If you took advantage of one of the many recent Apple Watch deals over at 9to5Toys, then you may find yourself in the market for a new band or two. There are many third-party band options available for the Apple Watch, but I’ve always enjoyed some of the offerings from Monowear.
If you’re looking for a stylish third-party Apple Watch band option, then check out our hands-on video featuring Monowear’s metal, leather, nylon active, and ceramic bands.
Metal Band
The black Metal Band goes really well with my Space Gray Apple Watch Series 2. The band and the adapter is comprised entirely of stainless steel, and has the type of weighty feel that one would expect from such build materials.
For the current $49.99 price, I think the metal band is a solid choice that looks good on the wrist, just don’t expect it to be as refined as Apple’s Link Bracelet offering. For example, you will spot small gaps between the lug and the pin area that attaches the band to the lug.
Another such refinement difference has to do with the link removal process. Unlike Apple’s Link Bracelet, Monowear’s band requires you to go the traditional route of removing pins to reduce the amount of links, and Monowear doesn’t include a link removal tool.
Video walkthrough
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Classic Leather Band
Monowear’s Classic Leather Band ($39.99) is made out of genuine soft nappa leather and feature lugs that match your Apple Watch case.
It’ll take a few wears to break it in, but the leather is super-soft from the outset. And if brown isn’t your ideal band color, then you’ll be happy to find colors like black, red, navy, and even crème.
Of all of the Monowear bands that I tried in this recent go-round, I think the Classic Leather Band might be my favorite. The lugs match my Apple Watch series ‘0’ perfectly, and the overall look of the band is well refined.
Nylon Active Band
If you want a band that’s easy to put on and take off, then Monowear’s Nylon Active Band is a good choice. It’s the most economical ($24.99) of all of the bands listed here, and features a nylon strap, velcro, stainless steel color-matched lugs, and a leather patch that makes it easy to grab on to the end of the strap for adjustments.
I like this band, but have noticed two potential issues with it. For starters, if you have really large hands, you may have problems getting the loop over your hands and on to your wrist, as the opening isn’t very wide. Also the velcro area is large to accommodate a variety of wrist sizes, so unless you have micro-sized wrists, you will see some exposed velcro material while wearing this band.
Even with those potential shortcomings, I still like this band, and have received more compliments about it than any other band covered in this post. I’ve been wearing the olive color Nylon Active Band, but it comes in gray or black color options as well.
Ceramic Band
For those of you who splurged on a ceramic Apple Watch Edition, then Monowear has a special ($71.99) ceramic and stainless steel band that should pair well.
But you don’t necessarily need to own an Apple Watch Edition to wear this band. Monowear says that it pairs nicely with a stainless steel or a silver aluminum Apple Watch case. The company also offers a ceramic + rose gold option for those with rose gold aluminum cases.
Like the metal band discussed at the outset, you may need to remove links manually using a link remover to adjust the size of the band to fit your wrist.
Personally speaking, the Ceramic Band isn’t my cup of tea, but I’m sure that there will be plenty of Apple Watch owners who find it delightful.
You can find many Monowear bands on Amazon, but I also recommend checking out their website directly. You will find that most of the bands mentioned here have been steeply discounted for a limited time.
What third-party bands have you paired with your Apple Watch? Sound off in the comments below with your findings.
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