If you love working out and want to use the Apple Watch as a guide or vitals checker, it is normal to worry about the chances of it damaging due to contact with sweat. Apple products are high-quality and don’t come cheap, hence the need to want to keep yours safe from liquid exposure.
So, can sweat break the Apple watch? Thanks to Apple designing the Apple Watch with water-resistant properties, there is no harm to an iWatch when it contacts sweat or water droplets. You can always wipe it using a microfiber cloth to remove any wetness and leave it working perfectly.
Therefore, you can wear it when swimming, showering, or under the rain, without affecting any internal or external components. Worrying about accidental spillage on your smartwatch or excessive sweat contact is expected.
If you are using your Apple Watch for the first time while exercising, you may panic about the sweat trickling down your arm into it. You may frantically keep wiping it, hoping the parts don’t get affected by the liquid contact. Here is what to know if you are a concerned user.
Sweat cannot break the Apple Watch. This is because it can effortlessly manage sweat exposure, even for users who sweat profusely. It is all thanks to its water-resistant properties, allowing you to swim with it or have it on when it rains.
However, Apple points out that the iWatch is not waterproof, meaning there is a maximum limit after which sweat contact can affect it. The liquid-resistant properties can diminish with time, especially if the watch has other damages due to frequent falls or over-exposure to detergents and lotions.
One of the most impressive aspects of the Apple Watch is that it is the ultimate companion for all matters about exercising. It helps check your vitals and keeps you on track until you achieve your daily and ultimate goals.
First-timers often worry about what happens when the gadget contacts sweat while working out. It would be unfortunate if the exposure can damage or affect the device’s performance, beating the purpose of its design.
Luckily, Apple had this in mind while creating every iWatch version because they all have water-resistant properties, although they are not waterproof. The two terms may seem contradictory, but generally, it implies that your Apple watch is safe from a slight contact with water, like sweat drips down onto the top surface and the band. On the other hand, it may not be safe after submerging in a lot of water for a long time.
Also, note that various iWatch models have differing water-resistant properties based on their makes. For instance, the original and Series 1 versions are not as resistant to exposure to liquids as the Series 2 to the latest release. Thankfully, all iWatch models are safe regardless of sweat contact when you are working out.
On the flip side, Apple is also quick to point out that the iWatch is not waterproof, and its ability to resist sweat can eventually diminish, and some factors contribute to this case. For example, if you keep dropping your watch and interfere with some internal components, it may affect its resistance to sweat.
Secondly, if you often expose it to soapy water, detergents, perfumes, lotions, or oil, there are high chances that the water-resistance feature will be affected.
It is also essential to avoid wearing your watch in instances where you will sweat profusely, like in the steam room/ sauna. It may also help to switch your iWatch strap to more breathable options like sports bands that handle excessive sweating better but avoid stainless steel and leather materials. The version should be comfortable and smooth on your wrist, primarily if you work out for long periods daily.
Sweat Resistance
You are likely to break a sweat while wearing your iWatch if you spend hours at the gym or generally working out. The moisture can accumulate to form water that trickles onto the smartwatch or sticks to the bands and base. If it is your first time using your watch for exercising, you may wonder how it handles sweat.
All Apple Watches are sweat-resistant, hence droplets from your body cannot affect them. Therefore, you can comfortably use the wearable during strenuous exercises and be confident that it will be safe. If you own the Apple Watch Series 1 or a first-generation watch, you may have to be extra careful to wipe it often since such models are not as resistant to sweat as the latest versions.
Each Apple Watch model has better water-resisting features, and the latest models can effortlessly withstand moisture exposure, unlike their older counterparts. Unfortunately, the iDevices can resist wetness, but they are not waterproof. If you submerge them in a lot of liquids for a long time, the chances of damage are high, hence the need to avoid situations that compromise the water-resistance capabilities of your gadget.
If you sweat heavily or exercise for long periods, it would help to wipe off the iWatch to avoid excessive sweat accumulation. First, take it off your wrist, turn it off, detach the straps and wipe it using a clean microfiber cloth. If you want to rinse off the sweat, remember to avoid using any cleaning agents because the chemicals in the detergents usually harm the smartwatch.
Also, avoid using air compressors or heating the watch while drying it, and clean your wrist or arm that directly contacts the device. It may be tempting to wear the iWatch loosely to reduce the contact with the sweat from your body but remember that this defeats the purpose of the Apple Watch to help track your vitals. Besides, it should be snug to avoid moving while working out.
Sometimes, when the sweat is excessive, it may seep into the watch’s slots and crevices, and you can tell when the speaker sounds stifled. It is not advisable to insert objects inside to remove the liquid because you may harm the watch further.
Instead, you can contact a professional or Apple customer care for the way forward. While the gadget can resist sweat, it becomes tricky when the droplets drip into the internal components.
It may cause irreparable or temporary damage by interfering with the circuits. Besides causing issues with the internal parts, the sweat can also cause reactions on the band depending on the material. Chemicals can affect some straps leading to wearing over time, explaining the importance of going for breathable and sweat-resistant sporty bands.
Thankfully, the modern Apple Watches come with Water Lock features that you can turn on manually or automatically before exposing the watch to a lot of water or excessive sweating.
This aspect works if you sweat excessively, and you are worried about it damaging your pricey gadget. To activate the feature, you can swipe the bottom of the screen to find the control center, then click the water drop symbol on display.
Swimming and Showering wearing an Apple Watch
If your ideal workout is swimming and you want to keep the iWatch on throughout, you may ask whether staying underwater for a long time is safe. It is also expected that some users never want to take it off, even in the shower, leading to similar concerns.
You can have your Apple Watch on while you swim or shower as long as it is the Series 2 version or a later release. The newest models feature the best water-resistant properties, allowing you to stay submerged while wearing the watch without damaging or affecting its performance.
However, wearing an Apple Watch if you are diving is not advisable to avoid excessive force. On the other hand, if you are showering with the watch, remember to avoid contact with soaps and shampoos since they usually contain harmful chemicals that may affect the iDevice’s water resistance.
Swimming with an Apple Watch is generally safer than showering with it on because there is less risk of contact with abrasive chemicals that accelerate wear. Therefore, you can comfortably swim with the smartwatch if you need it for vitals checking. The only warning from Apple is that you should avoid crossing the 50-meter mark, a pressure which is more than what most new models can handle.
Although it is OK to leave it on while swimming, it is still critical to be cautious. For instance, it is best to swim in shallow waters of less than 50 meters for a few hours, and after vigorous exercise, you will need to clean the watch.
Use running tap water to rinse it, then dry it with a microfiber cloth. Showering with the Apple Watch is also OK, provided that you follow the safety guidelines since it is sensitive to foreign chemicals, which can compromise its water-resisting features.
Therefore, ensure that soaps, sprays, and shampoos do not contact the device and avoid wearing it while in steam rooms or hot baths. If you don’t want to take the chances, it may help to take off the watch when showering, then put it back on when out. Also, remember the necessity of always drying it after exposure to any liquid to avoid the droplets seeping into the internal parts and causing irreparable damage.
Minimizing water contact
Since various Apple Watch models handle liquids differently, it is vital to understand what to do to avoid further harm. If you have exposed it to sweat or dropped it into the water for a long time, you can take some simple steps to dry it.
If your Apple Watch gets wet, it is best to wipe it using a clean, non-abrasive cloth. After using it while exercising for a long time, you can expect sweat droplets when you take it off but avoid using heat, sprays, chemicals, or rough cloths to eliminate the wetness; otherwise, you may cause severe damage to the internal components.
You can gently rinse it off under running water for some seconds to remove the sweat, then wipe it afterward. It would also help to detach the band and rinse it independently.
Typically, you will panic if your iPhone drops into a pool of water. The iWatch, on the other hand, can manage wetness without affecting any component or the device’s performance, thanks to its design.
Besides, you can enable a unique feature called the Water Lock, allowing you to swim while wearing it, depending on the version. Therefore, it will be fine regardless of profuse sweating or plunging into water for a while.
If your iWatch gets wet, the initial step is to shut it down as soon as possible because the liquids cannot affect it as long as the components are not running. Secondly, removing any detachable part from the smartwatch is ideal for the droplets to run out of all the slots.
Therefore, most users take out the bands when wiping the iWatch. You can also slightly shake it off to remove any lingering droplets within cracks but be careful not to shake aggressively and ruin any part.
Lastly, you can wipe it using a clean, soft cloth that you are sure will not cause scratches on the surface. Remember that if you have been working out for a while and a lot of sweat has dripped onto the watch, it is advisable to rinse it off under running water for some seconds. However, avoid direct heat and compressed air that may risk the internal components.
Apart from wiping the watch, you can also clean your skin that was in contact with it, particularly after heavy sweating. If you are confident that you have wiped out the water, you can turn the device on to confirm that everything is working perfectly.
If the speakers sound muffled, the water has likely seeped inside. Instead of inserting things inside to remove the droplets, you can let the water evaporate on its own or contact Apple for help.
Bottomline
If you are worried that your Apple Watch will damage when it contacts sweat while working out, you will be glad to know it is safe. Apple ensured that it has water-resistant properties for such instances, but the original and Series 1 versions don’t handle water exposure as well as the later models.
Therefore, you don’t need to panic when your device gets wet while swimming or in the shower. You only have to remember to wipe it using a soft, clean cloth to avoid the droplets seeping into the internal components and damaging them. Also, remember to keep the iWatch safe from harmful detergents, lotions, and chemicals.
