Are Garmin watches waterproof?

Garmin loyalists sport the company’s wearables from mountain peaks to seaside trails. The devices’ dedicated fitness tracking tools and sensors are among the most accurate available. But are Garmin watches waterproof? We cover the basics you should know before taking your watch for a swim.

Are Garmin watches waterproof?

While no device is truly waterproof, Garmin does a good job building durability into its devices. Most of the brand’s wearables feature 5 or 10 ATM water resistance ratings. If you’re still hanging on to a much older device, it may feature less water resistance. Be sure to check your user guide.

• 5 ATM (Swim): Devices with this rating can withstand pressures equivalent to 50 meters deep. They are protected against damage from splashes, rain, or snow and are safe to use while showering, swimming, diving into water, and during activities such as snorkeling.
• 10 ATM: Devices with this rating can withstand pressures equivalent to 100 meters deep. In addition to the scenarios above, 10 ATM water resistance is safe for high-velocity water sports.
• Dive: Only Garmin devices listed as Dive compatible meet EN13319 standards, which makes them safe for scuba diving.

Can you swim with a Garmin watch?

As mentioned, most of Garmin’s watches feature at least some degree of water resistance. However, safely swimming with a device requires a water resistance rating of 5 ATM (50 meters) or higher. Of those, some feature a Pool Swim workout mode while others feature an Open Water Swim workout mode.

The following devices can be used to record a pool swim:

• Approach S70 Series
• Bounce
• D2 Air, D2 Air X10
• Forerunner 55, Forerunner 245 Series, Forerunner 645 Series
• Garmin Swim
• Legacy Hero Series, Legacy Saga Series
• Lily
• Venu Series
• vivoactive, vivoactive HR, vivoactive 3 Series, vivoactive 4 Series, vivoactive 5 Series
• vivomove 3 Series, vivomove Luxe, vivomove Style, vivomove Sport, vivomove Trend
• vivosmart 4, vivosmart 5

The following devices can be used in both a pool and open water:

• D2 Bravo, D2 Charlie, Delta, D2 Mach 1
• Descent G1, Descent Mk1, Descent Mk2
• Epix, Epix (Gen 2), Epix Pro (Gen 2)
• Enduro, Enduro 2
• fēnix 2, fēnix 3, fēnix 3 HR, fēnix Chronos, fēnix 5, fēnix 5 Plus, fēnix 6, fēnix 7, fēnix 7 Pro
• Forerunner 255 Series, Forerunner 265 Series, Forerunner 735XT, Forerunner 745, Forerunner 910XT, Forerunner 920XT, Forerunner 935, Forerunner 945/945 LTE, Forerunner 955/955 Solar, Forerunner 965
• Garmin Swim 2
• Instinct 2, Instinct, Instinct Crossover
• MARQ Collection, MARQ Collection (Gen 2)
• quatix 3, quatix 6
• tactix 7, tactix Bravo, tactix Delta

Notably, not all Garmin watch accessories are waterproof. Leather bands, for example, should not be used for swimming. Garmin also recommends thoroughly drying your device after exposure to water. Prolonged exposure to moisture may cause skin irritation.