Price paid: 59.22 SEK (around $6)
Purchased from: Amazon Sweden
Tested with: Apple Watch
I bought this nylon Apple Watch band for one simple reason: I wanted something different from the standard rubber band.
At 59.22 SEK with free shipping, my expectations weren’t exactly high. At that price, I honestly expected something that might look good in the pictures but feel cheap once it arrived.
I was wrong.
First impression
The band feels surprisingly solid.
The nylon material has a substantial feel to it, the metal parts don’t immediately give off that cheap accessory feeling, and once fitted to the watch it looks much better than the price suggests.
I chose the green version, and I really like the colour. I use a Nike watch face with light green details on my Apple Watch, and together they make a really nice combination.
I’ve also asked people around me what they think of it, and the reaction has been positive. It simply looks good.
For me, that’s actually one of the biggest reasons to buy this band. An Apple Watch is something you wear every day, and changing the band is a very inexpensive way of changing the look of the whole watch.
One problem: getting it on and off
The design isn’t perfect.
The band uses a series of raised textile loops together with a metal G-hook. This gives you plenty of adjustment points, which is good once the watch is on your wrist.
But those same loops create some resistance when you’re pulling the band over your hand.
Putting the watch on and tightening it can therefore be slightly fiddly. Taking it off has the same problem.
That’s more noticeable with an Apple Watch because most of us need to take the watch off regularly for charging.
After using the band for a while, however, it has become easier. My guess is that the textile fibres have softened slightly with use.
It’s still not as effortless as a traditional Apple Watch sport band, but I don’t consider it a deal-breaker.
A warning about the size
I also managed to order the wrong size.
I thought I had selected the correct version on Amazon, but later in the ordering process there were different watch-size options that I apparently missed.
That’s probably more my mistake than Amazon’s, but it’s worth paying attention to.
Double-check the actual watch size before ordering.
The versions can look almost identical on the product page.
Is it worth the buy?
Here’s probably the best answer:
I’m ordering another one.
This time in the correct size.
Not because this is the perfect Apple Watch band. It isn’t. The G-hook and textile-loop design makes putting it on and taking it off more awkward than it needs to be.
But for around 59 SEK, I’m impressed.
It feels much better made than I expected, I like wearing it, and most importantly, I think it makes my Apple Watch look better.
I’m actually considering buying several colours so I can change the look of the watch depending on what I’m wearing.
The verdict
Pros
- Extremely inexpensive
- Surprisingly solid construction
- Comfortable textile material
- Lots of adjustment positions
- Looks more expensive than it is
- Many colours available
- An easy way to change the look of an Apple Watch
Cons
- Can be fiddly to pull over your hand
- Slightly awkward to remove for daily charging
- Make sure you select the correct Apple Watch size
IWTB verdict: YES
Is it perfect? No.
Would I buy it again? Yes — and I’m going to.
For something that costs around $6, that’s probably the strongest recommendation I can give it.