How to protect your smartwatch from wear and tear

Smartwatches can also be expensive, so you need to take care of them to make sure they work efficiently and last longer. Here’s a quick list of things you need to take care of to protect your smartwatch and prevent damage.

How to protect your smartwatch?

Physical damage is among the most common causes of smartwatches breaking down. Keep your smartwatch away from water as much as possible. Know that even if your smartwatch is water-resistant, it may not exactly be waterproof. Most water-resistant watches are designed to keep the liquid out and away from the watch’s circuitry, but this only works till a certain depth and for a certain amount of time, beyond which, water may creep into your watch.

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If your smartwatch is submerged, remove it and dry it as quickly as possible to avoid any damage. Switch it off if you can and take it to the nearest service centre if it was submerged deeper or for longer than it can handle. Note that if you plan on doing activities like diving or if you are constantly exposed to water-related activities and sports, it may make more sense to invest in a smartwatch that is designed for such use-cases.

Protecting your watch from scratches is another thing to keep in mind. Keep your watch on your hand and avoid placing it in a bag or a pocket where it may share space with objects like keys, coins, tools or anything else that may leave scratches on the surface. You can also find screen protectors for most popular smartwatches to keep the display scratch-free, while for some high-end smartwatches like the Apple Watch series, you may even be able to find small cases to protect the whole body.

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Next, make sure your watch straps are secure while being comfortable. If your watch has straps that are likely to come off during the day, change the straps and switch to a different strap style if necessary (metal bands, leather straps, silicone straps). If your watch comes undone easily, you may accidentally drop the watch, and the impact may damage the watch’s internals beyond repair.

Finally, keep your watch clean and use it with care. Regularly cleaning your watch with a micro-fibre cloth will help remove dirt, oil, and any other gunk from the display as well as the straps and body. Meanwhile, using it with care will ensure that your internal and external components last longer. On the software side of things, also regularly check for any firmware updates for your smartwatch.

Besides the usual maintenance, another step we highly recommend you take is investing in an extended warranty plan for your smartwatch. An extended warranty, in essence, is a prolonged warranty offered by manufacturers and third-party administrators on new products. Depending upon the make and model, and the product itself, an extended warranty covers any or all of the following – wear and tear, maintenance activities, manufacturing defects, accidental damage, and so on. For a nominal amount, you can ensure your peace of mind vis-a-vis your smartwatch for a long period of time and ensure that any of the aforementioned issues do not end up becoming too heavy on your pocket.