I know this is a couple of months after your initial question, but wanted to state my past experience with Fitbit IP Rating questions and sales information/documentation for others that may run across your post. I could not find an IP Rating for the Ionic either on the “sales” info for the watch. I called Fitbit customer service and they told me that it was water resistant to 50 meters, but that was all. I specifically asked what the IP rating of the watch was and after being put on hold for a couple of minutes the nice lady said that it was water resistant to 50 meters and that swimming would be fine. That is extremely vague and unaccountable for a company that size. I would not go swimming with it based on previous “sales” info from another tracker they sale….the Charge HR. I bought mine shortly after they came out because I liked the HR feature and read, at the time of my purchase, I could shower with it (that has since been removed). I only figured out that you could not shower with it “as advertised” after going through 3 trackers. It got to the point that I was taking my Charge HR off to wash my hand…seriously. That’s not me being sarcastic; I didn’t want anything other than a light rain shower to touch my Charge HR. I ultimately got rid of my final replacement to a friend and went to a Samsung Gear 2 which clearly states an IP68 rating, which mirrors my S7 and its IP68 rated. I have had both at water parks and my above ground pool (~4 feet deep) for hours…..no worries or issues.
I say all that because Moderator ErickFitbit also gave a very vague “sales” answer. He’s probably a great guy to have a beer with, but did not help answer your specific question. He stated “We have tested Ionic in accordance with industry standards and it is water resistant up to 50 meters (5ATM/150 feet)”. He did not mention a time limit, but a quick search will show IPX7 has zero object ingression protection and a max time of up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter, as you already know and per IEC 60529, Table 8. So did Fitbit test the Ionic in a pressurized tank or did they actually take one down close to 50 meters? Don’t know, but based on Moderator ErickFitbit I could take the Ionic down to 60 feet/~ 18 meters, which is the max approved depth for a certified Open Water Diver, as long as I was back above the water within 30 minutes…..good luck with that. I would not even attempt to try that because I’ve followed previous Fitbit sales info and spent a lot of time dealing with Fitbit on replacements. At this time, I would strongly praise Fitbit’s Customer Service. Every time I have called they were super nice and helpful. I have not purchased the Ionic yet, but really want too because the battery life is longer than my Gear S2 and offers all that I need in a watch/tracker. To me personally it is more important to not worry about showering, playing in the pool, or even washing my hands really good. So ultimately runwithnewmedia I don’t know if you already purchased the Ionic or not, but I don’t feel comfortable spending $300 until I can see/print Fitbit lawyer approved language stating an IP Rating. I expect accountability from every company, especially if I’m giving you money. Final note…my understanding is that the IP ratings are for fresh water only. Special seals/designing/engineering would have to be incorporated for non-freshwater.
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