Can your Fitbit go in water? Great question! Often times, people use their Fitbits to track their fitness and sports performance. If you rely on swimming as a form of cardio, you may be wondering if there is any risk involved with wearing your tracker in water.
If so, then read on! Below is everything you need to know about wearing your Fitbit in water.
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Can a Fitbit Go in Water?
Good news for your swimming fans out there. You can, indeed, go for a swim with your Fitbit device.Well, most Fitbit devices.
All Fitbits are, at the very least, water-resistant. This means that they are splash-proof, rainproof, and sweatproof. So you have nothing to fear!
That being said, it’s generally not a good idea to go dunking your Fitbit into water purposefully, because the warranty does not actually cover water damage, and you never know what might happen.
If you do notice some water condensation on your screen, the good old dry rice trick should fix it right up. First, get a container of dried rice, then submerge your Fitbit in it, and leave it for a few hours. If that doesn’t do it, you are probably going to have to bring it to a professional.
What Fitbit Trackers Are Waterproof?
As mentioned above, nearly all the Fitbits are waterproof. Focus on nearly. Can your Fitbit hr get wet? It can indeed. What about a Fitbit Charge? Yup, that one’s fine too.
In fact, the only one you really need to watch out for is the original Fitbit Ace. The device is showerproof, but you can’t go swimming with one. It’s also a good idea to be careful with any of the original Fitbit models, just in case.
Of course, some Fitbits are more waterproof than others, surviving at lower depths, and with greater results. So if you’re looking for the best possible waterproof Fitbit you can buy, then you have a few options. Keep in mind; you won’t be going deep-sea diving any time soon with these devices, so as always, err on the side of caution.
The most effective waterproof Fitbits are the Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Ace 2, Fitbit Flex 2, and the Fitbit Charge 3. All of these can withstand depths of up to 50 meters and stand out as a cut above the rest of the models.
Not only are they waterproof, but these Fitbit models have built-in activity tracking for swimming. So they can record your lap count, duration, pace, as well as all the other stats that they usually track, like your heart rate.
While it claims that the models are waterproof, and customer testimonial seems to back that up, Fitbit has not actually assigned official IP ratings to any of the watches as of yet.
An IP rating is an abbreviation for Ingress Protection. They come in the form of codes that let consumers know just how waterproof a product is. The fact that Fitbit has decidedly refused to use the rating system has raised some eyebrows, and one has to ask why, exactly? Like the watches, it says, are waterproof, do actually seem to be so.
What Fitness Tracker Can You Swim With?
Fitbit isn’t the only option you have when it comes to waterproof fitness trackers. There is a whole host of other options available to those willing to experiment with other manufacturers.
There are a few things to look out for when shopping around for a waterproof Fitbit alternative. Mainly, when depth that the watch can go to. The seal that protects your fitness tracker’s electronics from water actually has two functions. Not only does is stop the aforementioned water, but it helps your watch withstand water pressure.
As well as how deep it can go, screen brightness and clarity are something you should be on the lookout for. If you want to monitor your performance mid-swim, you want a screen bright enough to be viewed in the water.
An excellent alternative watch that excels in these areas is the Garmin Vivoactive 3. The watch retails for around $160 dollars and has all the fitness tracking features you’ve become accustomed to, such as stress and heart rate monitoring, sleep tracker, step counter, and more.
It also has a broad array of smartwatch features like contactless pay. So if you need a versatile waterproof fitness tracker that isn’t Fitbit, go with this one.
What Fitness Trackers Are Waterproof
Some Other Fitness Trackers That You Can Swim With Are:
- Apple Watch Series 3
- Garmin Forerunner 35
- Misfit Ray
- TomTom Spark 3
- Misfit Shine 2 Swimmer’s Edition
- Samsung Gear Sport
- All of the previously mentioned Fitbit watches.
All of these are waterproof fitness trackers and are excellent choices for swimmers, but each has its own pros and cons. So do some research to see which one suits your needs best.
What If My Fitbit Has Water Damage?
First, you need to be sure that it is water damage causing the problem. If you are having issues with the display of power, and you have submerged the device in the water recently, then chances are that is the cause. That being said, you should still try other non-water related fixes, just to be sure.
To treat water damage, put your tracker into a container full of dry rice for at least 24 hours. Doing this allows the rice to suck up any moisture from inside the device, and hopefully fix the issue.
Then try to restart the watch. If you still have no luck, then your best bet would be to contact Fitbit’s customer support team or to bring it to a professional tech shop. Your warranty doesn’t actually cover water damage, so either way, you’re going to have to fork out cash for a fix or replacement.
Due to this, you should be extremely careful when in water with your Fitbit, regardless of whether or not it is waterproof. You’ve spent a lot of money on this device, so better to be safe than sorry.
Best Waterproof Fitbit
If you don’t want to experiment with other makes, and want to show Fitbit brand loyalty, you may be wondering which Fitbit is the definitive best waterproof model.
Well, that question is hard to answer. All of Fitbit’s waterproof trackers are great in their own right, and each offers, more or less, the same water protection. So, which one is the best comes down to personal choice, or non-water related features.
That being said, Charge 3 arguably puts itself ahead of the competition. It has a seven-day battery life, and a fantastic big and bright LED screen, making it perfect for water use. It has all the usual trackers you are used to; however, it doesn’t have GPS tracking.
It does, however, have built-in swimming activity tracking.
The watch retails for around $150 dollars, making it a great affordable option for those looking for a swimwear Fitbit tracker. The lack of GPS functionality hampers its ability to serve those looking to use it for running, though, so keep that in mind before deciding to buy.
A good Fitbit alternative to Charge 3 is the Inspire hr. This model is also waterproof, and retails for around $100 dollars, making it the cheaper option. It doesn’t come with the swim tracking ability of the Charge 3, but many of the staple Fitbit functions are still there.
It has a lightweight design, and for a price that low, you can’t really go wrong.
So, There You Have It
Can a Fitbit go in the water? Yes, it absolutely can. Although, just how deep in water it can go depends on the model, so do your research before jumping in the deep end.
There are plenty of great Fitbit models out there for simmers looking to track their performance, but there are also lots of other brands that are worth having a look at.
From Garmin to Samsung, you have a lot of options, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Hell, you could even go with a smart ring if that’s what you’re into.
When you’re shopping for a tracker for your swimming activity, most offer the same water protection, so it comes down to general functionality. So when you’re comparing models, so long as their waterproof, treat the comparison like any other. Some, like the Charge 3, come with built-in swimming tracking along with Fitbits regular features, but at an increased price.
If you have the budget, though, don’t be afraid to splash the cash on a premium model. Generally speaking, the more you spend, the better the product, and fitness trackers can last you years if you look after them properly.
Here are three of the best waterproof fitness trackers on the market listed on Amazon. You can buy them from other retailers if you want, but Amazon is always a safe bet when it comes to purchasing technology online.
Just remember, your Fitbit isn’t under warranty when it comes to water damage. So go diving with your watch at your own peril.
1. Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness Activity Tracker
2. Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate & Fitness Tracker
3. Garmin Vívoactive 3, GPS Smartwatch
