I have what some would describe as an unhealthy obsession with smartwatch straps. Whatever watch I’m using, I like to swap out the band regularly, and I’ve amassed a huge collection of straps to fit Garmin, Apple and other smartwatches.
Had I been doing this by buying official straps from the brands themselves, I’d have had to take out a second mortgage by now, given the crazily high price charged for simple bands. Fortunately, it’s very easy to find great third-party smartwatch straps online that cost a fraction of the price of official bands.
For just a couple of dollars, you can completely change the look and feel of your watch, and all of the best smartwatches have a thriving third-party strap market, while most sports watches use standard 20mm, 22mm, or 26mm bands.
Some of the very best deals on straps can be found on sites like eBay and Temu, but there are also a lot of options on Etsy and Amazon.
Official vs third party smartwatch bands
While third-party bands might not be quite as nice as official bands, especially when compared to Apple’s in-house options, they come very close, especially if you opt for a premium alternative that can still cost a lot less, even if it’s not the cheapest option.
As someone with slender wrists, I find that third-party bands that use the same fit as Apple’s Solo Loops are often too big for me, even in the smaller sizes — Apple has a wider range of sizes for its own bands.
I’ve also found the alternatives to Garmin’s nylon bands can feel a bit flimsier and degrade faster than official straps, but since they cost so much less, you can pick up a new band regularly and still come out way ahead on price.
You also get a much wider range of designs with third-party bands. Many alternatives mimic the most popular official bands, but there are plenty of wild designs that can make your watch stand out from the crowd, including many that look more like jewelry than sports watch straps.
