E 45mm GPS Smartwatch vs Water Resistant Watch Model 8R500 - Men: which is safer?
TomTom Water Resistant Watch Model 8R500 - Men is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Garmin Instinct
E 45mm GPS Smartwatch
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleElastomer band degradation and volatile release
PossiblePolymer case brittleness and microcracking
ReportedWaterproof seal integrity over time
Our pick
TomTom
Water Resistant Watch Model 8R500 - Men
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePolymer case and band degradation
PossibleBacterial or mold growth in seals and band
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Elastomer band degradation and volatile release, Polymer case brittleness and microcracking and Waterproof seal integrity over time on the Garmin Instinct and not on the TomTom.
- We flag Polymer case and band degradation and Bacterial or mold growth in seals and band on the TomTom and not on the Garmin Instinct.
- The Garmin Instinct is Polymer case, elastomer band, glass/plastic screen, waterproof seals where the TomTom is On watch case and band, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More waterproof fitness trackers & cases: see the full ranking