Third party bands arrived (from a random AliExpress reseller - they all sell the same few variants from a couple of factories in China). I didn’t love the first party Ocean band colors, but I’m now tempted to get the real midnight one to compare since the reviews are very positive. Real Ocean Band is described as very light and flexible, with perhaps the most comfort of any bands due to its innovative design that lets more skin breathe and has the flexible tubes to keep it from stiffness.
The third party one is… ok. I don’t know how good the first party ones really are, so this one to me is kind of stiff and the finishes of the metal is just normal steel look. Pretty comfortable, but I wonder if the originals are more flexible since this isn’t that flexible. The orange here isn’t mimicking an official band of course, but it matches the paint of the crown on the Ultra pretty well.
As for the fake Alpine (on the right) I got to compare, it’s close enough to make it awesome for the price of $5 vs $99. The fabric seems cheaper and shiny, giving it a plastic look compared to the nylon. But I may never have thought that had I not seen Apple’s intended look (on the left). Also, the third party color is not as neon as the first party. Lastly, the metal finish looks less rough, as if it’s paint on some regular non-Titanium (which would make sense at this price).
EDIT: for size, the Alpine fits like Medium-Small compared to real Alpine so be warned, it’s hard to get my hand through as someone who fit Medium Alpine properly.
Overall, I’ll use these. They are as you can expect of third party: 80-90% as good, but 90%+ cheaper. Apple does indeed seem overpriced as usual if I’m honest, even if I admit theirs are best. It’s a diminishing return for the price.
