Apple Watch Bands We Like

Leather bands

The Barton Watch Bands Leather Stitching Watch Band is very basic but inexpensive. Nothing about it wowed us, and the leather felt a little too smooth.

The Belkin Classic Leather Band for Apple Watch is made of nice, supple leather, but its leather pieces are fused together rather than stitched. If you prefer that look and accept that this band might not last as long, it’s one of the better options.

The Marge Plus Genuine Leather Band is a perfectly serviceable budget strap with a slight taper toward the clasp, so it may look a bit better on smaller wrists. Because the band’s ends slide around on its lugs a little, it can look off-center. And the stitching runs only along the length of the band; we prefer stitching underneath the lugs as well for added durability.

The Nomad Modern Band is designed to develop a patina over time, and we saw that to be true as scuffs and marks appeared more quickly on its surface than on any other band. A line is clearly visible where the pieces are glued together, rather than fused, which makes us wary about the band’s long-term durability.

Faux leather bands

Society6 offers a nearly limitless amount of patterns in faux leather, but the material on our test unit felt thin and started creasing after a couple of days of wear.

We had hoped that The Urban Flair’s Solid Earth Tone Apple Watch Band would offer a neutral, vegan leather alternative for people who like the look of real leather. But it certainly won’t fool anyone: We ordered a band that appeared dark brown in photos, and we received a tan version with an unexpectedly metallic finish and a pinkish hue. It’s also thinner than our faux leather picks.

Metal bands

Previously, we recommended the Astra Aere Slim Stainless Steel Band, but we removed it as a pick in this guide due to reports of poor customer service and durability issues.

The Casetify Stainless Steel 3-Link Watch Band is more expensive than comparable models we’ve seen on Amazon (although you get the benefit of buying from a company that likely won’t disappear tomorrow). Our panel didn’t care for the band’s contrasting matte and glossy elements or how aggressively it tapered.

The Fossil Stainless Steel Band for Apple Watch had pins underneath the connectors that stuck out, preventing the band from wrapping tightly against the wrist. This kept the Apple Watch from sitting flush against our testers’ skin, and in some cases it prevented the watch from registering the wearer at all.

Insignia’s Stainless Steel Mesh Band for Apple Watch had a weak magnetic clasp that loosened after a few minutes of wear, which caused the watch to slide up and down the arm. We also found that it wasn’t tight enough for any wrist smaller than about 5.5 inches in circumference.

The WorryFree Gadgets Metal Mesh Band was a pain to adjust — it even comes with a little screwdriver to aid in moving the clasp up and down the fixed notches. It also pinched the arm hair of our testers.

Silicone bands

The Barton Elite Silicone Watch Band is the only silicone band we tested that isn’t styled like the Apple Sport Band. Our panel testers were unanimous in preferring Apple’s flat, understated band to the Barton model’s diamond-textured pattern.

Groove Life’s Apple Watch Band is one of the most comfortable bands we tested. It’s soft, handsome, and lightweight, but it’s a bit more expensive than the other sport bands we recommend.

Fabric bands

We loved the look of Barton’s Retro Two Piece NATO Style Watch Band, and it felt sturdy. But its fabric was stiff and a little scratchy, so it wasn’t as comfortable to wear as the company’s Cordura and Silicone Hybrid band.

The Braxley Band comes in a ton of funky colors and patterns, but the one we tested felt like it cut off our circulation, and the stitching and tailoring looked cheap.

Across three different people, no one could figure out how to adjust the Dot Outfitters Yoga Band, and the more we tried, the worse it looked.

The Heyday Apple Watch Knit Band simply refused to stay tight.

We were excited about the Twelve South ActionSleeve and its niche armband design, but it failed to stay in place when our testers went running.

Jewelry bands

We tested the Kades Bling Watch Band and the Surace Diamond Bracelet, which were identical in every way — including the price and packaging. (Amazon is full of indistinguishable listings like these.) If you need a dressy jewelry option just once in a while, one of these should do for less than $20. Though they certainly felt cheap, they actually looked great on the wrist and were comfortable and durable enough for our testers to wear them for days at a time. But we can’t speak to the lifespan of these bands or the quality of customer service from the companies.

This article was edited by Caitlin McGarry and Signe Brewster.