7 Places You Definitely Shouldn’t Wear an Apple Watch

While Playing Pro Sports

You may not be on a professional sports team, but if you ever find yourself playing pro sports, you’re going to want to take your Apple Watch off.

While Apple Watches aren’t typically singled out, most leagues have some type of prohibition on electronic devices — which includes the Apple wearable. And they aren’t afraid to levy fines on players who break those rules.

Back in 2017, the MLB fined the Arizona Diamondbacks because one of its players wore an Apple Watch during a game. The NFL also fined star Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for wearing an Apple Watch despite being on the sidelines.

While Scuba Diving

Most Apple Watch models offer some type of water resistance, often up to a specific depth and time. But that doesn’t mean they’re waterproof. And despite stories of Apple Watches surviving much more than they’re supposed to, we still recommend caution.

Some activities, such as scuba diving or water skiing, can subject an Apple Watch to much more pressure than they’re designed for.

So while you can easily wear your Apple Watch in the pool or even at the beach, make sure you don’t take it too deep and be mindful of impact with water.

In a Sauna or Steam Room

Again, water resistance isn’t waterproofing. But even then, the main problem with wearing an Apple Watch into a sauna or steam room isn’t the water. Instead, it’s the heat.

Overheating can cause all sorts of permanent damage to electronics, including to their batteries. Because of that, we recommend taking off your Apple Watch before getting into a steam room, taking a hot yoga class or stepping into a jacuzzi, hot tub or warm bath. This advice also goes for any particularly hot environment. Don’t charge your Apple Watch in direct sunlight or in significantly high ambient temperatures.

During Extreme Sports

An Apple Watch is a pretty effective fitness tracker, which means most users are probably wearing it during their workouts or other fitness activities. But while you should be using your Apple Watch to keep tabs on your health, there are probably some places you should think twice about wearing it.

1. High-impact sports are one example, since a nasty fall could render your Apple Watch broken.
2. Endurance races could leave it caked in hard-to-clean mud.
3. Activities like rock climbing could easily scratch or shatter your Apple Watch’s display.

If you’d like to wear your Watch during these types of activities, consider popping a case and screen protector on it.

Around Cleaners, Acids and More

Beyond exposure to water and heat, there are definitely some other things you should keep off your Apple Watch. While the exact circumstances may vary depending on what you do, it’s definitely something to be aware of.

Apple notes that the Watch shouldn’t be exposed to chemicals or solvents, but also to acids, acidic foods, insect repellent, hair dye or sunscreen. That may rule out wearing it to the beach, while cooking or while dying your hair. Again, your own mileage may vary, but just know the limits of the Apple Watch’s durability.

In the Shower

As we mentioned, Apple Watches are water-resistant and even swim proof. Normally, that would mean that they’d be a-okay to take into the shower with you (especially since Apple CEO Tim Cook is said to shower with his own Apple Watch). Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

The problem here isn’t the water. Instead, it’s the soap. Apple’s documentation notes that contact with soaps, perfumes, cleaning products or chemicals can damage an Apple Watch’s ingress protections. So, over time, you’ll slowly be making your Apple Watch less water-resistant. It’s best to just avoid it.

Around Sensitive Equipment

Different workplaces likely have different rules on whether an Apple Watch is appropriate to wear. But even if your workplace doesn’t, you may still want to avoid wearing your Apple Watch if you work around certain types of sensitive equipment — such as machines in a hospital.

If you’re a patient, obviously, then take off your Apple Watch as recommended by your doctor. But if you work in a hospital or medical industry, there are reports that the machinery can mess with certain Apple Watch models. The problem becomes worse when you consider that Apple Watches may also be interfering with those sensitive systems, too.

When You’re Sleeping

Sleep tracking for the Apple Watch has long been rumored to be in development. But as of the writing of this article, the Apple Watch doesn’t support it. That means there’s little reason to wear your Apple Watch to bed (unless, of course, you're concerned about your heart health and heart alerts from your Apple Watch during your sleep).

There are some reasons not to, as well. It’s likely that your sleep hours are the most convenient time to charge up your watch. Wearing it to sleep may also be uncomfortable or distracting if the display switches on or any sounds play during the night. Just put it on your nightstand and use another option for sleep tracking.