Most comfortable bands

[KarinvdB]

So I got my first Apple Watch yesterday (S3 non LTE silver aluminium, 38mm).

I don't care much for the grey sports band it came with and bought a berry stripe nylon band. That band is quite stiff and my skin is rather sensitive (the pressure of the watch itself is also something I'll really have to get used to).

I tried on my boyfriends 42mm with the black sports loop which really is very comfortable so I'm considering that but I'm not thrilled about the colours.

So I'm curious, what is your most comfortable watch band? Apple or third party, any material. I'm leaning towards getting a leather band but those can range from stiff to supple so I'd love to hear which are nicest if you are someone like me who is inclined to take off an uncomfortable watch after a while. I used to take my watch off as soon as I got home but I don't want to do that with the AW.

 

[Fried_Gold]

I have the black sport band, dark olive sport loop and the black woven nylon. I think all 3 are almost equal for comfort, maybe the woven nylon feeling best for day to day use.

 

[AlliFlowers]

I have a knockoff nylon, which I love. It's not stiff and feels great. My next favorites are all leather loops. Also knockoffs, since Apple *still* doesn't make those for the 38mm watch.

I ordered the Nike version of the series 3 watch (can't wait for Thursday!) because of the platinum black sport loop.

 

[testcard]

My black sport loop.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Either the Space Black Sport Band or the Black Sport Loop for me (not color specific)

I imagine the Leather Loop is super comfortable but it's only for 42mm models

 

[wlossw]

I have oem Milanese, sport, oem leather buckle, 3rd party leather bands and oem nylon.

Most comortable is nylon, then sport, then leather oem, then leather 3rd party. Least comfortable is Milanese as I am constantly adjusting it.

 

[Fried_Gold]

Either the Space Black Sport Band or the Black Sport Loop for me (not color specific)

I imagine the Leather Loop is super comfortable but it's only for 42mm models

I used to have an Apple leather loop for my S0 and while comfortable I found the magnets moved quiet often and I had to keep tightening it.

 

[SaddleSC]

The new Sport Loop is the most comfortable (to me), followed by the Milanese Loop and the Woven Nylon in a tie for second.

 

[Luba]

An Apple Store specialist said the Nylon needs time to break-in. I didn't find the Nylon comfortable so I returned it before giving a chance to break-in. I used to find the sports bands very comfortable, now they are only just comfortable. I don't why that happened. The sport band and the loops are the easiest and fastest to put on. I typically don't like buckles. The deployment on some leather straps is easy, fast, and comfortable, but depends on the leather. Also depends if you rather have skin contact with what you are using. For example, with the sports band it's possible to wear it quite loose and have minimal contact with your skin, while a leather strap almost requires complete skin contact.

 

[KarinvdB]

I've switched back to the sports band my watch came with for now, it is quite comfortable and the fog grey color is starting to grow on me, it's quite classy looking I think. I will try the nylon again when I've gotten used to the watch a bit more. I'm just relieved that the past few days I haven't had much of a comfort problem with the watch. I was worried I couldn't get used to it and would have to give up wearing it altogether.

I may try a sports loop if I find myself near an Apple store.

I did discover that wearing the watch does not team well with my favourite cardigan which is a bummer. This cardigan has quite tight sleeve ends, quite a big cuff too so it presses down on the watch, or if I draw the sleeve up a bit to reveal the watch is pushes it to the side. So some considerations to be made when clothes shopping too

 

[Fried_Gold]

I did discover that wearing the watch does not team well with my favourite cardigan which is a bummer. This cardigan has quite tight sleeve ends, quite a big cuff too so it presses down on the watch, or if I draw the sleeve up a bit to reveal the watch is pushes it to the side. So some considerations to be made when clothes shopping too

I have the same problem with my favourite jacket LOL.

 

[Ixidor]

I have *shockingly* collected a number of official Apple Watch bands... I’ll just share my opinions on comfort based on what I have (in the order of most to least comfortable):

Woven nylon > fluroelastomer sports band > leather loop / Milanese loop > classic buckle > link bracelet

Woven nylon (which I guess extends to the new sports loops) is by far the most comfy because it is light, very breathable and isn’t damaged by water or sweat. Unlike the flouroelastomer sports bands that are completely waterproof, woven nylon can be slightly uncomfortable if completely drenched until it dries. But overall, I prefer the nylon’s breathability over the fluroelastomer bands.

The fluroelastomer sports bands feel a little stiffer and are not as breathable (the Nike ones are obviously better in this regard) as the woven nylon but still very comfortable.

I ranked the Milanese loop and leather loop together because it is difficult to determine which feels more comfortable. Milanese loop can pull on hair and fabric but it has excellent breathability and it is unaffected by water or sweat (yes Apple doesn’t recommend it for swimming but that’s another discussion). On the other hand, I found the leather loop more comfortable on cool days but a bad option for a hot day since it is not as breathable, and sweat (and water) isn’t good for leather.

Side note: The leather loop is my least favorite of the bands because it does not feel like leather (more like plastic) and thus, I returned the only one I bought to Apple within two weeks. This isn’t an issue for comfort, its just that it doesn’t “feel” and “look” premium enough for its price, especially relative to the other “premium” options.

Classic buckle, like any leather band, is comfortable on cool days. Not suitable for work outs, hot days or even rainy days. In terms of comfort, classic buckles can’t beat the Milanese or leather loop since those are “infinitely” adjustable, something to consider since the wrist size can change slightly during the day.

Note: The classic buckles are actually my favorite bands because of the look and the colour options. The current generation of classic buckles are all more comfortable than the earlier generations (those were stiffer).

Finally, the link bracelet is hands down, the least comfortable one. I love the look very much, but comfort is an issue. Yes, the links are easy to change, but this is not what you want to do during the day when your wrist size changes. It’s not as breathable and it can get quite uncomfortable when you sweat. I don’t wear the link bracelet very often as a result.

Hope that helps.

 

[Luba]

I have *shockingly* collected a number of official Apple Watch bands... I’ll just share my opinions on comfort based on what I have (in the order of most to least comfortable):

Woven nylon > fluroelastomer sports band > leather loop / Milanese loop > classic buckle > link bracelet

Woven nylon (which I guess extends to the new sports loops) is by far the most comfy because it is light, very breathable and isn’t damaged by water or sweat. Unlike the flouroelastomer sports bands that are completely waterproof, woven nylon can be slightly uncomfortable if completely drenched until it dries. But overall, I prefer the nylon’s breathability over the fluroelastomer bands.

The fluroelastomer sports bands feel a little stiffer and are not as breathable (the Nike ones are obviously better in this regard) as the woven nylon but still very comfortable.

I ranked the Milanese loop and leather loop together because it is difficult to determine which feels more comfortable. Milanese loop can pull on hair and fabric but it has excellent breathability and it is unaffected by water or sweat (yes Apple doesn’t recommend it for swimming but that’s another discussion). On the other hand, I found the leather loop more comfortable on cool days but a bad option for a hot day since it is not as breathable, and sweat (and water) isn’t good for leather.

Side note: The leather loop is my least favorite of the bands because it does not feel like leather (more like plastic) and thus, I returned the only one I bought to Apple within two weeks. This isn’t an issue for comfort, its just that it doesn’t “feel” and “look” premium enough for its price, especially relative to the other “premium” options.

Classic buckle, like any leather band, is comfortable on cool days. Not suitable for work outs, hot days or even rainy days. In terms of comfort, classic buckles can’t beat the Milanese or leather loop since those are “infinitely” adjustable, something to consider since the wrist size can change slightly during the day.

Note: The classic buckles are actually my favorite bands because of the look and the colour options. The current generation of classic buckles are all more comfortable than the earlier generations (those were stiffer).

Finally, the link bracelet is hands down, the least comfortable one. I love the look very much, but comfort is an issue. Yes, the links are easy to change, but this is not what you want to do during the day when your wrist size changes. It’s not as breathable and it can get quite uncomfortable when you sweat. I don’t wear the link bracelet very often as a result.

Hope that helps.

Can you confirm that the Woven Nylon gets softer and it “breaks-in”? An Apple Specialist says that it does. I bought a Woven Nylon and returned the next day because I though it was rough feeling, plus it’s a buckle so when your wrist expands there’s no give at all.

Maybe the Sports Loop is the most comfortable? Only problem is when you were it loose the Sports Loop “fluffs” up too much.

 

[Ixidor]

I never really noticed the woven nylon getting softer over time tbh. I felt that the woven nylons were soft enough to begin with. The buckle issue for expanding wrists is an issue for all traditional watch bands, though in my case, I’d usually adjust the buckle. If that results in an uncomfortable fit, the sports/leather/Milanese loop bands are highly recommended.

That said, I personally never tried the sports loop (hence I assumed it’d be as comfy as the woven nylons in my above post but was absent in my ranking).

My advice for anyone who wants to only buy one other watch band (assuming your watch already came with the fluroelastomer/nylon bands) would be to go for the Milanese loop. It doesn’t have to be the official one from Apple since third party options are virtually identical for 10% of the cost. They are dressy, comfy, breathable, and won’t be destroyed by sweat/moisture. While the regular Milanese loop only pairs well with the stainless steel Apple Watch (looks wise), the space black one pairs nicely with any Apple Watch case.

 

[KarinvdB]

I never really noticed the woven nylon getting softer over time tbh. I felt that the woven nylons were soft enough to begin with. The buckle issue for expanding wrists is an issue for all traditional watch bands, though in my case, I’d usually adjust the buckle. If that results in an uncomfortable fit, the sports/leather/Milanese loop bands are highly recommended.

That said, I personally never tried the sports loop (hence I assumed it’d be as comfy as the woven nylons in my above post but was absent in my ranking).

My advice for anyone who wants to only buy one other watch band (assuming your watch already came with the fluroelastomer/nylon bands) would be to go for the Milanese loop. It doesn’t have to be the official one from Apple since third party options are virtually identical for 10% of the cost. They are dressy, comfy, breathable, and won’t be destroyed by sweat/moisture. While the regular Milanese loop only pairs well with the stainless steel Apple Watch (looks wise), the space black one pairs nicely with any Apple Watch case.

Thanks so much for your replies. Very useful.

I have the nylon stripe which I bought along with the watch but it was definitely not that comfortable. I wonder if there is a (big) difference between the stripe and the other nylon woven bands.

I’ve just switched bands and now I’ve noticed a very minor rash where the sport band was....

I loved the idea of the Milanese loop when it was first shown at the watch launch but when I saw it in person I was underwhelmed. I’ll definitely not pay full price for an original, but I might try one of the third party options.

Still looking for a nice supple leather option (not keen on the look of the leather loop, looking for more of a traditional buckle).

 

[HengenJL]

I have 3 of the official Nike bands from Apple and another 4 knockoff variants. I prefer these bands the most as they breath the best.

 

[AlliFlowers]

I now have the Nike sport loop (Platinum/Black). One of the softest things I've ever touched, and I buy my clothes based on how they feel!

 

[Laryl]

I have a few bands now, third party. From two separate vendors I got almost identical woven nylon bands. They have the same buckles but one is very slightly longer than the other but it’s just long enough the end of the strip sticks out and bothers me. I was excited to get colors and patterns, but find myself happiest and most comfortable in the sports band and Milanese Loop because there are no strap ends sticking out. With little wrists I should have thought of that I guess.

 

[co1f]

I like my sport loop. I like it a ton more than the sport band, as the band made my wrist “sweat”.

I wear the loop fairly loosely, just short of flopping completely. I have the LTE with ceramic back, that I’ve read sticks less than the composite back.

Only problem with sport loop is you do have to wash it, and unless you do that, and take it off to sleep, it’ll be damp for an hour or so, no matter how well you try to dry it. (So you may want to buy two )

I haven’t tried the Nike (with holes), but since it’s still rubbery, I would think it will want to “stick” to my wrists too—hate that.

 

[Luba]

I like my sport loop. I like it a ton more than the sport band, as the band made my wrist “sweat”.

I wear the loop fairly loosely, just short of flopping completely. I have the LTE with ceramic back, that I’ve read sticks less than the composite back.

Only problem with sport loop is you do have to wash it, and unless you do that, and take it off to sleep, it’ll be damp for an hour or so, no matter how well you try to dry it. (So you may want to buy two )

I haven’t tried the Nike (with holes), but since it’s still rubbery, I would think it will want to “stick” to my wrists too—hate that.

Ah, I think that's the secret if you wash and want to wear a sport loop the next day is to get another sport loop! BTW, how do you wash your sport loop? What soap do you use?

 

[co1f]

Ah, I think that's the secret if you wash and want to wear a sport loop the next day is to get another sport loop! BTW, how do you wash your sport loop? What soap do you use?

Just rinse it really well under tap water. I guess I could use a little hand soap.
I haven’t read... does Apple have some official recommendation?

 

[Luba]

Just rinse it really well under tap water. I guess I could use a little hand soap.
I haven’t read... does Apple have some official recommendation?

Having read Apple’s official recommendation. But Apple also officially says that the Milanese and the Link Bracelet are not water resistant, put those two in the same category as leather bands!?! When I had a Milanese for a year, I’d either rinse or washed it every day, and no problem.

 

[Dormammu]

The sport loop and sport band get my vote.

 

[mcvaughan]

Sport loop and sport bands. Just got this black woven nylon and it's pretty comfy too.

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

Sport loop is a very comfortable band , I highly recommend it.