9 Of The Best Waterproof Smartwatches You Can Buy In 2024, Ranked By Price

Buyers looking for a versatile, durable smartwatch have a wide range of options at their disposal in 2024, both from the biggest names in the industry and from smaller brands. Virtually all watches feature a certain level of water resistance, but not all of them are suitable for extended submersion in water or for use in water-based sports. It's often the case that pricier smartwatches offer a higher level of waterproofing, but there are a number of cheaper options on the market that boast equally high levels of water resistance too.

Whether you're looking to take your smartwatch scuba diving or simply want some extra peace of mind when out in wet weather, these nine top picks all offer competitive features, intuitive design, and a high level of water resistance. Some cater more towards specific activities, but many remain equally appealing across a wide range of activities and uses. Each is ranked by price, from most affordable to most expensive.

While the Garmin Swim 2 doesn't offer the same all-round appeal as many of the other smartwatches here, it's a strong contender for those looking for a smartwatch specifically for swimming. At a retail price of $249.99, it's also not a bargain — but it's cheaper than many of Garmin's more well-rounded smartwatches. Its talents are focused squarely around tracking swim data, and as such, some of the features that are commonly available on the best multisport watches are absent here.

Among other metrics, the Garmin Swim 2 tracks stroke rate, pace, and SWOLF, as well as tracking heart rate. The watch can be used both in the pool and in open water, although not every feature is available for the latter. One pool-only feature is the pace alert, which both vibrates and beeps to allow you to compare your current pace to your target pace.

The watch also offers modes for other activities including cycling and running, although these are limited compared to Garmin's pricier watches. The strict swimming focus of the Garmin Swim 2 makes it a niche option, but for avid swimmers who don't want to pay extra for multisport features they won't use, it's worth considering.

Although it's more affordable than many of its recently launched rivals, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 doesn't compromise on features. It offers a range of health monitoring and tracking options, wrapped in a package that's both lightweight and stylish.

The improvements for the Galaxy Watch 7 are incremental compared to previous iterations of Samsung's smartwatch, and so existing Galaxy Watch owners might not find much to justify its $299.99 price tag. Its water resistance ratings remain the same as the Galaxy Watch 6, with the latest version meeting the 5ATM and IP68 standards for water and dust resistance and the MIL-STD-810H standard for overall durability.

Among the new additions to the watch are Samsung's Galaxy AI features, which help provide more personal tips for hitting health targets. New sensors are also fitted which promise improved accuracy when reading blood pressure, skin temperature, and other metrics. Some features remain limited to owners of Galaxy smartphones, but even those without one will find plenty to make the Galaxy Watch 7 an attractive option for health and fitness tracking.

OnePlus' second smartwatch is a significant improvement over its first, and thanks to its tough build and high levels of water resistance, it's a great option for buyers concerned about scuffs and scratches. SlashGear's reviewer found the OnePlus Watch 2 to be one of the only current generation watches to make it through a week of thorough testing without attracting any cosmetic damage, a feat that even Apple's bestselling watch failed to achieve. OnePlus states that the watch is rated to 5ATM and also meets the MIL-STD-810H standard for durability.

It might be tough, but it's also bulky, and might be too big for buyers with smaller wrists. Its health and fitness tracking capabilities also aren't perfect — our reviewer noted some inaccuracies across multiple metrics, alongside inconsistencies with features like Do Not Disturb mode. However, for its $299.99 retail price, the watch offers a range of features that put it on par with pricier rivals, even if those features come with limitations. It might not be the most polished option out there, but with Wear OS, plenty of processing power, and competitive battery life, it's a worthy option at its price point.

Why have one screen when you can have two? TicWatch's designers found a creative way to solve the common issue of limited smartwatch battery life: fit two screens to the watch, one on top of the other. As a result, the TicWatch Pro 5 offers significantly better battery life than most of its similarly priced rivals, lasting up to four days during SlashGear's testing. The main OLED screen sits underneath a second LCD screen, with the former only activated by tapping the screen. The rest of the time, the second screen shows basics like the time and the wearer's heart rate but consumes far less battery while doing so.

Elsewhere, things are not so innovative. The $349.99 TicWatch Pro 5 tracks all the usual metrics you'd expect a premium smartwatch to, including sleep and blood oxygen levels. Our reviewer found the sleep tracking function to be a mixed bag, with some notable inaccuracies and less detail available compared to leading watches. However, it's still more than adequate for buyers looking to get a basic overview of their sleep quality.

Much like the OnePlus Watch 2, the TicWatch can withstand 5ATM and meets the MIL-STD -810H standard. That makes it suitable for many water-based activities, although it's more of an all-round health tracker than a dedicated sports watch. Its long battery life and attractive design are among its biggest selling points, with the biggest drawback being the TicWatch's tough competition from bigger name rivals.

The Google Pixel Watch 2 with 4G LTE retails for $399.99, but can be frequently found for less. At the time of this writing, it's discounted to $299.99 on Amazon, putting it in direct competition with rivals from Samsung and OnePlus. At that price, it's an impressively capable device, and one that won SlashGear's Editor's Choice award when it debuted in 2023. A non-4G capable variant is also available for a retail price of $349.99.

After spending some time testing the Pixel Watch 2 across a variety of activities, SlashGear's reviewer came away impressed with its tracking accuracy and sleek design, although found its standard range of band sizes to be a sticking point. Our reviewer could not make any of the standard sizes fit their wrist comfortably, and so had to order an XL Stretch Band from Google, which usually costs an extra $59.99.

Sizing aside, there's little to dislike about the Pixel Watch 2, particularly for buyers who own a Pixel smartphone. Its integration with popular apps like streaming and weather forecast apps is smooth and can be fine-tuned to a greater degree than many rivals. Its health and fitness tracking capabilities are also among the best on the market. The day-long battery life is not the best in class, but that mediocre life is partly thanks to the impressive always-on display. The Pixel Watch 2 is IP68 rated, but it can't be used for water sports like some of the watches here.

Apple offers several iterations of its Series 9 watch, starting at $399.99 for the 41mm aluminum watch and rising to $429.99 for the same case material at 45mm width. Like previous iterations, it's resistant to water ingress, and can be used for both pool and open water swimming according to Apple. The Apple Watch will need no introduction to existing smartwatch owners — it's been the segment benchmark since its launch, and the ninth iteration does nothing to change that.

The launch of the Series 9 in 2023 brought further revisions and improvements compared to its predecessor, with refreshed swipe controls and increased processing power. As ever, it's catered primarily to users already deep into the Apple ecosystem, with some features reserved for users who own an iPhone 15 or newer. That includes Precision Finding, which lets users find an iPhone that's been misplaced and directs them to its location as well as displaying how many feet away it is.

The Series 9 has since been superseded by the Series 10, which was announced in September 2024. That means it should be easier to find the Series 9 at a discounted price, although it's undoubtedly tempting to cough up a little extra cash for the latest version, which boasts extras like a water temperature sensor and depth gauge for shallow water.

Most smartwatches last only a day or two between charges with regular use, but the Garmin Venu 3 is not like the rest. After spending several weeks testing the watch, our reviewer found that the brand's bold battery life claims to be accurate, with the watch able to last around a week on a single charge. Garmin has always been a top choice for runners and athletes, and the Venu 3 is too, with a 5ATM water resistance rating for water-based sports. However, its battery life also makes it just as appealing for those looking to assess their sleep quality without worrying about running out of charge in the night.

Aside from its star qualities, there are some compromises that Garmin wearers will make, and they're not always easily digestible ones considering the watch's $449.99 asking price. For starters, Garmin's app ecosystem is a lot less comprehensive than rival systems from Apple and Google, although all basic functions are covered.

The watch is also less easily customizable, with our reviewer finding downloading new watch faces to be a particularly frustrating endeavor. Those annoyances aside, the Venu 3 is a competitive watch that comfortably outlasts its rivals in battery life and features the full array of Garmin's sport-focused tracking metrics.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a significant step up in price compared to any of the previously discussed smartwatches, retailing for $649.99. However, buyers that can justify the initial outlay are rewarded with one of the most feature-rich smartwatches on the market. It's tough too, with IP68 and 10ATM ratings and MIL-STD 810H certification. That makes it suitable for all kinds of sports and outdoor activities including swimming.

It's clear that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is aimed at primarily being the Android equivalent of the Apple Watch Ultra line — even the name is a clone — and it's a brief that is mostly pulled off with aplomb. The ability to track a huge variety of sports and activities is combined with Samsung's slick interface, which is backed up by a suitably powerful processor.

The watch runs on Google's Wear OS, and like its rivals, it's most seamless when it's paired with a Samsung smartphone. SlashGear's reviewer found its GPS to be among the most accurate on the market when tracking runs, and its heart rate and distance tracking proved to be accurate too. While this is Samsung's best watch yet, its steep asking price means that more casual buyers might find the Galaxy Watch 7 a better value proposition.

While it's too expensive for most buyers to justify, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the zenith of the brand's smartwatch range. The latest iteration of Apple's adventure watch packs a slew of iterative improvements over its predecessor, with a higher altitude rating and an underwater maximum operating depth of 40 meters (131 feet). That makes it suitable for diving as well as swimming and other water-based activities. In addition, it meets the MIL-STD 810H standard.

It packs a bigger battery than Apple's main Watch Series range, plus a brighter 3,000 nit display for better visibility in all conditions and environments. The big catch, of course, is that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 also comes with a starting price of $799, making it a significant investment that only the most dedicated outdoor enthusiasts will be able to justify. For those who can, it remains the smartwatch to beat.