I'd love to get a nice leather band. Any recommendations for one that looks and feels nice, but doesn't break the bank?
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Best third party leather band for reasonable price?
- Thread starter ssledoux
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I recently bought a Horween Nomad strap. Got it for $53. I love it.
I bought the following based on a review I saw in the 3rd party bands thread. You might want to look there. But for now, I'm really happy with this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ1Z65P/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ1Z65P/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I got a Leather Loop from Burkley Case for $60. Hoping the quality comes closer to the real deal for that price.
I think I'll go to the Apple Store today and check out the leather bands. I ordered one from Amazon and am not sure what to expect. It had 4 stars with well over 1,000 reviews. If I don't like the feel of it, I can return it. I thought I'd see which yall recommended in case the one I get is crappy.
If the Apple is far superior, I think I'll just keep watching for one of those on ebay.
If the Apple is far superior, I think I'll just keep watching for one of those on ebay.
I too, picked this up at my local Best Buy. I managed to get it at $45 due to it having some knicks on it. Very happy with it. Compliments my Saddleback Leather Co. slim wallet
Well the one I ordered was crap. Definitely gonna look into some of these. I'm gonna hunt for the Apple one on ebay first because I really liked it when I tried it in store today - just not $150 worth.
[doublepost=1487211980][/doublepost]Gonna try the Monowear. I like the look and the price. I just hope it has a good feel to it.
I'm gonna keep watching ebay for a genuine Apple one, but I haven't had any luck so far.
[doublepost=1487211980][/doublepost]Gonna try the Monowear. I like the look and the price. I just hope it has a good feel to it.
I'm gonna keep watching ebay for a genuine Apple one, but I haven't had any luck so far.
You will soon realize that most (if not all) cheaper alternatives are crap and that you will in the end spend more than $150 on pure crap...been there done that. I would just bite the bullet and get the real thing.
Well, I bought this one from Amazon and it's awesome. I'll agree that some third party bands may be crap but there are also many bands that are just as awesome as the ones Apple offers. There's a third party band thread on MacRumors where people post about their experiences and quality. That's where I learned about this band and another I bought I'm equally happy with.
Apple Watch Band, Benuo [Vintage Series] Premium Genuine Leather Strap, Classic Replacement with Metal Clasp Buckle, Adapters for iWatch Series 2/1/Ed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZ1Z65P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_DOBSt2WqEhNMb
Apple Watch Band, Benuo [Vintage Series] Premium Genuine Leather Strap, Classic Replacement with Metal Clasp Buckle, Adapters for iWatch Series 2/1/Ed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZ1Z65P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_DOBSt2WqEhNMb
I bought this one really like it. Obviously not top quality, but it fits well and the leather is soft.
https://www.amazon.com/Hoco-Premium...7277695&sr=8-2&keywords=hoco+apple+watch+band
https://www.amazon.com/Hoco-Premium...7277695&sr=8-2&keywords=hoco+apple+watch+band
Honestly, if this Monowear isn't decent, I will return it and bite the bullet for sure. I'm not gonna keep buying a bunch of crap I have to send back. The Monowear isn't super cheap though. I got it on sale, but it's usually around $70ish I think. I hope it'll be fairly nice.
[doublepost=1487298134][/doublepost]
I like the looks of that. The leather does look really soft in the pics.
One of the biggest difference with OEM is that the hardware, esp the lug connectors. The lug connectors from Apple is just wide enough for the leather band. Most (if not all) aftermarket lug connectors are too wide for the leather band, thus the leather bands slide sideways a lot. OR if they use the bulky square lugs like above, then it destroys the whole smooth curvy profile of Apple Watch.
My Burkley Case leather loop is out for delivery today. Excited to see how it is quality wise.
Edit: Well, it just arrived and I am sad to say that it is not at all what I expected. While I don't doubt that they're using genuine leather, it still feels really cheap. The segments are very rigid, the lugs feel cheap, and the layer of leather is so thin that it largely just ends up feeling like plastic. Bummed.
The sad thing is, they put a lot of effort in to the presentation. the box that it came in is very nice and opens and closes magnetically. The band itself just still feels like a cheap knockoff, not something that was designed with quality and care.
Luckily, they have a pretty forgiving (if slow) return policy, so I just have to pay the return shipping and send it back. I'm going to just save towards the cost of a real one, all the replacement Leather Loops I've tried are the same garbage, even at the $60 price range evidently.
Edit: Well, it just arrived and I am sad to say that it is not at all what I expected. While I don't doubt that they're using genuine leather, it still feels really cheap. The segments are very rigid, the lugs feel cheap, and the layer of leather is so thin that it largely just ends up feeling like plastic. Bummed.
The sad thing is, they put a lot of effort in to the presentation. the box that it came in is very nice and opens and closes magnetically. The band itself just still feels like a cheap knockoff, not something that was designed with quality and care.
Luckily, they have a pretty forgiving (if slow) return policy, so I just have to pay the return shipping and send it back. I'm going to just save towards the cost of a real one, all the replacement Leather Loops I've tried are the same garbage, even at the $60 price range evidently.
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Got the Monowear leather strap in and I am not impressed. I find the connectors to be awful, and the leather isn't great. I expected more for the price. I'm planning to return it.
Still no luck in the leather department.
Still no luck in the leather department.
Has anyone bought the Sena Heritage band? I've only been able to find a couple of reviews online but it looks like a pretty nice band. I'm planning to buy an Apple Watch soon and am trying to find a nice alternative that's a bit darker brown than the Apple saddle leather band.
http://www.senacases.com/heritage-watch-band
http://www.senacases.com/heritage-watch-band
Got the Monowear leather strap in and I am not impressed. I find the connectors to be awful, and the leather isn't great. I expected more for the price. I'm planning to return it.
Still no luck in the leather department.
Just get the Apple Classic Buckle....
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I'd like to update my review on the Burkley Case leather loop. After letting it break in for a few days, it actually feels really nice. Still a bit more rigid than the real deal, I think. But super comfortable and looks nice. Its not something I would wear all the time, but I think that would hold true for the real leather loop as well. This one feels a bit more smooth, I think the tactile feeling of the real one is just a bit nicer.
Nonetheless, the quality of leather used is pretty nice, and I'd imagine this holds true for their other bands as well. All in all, I'm satisfied with the quality for the price.
Nonetheless, the quality of leather used is pretty nice, and I'd imagine this holds true for their other bands as well. All in all, I'm satisfied with the quality for the price.
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I have the Saddle Brown from Series 2 and the round smooth adapters, but have also bought a pair of more "squarish" adapters for a more casual looking leather strap I have from another watch - that's actually one of my favourite looks for weekends and holidays - the more square adapters looks awesome and it's a great strap. I use my Apple strap for the more formal clothing and this for casual
