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ThatiPhoneKid

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 15, 2017
984
665
Anyone had any experience with the fake Apple Watch bands which can be found on eBay? Do they look the same as the genuine ones? Thanks
 

Freakonomics101

macrumors 68030
Nov 6, 2014
2,740
1,799
Definitely not the same quality. The one I had was exposed to water and the threads started to tear up.
 

rgyiv

macrumors regular
Jan 30, 2018
235
79
My wife and I both have bands from WFEAGL that we bought on Amazon and they are holding up nicely. My wife also bought an iGK band on Amazon that she's had no issues with either.
 

BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
I've had some bad reactions to "fake" Apple Watch bands. Had a burn / rash on my wrist that lasted about a week. A lot of them have really bad chemical smells that never really go away. I have stuck with Apple bands and ... a year+ later, they're like new. Personal experience - I'm sure there are others that have had no problems.

But for my wife and I, we've found the 3rd party ones to last a few months or so resulting in a much more expensive band over the course of a year.

I've settled on the Sports Loop and have used one for over a year every day now.
 
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MEJHarrison

macrumors 68000
Feb 2, 2009
1,522
2,723
It depends on the band. I've had great luck with the Sport Loops. They look nearly identical and have held up just fine so far.
 

russell_314

macrumors 604
Feb 10, 2019
6,647
10,238
USA
I've had some bad reactions to "fake" Apple Watch bands. Had a burn / rash on my wrist that lasted about a week. A lot of them have really bad chemical smells that never really go away. I have stuck with Apple bands and ... a year+ later, they're like new. Personal experience - I'm sure there are others that have had no problems.

But for my wife and I, we've found the 3rd party ones to last a few months or so resulting in a much more expensive band over the course of a year.

I've settled on the Sports Loop and have used one for over a year every day now.
What's a few chemical burns if you're saving money... Just kidding. But seriously why don't accessory makers like Anker or Belkin make bands. At least you would have some quality assurance. The price might not be as low but it would be lower than Apple and no bad side effects
 

PeytonT123

macrumors regular
Oct 17, 2018
177
66
US
The sport loops I've gotten have been great, spot on.

The sport bands have been hit or miss. Some have adapters that look like they're loose, some feel way too "rubbery" and attract lint like crazy.
 
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anthonymoody

macrumors 68040
Aug 8, 2002
3,109
1,206
The sport loops I've gotten have been great, spot on.

The sport bands have been hit or miss. Some have adapters that look like they're loose, some feel way too "rubbery" and attract lint like crazy.

Yeah a related thing about most of the 3rd party sport bands is that over time it's like they off-gas or something. They become sticky/greasy/oily or something, like the compound is breaking down. You can use soap and scalding water to clean them up a bit, but generally speaking it's only a matter of time before they're unusable. That might be a year or two, but it happens. I've not had one hold up longer than that. That said, at $10 a pop, I usually get a couple, wear the heck out of them for a season or two, then toss them.

Just ordered the new Apple one in yellow as a little splurge.
 
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nippyjun

macrumors 68000
Jul 26, 2007
1,646
332
I've purchased a few 3rd party bands from amazon and ebay. None fit as well into the watch as the apple ones. Either they don't secure well or they aren't flush w/ the watch. I''m only using apple ones now.
 
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