IP68 vs 5ATM: Which Smartwatch Rating Lets You Swim?

Smartwatch boxes quote water resistance two ways — IP68 and 5ATM — and they are not the same test. One is a dust-and-splash rating; the other is a pressure rating. Here's which lets you swim.

IP68

From the same IP (Ingress Protection) scale as phones:

• 6 = fully dust-tight.
• 8 = survives continuous immersion beyond 1 metre, to a depth and time the manufacturer defines (often 1.5m for 30 minutes).

IP68 is tested in still fresh water. It does not account for the pressure of moving through water when you swim, or for warm/soapy/salt water.

Safe for: handwashing, rain, a dropped-in-the-sink moment, a shallow dip. Not rated for: swimming laps, diving, hot showers.

5ATM

A pressure rating from watchmaking. 5ATM = 5 atmospheres ≈ 50 metres of static water pressure. Crucially, it's tested to a standard (ISO 22810) that assumes motion, so it's the rating that actually clears you to swim.

• 3ATM — splash and rain only. Not for swimming.
• 5ATM — swimming in a pool, snorkelling near the surface. Not diving.
• 10ATM — swimming, water sports; still not scuba.

Which to look for

Real-world cautions

• Never press the buttons underwater — that's how water gets past the seals.
• Rinse in fresh water after the sea or a chlorinated pool and dry it.
• Heat breaks seals. No hot showers, no saunas, regardless of rating.
• Ratings are for a new watch. Seals and adhesives age; a two-year-old 5ATM watch shouldn't be trusted for swimming.

Most budget calling watches — including those in our smartwatches range — are IP68, which means splash-safe, not swim-safe. If swimming tracking matters to you, filter for 5ATM specifically on the smartwatches page.

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