Your Apple Watch with the same black sports band looks pretty boring. If you like accessories, you may want to switch between different straps and watch faces based on the occasion and your outfit. A stainless steel bracelet for work, a leather strap for a night out or a colorful nylon strap for the weekend.
Apple itself would be more than happy to sell you a band or six. But Apple’s sports bands start at $ 49, and a Milanese loop costs $ 99. But you don’t have to spend that much to have an equally good band. There are many third-party Apple Watch bands that you can find in the $ 10 to $ 50 range.
Apple Watch bands come in two sizes, the smaller one is for 38mm / 40mm models and the larger one is for 42 / 44mm models (these two sizes support the Apple Watch series). And don’t worry, it only takes a couple of seconds to change these watch bands and doesn’t require any tools (more on that later).
Here are the best third-party Apple Watch bands you should buy.
The first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a nice watch band is obviously a leather band. There is a huge variety when it comes to leather straps. You can choose different patterns and textures. But nothing beats a simple and supple tan finish.
Belkin offers a comfortable, lightweight leather strap that costs less than $ 10 and is available in three different colors.
If you’re looking for a thicker, more elegant leather band, check out Mifa’s Leather Band ($ 25). It is made of genuine leather, is 3mm thick and comes with a black buckle which gives it a classy look.
Apple’s official stainless steel link bracelet costs a whopping $ 349. But you don’t need to pay that much if you choose a third-party option. The Kades Stainless Steel Link Bracelet costs less than $ 25 and looks almost exactly the same.
It comes in silver and black and has the classic double button folding clasp that locks and hides securely under the strap. It is made of 304L stainless steel with a precision milling process.
This gives it a smooth finish while being sturdy and durable. And just like Apple’s version, it comes with a link removal kit. Then you can remove the links and make the strap shorter (or longer) for a better fit.
Usually, when you go with a classy steel strap, you lose the colors. But MCORS’s Milanese Loop gives you an elegant look, along with eight color options (including rose gold, gold, silver, and black).
MCORS Milanese Loop has a mesh design made of stainless steel and offers an adjustable magnetic case. There is no closure here. The magnet holds the band in place. At under $ 15, the MCORS Milanese Loop is a fraction of the cost of Apple’s $ 99 Milanese Loop.
QIENGO sports strap [not available]
What’s better than a strap? Four watch straps. Apple’s Sports Loop nylon straps are known for their lightweight, breathable and multi-purpose design. And QIENGO’s Sports Loop bands offer the same features at a much lower price.
You can get a four-pack of these Apple Watch Bands, with different colors and patterns for just $ 16 (the color of the rainbow is our favorite).
A nylon strap is lightweight and absorbs moisture and sweat very well. This makes it easy to wear all day long. If you don’t like the Sports Loop design and prefer the classic buckle style, you’ll be happy to know that you can get a nylon version as well.
Fintie makes a great nylon band for 42mm / 44mm Apple Watch models. They are available in many different colors such as gray, red, black, olive, navy blue, camouflage and more.
They are made of the same breathable nylon material and come with a black stainless steel buckle. You can buy a Fintie nylon sports strap in any color for under $ 11.
Silicone strap for Apple Watch Tobif [not available]
Apple Watch’s default sports band, with soft silicone and a pin-and-tuck casing, has become an instant classic. While it’s a great all-purpose strap available in many colors, it’s also quite expensive at $ 49 per piece.
Tobif’s silicone band gives you the same soft silicone finish along with the same pin-and-tuck mechanism for under $ 13. And for that price, you get a pack of four Apple watch bands. You will find many classic colors like black, navy blue, pink, gray, wine red and others.
Zsuoop sports strap [not available]
With the Apple Nike Watch Band, Apple has taken its already popular Sport band and added air holes to them. This made the silicone strap even more breathable and created new opportunities for colorful patterns.
If you like this design and don’t want to pay the exorbitant rates of Apple’s official bands, choose Zsuoop’s Sport Watch Band Packs. You get two different straps in different colors and patterns (with different strap colors and accents for the air holes). A two-pack for various Apple Watch sizes costs less than $ 11.
How to change the Apple Watch band
As mentioned above, replacing the Apple Watch band takes a couple of seconds and no special tools are required.
- Remove the Apple Watch from your wrist and turn it over.
- Hold the Release of the band button that you will find right above the strap.
- Then simply slide the strap left or right to remove it.
- Now take the new strap and make sure it’s the right way around. Press and hold the Release of the band button and slide the new band into place. So let go of the Release of the band button. You will hear a satisfying click. This tells you that the strap is locked in place.
- Now repeat the process for the other side.
And that’s right, you changed the Apple Watch band. It’s easy, right? This is why you can buy multiple straps and even carry them in your bag to change depending on what you’re doing (it would be especially helpful to bring a sports band to switch to when you train).
What’s your favorite Apple Watch band? Share with us in the comments below.
The next step after accessorising your Apple Watch? Check out the best Apple Watch apps and update your Apple Watch to get the latest features!