The best fitness trackers for the water help swimmers stay motivated while providing tons of valuable features like personalized workout plans, customizable lap times, drill logging, a heart rate monitor, and real-time swim speeds. However, you’ll get the most for your money if your fitness tracker is useful on land too.
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that will give you the most capabilities inside and outside of the water, the Apple Watch Series 6 is the top choice.
When a fitness tracker claims to be waterproof, it means that no water should get inside that product, regardless of how long you keep it submerged. Most have a limit.
A water-resistant fitness tracker, such as the Fitbit Inspire 2, is protected against water damage up to a point. If a depth limit is not listed on the product, then its ingress protection rating will be. The IP rating tells you exactly how long and up to what depth you can safely keep it submerged before damage might occur.
For example, an IP68 rating means that you can safely submerge the device in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
Swim goggles, such as the FORM swim goggles, use smart technology to provide distance, time, and pace as you go. While they can only be used in the water, the on-lens display is a helpful swimming tool.
Smartwatches — like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — tend to make the best fitness trackers for swimmers. They are often sleek in the water, provide an easily accessible display and offer robust swimming features.
If you’re looking for the best fitness tracker without the tempting distractions of a cellphone-compatible smartwatch, consider a dedicated fitness tracker like the Amazfit Band 5. Some come with built-in swimming tools, and they’re usually more budget-friendly than smartwatches.
The best fitness trackers provide haptic feedback for goals met and target heart rates reached to keep you informed without making you stop and check while training.
Aerodynamic devices prevent drag, so you don’t have to worry about your gear slowing you down. The best models are sleek and unfussy, so you can focus on your swim time and not your fitness tracker.
Having the right tools on your fitness tracker can help you become a better swimmer. Real-time swim speeds push you to swim faster. Pacing alerts enable you to set speed targets and prevent you from slowing down. Drill logging lets you track timed distances so you know when you’re reaching goals. Chances are, if the tool you need doesn’t come on a device, you can get it from a connected app.
The best fitness trackers for swimmers provide customizable pool features, such as the ability to specify lap lengths for accurate counting and automatic pause while resting. It's also important to look for open-water workout options so you can track distances in lakes, rivers and the ocean.
If you want to track your basic activity durations, steps, and heart rate, you can spend as little as $30 on a dedicated design. However, if you want the best fitness tracker that offers a full suite of swim features, you’re going to spend between $250-$500.
What you need to know: It performs exceptionally well as a training device for swimmers, and you’ll get more from your investment because it’s also great for daily use.
What you’ll love: It sports a sleek design, provides haptic notifications, goes into the ocean or a pool, and boasts all the tools you need. With apps, it can track strokes, swimming efficiency, splits, lap times, speed, pace, drills, and goals while creating customizable workouts.
What you should consider: It doesn’t fit in everyone’s budget, some swimming apps charge a monthly fee and the battery life could be better.
Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: It’s the best fitness tracker for those who want a device with tons of dedicated swim features.
What you’ll love: It has all of the fantastic features swimmers want in a fitness tracker, plus its capabilities are built into the watch. It also tracks basic activities, such as steps, running, and cycling while providing smartphone notifications.
What you should consider: Its on-land fitness tracking options could be more impressive for the price.
Sold by Amazon
Garmin Instinct Solar Smartwatch
What you need to know: It’s a fitness-tracking smartwatch with some serious outdoor features.
What you’ll love: It comes with robust in-water and on-land fitness tracking features. This rugged device will track your hunting and fishing activity, and it has military-grade durability, up to 54 days of battery life, solar capabilities, and smartphone notifications.
What you should consider: It’s a big investment for a fitness-tracking smartwatch that doesn’t let you send a text.
Sold by Amazon, Backcountry, Kohl’s, Etsy, Road Runner Sports and Macy’s
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Ella Scott writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
