Same here.
Only clothes I would buy are NFL/NBA gear ⚙️, Dodgers gear and hats. Any deals on anything that needs to be replaced.
Everything else is tech related and Apple Watch bands only.
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The Great "Third Party Band/Strap" Thread
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Only clothes I would buy are NFL/NBA gear ⚙️, Dodgers gear and hats. Any deals on anything that needs to be replaced.
Everything else is tech related and Apple Watch bands only.
Hello all. I've never been into third part bands, always stuck to Apple's, but tried a Nomad band recently and really liked it, so just exploring a little.
Without me reading back through all this thread, could someone recommend a few of the 'premium' third party brands? I say premium because I've tried many of the cheap Amazon/AliExpress etc stuff before and where the band fits into the watch always seemed a bit loose and it does my head in. The Nomad's a great fit though, as good as Apple's as far as I can see.
So any recommendations appreciated. Rubber type bands only though, I'm not into metal or leather.
Without me reading back through all this thread, could someone recommend a few of the 'premium' third party brands? I say premium because I've tried many of the cheap Amazon/AliExpress etc stuff before and where the band fits into the watch always seemed a bit loose and it does my head in. The Nomad's a great fit though, as good as Apple's as far as I can see.
So any recommendations appreciated. Rubber type bands only though, I'm not into metal or leather.
Just made an account, I have a a bunch of third party apple watch straps (a couple are first party), I will be posting reviews and links for some of these here over time
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This just came in the mail today and I’ve been playing with it for a few hours, so here’s my first impressions/review of the Urvoi 7th gen link bracelet in the silver colour (https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMK43KR), which is a replica of Apple’s stainless steel link bracelet:
*Disclaimer: I do not own the original link bracelet, so I can’t directly compare them but I will go into as much detail as I can so that if you do own one, you can hopefully compare it relatively easily.
First impressions: Looks just like the original from arms’s length, no one would be able to guess otherwise. It has the tool-less link removal system, the flush clasp integrated into the band itself, the whole deal. The differences show up when looking at it up close, which is what I am going to do in this review.
Alright, down to the nitty gritty: I was expecting a taper down to the clasp, but I guess this bracelet doesn’t do that (neither does the original afaik). The clasp clicks into place satisfyingly, and does not rattle at the clasp. While it doesn’t feel as if it will come undone by itself, the clasp doesn’t lay completely flush with the band when closed, as pic 1 shows. This doesn’t affect functionality of the bracelet, though I’m not sure if it will be snagging onto sleeves. I do think the clasp should be closed/opened carefully though, because it seems a bit fragile simply due to the nature of its design (very thin pieces of metal and very tiny joints in use here).
The brushing on the bracelet is very good, nothing to complain about there. The links are securely in place and have a little play side-to-side, but not enough to be worth complaining about. The gaps between links are very minimal, I’m not sure if it’s even possible to get it narrower than that. The curvature of the bracelet when held at its tightest is a bit wider than I’d like, so it might not be great on the smallest of wrists (my wrists are 6.3 inches in circumference and the band curves slightly wider than my wrist, but it’s still wearable for me).
The machining of the links themselves leave something to be desired, with the the outer areas of the underside of the links not being completely flat (see pics 7 and 8) and the sides of the links having some rough finishing (see pic 2). There are some sharp edges on the links (the link removal buttons, and the edges shown with a green arrow in pic 7) but I’m not too worried about them because the sharp areas are not exposed when the bracelet is curved around the wrist.
The tool-less link removal buttons have some play to them, so they do move around a little bit within their housing (see pic 9; although this is highly magnified so the effect is not that big in real life, as you can see in pics 6 and 7). The buttons aren’t the easiest to press, it’s hard to know if I’ve pressed it deep enough to tug on the links to separate them. The machining on the link attachment systems aren’t the best (see pic 11 and 12), but it was likely left this way because it’s hidden from view when wearing the bracelet anyways - and, it doesn’t affect the functionality of the attaching/detaching mechanism. Once the button is pressed properly, the links require a bit of force to detach but it’s not worrisome. They attach easily with a reassuring click.
For me, this has definitely scratched my otherwise wallet-destroying itch for Apple’s link bracelet, but not to the extent that I would’ve liked because I’m very sensitive to the smallest details. For some of you, these “nitpicks” might not matter very much, and for those, this is absolutely worth every penny, considering I paid $44.82 CAD (about $31 USD) for it, or about 1/10th of the original’s price. I would say this link bracelet is about 85-90% the same as the original. It is also possibly the best replica of the link bracelet on the market, afaik. Overall, I’m happy enough with it that I do not still want to buy a genuine link bracelet.
View attachment 2497825
*Disclaimer: I do not own the original link bracelet, so I can’t directly compare them but I will go into as much detail as I can so that if you do own one, you can hopefully compare it relatively easily.
First impressions: Looks just like the original from arms’s length, no one would be able to guess otherwise. It has the tool-less link removal system, the flush clasp integrated into the band itself, the whole deal. The differences show up when looking at it up close, which is what I am going to do in this review.
Alright, down to the nitty gritty: I was expecting a taper down to the clasp, but I guess this bracelet doesn’t do that (neither does the original afaik). The clasp clicks into place satisfyingly, and does not rattle at the clasp. While it doesn’t feel as if it will come undone by itself, the clasp doesn’t lay completely flush with the band when closed, as pic 1 shows. This doesn’t affect functionality of the bracelet, though I’m not sure if it will be snagging onto sleeves. I do think the clasp should be closed/opened carefully though, because it seems a bit fragile simply due to the nature of its design (very thin pieces of metal and very tiny joints in use here).
The brushing on the bracelet is very good, nothing to complain about there. The links are securely in place and have a little play side-to-side, but not enough to be worth complaining about. The gaps between links are very minimal, I’m not sure if it’s even possible to get it narrower than that. The curvature of the bracelet when held at its tightest is a bit wider than I’d like, so it might not be great on the smallest of wrists (my wrists are 6.3 inches in circumference and the band curves slightly wider than my wrist, but it’s still wearable for me).
The machining of the links themselves leave something to be desired, with the the outer areas of the underside of the links not being completely flat (see pics 7 and 8) and the sides of the links having some rough finishing (see pic 2). There are some sharp edges on the links (the link removal buttons, and the edges shown with a green arrow in pic 7) but I’m not too worried about them because the sharp areas are not exposed when the bracelet is curved around the wrist.
The tool-less link removal buttons have some play to them, so they do move around a little bit within their housing (see pic 9; although this is highly magnified so the effect is not that big in real life, as you can see in pics 6 and 7). The buttons aren’t the easiest to press, it’s hard to know if I’ve pressed it deep enough to tug on the links to separate them. The machining on the link attachment systems aren’t the best (see pic 11 and 12), but it was likely left this way because it’s hidden from view when wearing the bracelet anyways - and, it doesn’t affect the functionality of the attaching/detaching mechanism. Once the button is pressed properly, the links require a bit of force to detach but it’s not worrisome. They attach easily with a reassuring click.
For me, this has definitely scratched my otherwise wallet-destroying itch for Apple’s link bracelet, but not to the extent that I would’ve liked because I’m very sensitive to the smallest details. For some of you, these “nitpicks” might not matter very much, and for those, this is absolutely worth every penny, considering I paid $44.82 CAD (about $31 USD) for it, or about 1/10th of the original’s price. I would say this link bracelet is about 85-90% the same as the original. It is also possibly the best replica of the link bracelet on the market, afaik. Overall, I’m happy enough with it that I do not still want to buy a genuine link bracelet.
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I first bought a replica and the edges were so sharp they cut into my wrist….i even took a file to them and they still bothered me.
I finally broke down and got the real apple version and it’s more gentle on the wrist.
But my favorite metal band is the Nomad which is sorta expensive but most comfortable to me and looks just as nice even though it’s a different style. Just be prepared for some wrist abrasions with the apple versions and clones due to the thinness of the design.
My particular one seems to be better in that regard, it’s not sharp enough to cut me and there are sharp edges but they’re hidden in places where there is no contact with the wrist.
Correct above 👆🏻!!! I also think the replica link bracelets ain’t as smooth in material.
It may pull on wrist hairs which you will have to shave 🪒 off before you put on the Apple Watch.
Dude how did you get 41mm alpine loops? I saw some at the store but for the larger watches.
I only have a third party ocean band that is 41mm.
Aliexpress, my friend. The blue one is slightly better built, I might just order another green one from that seller
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Wow that looks amazing! Even the black tatty hardware matches it perfectly.
Kind of weird they had to elongate the g hook when they made it slimmer for smaller watches.
I think it’s just the angle that I shot it in, It’s actually not elongated compared to the real one
Ohh so you used macro swithing or cropped an Ultra Wide image?
The Ultra Wide camera does make it look elongated on pictures with our Pro level iPhones!
It might be ever so slightly elongated but not as much as some of the pictures show, this one gives a good idea of how it actually looks
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That is a better look.
Would you rather get a real Ultra and get the alpine loop, trail loop, ocean band or Ultra Milanese? I think your wrists can fit it.
No I tried on an Ultra once, it looks huge on my wrist. My wrists are actually pretty small, 6.3 inches in circumference
Ah, I see! That’s why you chose smaller watches like me.
I have 5.5-inch wrists, and I love the boldness of the black ultra, but it’s a bit too big for me. You can find pictures of me trying it on at the Apple Store if you search through other Apple Watch threads.
Did you get a chance to try on the solo loops?
Maybe try a black band, it should be slimming.
Also, I’m fairly confident that a smaller ULTRA version is going to be coming this year.. we’ll see.
Hello there, I know this message is old but I would like to know if this seller is still making good Hermes clones and if the bands you've bought are holding up well
And also, is this email address from the DongD seller? I've sent an email but got no response so far, if there is another email address I would appreciate it if you can post it.I always use this Taobao guy - DongD shop.
I've bought 3 Hermes clones from him that were all excellent and I still use regularly two years later. I also bought a genuine link strap from him that presumably fell into someones pocket during QA failure (very very minor scuffs, of which I have applied many more from regular wear). Can't speak to reliability or quality of other Taobao sellers. I contact him directly through the Taobao / AliExpress app - AliWangWang or whatever it is called, he sends me a PayPal invoice, and I send him payment directly, bypassing TaoBao.
Thanks to both of you guys.
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Seems long ago, the seller may have no longer selling the straps.
Find a different seller.
Honestly I prefer the design of the regular models, I just wish they had the battery life of the Ultra
Ultra users are used to not charging for days y’all. They charge their watches only when it’s low on battery.
The battery life of Apple Watch Ultra is 2 days or 36 hours w/o low power mode.