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5 Ways to Make Your Fitbit Waterproof – (Works for Other Fitness Trackers Too!)

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So you might have noticed by some of my other recent posts that I'm really getting into using my Fitbit. Today I want to share tips to make a Fitbit waterproof, so I'm adding it to my Fitbit Hacks Post. Affiliate links are included in this post.

Nope, your fitbit is not waterproof! It's splash and rain proof. Here's how to take it into the water.

Recently we spent some time at the beach here in Chicago and I couldn't decide whether or not to wear my fitbit. I knew I could track my steps with my iPhone too, but it's always preferable to wear my tracker.

When we got home I googled “Is a Fitbit Flex Waterproof?” and found a lot of conflicting information.

Before we get to the waterproofing ideas, let's get something straight. Your Fitbit is NOT waterproof unless you have one of these Fitbits that are actually waterproof:

The Best Budget Buy: Fitbit Flex 2 

The Top Fitness Pick: Fitbit Ionic

Best Lifestyle Model: Fitbit Versa 

Best Mid Range Waterproof Fitbit: Fitbit Charge 3

Did you know there is also a Waterproof Fitness Tracker Ring?! 

Fitbit's own support page on the topic says the fitbit flex is water resistant, meaning splash and rain is okay, but it says you should not swim or shower wearing it. Even the slightly more water resistant Surge and Charge models are not meant to be submerged.

In the google results there were a lot of outdated forum discussions where people claimed that Fitbit told them the Flex was waterproof and fine for showering and swimming. My guess is that it was originally intended to be waterproof but that, for best product durability and endurance, it's best not to regularly submerge it without some additional measures. So that is how I treat it!

If you haven't bought a fitness tracker yet and you are looking for something waterproof there are some cool options. Check out these 19 Waterproof Fitness Trackers. Be sure to read specs and reviews to make sure it does what you are looking for though.

19 Fitness trackers that are truly waterproof sidebar

Make Your Fitbit Waterproof

Nope! Your Fitbit is not waterproof, but here are some ways to take your fitbit or other tracker into the water.



RELATED: Using your Fitbit for Weight Loss? Start off on the right foot with Step By Step Fitness Tracker Success!

Okay so maybe you think the Waterfi FitBit looks awesome sauce but you already have a super cool fitness tracker. Like me. And you want to get it wet. What can you do?

DISCLAIMER. I'm not responsible for your lost or damaged items. Be sure when trying these ideas that you securely fasten everything, or if you tuck it into your swim suit, check to see if water and motion will allow it to move around. Swim suits that are tight when dry can move and stretch in the water.

Okay. Phew. Done with that.

Oh and here's what I'm NOT going to suggest. Rubber cement or some other waterproofing material coating your tracker. Nope. It's not going to be something to just slap onto your tracker and then you can cannonball your way to step goal heaven. Sorry. Pretty sure that would void some warranties and block the charger port.

But we CAN put our trackers INTO some waterproof products to keep them handy but dry. You COULD just pop it into a zip-top bag but there is no way to attach it to you, so you really need to put it somewhere safe. Otherwise, try these:

Waterproof Match Case – There is a user picture on Amazon showing that someone else has used it for this purpose. There is no real way to attach this to anything, so you'd need to have it in a pocket.

Waterproof Cell Phone Arm Band – I think this would be good for swimming or water aerobics because it would allow the tracker to still be on your arm. I'd just pop my whole band in there so the tracker isn't loose and jiggling around.

DRYPAK Waterproof wallet – I would put my whole band in here and tuck the wallet into my swim suit. Again make sure it's going to stay in place.

Waterproof Pill Container – You could attach this to a key loop inside swim trunks or to a swim suit strap.

Witz Keep it Safe Case – Get one with the carabiner and you could hook it inside your trunks or a strap on your swim suit. Extremely mixed reviews, so it's hard to say how long it would last.

RELATED: Finally! A Weight Loss Programs that is PERFECT for Stress Eaters!

What's your solution for keeping your fitness tracker dry? Add your tip and you could help other readers. Don't forget to check out my review of the Waterfi Waterproof Fitbit at the post below:

Your Fitbit is NOT waterproof, unless you bought this version.

 

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60 Comments

  1. I have a Fitbit charge and the numbers have gotten so light that I can’t see them. it will be charged and vibrate but nothing on the face. Do you know how I can fix this?

    Thanks,

    Triva

    1. Call the company and let them know what is going on. They will most likely replace it for you free of charge.

    2. Mine did this after I was in a car accident. Before it was fine, but after the airbag hit it, the LED display wasn’t really visible at all. The LED had been broken and there was no way to fix it. I emailed the support team and they sent me a new one at no charge. It might not work depending on how long you have had yours, but it’s worth a shot!

  2. I liked your idea about using the iphone waterproof cover as a place for your fitbit while swimming. However, will it WORK if it’s in a container on your arm? Thanks!

    1. Hi, thank you for the question…I’m not sure what you mean though. Do you mean will it count steps? I have a fitbit flex, which means the tracker itself is already on in a container on my arm, it’s just a band versus the iphone cover, but either way I am moving my arm. If you have a model with heart rate monitoring, it would of course not keep your heart rate during that time but otherwise for step counting it should.

  3. I’m starting to go to aquasize again tomorrow night but I’m. Addicted to my flex. ..I love the waterproof pill container idea !!! Thx

      1. I wear my fit bit flex 2 in the shower and never had any problem sues with my it. Works perfectly, so it’s waterproof. I wonder about wearing it in the ocean if salt water will affect it?

  4. One way to keep your FITBIT dry is to use a seal-a-meal. Just make sure you leave enough extra to use a safety pin and not puncture the sealed part while pinning it to your clothes or suit somewhere.

  5. I wrap the tracker very tight with with a small piece of saran wrap then put it back in the band, doesn’t affect it’s performance & keeps it much drier

  6. I received a Fitbit Flex for Father’s day 2014. While I did not swim with it I did do water exercises 3-5 days a week that had it submerged to depth of no more than 2 feet. My exercise sessions generally last 1.5 hours out of which the Flex is underwater, off and on, for about 30 minutes total. I also wore it in the shower.

    That Flex finally died on my this January 19th so it lasted 1 year and 7 months despite being wet often. Since we had purchased an extended warranty it was replace for free.

    YMMV but getting a Flex wet beyond a splash is not a death sentence.

    If your band does not come apart around the hard plastic; it make a good water seal with your arm—if you put it on tight. Also after I get home from the pool I take the flex out of the band and dry both.

    I will probably be more careful in caring for this new Flex as I did not always keep my band tight or dry the old Flex after visiting the pool.

  7. I have a Fitbit One. I use a latex finger cot. I just slip tracker into it, tie it like a balloon. Cut off above knot, and slip it back into my case. Bonus: can still make out the step count! I got 24 finger cots for $2.99 at the drugstore! YAY!

  8. My fitbit manual says I can wear it in the shower. Just bought mine a couple months ago, and the manual is a 2015 print so I’m pretty sure it’s not outdated. I’ve worn mine in the shower every time I shower since I got it, still works great. In doing a bit of online research the change of heart from the company regarding wearing it in the water seems to coincide wtih the lawsuits brought on from people who got arm rash.

  9. Awwww jeez! I’ve been wearing my Fitbit Flex faithfully since my wife gave it to me in July, 2015. I wear it in the shower, it’s survived tons of abuse and even went snorkeling 6 of the 7 days in Kauai. Thankfully I haven’t ruined it. My wife is wanting to replace it, but I am reluctant. Looks like any upgrade won’t stand the punishment I put my Flex through.

  10. I know this is a little different, but I was very frustrated that bike riding didn’t give me steps. So here are my solutions for my FLEX:
    *Tuck the whole thing, band and all into leg of tight shorts – they have elastic at the bottom, so it can[t escape.
    *put it in pants leg pocket. (band and all)
    * my Black Friday Flex band that buckles and has a wild design is big enough to fasten around my ankle!
    FYI, have worn it constantly since I got it for Christmas 2013; that’s 27 months!

    1. I attach the fitbit to my laces on my sneakers and it records all my bicycle rides with steps as I peddle,, FYI

  11. I love your water proof ideas. I have the zip. I may try one of your ideas in my water aerobics class. I hate to not count my steps and not sure if I want to put $200 into the water proof one yet. I thought of trying to hook it up to the top of my strap somehow.

  12. I use a Flex for swimming. I take out my tracker, wrap it in a small piece of plastic wrap (3″x3″), and then stick it back inside the bracelet. It won’t keep perfectly dry, but the humidity isn’t enough to do any damage. I unwrap it when I get home from the pool and dry it off. I’ve been doing this weekly for the last 2 years, seems to be working fine!

  13. I forgot to take mine off when going for a swim in the ocean. It’s a fitbit charge hr btw. For a couple days the display was light or not completely syncing. Eventually it returned to normal.

  14. Not only is the waterproof pills container a great idea but you could pin it inside a dress if you are going dancing or anywhere that you are dressed up!

  15. I do a lot of mud runs, and of course I want to get credit for my steps during them. I have a Charge HR, and I wrap the center area with a paper towel, and then saranwrap, and lastly I wrap that up in electrical tape. I haven’t had any issues with it like that…and that’s after crawling in mud pits, and jumping into pools of ice cold water.

  16. My Charge said it was waterproof and I’ve been showering with it everyday for the last two years plus swimming in the pool with it during the summer. I even dive down to the bottom of the deep end of our pool–10feet. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it isn’t supposed to be waterproof now.

  17. All excellent ideas! I am unsure of the ziploc, simply because I don’t know how well the seal would hold with all that movement. I swim every week for a couple hours and just got my fitbit blaze for father’s day (Luv eet!). I’m also rehabbing so I like being able to track movement and compare results. Heck, it sucks either way to not be able to use it for such an activity! I will use some other items to test out your theories and then let you know. If you’ve got any updates on this, would be great to hear ?

  18. I’ve had a Fitbit Flex for almost two years and never take it off. Been swimming, to the beach and shower regularly with it. Never knew it wasn’t water proof until I got my new Fitbit Alta and started to read. Never had an issue with the Flex but won’t get near the water with the Alta since the battery charger is exposed.

  19. I purchased the Fitbit Flex in March under the assumption that when advertised at waterproof it actually was waterproof. I wore it in the pool two to three times a week for water aerobics and have worn it in the pool daily for the last three weeks. Knock on wood, still working great!!!!! I do take it off if my hands will be in soapy water.

  20. I have a misfit shine and it is waterproof to 50m. Wear it in the shower, pool, etc. it. doesn’t have as many features as the Fitbit but I do love wearing it while doing laps.

  21. Wrap the Fitbit ” bullet” in cling film and put back in wristband. It should count swim strokes as steps!

  22. I went in the pool and hot tub with my Fitbit charge hr for 30 min, I forgot it was on and I was freaking out but then I realized it was perfectly fine and there was nothing wrong with it.

  23. A couple of friends keep theirs in layered ziploc bags (starting with the very smallest-folding them down as much as possible) and use a big clip (like a giant paper clip) and pin it to their swimsuits near the top. They use it for water aerobics. It registers their steps.

  24. I wrap my Fitbit in the super handiwrap that sticks to itself. I’ve been swimming and water parking with the kids and so far so good! I wrap it 3 times around and use tape to fasten it and it’s on my arm as usual. I can also check the numbers as I exercise. I had to jog walk in pool because just walking didn’t register.

  25. The sad thing is this- The Fitbit watch- regardless of the model- is now probably the most worn fitness app watch on the market- and you can use for for almost everything-
    Except what we ALL do when we’re working out! We take showers, we go swim at the Gym, we swim when we do triathalons, we get wet when we are doing the physical activities that we enjoy doing and we want our fitness watch to be able to stay on our wrist and still count our steps, or check our heart rates after a good 500 yard swim without having to take the watch off!!
    Come on people – tell these companies how you feel, show them by not buying these products until they make them for the lifestyle they are designed to be used.
    I mean seriously- my Surge doesn’t even work properly if I have sweated to much during my workout- really Fitbit- that’s just sad on so many levels.

  26. I’m wasn’t aware that the Fitbit flex isn’t waterproof. I’ve had mine for 2 years. I’ve worn it to swim practice, in the shower, and when I worked at a water park and I’ve never had any problems. I used the Fitbit brand wristbands and I always have it snug against my skin, so maybe that has something to do with it. Or maybe I’m just lucky.

  27. Searching for the best way to make my new Charge 2 (Christmas present) watertight for swimming & Aqua Fit classes!

    Thought of wrapping a stretch-resistance band around – maybe gluing it into a tube – like a swimming cap. Or even better get a ‘Mountain Bike Inner Tube’ and cut into section to generously cover the watch + 3 finger width each side. (not sure how tight this will be, but I shall give it a try.

  28. Hi Laura,
    Here’s some information about our new product that may benefit your readers. Mudbandz Fitbit Covers are designed especially for OCR and mud run competitors. They’re stretchy, scuba-grade neoprene covers that shield your entire device including the strap. Great at keeping the mud off your Fitbit and are waterproof for brief immersions. $9 with free shipping. More info and demonstration video at Mudbandz.com Thank you!

  29. here is the rub. If I am paying over 100.00 for it, I should not have to do the extra work to make it waterproof. It should just already be.

    After less than a year with fitbit, I think I am going back to Garmin. Fantastic read though. I appreciate what you have written.

  30. Absolute waste of time wearing one in your pocket or stashed in a swimsuit! It may count steps decently but cals are monitored via your heart rate

  31. I didn’t know too much about Fitbit I bought the Fitbit Ultra and most of the time in my exercise I do the swim aerobics so I’m really upset that mine is not waterproof but thank you for the ideas I’m going to try the armband one

  32. I have the Fitbit Alta and it doesn’t really work unless it’s touching your skin, so hanging in a bag around my neck isn’t gonna cut it. Today I tried using a waterproof bandaid. Took off the wrist straps, laid the fitbit on my wrist, and slapped the bandage on. Then put another on that for added protection. I thought I was good to go. Nope! Soon as my wrist got a few inches under the water surface, the trapped air pushed its way out the side of the bandage and wrecked the whole thing. Starting to look like I’m gonna have to get the Ionic if I want to wear it during swim class.

    1. Hi Jessica, you mean the heart rate tracking doesn’t work unless it is on your wrist? Yes that is pretty common with any of the heart rate trackers. I’m sorry you’re having trouble finding a waterproofing solution, I wish they were all waterproof! These solutions are more to make sure you get steps counted but I totally see your point. The other thing you could check out if you don’t want to get rid of your Alta, is the company Waterfi. They have a proprietary process of opening the tracker and waterproofing the internal components. They offer waterproofed fitbits but they also have a service where you send them your existing tracker and they waterproof that. For a fee, but still cheaper than buying an Ionic and if you really like the Alta. http://waterfi.com/waterproof-trackers/waterproofing-service-fitbit-alta-hr

  33. I have the Fitbit One and I slip it into a finger condom and tie the end of it then put it back into the clip and clip it to my bathing suit. Works every time! Ordering a Fitbit Alta now as an upgrade b/c I’ve learned that you can buy clip cases for them now. So I plan on doing the same with it. I hate wearing a watch

  34. I pinned my charge 2 into my bun for aqua fit. Got the steps counted even though I missed the heart rate functions. But totally worked since I do not submerge my head. Made pony tail, kept fit but in a closed position as is around my wrist, ten put pony tail through middle and proceeded to use Bobby pins to secure in place , using my hair to cover it

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