13 Best Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers For Swimming in 2021 [Expert Picks]

Whether you are a professional swimmer or a beginner, if you are in search of a good quality swim watch, then you’ve arrived at the right place.

Smartwatches have come a long way, they’re no longer limited to basic tasks such as replying to notifications, calls, health tracking, you can now use them for sports such as golf, swimming, etc. But which one?

We have compiled a list of models that are the best from a swimmer’s perspective. Not only that, before making this list, we also interviewed professional swimmers and coaches to make sure that our recommendations are worthy.

We’ve focused on swimming oriented features such as lap-tracking accuracy, water-resistance feet capacity, stoke detection, etc. Not only that most of the smartwatches in our list are also suited for other general utility purpose.

Best Smartwatches For Swimming [According To Experts]

Go through the list, and see which one fits into your budget and needs. We have reviewed each smartwatch in full detail so you know everything about it. Without wasting any more of your time, let’s get started with the list.

1. Best Overall: Apple Watch Series 5

Apple Series 5 is the ultimate Smartwatch that money can buy. It does everything with supreme perfection and accuracy. Let it be tracking laps while swimming or keeping an eye on your heart rate; you can count on the Apple Series 5 to give accurate results.

The watch is equipped with all the latest hardware in the form of GPS, Fall Detector, Built-in Compass, Electrical and Optical HR Sensors, and much more. So, this little package will keep you covered on all fronts.

To activate the swimming mode of the watch, go to the Workout app and choose Open Water Swim or Pool Swim. The watch will automatically turn its touch off to avoid accidental taps when underwater, and reactivate it when you are out. You will then be able to see the complete summary of your workout. From the types of strokes that you used to the total distance you swam, everything will be shown efficiently.

Battery backup of the Apple Series 5 watch is 18 hours, which is mediocre. It is the only drawback, as you will have to charge it regularly. Otherwise, it is excellent.

You can purchase this Smartwatch for about 380 Dollars, and it comes with a warranty of 1 year. It is available in 2 sizes 40 and 44 mm and in 3 colors Black, Silver, and Gold.

2. Best For Fitness & Swimming: Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit Versa 2 is an affordable Smartwatch, so if you can not afford the higher price tag of the Apple Watch Series 5, try this one out. Moreover, it is compatible with more devices than the Apple Watch. You can connect it to any Android and iOS Smartphone.

The Versa 2 is capable of tracking your swimming sessions, calories burned during them, how much distance you covered, and the kind of strokes that you used. It is waterproof up to 150 feet, so you will not have to worry about it going bad in a swimming pool. However, avoid the leather strap while in the pool.

Other key features of this Smartwatch are HR Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Music, Alexa Integration, Active Minutes, Floors Climbed, and Calories Burned. So, it is safe to say that the watch will keep an eye on your entire fitness routine.

Battery backup is one of the best aspects of buying a Versa 2 watch. On a single 100 percent charge, it will give you enough power to cover for the entire week. That too, with all the sensors on, so you can increase it even more if you want to by turning off some of its features.

You can buy the Fitbit Versa 2 for about 150 Dollars, and it is available in 6 unique colors. They are Black, Copper Rose, Navy and Pink, Petal, Stone, and Mist Grey.

3. Best For Activity Tracking: Garmin Forerunner 935

This is a triathlon watch, so it accurately tracks data related to running, swimming, and cycling. Garmin Forerunner 935 is one of the most popular Smartwatches for swimmers, and it is the reason why it has been included on this list.

The watch uses an accelerometer to track your swims, so it is quite accurate at measuring distances. You can return from the middle of a pool, and it can still count it as a lap. You will not have to go walls and push them for it to take the reading like the Versa 2. This makes doing small drills much easier.

Key sensors in the Forerunner 935 are HR Sensor for measuring heart rate, Altimeter for measuring the floors you have climbed, Barometer for measuring the pressure, GPS for tracking the distance you ran, and Sleep Tracker. All of these have their own apps, and you will have to go in them to access data related to that activity.

This Smartwatch is better at tracking complex dynamics than any other device on this list. Activities like cycling and swimming are benefitted from this, as they have a wide range of motion. If you are an avid swimmer or cyclist, you will notice this difference on day one.

The watch will last just 24 hours on a full charge, so be prepared to charge it every single day, if you finalize it. I recommend you to charge it overnight so that it is always ready to go with you in the morning.

You can purchase it for about 366 Dollars, and it comes in two colors, Black and Yellow. Feel free to choose any one of them, as they have the same price.

4. Best Under $200: Fitbit Ionic Watch

Ionic is another great Smartwatch from Fitbit. It inclines more towards the fitness side of things than the smart side, so if you are a fitness geek who loves to keep track of everything, I am sure you will love it.

The watch is capable of tracking your strokes, the distance that you have swum, calories burned, the number of laps you have covered and what your heart rate was while swimming. Apart from the last one, all of its readings are pretty accurate. It has trouble measuring the heart rate underwater, but it works very well on the surface.

To count the number of laps, you will have to push hard against the swimming pool for it to record. It counts push and pulls as a lap so make sure you do it correctly to get the right results. The touch will be deactivated underwater, so you will not be able to use it there. You will have to come onto the surface to see your results.

Apart from swimming, you can use the Ionic to track your sleep and runs. It will give you statistics about your average speed, number of hours you were in a deep sleep, the quality of your sleep, your step size, and much more.

Apart from these fitness features, you can also use the Ionic for NFC Payments, set silent alarms, store over 300 songs in its memory, get Weather updates, and more. So, it is not dedicated to fitness only; it truly is a complete smartwatch.

Battery backup of the Ionic is 4 days, which is okay. You will not have to charge it daily, which is always a good thing.

The starting price of the Fitbit Ionic is 204 Dollars, and it comes in 4 colors, Charcoal, Silver, Burnt Orange, and Ice Gray.

5. Best For Professionals: Garmin Swim 2

Garmin Swim 2 is a dedicated watch for swimming. It can be used in pools and open water without any problems. So, let it be a lake, river, or ocean, you can dive into it without removing your watch.

The watch uses a GPS sensor to track your movements. It can count the distance that you have traveled, the number and type of strokes that you have used, estimate your swimming efficiency, your average pace, and much more. Overall, it will not only record your data but also help you improve it.

There are dedicated apps on this watch which will give you drills to improve your pace and technique. It is like having a personal instructor on the wrist at all times.

Apart from these unique modes, it has all the standard smartwatch features. It can track sleep quality, measure distance covered while running, show you the notifications, reply to texts, change music, and much more.

Battery backup of the Garmin Swim 2 is 7 days on smartwatch mode, 13 hours in GPS and Heart tracking mode, and 72 hours in pool mode. So, you can keep switching between them to improve its battery life. It can easily go above the 1-day mark that we discussed above.

You can purchase this dedicated swimmer’s watch for about 230 Dollars, and it comes in 2 colors. They are Slate and White.

6. Best Outdoor Watch: Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR

Suunto Spartan Sport is the ultimate fitness smartwatch. It is not dedicated to a particular type of sport, as it covers everything from Swimming to Cycling to Running to Recovery after a workout. However, we will lay our emphasis only on its Swimming side.

The watch is capable of measuring your Swimming Pace, Distance, Stroke Efficiency, Interval Lap Table, and Swimming Stroke Rate. It does the tracking with the help of its inbuilt GPS tracker and HR heart rate monitor. Both of them give accurate readings, as the sensors use the latest technologies to make measurements.

After your workout, turn on its recovery mode. It will suggest to you the amount and type of exercise that you should do to cool down. All of this data will then be delivered to your smartphone.

Other key sensors that you will find inside the Watch are Altimeter that measures the ascent and descent while trekking, Sleep tracker, GPS Tracking and Navigation, Compass, and HR Sensor. So, it is safe to say that you will be getting the entire package with this Smartwatch. It will do all the tasks that a 2021 device is expected to do, and then some more.

Battery backup of the watch will depend on the mode that you will use. It will give you around 14 days in Time only Mode, 7 days with Tracking and Mobile Notifications, and 10h/20h/40h in training with GPS and HR.

The starting price of the Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR is 290 Dollars, and it is available in 3 colors, Black, Blue, and Stealth.

7. Best Accurate Swim Tracking: Garmin Vivoactive 3

Garmin Vivoactive 3 is an affordable smartwatch that has plenty of fitness-related features. It comes with 15 preloaded sports apps that include Swimming, Yoga, Strength Training, Running, and more. However, we will focus on its Swimming side the most.

To activate the swimming mode of the watch, select Pool Swim from its UI. Enter the size of your pool, and press the key on its side to start the activity timer. It will begin to record all the data it can regarding your swimming. From your lap times to the VO2 max to speed to the type of strokes used, everything will be stored inside it. The only thing that it can not do is measure heart rate underwater. So, you will have to compromise on that part.

One of the unique features of the Vivoactive 3 is its Stress Tracking. It keeps a constant eye on your heart rate and measures its variability. It will tell you when you are not well due to physical or emotional stress so that you can find a way to release it.

The online community of Garmin Connect will help you to keep up with your goals. You will be in touch with people who have similar ambitions and can compete in challenges with or against them.

Battery backup of this Smartwatch is variable. It will last for 7 days on the normal mode and 13 hours on the training mode. Switch between them according to your needs.

You can buy the Garmin Vivoactive 3 for about 130 dollars, and it is available in 8 colours. Feel free to check them out on the link mentioned above.

Until now, we focused on Smartwatches that helped you to keep track of your swimming. But now, we will look at some Fitness Bands. We will use the same criteria for reviewing them so that you can pick the ideal one for yourself.

8. Best For Stroke Detection: Fitbit Flex 2

Fitbit Flex 2 is probably the most popular fitness band available in the market. It owes its fame to accurate readings and simple design. Even though it does not have many dedicated sensors, it does an excellent job of measuring data.

The Flex 2 has an inbuilt automatic tracking, so you can simply jump into the pool, and it will start to record your swim lengths, duration, distance, and pace. It is compatible with 4 strokes, and they are Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. To get the best results, Fitbit recommends using the Freestyle.

The best thing about swimming with Flex 2 is that you do not have to be a professional swimmer for it to record your results. You can be a novice, and it still will give you accurate results.

Flex 2 is water-resistant up to 50 meters, so it can handle pools with ease. However, take care when you are swimming in the ocean. Do not go too deep, as the band might be damaged beyond repair if you do that.

The band will also deliver notifications and call alerts to your wrist. It has numerous vibration patterns, and colour-coded LED lights that you can configure according to your needs.

You can buy the Fitbit Flex 2 for about 220 Dollars, and it comes in a single Black colour.

9. Best Activity Tracker: Fitbit Charge 4

Fitbit Charge 4 is a unique smart band that comes with its own display. It is not the largest of the bunch but will get the job done. You will be able to see notifications and major insights into your workout. However, you will have to go to the Fitbit App on your smartphone to see the results in detail.

The band is capable of tracking your runs, heart rate, blood oxygen level, sleep, and much more. It will do all those things that you expect from a smartwatch. While swimming, Charge 4 is capable of recording your lap times, average speed, and the total distance that you have swum. It can not measure your heart rate underwater, and that is its only shortcoming.

The accuracy of its readings is okay. It is not as sharp as some of the other Fitbit devices like Flex 2 or the Ionic Watch. I would recommend it to people who are casual swimmers and not professionals.

Apart from these fitness-related tasks, Charge 4 will also allow you to respond to texts and notifications, change music, make purchases, and much more. It is safe to say that it offers the complete smartwatch package.

If you can not afford the Fitbit Charge 4, you can go with its predecessor, the Charge 3. Most of the features are the same. The only difference is that it does not come with an in-built GPS sensor.

You can buy the Fitbit Charge 4 for about 150 Dollars, and it is available in 3 unique colors, Black, Granite, and Rosewood.

10. Best From Samsung: Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit 2 Pro is the most affordable fitness device on this list. Its price starts from about 70 dollars, so if you are low on money, check its features out. It has some exceptional ones.

The band has a water resistance rating of 50 meters, so you can take it to the shower, swimming pool or ocean. It will not go faulty.

Samsung has provided 2 in-built apps for swimming in this band. So, you can use any of them to do the tracking. They will measure the simple tasks such as the amount of time you swam, the distance you covered, and the speed. Do not expect it to take readings of your heart rate when submerged or play music underwater. That is a bit out of its reach.

You can track other fitness-related data with this band like measuring the distance you ran with MapMyRun, check your nutrition level with MyFitnessPal, and control the intake of the calories. There are plenty of apps like this on its OS, so the band will do its best to keep you in peak physical condition. All you will have to do is follow its instructions.

In terms of compatibility, you can use the Gear Fit 2 Pro with devices above Android 4.4 and iOS 9.0. This covers almost all the major devices, so you will not have any issue in this regard with this smart band.

The starting price of the Gear Fit 2 Pro is 73 dollars, and it comes with a warranty of 1 year.

11. Best Cheapest: Misfit Shine 2

Misfit Shine 2 is a low-key fitness tracker that does not draw any attention to itself. It is slim and can be worn in an office without any issues. It does look a little feminine, but the company has labeled it as a unisexual device. So, it can be worn by anyone.

There are plenty of fitness-related features in this band. It can accurately measure the number of steps you have walked in a day, calories burned, total distance traveled, stride length, and the average speed of the user. It is waterproof too, so you can take it to the swimming pool with yourself. It will count your laps, speed, and total distance swam for both 25 m and 50 m pools.

This fitness band comes with a non-chargeable battery, so you will not have to worry about charging it. You can leave it on your wrist or ankle all day long, and it will continue to take data. This battery will last for at least 6 months before you will have to replace it.

There are a total of 12 LED lights on this tracker that have various animations. You can configure them for your notifications from a particular app. It is something different, and you will not find it in any other band.

Shine 2 is compatible with all the iPhones after 4S and Android Devices running 4.3 or above. So, it will work with all smartphones.

The starting price of the Misfit Shine 2 is 110 Dollars, and it comes in 2 basic colors, Black and Silver.

12. Best Battery Life: Garmin Vivosmart 4

Garmin Vivosmart 4 is a stylish fitness band that comes loaded with features. It can track your sleep cycle, stress level, calories burned, steps taken, VO2 Max, Heart Rate, and much more. It will cover your entire physical fitness routine and give you a detailed summary.

For swimming enthusiasts, the Garmin Vivosmart 4 bandwill give you valuable insights regarding your swimming. However, you will have to toggle its Swim mode from its menu, first. It will ask you to fill in the pool size and skill level, and then you are ready to go.

Double-tap the activity timer to start the clock and start swimming. It will automatically record your swim intervals, speed, laps, and type of strokes used. The only thing that it can not do in the swimming pool is to record the heartbeat.

There are plenty of features on the Vivosmart 4 that are not related to fitness, and some of them are, it allows you to respond to text messages, give you notifications and call alerts, and set silent alarms.

Battery backup of this band is much better than its competitors at 7 days. Charge it on the weekends, and you will be good for the entire week.

You can buy the Vivosmart 4 band for about 80 dollars. It is available in 5 unique colors, and they are Berry, Black, Gray, Blue, and Midnight. All these variants have different prices, so pick the one that feels right for your pocket.

13. Cheapest: Moov Now Waterproof Fitness Tracker

Moov Now is the most affordable fitness tracker on this list. At first sight, it looks more like a bracelet than a tracker, so it is quite fashionable. It does not draw any attention to itself, but it does look fantastic, which is always an added benefit for trackers.

There are plenty of activities that this small and inexpensive device will cover. For example, it will track your swimming, running, nutrition, calories burned, sleep cycle, and heart rate. No other company offers such a wide variety of activities at such a price, so Moov Now is truly remarkable.

In terms of swimming alone, it will keep an eye on your stroke type, stroke count, lap analysis, and tell how you can improve your technique—wearing it while swimming is like having a personal coach by your side at all times.

The band is powered by a non-chargeable battery that will last for about 6 months. So, you will not have to worry about charging it daily. Just replace it every 6 months, and you will be good for a long time.

Moov Now fitness band can be bought for about 40 dollars, and it comes in 4 colors. They are Aqua Blue, Blizzard White, Stealth Black, and Fusion Red.

FAQs

Verdict

We have discussed everything on this page, from a 40 Dollars fitness tracker to a 400 dollar smartwatch. There are plenty of products in between, and I hope you have found the right one for yourself. Before you make the final payment, I would recommend you to check out the product on the device’s official website.

This will give you in-depth details, and you will come to know about all of its features from head to toe. Once you have gathered all the information, go ahead and place the order. I hope you get the product that you desired for.