10 Best Swim Watches 2025 in the United States

The Apple Watch Series 11 GPS 42mm is a strong contender as a swim-watch thanks to its 50-meter water resistance, making it safe for pool and open-water swimming. It features advanced swim tracking capabilities through its fitness and health apps. The built-in GPS offers accurate outdoor swim route tracking, while heart rate monitoring is supported by both optical and electrical sensors, providing reliable data during workouts.

Battery life supports about 24 hours of typical use, which is sufficient for daily wear including swim sessions, and fast charging means you won’t be tethered to a charger for long. Comfort-wise, the lightweight aluminum case and sport band make it pleasant to wear during extended sessions, including sleep tracking. The always-on Retina display is bright and clear even underwater, enhancing usability during swims.

Beyond swimming, the watch excels with a broad range of health insights such as ECG, blood oxygen, hypertension alerts, and sleep quality scoring, adding value as an all-around health companion. While it may not offer some niche swim analytics and longer battery life preferred by endurance swimmers, it is an excellent choice for casual to moderate swimmers who want a versatile smartwatch with extensive health and fitness features.

The Apple Watch Series 11 is a strong choice for swimmers looking for a versatile smartwatch that combines health monitoring and fitness tracking with swim-friendly features. It offers a solid water resistance rating of 50 meters, which means it can handle swimming in pools or open water with confidence. The watch includes a built-in GPS system, so it can track your swim routes and distances without needing your phone nearby. Its heart rate monitoring is advanced and continuous, providing useful data during workouts and also alerting you to irregular heart rhythms or hypertension signs.

Comfort-wise, the Series 11 is thin and lightweight, making it comfortable to wear during long swim sessions and even while sleeping to track recovery and sleep quality. The always-on Retina display is bright and easy to read underwater or in bright sunlight, which is a plus in swim environments. Battery life supports up to 24 hours of normal use, with fast charging available to quickly top up, though heavy GPS use during swimming might reduce that time.

For those seeking a smartwatch that performs well for swimming while also delivering comprehensive health insights and smart features, the Apple Watch Series 11 is a suitable option. However, if deep swim analytics or longer battery life specifically for extended swim sessions are priorities, more specialized swim watches may be better choices.

The Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 44mm) is a solid choice if you’re looking for a smartwatch that can handle swimming along with general fitness tracking. It is water resistant, which means you can comfortably wear it in the pool without worrying about damage. While it doesn’t specifically highlight advanced swim tracking features like detailed lap counting or stroke analysis, its fitness tracking and heart rate monitoring are reliable and can give you useful swimming workout insights. The watch includes an optical heart sensor with notifications for irregular or unusual heart rates, which is great for keeping tabs on your health during exercise.

Battery life offers up to 18 hours of typical use, which should cover a full day including your swim sessions, and it charges pretty fast — about 8 hours of battery with just 15 minutes of charging. It has built-in GPS, so it can track your swimming routes if you swim in open water, but for pool swimmers, it relies more on general workout metrics. Comfort-wise, the 44mm size with a sport band fits a decent wrist range and is lightweight, making it easy to wear during swims and all day long. The always-on Retina OLED display is bright and clear, so you can easily check your stats mid-swim without raising your wrist too much, although underwater visibility might vary.

The Apple Watch SE 3 also shines outside of swimming, with features like sleep tracking, fall detection, and connectivity options to stay in touch. For those seeking a swim watch with specialized swim metrics or longer battery life focused purely on aquatic activities, there are other models more focused on swimmers. This watch is a versatile, user-friendly option for those who want a mix of smart features and basic swim tracking in one device.