Can I Swim With an IP68 Device?
Generally, no — manufacturers themselves advise against it. Apple's support documentation explicitly recommends against swimming, showering, or using an IP68-rated iPhone in water, because the IEC 60529 immersion test is a static lab test in still fresh water, not a simulation of swimming's movement, impact, and pressure changes.
Static test vs. dynamic activity
The IP68 test holds a device still in still water for a set time at a set depth. Swimming involves strokes, turns, and impact forces the standard doesn't test for, plus exposure to pool chemicals or salt water most ratings exclude — see Does IP68 Cover Salt Water?
Purpose-built swim ratings are a different claim
Some smartwatches are explicitly marketed and rated for swimming under ISO 22810 rather than IEC 60529 — that is a distinct, purpose-tested claim, not the same thing as a phone's IP68 badge. Always check whether swimming is explicitly named as a supported use for your specific product before assuming any "waterproof" number covers it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Manufacturers generally advise against it. Apple's own support documentation explicitly recommends NOT swimming, showering, or using an iPhone in a pool or ocean despite its IP68 rating, because the standard test is a static lab immersion in still fresh water — not the movement, pressure changes, and water types involved in actual swimming.
No. The IEC 60529 immersion test is performed with the device held still in still water. Swimming strokes, diving, and water sports create dynamic pressure and impact forces the standard test does not replicate.
Some devices are explicitly designed and marketed for swimming, like certain smartwatches rated under ISO 22810 rather than IEC 60529. That is a different, purpose-built rating — check whether your specific product's documentation explicitly names swimming as a supported use, rather than assuming any IP68 or ATM number covers it.
IP67-rated speakers like the JBL Charge 5 and UE Boom 3 are tested to 1 meter for 30 minutes in still fresh water — a pool splash is within spec, but active swimming with the device, or a genuine full pool submersion, pushes past what the static lab test represents.