Water Resistance

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The Voltra Air is rated IP68, independently tested to IEC 60529 and certified as submersible for up to one hour at depths of up to 10 metres. Swim in it, shower in it, wear it in the rain. Just rinse it in clean water afterwards if it's been in chlorine or the sea, and never charge it while it's damp.

What the rating actually means

The 6 means completely dust-tight. The 8 means protected against continuous immersion, and for the Air that was tested at 10 metres for a full hour in fresh water, with no water ingress and no damage.

What the test doesn't cover is hot water, steam, salt and detergents. Those are the things that actually get into a sealed device, which is why a strong rating still comes with a short list.

Fine to do

• Swim, in a pool or open water
• Shower in it, as long as the water's warm rather than hot
• Wash your hands, get caught in the rain, do the washing up
• Sweat in it, however hard you're training
• Rinse it under a cold tap to clean it

Worth avoiding

• Hot showers, baths, saunas and steam rooms. Heat makes the seals and the air inside expand, and steam gets through gaps that liquid water doesn't. This is the most common way a water-resistant wearable dies, and it isn't covered by any immersion rating.
• Diving and high-speed water sports. Depth means pressure, and jet skis and wakeboarding mean impact. Surface swimming is what the rating comfortably covers.
• Pressure washers and power showers aimed straight at it.
• Soap, shampoo, shower gel, sunscreen, perfume and insect repellent. Detergents and solvents break down the adhesives holding the seals together. Rinse it if any get on it.

After it's been in water

1. Rinse it under a cold tap if it's been in chlorine or the sea. Both attack the seals over time and rinsing is the single most useful thing you can do to keep it watertight.
2. Dry it with a towel, paying attention to the charging contacts on the back.
3. Leave it to air dry before charging it.

Never put it on the charger while the contacts are damp. Water bridging the contacts causes corrosion, and corroded contacts are the most common reason a device stops charging. See battery and charging.

Your straps

Use the silicone strap for swimming. It doesn't absorb water, it wipes dry, and it's ready to put straight back on.

The woven strap holds water far longer than the device itself does. If you have swum or showered in it, take it off afterwards and let it dry properly rather than leaving it damp against your skin all day. Rinse it in clean water if it's been in chlorine or the sea, and let it air dry away from direct heat - no hairdryers or radiators.

Water resistance doesn't last forever

Seals age. Drops, knocks, temperature swings and time all wear them down, so a two-year-old device isn't as watertight as a new one. That's true of every sealed product rather than anything specific to ours. The rating describes how it left the factory, and rinsing off chlorine and salt is what keeps it closer to that for longer.

If water has got in

Signs are condensation under the lens, the device switching itself off, a charge that won't start, or readings that stop after it's been wet.

1. Take it off the charger if it's on one.
2. Dry the outside thoroughly.
3. Leave it somewhere dry at room temperature for 24 hours. Don't use a hairdryer, a radiator or an airing cupboard - heat makes it worse. Rice does nothing.
4. Try charging it after 24 hours.

If it doesn't come back, message us with your order number and what it had been in contact with.

What the warranty covers

A device that fails a seal in normal use is a manufacturing fault and it's covered. Damage from the things in the list above isn't, because the rating doesn't extend to them. If you're not sure which yours is, get in touch and we'll take a look rather than guess.