Getting a swanky Apple Watch band is the easiest way to customize and improve the look of your smartwatch.
The only problem with the Apple Watch’s unprecedented ubiquity is that we’re all wearing the same watch. So the main way to customize the look and feel is to pair it with a smart new Apple Watch band.
While the official Apple options are expensive (yet very good quality), there are thousands of third-party options to suit any budget and wrist size.
If you’re looking for leather, stainless steel, Milanese loop bands, or something sweat-proof for the gym, there are plenty of high-quality, cost-effective options out there for men and women.
Apple Watch case and band sizes: Will it fit?
Since the original Apple Watch, the clasp and mechanism for adding and replacing straps have remained the same. Still, it’s natural to ask: which size bands fit my Apple Watch?
Well, Apple is now on its third set of sizes. The latest design – present on the Series 7, Series 8, and Series 9 – gives users a choice of either a 41mm or 45mm case.
For the Series 4-6, those case sizes were instead 40mm and 44mm. And for the Series 0-3, they were 38mm and 42mm.
It can sound confusing, but things are made infinitely simpler by the fact that bands will fit universally across either the smaller or larger group of case sizes.
So, if you have a watch band that fits the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9, it will also work with the 42mm Apple Watch Series 3 or 44mm Apple Watch Series 5.
However, it won’t work with the 41mm Series 5 or 38mm Series 2, for example. Still with us?
The Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2, of course, each feature a 49mm case. However, straps designed to fit 44mm/45mm Apple Watch models will also work with the Ultra models.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: 49mm
- Apple Watch Ultra: 49mm
- Apple Watch Series 9: 41mm and 45mm
- Apple Watch Series 8: 41mm and 45mm
- Apple Watch Series 7: 41mm and 45mm
- Apple Watch SE: 40mm and 44mm
- Apple Watch Series 6: 40mm and 44mm
- Apple Watch Series 5: 40mm and 44mm
- Apple Watch Series 4: 40mm and 44mm
- Apple Watch Series 3: 38mm and 42mm
- Apple Watch Series 2: 38mm and 42mm
- Apple Watch: 38mm and 42mm
Apple Winter Blue Sport Loop
Price: $49/£49 | Apple
Size options: 41mm/45mm
The Sport Loop (not to be confused with the clasp-less Solo Loop) is a velcro nylon strap that has increasingly become the standard issue Apple Watch strap. It’s comfortable and wicks sweat, so it’s fine to run with – although pool swimmers will want to stick with silicone. It’s easy to get a really tight fit with the adjustment – and best of all – it’s carbon neutral. As with standard Apple straps, it’s only available in current-gen sizes.
Apple Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop (2024)
Price: $99/£99 | Apple
Size options: 41mm/45mm
Apple launches straps that support LBGT+ groups every year – but the 2024 edition is probably our favorite so far. It incorporates the colors of the Progress Pride flag, and is a Solo Loop band, which means it’s a single, clasp-less loop that stretches over the hand.
The woven material is really high quality and stands out – and pairs nicely with pretty much any finish in the selection.
Please make sure you do the Apple Solo Loop sizing properly. I sized mine wrong and the fit has never felt right.
Longvadon Caiman Series 2.0 Men’s Mahogany
Price: $109/£84.90 | longvadon.com
Size options: 38mm/40mm/41mm/42mm/45mm
A proper leather strap with cowhide leather on the outside and suede on the interior, the Longvadon is a high-quality bit of kit that’s comfortable to wear. The clasp is a little fiddly, but does manage the excess leather well.
WITHit Lizard Grain Leather Band
Price: $40 | withitgear.com
Size options: 38mm/40mm/41mm/42mm/45mm
WITHit’s leather options are more wallet-friendly than competitors, and far better quality than what you’ll find in the budget regions of Amazon. And what’s more, there are a variety of grains to choose from. We enjoyed this lizard leather number, with an eye-catching pattern that compliments darker Apple Watch cases well. The stainless steel lugs and buckle also ensure both durability and a secure fit.
Casetify Titanium 3-Link Band
Price: $249 | Casetify
You can pick up plenty of cheap stainless steel link bands, but it will add to the weight of your smartwatch. That’s where Casetify’s excellent titanium band comes in. The three link style is a timeless, high quality option and this is made from Grade 2 titanium for extra durability and a superb finish. There’s a tool included for link removal and adjustment, which you can do at home – and refreshingly, we didn’t find that a total ordeal. It’s pricey, but it’s $50 less than Apple’s own link strap, and far nicer.
Southern Straps Brown Leather
Price: $40/£40| Southern Straps
Size options: 38mm/40mm/41mm/42mm/45mm
Southern Straps Horween leather offers fantastic value and comes in at under $50. The leather is tanned and treated in California and fits wrists sized 14cm – 25cm in circumference. You can also choose black leather if that’s more your cup of tea.
Watch Strap Co. leather strap
Price when reviewed: $69/£55 | Watch Strap Co
Size options: 38mm/40mm/41mm/42mm/44mm/45mm
The Watch Strap Co’s leather options again undercut official prices, while still adding quality – but customization is our favorite part of the offering.
You’re free to color-code all of the metal elements to the color of your Apple Watch’s body, so you can accent rose gold, stainless steel, or space gray with your choice of leather.
In terms of leather options, there are dark, light, and black leather, and you can choose stitching options too.
Meridio
Price when reviewed: $89.99/£74.99 | Merido Band
Size options: 38mm/40mm/41mm/42mm/44mm/45mm
Meridio comes about as close as any third-party watch strap brand to replicating Apple’s premium feel.
We’ve tested out the company’s standard leather options from its Nappa collection, as well as its more vintage bands. They’re durable, have the same thin-leather style as Apple’s collections and you even have the option to engrave your initials on them.
If that’s not enough for you, the Italian band-maker also fashions straps from recycled apple skin. Wild stuff.
Nomad Modern Leather
Price when reviewed: $69.95 | Nomad
Size options: 40mm/41mm/45mm/49mm
Nomad’s leather straps are unlike others. The Modern Strap has a bold, minimalistic style that’s reminiscent of a sports band in the right lighting – but it’s not, with slim-to-nil stitching and a refreshing slate grey color.
The straps are made out of Horween leather and are designed to patina over time, giving you a rugged long-term look to complement its modern design.
Nomad Sport Band
Price: $59.95 | Nomad
Size options: 40mm/41mm/44mm/45mm
The Apple Watch is a pretty formidable sports tracker and Nomad’s fluoroelastomer band is fit for workouts both on land and in the water.
The ventilated-style look promises a breathable fit and it comes in five different colors including marine blue and dune looks. It’s fit to work with the latest sizes, letting you put that improved dust resistance design to good use.
Twelve South ActionSleeve
Price: $29.99/£29.99 | TwelveSouth
Size options: 40mm/41mm/44mm/45mm
Twelve South has become one of the more inventive brands when it comes to putting that Watch on your body. And its ActionSleeve holds the Apple smartwatch inside of a terry cotton armband making it a good fit for workout time.
It’s placed on the upper arm, where many people keep their smartphones, and allows the heart rate monitor to sit against the skin, so you don’t lose biometric data. Why would you want that? Well, it’s actually brilliant for gym workouts where having the Watch on the wrist can be troublesome, both for dodgy heart rate during flexing wrist moves, and a magnet for scratches from weights and kettlebells.
