The best waterproof smartwatches of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

Why we like it: Garmin watches are great for long battery life, durable build quality, and extreme customization of data fields so that you can customize the experience for your personal activities. The watches are also very accurate and connect to other sensors, such as external heart rate monitors.

Who it's for: While most of these watches are focused on use in the water, the Garmin Quatix 7 Pro also excels for functions floating on top of the water. It supports connections to various marine electronics while helping you sail, maintain an anchored position, view the local tides, and more. If you spend time with activities such as sailing, fishing, kayaking, and are on top of the water more than in the water then you should consider the Quatix 7 Pro.

In January, Garmin announced the Quatix 8 Pro AMOLED, which includes all of the strong elements of the Fenix 8 Pro along with the marine capabilities sure to please boat owners.

Having an LED flashlight readily available on your wrist in the marine environment is important, too. Things are often dropped into the bilges or in tight spaces on a boat, where a flashlight is key to finding items, flipping switches, and checking out the condition of the vessel. The LED flashlight also has red light mode to see things in dark conditions without ruining your night vision. Maintaining night vision on the bridge or helm is important to see navigation lights, buoys, and other objects on the water at night.

The watch body is made with ocean-bound plastics while all of your favorite water sports are well supported. This includes open swimming, pool swimming, surfing, and more.

Who should look elsewhere

: If you want a smartwatch that excels in the water while also supporting lots of third party apps then you may want to look at an Apple or Google smartwatch instead.

Garmin Quatix 7 Pro tech specs: Display: 416 x 416 pixels AMOLED | Battery life: 16 days or 6 days with AOD | Dimensions: 47 x 47 x 14.6mm | Weight: 47 g (without band) | Water/Dust resistance: 10 ATM | LTE cellular option: No