5 ATM Water Resistant Smartwatches For Swimming In 2023

For those who don’t know, a 5 ATM rated watch is suitable for snorkeling, pool, and open water swimming.

Now for the geeks, let dive a little deeper.

ATM water resistance is a system of rating the smartwatch water resistance, whereas, ATM is derived from atmospheric pressure. As you might know, when something is submerged in water, it experiences some pressure which varies directly to the depth of immersion.

The number before the unit simply depicts the watch’s capacity to sustain pressure before it gives ways to water to tear apart its protection seal. A 5 ATM watch, therefore, can take 5 times the pressure at sea level underwater. Usually, this pressure is at 50 m below static water.

But should you try to submerge the smartwatch up to 50m?

Absolutely not. The 50m is just a marketing gimmickry, and submerging the watch till this depth with being static all the time is quite impossible. You can’t do scuba diving or any other water-activity which involves a smartwatch being subjected to high-pressure water.

You should be carefree while taking a bath, or washing your hands. And also be at ease while swimming both in the pool and open water swimming. Want to do kitesurfing and jet-skiing, try it at your own risk. Most of the time the watch doesn’t fail, but still, there is a probability.

For those who want to try scuba diving with their 5 ATM water-resistant watch should pony up for another smartwatch right after it. Only the 20 ATM smartwatches are suitable for these ventures, and if you are wondering whether there is any watch for this, your answer is, yes.

Garmin Descent MK1, a tailored smartwatch for scuba diving.

We have curated a list of nearly all 5 ATM smartwatches available on the market, but before we get to these, let us bust some myths.

Disclaimer: If you buy through affiliate links on this article, we may earn a commission without any additional cost to you.

Water Proof vs Water-Resistant? What is the difference?

No smartwatch is waterproof. Period.

They are only water-resistant with different levels of protection. Some can be submerged for up to 1-3 m in water and some can even be submerged up to 100m. But whatever the number is, the fact is, there is a limit.

IP68 water-resistant is the same as ATM 5 water-resistant smartwatch?

No, they are not. Ingress Protection (IP) water resistance rating is a different criterion than the ATM water resistance rating. IP rating takes account of dust ingression two.

IP68 rated smartwatch is suitable for showering and pool swimming, but you can do open water swimming and can go a little deeper in water with an ATM 5 rated smartwatch.

5 ATM smartwatches for swimming and snorkeling:

Apple Watch Series 3

Features and Specs:

eSIM: Yes (with LTE version)
OS: watchOS 7
Compatibility: iOS
Size: 38mm, 42mm
Weight: 36-46 g
Display: 1.53″ / 1.65″ OLED
Always-on Display: No
Processor: Apple S3
Onboard storage: 8GB / 16GB (Non-LTE and LTE respectively)
Battery duration: Up to 18 hours
Water Resistance: 5 ATM
Voice Assistant: Yes, Siri
Contactless Payment: Yes (Apple Pay)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, barometer, ambient light sensor

Reviews:

Apple watch is the default choice for iPhone, the watch works seamlessly with the iPhone and pairs with it alone. While all Apple Watches ranging from Watch 3 to Watch 6 are 5 ATM rated, we picked watch 3 for its affordable price point and that alone.

If you are looking for an up-to-date Apple Watch, the Series 6 should be the one you should go for as it has heavily improved on the Series 3.

Series 3 has eSIM technology, but you will have to pay $100 more for the LTE edition. You can call, text, and even browse the internet on the Watch 3 and so on the latest editions.

The watch can be submerged in static water for up to 50m, so you can swim or snorkel with it. Apple watch has many third-party apps to track swimming and even surfing.

Series 3 leans towards the smartwatch features as compared to health features.

Samsung Galaxy Active 2

Features and Specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 44 mm Version
Weight: 42 g (1.48 oz)
OS: Tizen by Samsung
Display: 1.4″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi /Always-on Display
Storage & Memory: 4GB , 1.5 GB
Battery Life: 20-50 hours
GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFC: Yes
Voice Assistant: Yes, Bixby
Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade Device
Sensors: Heart rate, Electrocardiogram, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, Ambient light, altimeter, SpO2

Review:

Samsung Galaxy Active 2 is an affordable alternative to the latest Apple Watch for Android users. Though, you can also pair the smartwatch with an iPhone.

Apart from 5ATM water resistance, this watch has been approved by other reputed standards. It is IP68 rated which means the watch has air-tight dust resistance along with water resistance. It is a military-grade device that speaks highly of its ruggedness and strength.

Active 2 is one of the few watches that has its ECG sensor approved by the FDA. Apart from that, the watch has a heart rate sensor and an altimeter.

The watch can track multiple sports, and even have a golf edition for serious golfers. As far as swimming is concerned, it can be used both in the pool and open water.

The previous model, Galaxy Watch Active, is also 5 ATM rated. So if you are on a budget, better pick the Active Watch that would cost you around $150.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Features and Specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 45 mm Version
Weight: 53.8 g (1.9 oz)
OS: Tizen by Samsung
Display: 1.4″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi
Always-on Display: Yes
Storage & Memory: 8GB , 1 GB
Battery Life: 20-50 hours
GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFC: Yes
Voice Assistant: Yes, Bixby
Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Sensors: Heart rate, Electrocardiogram, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, Ambient light, altimeter, SpO2

Reviews:

Galaxy Watch 3 is the latest smartwatch by Samsung, and it cost way more than Active 2. The higher cost has to do with its premium metallic design, physical rotating bezel, and large display.

Both Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch are 5 ATM rated. Like Active 2, Galaxy Watch 3 is both IP68 rated and Military standard approved. It has a built-in Swim tracking app, but you can download third-party apps. Samsung’s TizenOS has limited third-party app support as compared to Apple WatchOS and Google’s WearOS.

The sensors in the watch are almost the same as in Active 2. They can track ECG, sleep, heart rate, and blood saturation level. Both have built-in GPS tracking sensors along with GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS for wide coverage.

The LTE version would allow you to make calls without a phone. You can make contactless payment via Samsung pay and has a voice assistant to control IoT devices and the phone right from your wrist.

Samsung Galaxy Watch

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 45 mm Version
Weight: 67 g (1.76 oz)
OS: Tizen by Samsung
Display: 1.2″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi
Always-on Display: Yes
Storage & Memory: 4GB , 768 MB
Processor: Exynos 3250 Dual
Battery Life: 20-50 hours
GPS: Yes with GLONASS
NFC: Yes
Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Sensors: Heart rate, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer

Reviews:

This three years old watch is Samsung’s first affordable smartwatch with a 5 ATM rating. This entry-level smartwatch is discontinued by the company, and you would only found the remaining pieces being sold as refurbished units on the e-Commerce store.

The smartwatch has a standalone GPS which is quite erratic. You would also have onboard NFC, so you can make contactless payments. With both these features and an offline Spotify sync support, you can unhesitatingly leave your smartphone and wallet at home while out on a run.

The smartwatch can track sleep, steps, calories burnt and of course the heart rate. But even in doing so, it comes nowhere near the Samsung Watches we discussed above. The smartphone app gives you meaningful data and is a well-rounded app.

The smartwatch allows you to replace the bands, and so you can customize the watch to match your overall attire. It has a sporty look and a rugged design.

Ticwatch E2

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 47 mm
OS: Wear OS
RAM & Storage: 512 MB & 4 GB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 Platform.
Display: 1.39″ Retina AMOLED (400 x 400)
Battery: 3 days
Weight: 42.3 Oz
Water and dust resistance: 5 ATM (up to 100m)
Voice Assistant: Yes, (Google Assistant)
NFC: No
Strap Material: silicone (Other bands are also available)
GPS: Yes + GLONASS + Beidou
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi,
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope,heart-rate sensor, low latency off-body sensor

Review:

Ticwatch E2 is one of the cheapest watches with air-tight water resistance for up to 30-50m in water. Yes, the watch is 5 ATM rated. It is a big watch with a crisp display.

Surprisingly, the latest smartwatches by the company are just IP68 rated. Namely, Ticwatch Pro 4G/LTE. The latter might have more advanced features like standalone calling and accurate GPS tracking, but they would fail miserably underwater.

Ticwatch E2 has its limitations. The watch has small RAM, 512 MB, its GPS tracking is unreliable and advanced sensors are absent.

It supports many sport-modes and swimming is one of them. You can download third-party apps from the Google app store in addition to Google fit preinstalled in the watch.

Also, it has plenty of smartwatch features like contactless payment, standalone GPS, a voice assistant, and offline music playback. On top of that, you get a solid battery life of more than 3 days.

Suunto 7

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Case: 45 mm
OS: Google Wear OS
Storage and RAM: 4.5 GB and 1GB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100
Display: 1.39-inch AMOLED display, 454 x 454 pixels
Always On Display: Yes
Battery: 48 hours
Water and Dust Resistance: 5 ATM
Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wifi
GPS: Yes + GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, BEIDOU
NFC: Yes (Google Pay)
Voice Assistant: Yes (Google Assistant)
Sensors: Optical Heart Rate, barometric altimeter, Accelerometer

Review:

Suunto 7 is a multisport smartwatch and is one of the few smartwatches that take full advantage of its superior water resistance. As it is in the round-up, the watch is 5 ATM rated.

It can track swimming and rather than covering just a few metrics, it allows you to track advanced metrics like your stroke, pace, intervals, and breaks. The watch can also give you SWOLF score after analyzing your sessions, swim style, and stroke rates.

Suunto App Heatmaps make it easy to find popular open water swimming spots. You can check them directly on the watch. The advanced GPS tracking would allow you to track your swimming on a map, but it is a little tricky to use, as you might lose signals while inside water.

The watch has a built-in heart rate sensor, but for better accuracy, you would have to pair an external HRM chest strap with it. There is an interval training mode in it for serious athletes. You can sharpen your techniques while open water swimming with detailed metrics.

Other than the swim tracking, there are loads of other sports to choose from. It can track running, hiking, and several other exercises. Also, the watch has pretty decent smartwatch features like contactless payment, calling and texting, and offline Spotify support.

Garmin Venu

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 43.2
Weight: 46.3g
OS: Garmin OS
Music: 500 songs
Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED | 390 x 390 resolution
Always-on Display: Yes
Battery Life: 5 days battery life
GPS: Yes, Plus GLONASS and Galileo
Contactless Payment (NFC): Yes (Garmin Pay)
Water and Dust Resistance: 5 ATM rated
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi, ANT+
Sensors: Garmin Elevate heart rate sensor, Barometric altimeter, Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer, Pulse ox

Review:

Garmin Venu is the company’s first attempt to design a watch that is in accord with mainstream watches. It tried to appeal to a universal audience, but even that, it can’t resist loading the smartwatch with practical features like advanced fitness and health tracking, and a couple of features for outdoor adventures.

The Venu can track a variety of workouts, including running, swimming (thanks to its 5ATM rating), strength training, skiing, and plenty more. There are many on-device, animated workouts for beginners.

What distinguishes Garmin Venu from other watches by the company is its AMOLED display, the very first by the company in a watch. It is sharp, vibrant, and crisp and is in line with the Apple and Samsung premium watches display.

In addition to this, Garmin has been compatible with many kinds of music streaming platforms including Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music. Also, you can store music on the watch itself from your phone device.

Fitbit Versa 3

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 40.5 mm Version
Weight: N/A
OS: Fitbit OS
Display: 1.58-inch display AMOLED / 336 x 336 /1000nit
Always-on Display: Yes
Storage: 4GB
Processor: N/A
Battery Life: Up to 6 days (Smartwatch Mode) | 12 hours with continuous GPS
GPS: Yes, Plus GLONASS
NFC: Yes (Fitbit Pay)
Water Resistance: 5 ATM
Voice Assistant: (Google Assistant and Alexa)
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi
Sensors: SpO2, Optical heart rate sensor, Gyroscope, Altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Vibration motor

Review:

Both Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense are 5 ATM rated, but the Sense being the latest watch has more features and is a bit expensive. Also, the health features on the new Fitbit Sense are irrelevant to regular users who are not into ECG.

Fitbit being a health and fitness-oriented brand has designed its watches to follow the same philosophy. All its devices have more fitness features than they have smartwatch features. For instance, you cannot make calls or send a text without a phone.

However, you can make contactless payments and have voice assistant compatibility. Actually, Fitbit Versa 3 has two voice assistants integrated into the watch: Google Assistant and Alexa.

Fitbit Versa 2, the previous model, is also 5 ATM rated, but you would get all the practical features in the versa 3 which have added length counting and stroke recognition. Integration of the Fitbit Coach Workout app is well done and can guide you through plenty of sessions.

Amazfit T-REX

eSIM: No
Size: 47 mm
Weight: 58 g
OS: Amazfit OS
Display: 1.3-inch AMOLED | Resolution 360 x 360
Always On Display: Yes
Battery Life: 20 days on mixed usage (20 hours when GPS activated)
Water, Shock and Dust Resistance: ATM 5 rated, 12 Military Certifications
GPS Connectivity: Has onboard GPS + GLONASS
Voice Assistant: No
Contactless Payment: No
Sensors: BioTrackerTM PPG Bio-Tracking Optical Sensor, 3-axis acceleration sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Ambient light sensor

Review:

Amazfit T-REX as the name suggests is a rugged watch, but unlike other rugged watches, it is considerably cheaper. Apart from ATM 5 rated water resistance, the watch has 12 military certifications as a guarantor of ruggedness. Come hell or high water, this watch is not going to fail you.

Other than durability, the watch has little to offer to serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The number of sensors is pretty limited and the sensors themselves are quite basic. You can track a lot of activities including swimming, but the metrics are pretty basic.

The watch has a standalone GPS and GLONASS tracker, so you can leave your phone at home. But if you can’t enjoy any exercise without music, this surely isn’t the right watch for you. Better go for the next smartwatch also by Huami that can store music for offline usage.

Amazfit GTS 2e

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 42 mm Version
Weight: 53.8 g (1.9 oz)
OS: Amazfit OS
Storage: 3GB
Display: 1.65″ AMOLED | 348×442 pixel resolution
Always-on Display: Yes
Battery Life: 14 days battery life
GPS: Yes
NFC: No
Water and dust resistance: 5 ATM rated
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
Sensors: Heart rate tracker, accelerometer sensors, geomagnetic and air pressure sensors, SpO2

Review:

Amazfit GTS 2e is an inexpensive watch with loads of features. It has an uncanny resemblance with the Apple watch, as the Chinese company has put little effort to come with an original design. It is a cheaper alternative to the Apple Watch for Android Users.

As discussed earlier, the watch has an offline music storage option. However, you would be disappointed to know that popular streaming apps like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora are not integrated into this watch. You would be missing out on other smartwatch-features like contactless payment, a voice assistant, and standalone calling.

The watch has swimming mode built into it, and you will get all your important metrics on the smartphone app. However, the tracked metrics are pretty limited and both the watch UI and smartphone app, ZEPP, needs huge improvements.

All Amazfit watches share one highlight feature, a solid battery performance. You can never go wrong with this one. On standard mode, you would be able to get 14 days of battery life out of it.

Amazfit Bip S

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 42 mm Version
Weight: 31 g
OS: Amazfit OS
Display: 1.28″ Transflective Color TFT | resolution 176 x 176
Always-on Display: Yes
Battery Life: 14 days battery life
GPS: Yes, Plus GLONASS
NFC: No
Water and dust resistance: 5 ATM rated
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
Sensors: BioTracker TMPPG Bio-Tracking Optical Sensor, 3-axis acceleration sensor, 3-axis geomagnetic sensor

Review:

Amazfit Bip S is the cheapest smartwatch by Huami that has 5 ATM water resistance. To keep the price low, the smartwatch has to make several trade-offs which include a 1.28″ Transflective Color TFT display instead of AMOLED, basic sensors, and unreliable metrics most of the time.

The step tracking is miserably bad even though the watch has built-in GPS. The heart rate tracking is a little better but not enough when compared to top-notch watches by Apple and Samsung.

Being water-resistant for up to 50m, the watch does have a swim tracking mode for both pool and open water swimming. Again, nothing much comes out of it, and if you are seriously looking for a watch to level up your swimming skills, Suunto 7 would be the most affordable watch you can pick.

Like all other Amazfit watches, Bip S would deliver a battery performance of more than a week.

Withing Steel HR

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Compatible: Android and iPhone
Size: 36, 44mm
Weight: N/A
OS: N/A
Display: Hybrid Watch
Battery Life: 25 Days
GPS: No
NFC: No
Water resistance: 5 ATM rated
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate infrared sensor, Day & Night motion sensor, High precision MEMS 3-axis accelerometer

Review:

Withing Steel HR is a hybrid smartwatch which means that in appearance it would be similar to a traditional watch (with analog hands), but would have important fitness tracking sensors. The watch just tracks the metrics and sends them to the mobile and you only get a limited preview of them on the watch screen.

Being ATM 5 rated, it can be worn into the pool. All you have to do is wear your Steel while swimming. It will automatically detect that you’re swimming and track your swim without any action required on your part. However, as expected, the tracked metrics are pretty limited and often inaccurate.

The key strength is the accuracy of the heart rate monitor. The step tracking is pretty accurate too. Other than these, the watch has little to offer to its users.

Like Amazfit, Withings Steel HR has a long battery life (25 days) and it has to do with the fact that the watch has a small screen.

Garmin Forerunner 245

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 42mm
OS: Garmin OS
Storage: 4GB
Display: 1.2 in circular, 240 x 240 resolution
Always on Display: No
Battery: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode; up to 24 hours in GPS mode
Contactless Payment: No
Water and dust resistance: 5ATM
GPS: Yes, Plus Galileo, GLONASS
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: heart-rate monitor, accelerometer, compass, ambient light, pulse ox blood oxygen saturation monitor

Review:

Garmin Forerunner is a series dedicated to runners or triathlon athletes. Forerunner 245 is an affordable watch you can get for mid-level training. Other than running, the watch has a lot of features for swimming like tracking stroke, pace, intervals, and breaks.

You get 4 GB storage capacity for storing music files. Apart from that, your options are pretty limited. You cannot make contactless payments, and certainly don’t have any voice assistant on the watch. The third-party apps are pretty limited too.

The watch is pretty big, but the screen-to-size ratio is very low. As result, it has a large bezel. The screen is unimpressive and due to low resolution can fit a few items on display. You will have to navigate a lot which is often cumbersome with its large buttons.

Garmin always being the champion of practical gadgets has made this watch completely in line with their core philosophy. You get plenty of health features like heart rate and blood saturation tracking.

Plus, it can also be your dependable companion on outdoor adventures. (The watch has a compass, standalone GPS connectivity, and decent battery life.) It lasts for a complete week with mixed usage.

Huawei Watch GT 2e

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Size: 46 mm
Weight: 46 g
OS: Huawei OS
Display: 1.39 inch AMOLED 454 x 454 HD
Always-on Display: Yes
Battery Life: 5 days battery life
GPS: Yes
NFC: No
Water resistance: 5 ATM rated
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Accelerometer sensor, Gyroscope sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Optical heart rate sensor, Ambient light sensor, Air pressure sensor, Capacitive sensor

Review:

Huawei Watch GT 2e is an affordable smartwatch with an impressive display. The watch offers a good alternative to expensive Apple or Samsung smartwatches for both Android and IOS users. But there is a caveat. This heavy and bulky watch would not fit all wrist sizes.

The display is certainly the highlight feature. The watch has a super crisp AMOLED display with true whites and black. It offers a high resolution (454 x 454) to fit more items on a screen and a high brightness level of 1000 nit to deliver flawless performance indoors and outdoors.

Other than the display, it offers solid fitness and sports tracking. It matches the performance of top brands like Suunto and Garmin as it uses the same Firstbeat algorithms. The heart rate data and other metrics are presented in an easy-to-understand format and are largely accurate.

And yes, it is suitable for open water as well as pool swimming.

It’s another highlight feature is its long battery life which despite having power-hungry features like standalone GPS and AMOLED display, lasts more than 3 days.

LetsFit EW1

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No
Compatibility: IPhone and Android
Size: N/A
Weight: N/A
Display: 1.3-inch TFT LCD color screen
Always-on Display:
Battery duration: Up to 3 days
Water Resistance: 5 ATM
Voice Assistant: No
Contactless Payment: No
GPS: Yes
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: SpO2 sensor, Heart Rate Sensor

Reviews:

Letsfit is a rather unknown brand in the smartwatch market, and the LetsFit EW1 Smartwatch is the cheapest watch with not only 5 ATM water resistance but also a standalone GPS.

It doesn’t offer many smartwatch features like contactless payment and standalone calling. Also, the health features are limited to heart rate tracking and SpO2 measurement. Heart rate tracking is pretty accurate as compared to the other.

The battery performance is pretty solid, more than 3 days with mixed usage. This has to do with the limited features and pretty basic user interface of the watch. Unlike premium watches, this doesn’t have an AMOLED display. Its cheaper TFT LCD color screen consumes less battery power.

Though the watch is suitable for pool and open water swimming, it simply doesn’t have advanced sensors to track the activity in depth. The cheaper price tag, less than $50, is its only attractive feature.