10 Best Swim Watches 2025 in the United States

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (40mm) is a versatile smartwatch that offers a lot for fitness enthusiasts, including those interested in swimming. It has good water resistance suitable for swimming, making it best for casual swimmers rather than professional divers. The watch includes advanced heart rate monitoring that filters out movement noise, giving more accurate readings during active workouts, which is helpful in the pool. While swim-specific tracking features are not extensively detailed, its fitness tracking and wellness suggestions can still support swim training routines.

Battery life is decent with a 300mAh lithium-ion cell, powering the watch through typical daily use, including GPS tracking for runs or bike rides. However, heavy use of GPS and health sensors may require more frequent charging. The 40mm round touchscreen is lightweight and comfortable to wear, suitable for all-day use, including swimming sessions. The display is easy to read, which is important when on the move or in the water.

Connectivity via Bluetooth links well with smartphones for analyzing sleep, heart health, energy levels, and fitness progress, though it lacks dedicated swim stroke detection or lap counting features. Swimmers seeking highly detailed swim metrics might find it limited compared to specialized swim watches. The built-in AI features help track overall fitness and provide wellness tips, motivating and guiding users beyond just swimming. The Galaxy Watch 7 is a smart, comfortable option for casual swimmers who want a well-rounded health and fitness tracker, but those needing in-depth swim-specific data or longer battery life for extended swim sessions may want to consider dedicated swim watches.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 is primarily designed as a running smartwatch but includes features that can appeal to swimmers who want a reliable, everyday fitness watch. It has built-in GPS and wrist-based heart rate monitoring, which help track your pace, distance, and heart rate during workouts, including swimming sessions. The 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen offers a bright and colorful display that's easy to read both indoors and outdoors. Comfort is good thanks to its lightweight design and manageable 43 mm size, making it suitable for extended wear in the pool or throughout the day.

Battery life is solid, lasting up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and about 19 hours with GPS active, so you won’t need frequent charging. While it can handle casual swimming and track heart rate underwater, it might lack some swim-specific data that serious swimmers look for, as detailed swim tracking features such as stroke counting, swim metrics, or advanced water resistance ratings are not explicitly provided. Its water resistance is implied but not clearly specified, making it best for those who swim regularly but do not require extensive swim analytics.

The watch also provides valuable training insights, recovery advice, and safety features like incident detection, which add to its usefulness across many sports. The Forerunner 165 suits swimmers who want a versatile fitness watch that handles swimming comfortably while offering broader workout tracking and smart features, although it may not fully replace dedicated swim watches for detailed swim performance monitoring.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is designed as a robust and feature-rich smartwatch ideal for swimmers and outdoor enthusiasts. Its 100-meter water resistance and certification for diving up to 40 meters make it reliable for pool and open water swimming. It offers automatic stroke detection, lap counting, splits, and sets, which are valuable for swim training. The watch also provides heart rate monitoring during workouts, helping you track fitness levels accurately. With its precision dual-frequency GPS, you get highly accurate location data for open water swims, which is a strong plus for serious swimmers.

Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 36 hours in regular use and extending to 72 hours in low power mode, so it can handle long training sessions or multi-day adventures without frequent charging. The bright Always-On Retina display is easy to read outdoors and underwater, while the rugged titanium case and sapphire crystal ensure durability. The included Orange Ocean band is designed for comfort and a secure fit during physical activity.

The watch is relatively large at 49mm, which may feel bulky or heavy (15.2 ounces) to some users, especially those with smaller wrists. Additionally, while it offers many advanced features, its full capabilities might be overwhelming if you prefer a simpler swim watch focused solely on swimming metrics. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also requires a cellular plan to use all connectivity features independently from your iPhone, which could add to the cost. This watch is well-suited for swimmers who want a versatile, rugged device with detailed tracking and smart features, but it may be more than needed for casual swimmers seeking a straightforward swim tracker.