. Instead, these devices are water-resistant, and depending on the device, some are more water-resistant than others. But, as long as you use your device within the appropriate depth range, you should never have an issue with your watch. 

To determine just how water-resistant a given fitness tracker is, check its water rating. As a rule of thumb, devices rated for up to 5ATM are functionally waterproof for swimming, showering, and working out. Most trackers feature this rating, and they can stand up to virtually anything life dishes out.

For more intense water sports, a watch rated for depths up to 10ATM is more in line with your needs. Dive specific fitness trackers are available for the divers among us, and these devices can be used at significantly deeper depths without compromising the device. However, since these devices are so specialized, they rarely offer many features that aren’t diving specific.

At the lower end of the spectrum, you may find trackers which are less water-resistant than the standard 5ATM models, and while these devices may be suitable for showering, they aren’t well suited for swimmers. 

Anatomy of a Fitness Tracker

Before you can dive into the different features that differentiate the top fitness trackers on the market, it can be helpful to know what you’re looking at when you look at one of these devices. Here’s everything that goes into a fitness tracker.

Display

The first thing most people notice about a fitness tracker is its display. Meanwhile, some devices, such as the Fitbit Flex 2 don’t offer a screen at all, instead of relying exclusively on an app to provide a visual interface, most trackers offer at least some sort of display for reading your key metrics on the fly.

Displays come in a variety of different configurations, from basic LED light indicators to backlit LCD screens, to cutting edge high-resolution OLED displays. If you’re also looking for a fitness tracker with smartwatch features, the display will be very important to you.

Sensors

At the heart of any competent fitness tracker is a full suite of different tracking sensors that track your different metrics and provide you with information, either on the tracker’s display, in the app, or both.

Basic trackers are equipped with a gyroscope and accelerometer to detect motion and speed to provide you basic workout-related information. More advanced trackers provide a significantly greater suite of sensors which allow you to gather significantly more info from your workouts.

These sensors usually include a heart rate monitor, barometric altimeter, and location services such as GPS for use domestically, and GLONASS and Galileo for international use. Seriously advanced trackers will even allow you to analyze your pulse/oxygen rate with an integrated sensor

Many of the best waterproof fitness trackers offer advanced heart-monitoring software which can make other inferences on your fitness routine and overall health based on the data that’s transmitted to the heart monitor sensor.

Connectivity

Today’s modern fitness trackers also have internal chips that make it easy for the tracker to interface with its app, or with any smartwatch features, it provides beyond fitness tracking. 

Even a basic fitness tracker should provide Bluetooth connectivity to allow the device to interface with its app. Some tracks which provide smartwatch features also rely on Bluetooth to provide these additional features

High-end fitness trackers also feature a cellular chip that allows you to use your fitness tracker to answer or make calls and send text messages. Fitness trackers with cellular connectivity carry a monthly fee for the use of the service, and it’s a feature that you’ll only need if you’re looking for your fitness tracker also to provide the features associated with cutting edge smartwatches.

What to Consider Before Buying a Fitness Tracker

Before you invest your hard-earned money into a fitness tracker, there are several important points to consider that will help you select the best waterproof fitness tracker for your training and fitness goals. 

Style

For many people, style is a huge factor in whether or not a particular wearable is a good fit for them.

While the early fitness trackers focused solely on utility and were bulky and impractical, the majority of today’s devices are functional as well as stylish and can be worn in virtually any setting. There are even trackers that take the form of a ring or a necklace for those who don’t like wearing things on their wrist

Some wrist trackers allow you to change out the band or customize the watch face, adding an additional dimension to the style of the device. Many devices attach to your wrist with a standard watch band, which allows users to swap out bands and customize their fitness tracker’s looks.

If style is an important concern of yours, the devices from Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple all make great choices and depending on your personal preference you should have no trouble finding an option that seamlessly integrates into your style.

Comfort 

Beyond style, you’ll also want to consider how comfortable your fitness tracker is. After all, you’ll probably be wearing it all day every day.

You’ll want to evaluate each wearable with long-term comfort in mind, and also consider how it interacts with your body and the clothing you wear. Since the idea of what’s comfortable varies so widely among different people, you’ll want to try on as many different wearables as possible before deciding on the best choice for you. 

Range of Features

Are you looking for a tracker that offers all the cutting-edge bells and whistles available, or will a model with more basic functionality suit you? Depending on the features that are important to you, you should be able to eliminate some of the most popular waterproof fitness trackers from your search.

As a general rule, the more features a wearable has, the higher the price. While this isn’t always the case, you should be wary of any tracker that provides a full cache of different features at a low price point. Most of the time, these watches aren’t as accurate or well made, and they won’t serve you well over time. 

Accuracy

The accuracy of your wearable will be another key consideration before choosing the best option for you. If you’re just looking to track steps or other basic fitness data, precision accuracy may be less important for you. But, for serious training purposes, you’ll need accurate data so you can make the necessary adjustments to optimize your workouts and training sessions.

Compatibility

Choosing a device that’s compatible with other tech in your life can help you get the most out of all your connected devices. Device compatibility can also help you narrow the field when shopping for a fitness tracker.

While some devices are compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows devices, some devices only work with one or the other. If you’re happy to use your tracker as a standalone device, this may not be important to you, but anyone looking to sync their tracker with their phone or other wearables will want to ensure that the tracker they choose is going to play well with their other gear.

Cellular Connectivity 

As smart devices continue to excite us with new features and integrations, fitness trackers have evolved as well, and many of them offer a variety of connected features that allow you to make calls, respond to text messages, and so much more.

While some devices allow you to read texts, or control a phone call, only devices with a cellular data connection allow you to send messages or answer calls directly from the watch without the help of your cell phone.

Cellular connectivity is the feature which allows us to use our fitness trackers and smartwatches as standalone devices. While it’s certainly an awesome feature to have, it does come at a cost. Most devices that provide cellular service come at a cost of around $10 per month, in addition to the cost of the device itself. 

Water Resistance

Depending on the type of activities you engage in when you’re active, the level of water resistance your tracker provides may be an exceptionally important concern for you. If you swim, or engage in watersports, a tracker that can stand up to these aquatic activities without failing is of paramount importance.

More affordable models are typically suitable for use in the shower, pool, and while it’s raining. As you begin to look at more expensive and full-featured models, you’ll notice that they usually provide considerably better protection against water damage.

Most of these devices are waterproof to a depth of 5ATM, or 50 feet. These devices are safe for showering, swimming, and most aquatic activities. If you’re into high-speed watersports, a tracker rated to 10ATM is a better fit. 

App Performance

Most trackers also come with an app that makes it easier for you to visualize, track, record, and even share your different metrics. Since the main reason for wearing a fitness tracker is to learn more about your daily routine, workouts, and training sessions so you can improve, an app that makes it easy to understand the data it provides is a must. 

Those who are interested in the social aspect of their fitness tracker will be especially interested in an app’s performance. The best apps allow you to easily share your personal bests, new goals and achievements, and your workouts with other users as well as different social networks.

Most fitness apps automatically sync with your fitness tracker, so all of your latest information is available in the app in real-time. These apps also make it easy to share workout info with your friends so you can challenge each other to continue to shatter your personal best with each new workout.

Apple, Garmin, and Samsung all make devices with great app interfaces, but Fitbit may provide the best overall experience. Since Fitbit’s often feature a tiny screen, if they have a screen at all, the company has always had to rely on their app to provide all your data, and their app provides a great user experience that makes it easy to track your metrics, measure your workout efficiency, and so much more. 

Budget

Finally, the price of a tracker and your budget will also be important to consider before you arrive at your final decision. Fitness trackers cover an incredibly broad spectrum when it comes to price, with some available for as little as $20 or well over $300. 

With more features and better specs typically comes a higher price tag, but there are still plenty of great waterproof fitness trackers available for under $150. If you’re in the market for a cutting-edge device that delivers all the high-end features associated with the top of the line fitness trackers and smart wearables, you can expect to spend upwards of $200 for your new device.

Final Verdict

When it comes to fitness trackers, the eight we’ve covered above represent some of the best and brightest that the market has to offer. While each of these fitness trackers, especially the models from Garmin, Samsung, Fitbit and Apple, all provide an incredible variety of features to help you make the most out of your workouts and training sessions. 

But, only one of these powerful smart devices rises to the top and earns the title of the best

waterproof fitness tracker available, and for us, that’s the Garmin VivoActive 3. 

At the surface, the VivoActive 3 has a sleek and streamlined look that looks more like an expensive luxury timepiece than a bulky fitness accessory. Most other trackers simply can’t compete with the VivoActive 3 in terms of looks or style. 

Below the surface, the VivoActive 3 provides a full suite of comprehensive fitness features, including significantly more different workout modes and programs than most competitors, including lesser Garmin products as well as the fitness trackers from Samsung and Fitbit. 

Whether you’re primarily looking for the latest in smartwatch tech, or a high-end, accurate fitness track, Garmin’s VivoActive 3 does a great job at fulfilling a wide range of needs.