Apple watch straps

[Belle427]

The missus has a series 4 watch from memory 44 mm case.
Are the aftermarket straps for these ok or is it best to stick with apple?
The Apple product currently on it has not lasted that well.
Any recommendations would be great.

[alorotom]

Im surprised the apple strap hasnt worn well ... I have a load of Apple straps that I have had from the Series 0 to a couple of months ago when I ditched the watch (after getting rid of my iphone)

All were in near perfect condition and had regularly been used for all sorts of sports and occasions - mainly sport bands and one fabric one

I tried a few aftermarket straps from HoCO and a few others and they werent great and didnt last at all.

[sjg]

I find the silicone sports straps from Apple are great and wear really well, the third party ones don't.

Mostly I use third party sport loop ones (the velcro-type closure), they're not quite as "nice" as the Apple ones but comfortable and wear fine. I have a few on rotation but cheap enough to not care too much. They're under £1.50 each if you buy from China.

[Ceeejay]

I've bought ten quid silicone straps off amazon and had no issues at all. Never had one break, but every six months or so I get a new one just for a bit of a change.

Once I did try a cheap metal one (milanese style ??) which didnt last well, the edges damaged easily and caught on clothing.

[Belle427]

I think it's discoloured more than anything.
Maybe stick it through the washing machine. (minus the watch!)

[tim0409]

Belle427 said:

I think it's discoloured more than anything.

They are easily cleaned with a damp cloth with a drop of washing up liquid.

[Cybertronian]

tim0409 said:

They are easily cleaned with a damp cloth with a drop of washing up liquid.

Magic Erasers also work wonderfully. My wife has one of the lighter coloured official Apple sport bands, which had become stained by the blue dye from a pair of jeans. 10 minutes with the Magic Eraser and the blue dye stains had gone, and crucially didn't affect the overall texture.

Plenty of the official straps on Ebay for a fraction of the price brand new from Apple, including some of the rarer colours that get discontinued after a few months or so.

[38911]

Cybertronian said:

tim0409 said:

They are easily cleaned with a damp cloth with a drop of washing up liquid.

Magic Erasers also work wonderfully. My wife has one of the lighter coloured official Apple sport bands, which had become stained by the blue dye from a pair of jeans. 10 minutes with the Magic Eraser and the blue dye stains had gone, and crucially didn't affect the overall texture.

Plenty of the official straps on Ebay for a fraction of the price brand new from Apple, including some of the rarer colours that get discontinued after a few months or so.

Some of the “genuine Apple” straps on eBay are fake - especially a lot of the link bracelet and Milanese loop ones that say they are from within the UK but the seller is actually in China and they have a 3 week delivery lead time.

[Cybertronian]

Obviously, caveat emptor on ebay.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

I picked up a reasonably rare coloured official strap that was discontinued way back in 2015. UK seller had photos of the strap with the box, and all the text looked accurate with no typos. Came sealed and was almost half the price of it when it was originally new.