Most smartwatches now ship with some kind of dust or water resistant rating which means they can withstand exposure to either one of those elements. We’re willing to bet that – since you’re supposed to wear them on your person at all times – you’ll be caught in a torrential downpour at least once or twice with one on. That said, what can water resistant smartwatches actually withstand? How sturdy are they and can you really take them in the shower or wash dishes with them on? Is that a smart thing to do with a $200+ device?

We’re going to take a look at how waterproof and durable some of the smartwatches on the market really are. We’re also going to discuss what that means for you as a consumer.

Let’s dive right in to the water, so to speak.

The LG G is a Water Resistant Smartwatch

Miro Djuric, chief information architect for iFixit performed a teardown of LG’s Android Wear powered smartwatch, the G watch. In an email to CS Monitor, Djuric talks a bit about the durability of the watch.

“This kind of water-proofiness allows folks to wash dishes or take a shower with the watch on, but not necessarily go into a pool or go deep-sea diving. However, my watch-repairman friend suggests to minimize water exposure to any watch, regardless of the device’s waterproof level – and I suggest the same. Why risk ruining a [$200 to $300] device by washing dishes with it on your hand, unless you just accidentally leave it on?”

For those unfamiliar with durability ratings, the LG G Watch has an IP or Ingress Protection rating of 67. To break it down that means it has a rating of 6 for dust resistance and a rating of 7 for water resistance. Comparing those numbers to the scale, it’s technically okay to wear the G watch while you’re washing dishes, in the shower or even in the rain.

However, the question remains. Would you really want to risk exposing a pricey watch to water to find out? Wouldn’t it be safer just to keep the device away from such things?

“Water Resistant” and “Water Proof” are Two Different Terms

Image from Magellan

For the most part, watches with a lower water resistant rating should not – and cannot – be submerged underwater. They can withstand a minimum amount of exposure to water as opposed to say a standard smartphone, but that’s about it.

There are watches on the market that have an IPX rating, and still others that can withstand up to 5ATM of underwater pressure. These types of watches are what one would consider “water proof,” but even they have limits.

The Magellan Echo, for example, has an IPX rating of 6 which means it can remain submerged underwater for a total of three minutes. It’s safe to wear in a pool while you’re swimming laps, or while you’re in the shower – but nothing more rigorous than that. In fact, there aren’t many smartwatches on the market – water proof or otherwise – that you can take with you deep underwater, like during a scuba dive.

Nano-coating companies such as P2i, HzO and Liquipel use fairly new technology to make smartdevices water ready. Richard Tinnell, senior product manager for outdoor products at Magellan GPS, says that the process is still in its infancy which means there may or may not be kinks to iron out.

“It involves putting the device into a vacuum chamber with nano coating dust. The particles are so small they get into the entire device and coast every circuit and part. Then a quick electrical charge is applied and the dust adheres to every part of the device, sealing it and making it completely waterproof.”

This type of technology is currently being used to create water proof smartphones and can be seen in devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4 Active or Sony Xperia Z1S.

Can My Watch Go in the Shower or Not?

While it largely depends on the device, yes devices with a water resistant rating can undergo minor instances of water exposure.

The Pebble smartwatch is notorious for its water resistance rating. Before launch, the company advertised extensively that it could be worn in the shower, and once it became available many users did just that. We can’t say we blame anyone for wanting such a feature built-in to a wearable device, either. After all, these are pieces of tech that you will wear on your person constantly, and you may even forget they are there at some point. It would be pretty shitty – pardon the language – if you accidentally climbed into the shower with one on, and ruined a $200 or $300 smart device because of a little water. So again, it makes sense to have this kind of technology available.

There is a limit to what you can expose your device to, however. Additionally if it has a “resistant” rating instead of being flat out “water proof” you’ll want to avoid submerging it. You’ll also want to avoid scenarios such as the following:

• Wearing your smartwatch to the beach if you’re planning to swim – exposure to salt water is a bad idea anyway
• Wearing your watch while taking a bath, provided you’re going to submerge your arm
• Wearing the watch while using cleaning chemicals, or chemicals of any kind really

Water and Dust Resistance Ratings

Here, are the different water and dust resistance ratings and what they actually mean. Depending on the rating given to your device, you’ll be able to figure out what you can and can’t do with it.

Dust

• IP0X – No special protection at all
• IP1X – Protection from solid objects up to 50 mm in diameter
• IP2X – Protection from solid objects up to 12.5 mm in diameter
• IP3X – Protection from solid objects up to 2.5 mm in diameter
• IP4X – Protection from solid objects up to 1 mm in diameter
• IP5X – Protection from dust and a limited amount of ingress (harmful deposits)
• IP6X – Complete dust resistance, meaning none will get in or affect the device

Water

• IPX0 – No special protection at all
• IPX1 – Protection from dripping water
• IPX2 – Protected from dripping water up to a tilt of 15 degrees from the normal position
• IPX3 – Protected from spraying water
• IPX4 – Protected from water splashes or minor streams
• IPX5 – Protected from a low-pressure water or jet spray for a maximum of three minutes
• IPX6 – Protected from a higher intensity water or jet spray (including high pressure) for a maximum of three minutes
• IPX7 – Protected from water submersion up to 1 metre for 30 minutes
• IPX8 – Protected from water submersion at depths greater than 1 metre, and completely water proof

For reference, if your device has an IP58 rating or higher you can submerge it in water completely for up to thirty minutes, including in a chlorinated pool. There are a few devices on the market that include this rating, most notably Sony’s high-end smartphones.

It Won’t Be Long Now

Technology like this is being pushed more and more past the envelope every day. It won’t be long until a large majority of devices on the market are water proof. Until then, we’ll have to settle for the limitations that come along with them just being water resistant instead.

If you currently own a smartwatch, why not chime in and share your experiences with others? Do you take your Pebble in the shower with you every day? Have you gone swimming with your watch? While we certainly don’t recommend doing so, it would be interesting to hear from others who have given it a try.