I'm with you. I usually take the stand of "you get what you pay for." But in this case, they're pretty good. And quite frankly, when I pay $6 to $9 for a watch band, I only expect it to last 6-12 months. I'll probably be bored of wearing them long before they fall apart.
My strategy from the start was to purchase multiple less expensive bands so I could rotate them. The only original AW band I own is the silicone band that came with my AW Sport two years ago. That's still the band I go to when I know I will get sweaty, and it has held up perfectly well. I have three third-party bands which are a mixed bag. The best of the bunch is a Clockwork Synergy leather band that is is probably the band I have worn the most over the last two years. It's comfortable, nice looking, and has been durable. At the other end of the spectrum is a leather loop knockoff that I paid less than $20 for. It's a good looking band and one others have complimented. However the "leather" has been peeling away from the lugs. It doesn't affect the integrity of the band... it just looks bad. I have used glue to repair it, but the glue only holds for so long. I think there are better third party options now, but this is one band that isn't going to look as good as the original under close inspection. In the middle is a black woven nylon knockoff that I bought at Best Buy for about $25. Half the price of the original, and I figured I could return it easily if it wore out too quickly. I think the brand is Modal. I get a lot of compliments on it, and I think it would take a side by side comparison to know it isn't a real Apple band. Super short though... I have average wrists and it barely fits. I can see the edges starting to fray a little, which I doubt happens so easily on the original band. It's not like $49 is that much, so I would probably stick with Apple for woven nylon, unless you want a lot of colors. Then I would go with a third party and rotate them. They will likely last many years with light use.