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My favorite form of aerobic exercise is swimming in the pool; however, I often forget how many laps I’ve completed. I prefer to clear my mind while swimming, so keeping track of laps, especially in my building’s short pool, has become quite bothersome.
To address this issue, I decided to do some research and identify the best watches and gadgets designed for lap counting in the pool.
When it comes to lap counting, there’s a wide range of watches and gadgets available, and I’ve taken the time to select the top options for you.
| Image | Product Name | Editor's Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Amazfit Band 5 | Check Price | |
 | Garmin Swim 2 | Check Price | |
 | SPORTCOUNT 90040 | Check Price | |
 | Apple Watch Series 8 | Check Price | |
 | Fitbit Sense 2 | Check Price |
Best Watch for Swimming Laps Reviews
In this guide, I’ll be sharing my recommendations for the finest watches and gadgets designed to help you count laps while swimming. Let’s dive in.
Effortlessly keep track of your swimming laps by using effective fitness trackers and smartwatches that offer this feature. Rest assured, I’ve compiled a list of reliable fitness trackers that excel at lap counting in the pool.
1. Amazfit Band 5
The Amazfit Band 5 is a versatile fitness watch designed for lap swimming and comes equipped with integrated Amazon Alexa capabilities. One of its standout features is the impressive 15-day battery life, making it an excellent choice for extended trips, eliminating the need for daily recharging.
Furthermore, this smartwatch boasts a Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor, enabling you to monitor your oxygen levels and gain valuable insights into your physical condition, especially during rigorous activities like marathons and intense gym workouts.
The Amazfit Band 5 relies on a Huami-proprietary BioTracker2 PPG optical sensor for continuous 24/7 heart rate monitoring, ensuring you stay informed about your heart rate status. It’s also adept at tracking your sleep quality and daytime napping patterns.
Functioning as an intelligent fitness companion, this watch offers 11 built-in sports modes, allowing you to document a wide range of workout statistics, including distance covered, speed, heart rate variations, and calorie expenditure.
Inclusivity is a key feature, as the Amazfit Band 5 provides women’s health tracking through a menstrual cycle prediction system and relevant smart notifications.
Compatibility is not an issue, as this watch works seamlessly with Android 5.0 or iOS 10.0 and later versions of both operating systems. It’s suitable for individuals of all ages, catering to the needs of men, women, and children alike. Moreover, it is water-resistant up to 5 ATM, making it a reliable choice for swimming and various other aquatic activities.
2. Garmin Swim 2
The Garmin Swim 2 is a truly exceptional GPS swimming smartwatch tailored to meet the needs of both pool aficionados and open water adventurers. With its sleek slate gray design, it marries style and functionality seamlessly.
What truly sets this smartwatch apart is its remarkable battery life. It grants you the freedom of up to 7 days of continuous use in smartwatch mode, a substantial 13 hours when employing GPS and optical heart rate tracking, and an impressive 72 hours when you’re in pool mode with optical heart rate tracking. This extended battery life ensures that you’re always prepared for extensive swimming sessions, eliminating the hassle of frequent recharging.
When in the pool, the Garmin Swim 2 excels in providing comprehensive insights. It diligently records key data, such as the distance you’ve covered, your pace, stroke count, stroke type, and the SWOLF score, a valuable metric for gauging swimming efficiency. When you venture into open water, the built-in GPS takes center stage, delivering essential metrics including distance, pace, stroke count, SWOLF, stroke rate, and stroke distance.
Beyond basic tracking, this smartwatch offers advanced features to help you maintain your pace and even log your swim drills. It further enhances your experience by offering free online analysis, enabling you to create custom workouts, and making it easy to share your progress within the Garmin Connect online community.
Pairing the watch with a compatible smartphone opens up a world of connected features, including smart notifications and seamless automatic uploads to the Garmin Connect platform. What’s truly remarkable is its ability to monitor underwater estimated wrist-based heart rate during your swim activities, ensuring you have a comprehensive understanding of your fitness and progress. Whether you’re a dedicated pool swimmer or an open water enthusiast, the Garmin Swim 2 proves to be your steadfast companion for a well-rounded and fulfilling swimming experience.
3. SPORTCOUNT 90040
If you’re seeking a no-frills approach to lap counting during your swimming sessions, the SportCount LapCounter is a superb choice, especially if you prefer simplicity over advanced digital gadgets. This unassuming yet effective tool is designed to streamline lap tracking.
The LapCounter is a compact device equipped with a small display and a single button. You can easily press this button to increment your lap count by one, making it an uncomplicated and user-friendly solution. What’s more, its waterproof design ensures it’s perfectly suited for pool use, alleviating concerns about water damage while you swim. However, it’s worth noting that this device is primarily focused on lap counting and doesn’t offer the advanced metrics you might find in more sophisticated gadgets, such as calorie tracking or stroke analysis.
Versatility is a key feature of the LapCounter. While it’s widely used for swimming, it extends its functionality to various sports and activities. Whether you’re walking, running, counting golf strokes, or tallying baseball pitches, this gadget proves handy. Its applications even transcend the realm of sports, as it’s equally capable of counting attendance, keeping inventory records, tracking customers, or tallying microscopic entities under a microscope.
One of the standout attributes of the LapCounter is its sheer simplicity. Tracking laps is as easy as pressing a single large button, allowing you to focus on your swimming without any distractions. Its ergonomic design ensures that it seamlessly integrates with your workout technique, presenting a practical alternative to conventional sports watches or manual tally counters.
If you’re in search of a hassle-free way to monitor your laps without disrupting your rhythm, the SportCount LapCounter is a dependable choice. Its versatility makes it a valuable tool not just for swimming laps but also for an array of counting tasks across different domains.
4. Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 undoubtedly ranks among the top-tier smartwatches available today. It’s not only a sleek and stylish wearable but also an incredibly capable device for lap counting during your swimming sessions. The watch offers dedicated workout modes that allow you to effectively track your swims, whether in the pool or open water.
Much like the Garmin Swim 2, the Apple Watch Series 8 supports both Pool Swimming and Open Water Swimming. Navigating to the Workout App, you can effortlessly select “Pool Swim” or “Open Water Swim” and start your workout with a simple tap. The watch further enhances your swimming experience by enabling you to set the pool’s length using the digital crown, ensuring precise workout tracking.
Beyond its swimming-centric features, the Apple Watch Series 8 is packed with an array of capabilities, including heart rate monitoring, ECG functionality, fall detection, various workout modes, and a step counter. Its integration into the Apple Ecosystem makes it a must-have for Apple users, seamlessly connecting with your other Apple devices.
In my experience, the Apple Watch Series 8 has exceeded expectations. It’s not just a fitness companion but a versatile and stylish smartwatch that blends seamlessly into daily life. Whether you’re tracking fitness goals, staying connected, or simply checking the time, it excels on all fronts.
The Starlight Aluminum Case adds an elegant touch, making it suitable for any occasion. If you’re in the market for a smartwatch that perfectly balances both aesthetics and functionality, the Apple Watch Series 8 stands as a wise investment that you won’t regret.
5. Fitbit Sense 2
The Fitbit Sense 2 stands as Fitbit’s latest flagship smartwatch, boasting a plethora of impressive features and advanced sensors designed to provide comprehensive tracking of various metrics.
One standout feature is the cutting-edge Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor, dedicated to accurately monitoring stress levels. Additionally, the watch incorporates an on-wrist skin temperature sensor, which delivers precise body temperature tracking.
Beyond these sensors, the Fitbit Sense 2 comes equipped with an ECG app, SPO2 sensor, improved battery life, and a range of other defining characteristics that contribute to its excellence.
In the realm of swimming, the Fitbit Sense 2 excels. It features an advanced swim tracking mode that autonomously records swimming laps, swim duration, distance covered, and pace. What’s more, it has been engineered to be waterproof, with water resistance up to 50 meters, ensuring that you can confidently use it in the pool or even during your showers.
In addition to its swimming capabilities, the Fitbit Sense 2 offers a multitude of other valuable features that collectively establish it as one of the best Fitbit smartwatches in 2024. If you’re on the hunt for a capable smartwatch that can expertly track your swimming laps while offering a host of additional functionalities, the Fitbit Sense 2 undoubtedly emerges as a strong and reliable choice.
Final Verdict
When it comes to tracking your swimming laps, these are the top watches and gadgets to consider. If you’re on a budget and already own a smartwatch, the gadgets can be a cost-effective choice.
However, if you’re in the market for a comprehensive fitness tracking experience, I’d strongly advise opting for a smartwatch or fitness tracker. These devices offer a wide range of features beyond swimming tracking, enhancing your overall fitness journey.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out in the comments section below. Additionally, remember to explore our website for more informative guides on your favorite smartwatches.