Smartwatches have become the new trend! So, it’s not surprising that the demand for smartwatches is steadily increasing since they are very convenient and offer a wide range of functions.
Several brands produce smartwatches nowadays, which means that it can be challenging to get the right one for you. We’re going to review 5 of the best waterproof smartwatches this year and, hopefully by the end of this article, you will find one that matches your taste and budget.
1. Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch
The Versa 3 is designed with an advanced GPS capable of reading your physical activities such as running, biking, jogging. This feature allows you to keep track of your daily workout progress, especially if you’re trying to stick to a routine or if you want to compare your workouts each day.
The Versa 3 is also equipped with Active Zone Minutes software. This function is used to monitor the intensity of your workouts. Active Zone Minutes can read your heart rate and use this information to judge when your workout is getting intense. Furthermore, the software comes with an alarm that alerts you when to increase your workout rate.
The smartwatch comes with the PurePulse 2.0 software that constantly monitors your heart rate and your nightly blood oxygen levels.
Other features include voice-activated assistants, like the Google assistant and Amazon's Alexa. This AI feature gives you a more hands-free experience.
The Versa 3 has an impressive battery life of 6 days! Also, the watch has a water resistance rating of up to 50m. This is relatively high, so you don’t have to take off your watch every time you hit the shower!
What We Like
- Long battery life
- Voice-activated AI
- Waterproof up to 50m
- Effective workout features
What We Don’t Like
- Payment required for local music
- Software interface needs more work
The Versa 3 is an excellent watch if you’re looking to improve your workout experience. Most of the features allow you to keep proper track of your body and easily access your watch when your hands are busy.
2. Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch
This watch is equipped with sensors that can monitor different functions in your body, such as your energy levels, sleep, stress, menstrual cycle, heart rate, and many more. All these features make it possible for you to keep a close eye on your overall health.
Also, you can easily access music on your smartwatch. The Vivoactive 4 gives you access to some of your favorite music apps like Deezer, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
The Vivoactive 4 also has features for fitness lovers and sports enthusiasts. The watch comes with preinstalled indoor sports apps and GPS that tell you all you need to know about swimming, yoga, running, and many more.
The Vivoactive 4 has a fantastic battery life of 8 days in smartwatch mode and 6 days in GPS mode!
What We Like
- Can receive calls, text messages, and reminders
- Includes safety and tracking features
- Waterproof
- Budget-friendly
What We Don’t Like
- Poor GPS signal
- Some bugs in the software
The Vivoactive 4 is suitable for both your social and fitness needs. It’s also available in different colors and wrist sizes!
3. Garmin Vivoactive 3, GPS Smartwatch
With Vivoactive 3, you can now eliminate the need to carry your wallet or purse anytime you go out for a jog or exercise. In addition, the watch comes equipped with Garmin Pay, which allows you to make direct payments from your bank using your smartwatch.
Also, you have access to thousands of watch faces, apps, and widgets that you can use to personalize your screen to your taste. You can access these features from the Connect IQ store available on your smartwatch.
The watch also gives you a wide range of sport and fitness options. You can access up to 15 apps or more dedicated to sports such as swimming, running, yoga, biking, hiking, and others. The Vivoactive 3 also has GPS features to improve the quality of your workout!
Furthermore, you can connect your smartwatch to any compatible smartphone. Connecting the watch to a smartphone allows you to receive information from your phone directly on your watch, such as calls, messages, notifications, and more.
The battery of this watch is impressive. You can use it for seven days straight in smartwatch mode and up to 13 hours in GPS mode!
What We Like
- Comfortable to wear
- Battery life is as advertised
- Bands are durable
What We Don’t Like
- Some workout features don’t work properly
- Bluetooth connection needs improvement
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is very affordable for the functions it can perform. It’s also very durable, from the bands to the casing of the wristwatch.
4. Fitbit Versa 2 Health and Fitness Smartwatch
The Versa 2 has a voiced activated AI, such as Amazon Alexa, installed. The AI allows you to set timers, get the news, set alarms, and perform other functions without having to make use of your hands.
The display of this watch is another feature that we like. The display is more prominent, brighter, and comes with an always-on function. This means that you no longer have to tap your screen each time you want to check something.
The increased display size also makes it easier for you to see content displayed on your screen even when you’re under the sun.
The Bluetooth function allows you to connect your phone to your smartwatch, so you can get calls, texts, apps, and calendar notifications.
Furthermore, you can keep better track of your sleep pattern since the watch can monitor your heart rate, sleep time, restlessness, sleep stages, and more.
You also get to enjoy some music apps on the watch like Spotify, Deezer, and Pandora. However, keep in mind that you’ll have to pay a fee to access these music apps.
The battery life is another crucial factor, and the watch boasts a battery life of 6 days.
What We Like
- Voice-activated AI
- Intensive sleep monitoring
- Larger screen with always-on display
- Sports mode
What We Don’t Like
- Voice-activated AI is limited to specific locations
- Poor phone connection
The Versa 2 is another excellent choice for a fitness companion, and it has excellent fitness tracking features. In addition, the screen makes it easier to access, and you can use the voice prompt.
5. Amazfit GTR 2 Smart Watch
The GTR 2 is also exercise-oriented. It comes with 90 preloaded sport modes and has an intelligent sensor that can automatically identify what sport you’re doing and bring up the corresponding sport mode!
The watch is also equipped with state-of-the-art health sensors that can track your overall well-being. For example, it can monitor your heart rate all day long with accuracy thanks to the PPG bio-tracking optical sensor. The heart sensor also monitors other factors like blood-oxygen levels, sleep quality, and stress levels.
All the information gathered by the sensor is recorded into a matrix that allows you to read the information with one glance.
The Amazfit GTR 2 comes with 3GB storage space strictly for music. This means that you can save your local music to your watch without the need for a music app!
The display is another reason we like this watch. It has a high-definition display with 326ppi Pixel. The display of the GTR 2 is one of the brightest you can get. Furthermore, you can use the Amazon AI and Alexa.
What We Like
- Separate 3GB storage for music
- High-definition display
What We Don’t Like
- Problem connecting with the Zepp app
- Poor GPS
The watch has a nice design and an improved heart sensor. It also offers a high-quality display screen and music capabilities.
How Do I Pick the Best Waterproof Smart Watch?
Before you go ahead and purchase any smartwatch, there are some things you should look out for!
Price
This is usually the first thing that comes to mind when you want to get anything new.
With smartwatches, the trend is that the more expensive it is, the better it is. So, if you want a smartwatch with all the qualities and functions, you should be ready to spend a lot of money.
However, there are still a lot of budget-friendly smartwatches that will give you a nice degree of functionality, just like the ones mentioned above. Although there are some setbacks with the watches, they offer more than their problems for a lower price.
Preloaded Apps
Most smartwatches are meant to come with preloaded apps, but the number varies with each brand.
Depending on what you plan to do with your watch, you need to ensure that the apps you want are available on the smartwatch. For example, if you’re looking for fitness features, then you’ll want a watch that has a lot of preloaded fitness apps to offer.
Internal Storage
Most people like listening to music when going for their morning run or working out.
Some smartwatches come with storage space that allows you to keep your local playlist at hand. On the other hand, some only allow access to online streaming platforms like Spotify, which you have to pay for.
Waterproof and Water-Resistant
Waterproof and water-resistant are two words that are often thrown around when it comes to smartwatches. However, waterproof and water-resistant don’t mean the same thing.
Waterproof means the product is properly insulated against water damage, and it’s this type of device you can swim with or take your bath with. However, the waterproof rating also varies, and the higher the rating, the deeper the device can go underwater.
Water-resistant means the device is sealed off to prevent water from getting into it. This only means that water can spill over the device.
Battery
Your smartwatch’s battery life is how long the battery can last without charging it.
If you don’t have much time to sit around waiting for your smartwatch to charge, then you should get one that can last for a while after a single full charge.
The battery life of these smartwatches also varies based on the function. For example, when used as a regular smartwatch, the battery tends to last longer. However, when you use the GPS function, the battery drains faster.
You want to get a watch that can last longer in whatever mode you’ll be using it.
FAQ
How Long Should My Smartwatch Battery Last?
The battery life depends on the brand of the smartwatch and also the mode that you use it in. However, your battery should last at least four days without needing to charge it.
Should I Get a Waterproof or Water-Resistant Smartwatch?
If you’re going to be using the watch underwater, you should definitely get a waterproof device. However, water-resistant smartwatches will suffice if it’s for above water use.
Wrap Up
Getting a smartwatch doesn’t have to be a difficult task if you know what you’re looking for. We’ve shown you some of the best waterproof smartwatches on the market, and they are all budget-friendly.
We’ve also shown you some of the important factors you should consider before making a choice, and we know you’ll have a great time making your decision!