They make medical adhesives that are placed over Continuous Glucose Monitors and other devices to help keep them on your skin longer and safer. The band is brilliant! I've recently started swimming again, and when I use the band, my sensor stays put without me worrying it's going to float away 😄 Many of us find the limitations set by the manufacturer as too restrictive and it’s a common question to ask “how can I make the sensor waterproof” so to be able to swim for longer or do other water activities. Because Not Just a Patch offers a wide range of colours in their Freestyle Libre patches, it means you can mix and match with your outfits, or simply to how you’re feeling. Many Libreband customers including competitive athletes, have worn the armband for swimming and water activities and have found it helpful for protection and in giving them confidence in water whilst wearing a sensor, especially when doing so for extended periods.

I believe by using these extra methods, the sensors worn on our travels lasted the full two weeks whilst on my arms. The patch and Freestyle Libre tape is waterproof and will help secure your Freestyle Libre sensor for 15 days or longer. They offer underlay patches too which are particularly useful for people who suffer from sensitive skin (that's me!) If you want my honest choice, then I would choose Not Just A Patch, simply because this is the patch I’m using, and continue to use. One factor that may affect this is heat. So, whilst you can wear a sensor in a hot tub, prolonged time in the water may mean that the glue weakens and the sensor falls off.In fact, there’s no such thing as ‘waterproof’ as all materials will be penetrable at some point - it’s just depends on the conditions. Then when the Freestyle Libre 2 came out, I switched to that, and it’s my CGM of choice at the moment. A frequent concern to sensor wearers is the issue of getting the sensor wet. Whether it’s in a hot tub, in a spa, in the sea, on water rides, playing water sports or any other water activity. Wearing a sensor for longer than the stipulated 30 minutes does mean that the sensor is not being used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and could therefore invalidate the warranty. But, many wearers do swim for longer than 30 minutes and go deeper than 1 metre, without any problems, and this includes long distance swimmers and lifeguards too.

Wearing a Libreband will help to protect a sensor from the friction caused by swimming and being in water, such as in a hot tub. The cover and neoprene armband are themselves water resistant. However, the product does not provide any additional waterproof protection to the Libre sensor as it's just not possible.The first day of our travels, the heat almost too intense (it took us some time to acclimatise!) and the Libre 2 sensor fell off after one swim in the pool. When you use the patch in addition to the “Skin Glu” you’re giving yourself the best possible chance for full length of use from your sensor Libre sensors are water-resistant to IP67 standard, but this isn’t waterproof. The two terms do not mean the same thing. Therefore all these patches that I’ll chat about below are all suitable for the Freestyle Libre 1 and 2. The best advice here I can offer is to wear a band across your arm or to wear a sensor plaster to hold it in place.

When wearing the Freestyle Libre 2 sensor, I have noticed the adhesive part can loosen in the water. The Freestyle Libre patches are also made from latex free adhesive which means it shouldn’t trigger any allergic reactions or skin irritation. Rinse off immediately post-swim as this will reduce the effect or any chemicals from the water, or salt from the sea.

5 best Freestyle Libre patches for your sensor

I haven’t yet used the Freestyle Libre patches on my sensors, but I have used PumpPeelz in the past for their cool peelz for pumps, and they were great quality, so perhaps their Freestyle Libre patches for sensors are just as good. Well, to help you decide, I’ve put together this guide on the best Freestyle Libre patches for your sensor. In addition to wearing a Libreband, below are some steps we recommend when swimming wearing a sensor or CGM.