Which Amazfit watches are actually waterproof?

If you’re looking for a waterproof smartwatch, Amazfit is one of the cheap smartwatch brands to consider, as it offers modern wearable features without sacrificing water resistance. In fact, all Amazfit watches sold on the brand’s website are waterproof. However, how each Amazfit watch handles water largely depends on the model: you can’t just whip out any one for a day at the pool willy-nilly.

In the brand’s range, the T-Rex and Balance series offer the highest water resistance rating. These smartwatches have 10 ATM water resistance, so you can take them on your snorkeling and scuba diving excursions. Meanwhile, the Cheetah, Active, Bip, Helio Strap and Helio Core series all feature a lower 5 ATM water resistance, making them waterproof for lighter activities.

But what exactly does “ATM” mean and how do you know which water resistance rating is suitable for specific water activities?

Smartwatch manufacturers use different nomenclatures to indicate the water resistance of their models. For Amazfit, you will only see the ATM rating, which is short for atmospheres, a known unit of measurement for pressure. ATM means the device can handle water pressure at a certain depth. One atmosphere equals 32.8 feet (10 meters) of water pressure, 2 ATM equals 65.6 feet (20 meters), 3 ATM equals 98.4 feet (30 meters), and so on. The higher the ATM value, the better the watch protects against exposure to water.

Amazfit watches are rated at 5 ATM and 10 ATM. This means they are designed to withstand water pressure of 164 feet (50 meters) and 328 feet (100 meters). But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can use your watch 328 feet underwater. TMJ assessments are measured in a controlled environment, for 10 minutes, without movement. Since real-world use is much more demanding, the actual water depth in which you can safely use smartwatches is not as high.

For example, cheap Amazfit smartwatches like the Bip 6 with 5 ATM can only be exposed to snow, rain and splashes. So, activities are limited to showering, swimming, water polo, water skiing and winter training like downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and sledding. Meanwhile, 10 ATM smartwatches like the T-Rex 3 Pro are able to tolerate more than just rain, splashes, or snow, and they can also be used for diving and high-speed water sports. This includes outdoor and indoor freediving up to 45 meters (50 meters for the T-Rex Dual Solar), scuba diving, spearfishing, snorkeling, tubing and wakesurfing.

Besides ATM, you will see different water resistance ratings mentioned in the technical specifications of other brands. Samsung uses the Intrusion Protection (IP) rating, which is the same as the IP rating you see on phones. This usually appears as “IP” followed by two numbers. For example, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is rated IP69K, while the Galaxy Watch9 has an IP68 rating.

The first number of the IP rating relates to dust resistance, while the second number indicates water resistance. As with the ATM rating, the higher the second number, the more water-resistant the device. There are also different levels of water resistance in the IP rating. IPX7 means the watch can withstand temporary immersion in water, while IPX8 takes it up a notch and makes the watch resistant to prolonged periods underwater. IPX9, on the other hand, indicates that the device is suitable for use even in environments with high pressure and high temperature water jets.

Meanwhile, Apple mentions a specific depth for water resistance. The Apple Watch Series 12 has a water resistance of 50 meters and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 has a water resistance of 100 meters, which is just another way of saying the ATM rating. Instead of 5 ATM it says “water resistance 50 meters”. The ISO 22810:2010 standard used for these calculations is also generally mentioned. Google uses both Depth Rating and IP Rating to talk about the durability of its smartwatches. In the Pixel Watch 5 datasheet, IP68 is specified, but for the Fitbit Air the depth rating of 50 meters is used.