Apple has put a stack of thinking into its Apple Watch band options , and it picture . I wo n’t deny that the Apple Sport Band is one of the most comfortable wrist - adornment I ’ve ever wear ( ever ) . But its leather options are limited — not to cite expensive . The Classic Buckle and Leather Loop come in just a handful of colouring material and be $ 150 , while the smart Modern Buckle costs $ 250 , well-nigh as much as the Sport Watch itself .
But if you need a leather stria , Apple ’s not your only option . Plenty ofthird - party stripe - makershave mistreat in to fill the void . I stress out eight third - company leather bands , including bands made of exotic leathers and a clever push button - stud isthmus , over the course of several weeks to see how they go against in and hold up . Let ’s take a look .
Clessant: Calf, Crocodile, and Lizard
base in Lyon , France , Clessantclaims to have the first luxuriousness strap designed for the Apple Watch — design in France , hand-crafted in Western Europe , and created from alien leather such as crocodile , lounge lizard , and stingray . The brand late finished itsIndiegogo campaign , raising 103 percent of its initial destination , and ship its band worldwide ( ship to the U.S. is $ 12 ) . These band are slim , lightweight , and clearly well - designed . They feature brilliant , pure colours ( as well as a few nicely aged leather looks ) and brushed stainless steel buckles that rest mat against the wrist .
The Clessant sura band come in three shades of brown .
I essay out three of Clessant ’s band : The $ 111 vintage brown sura leather band , the $ 236 pastel pinkish gator stomach leather band , and the $ 179 mustard greens yellow lounge lizard leather ring . All band fit me well — the retentive part of each band measured 4.5 inches and had 7 holes for accommodation . Because the Clessant isthmus taper to a needlelike point at the end , the registration holes did not proffer as much size flexibility as other bands I tried : The large accommodation hole is 3.5 inches from the adaptor , whereas the largest jam on the Incipio Premium Leather band is 4 inches from the adapter . Still , there ’s raft of elbow room to perforate an supererogatory pickle or two if you require to size up or down .
Clessant ’s sura leather stria comes in six colors , which are simply labeled CK1 through CK6 . CK1 through CK3 are vary shades of brown ( grayish brown , vintage brown , and bland John Brown ) , while CK4 is midnight blue , CK5 is blackened , and CK6 is orangish . CK1 through CK3 are vegetable tan , which will give them a “ strong patina and personality with age , ” while CK4 through CK6 are chrome tan with a smooth matte finish . I tested a CK2 ( vintage brown ) band , which wait amazing : It has a mottled , aged coloring that look good on men and women . The band was a minuscule stiff at first , but it only took about one day of wear to separate in . Despite the proportional thinness of the leather , the striation did n’t warp much after a unbowed week of wear , though it falsify enough that you could evidence it ’s no longer new .
I love the pink alligator Clessant ring .
The crocodile / alligator venter leather band comes in six semblance : CR1 is pitch black crocodile leather , CR2 is tobacco chocolate-brown crocodile leather , CR3 is pale grim alligator belly leather , CR4 is sick pinkish alligator belly leather , CR5 is timber green crocodile leather , and CR6 is royal gamy crocodile leather . All of these strap have a textured , lusterlessness finish except for CR5 , which has a glossy finish . The main dispute between Clessant ’s crocodile / alligator venter leather and its alligator leather bands , apart from the Leontyne Price , seems to be the sizing of the scale – the crocodile / gator leather band have modest shell , which are more suited to unisex styles . I try a CR4 ( pallid pink alligator stomach leather ) isthmus , which is one of my preferred third - company band to date . Not only does this band wait expensive and exotic , it ’s slender while still being tough — after one calendar week of invariant wearable , I see well-nigh no warping .
Clessant ’s mustard yellow lounge lizard band falsify after a few days , but you ca n’t narrate when it ’s strapped to my wrist .
Clessant ’s lizard leather bands are for hoi polloi who like alien leather and burnished colors . lounge lizard leather follow in five colors , include tan ( LK1 ) , fuchsia ( LK2 ) , royal dreary ( LK3 ) , brick red - orange tree ( LK4 ) , and mustard yellow ( LK5 ) . All colouring material feature a textured , sheeny finish . I test an LK5 ( Indian mustard chickenhearted ) lot , which is oculus - catching ( to say the least ) thanks to its vibrant colour . The lizard leather is slimly thicker than the sura and alligator venter leather , and so this banding take about four days to fully break in and stop feeling stiff against my carpus . It ’s also more prone to warp . After a week of wear , warp was obtrusive , though not while I was jade it .
Clessant ’s band are n’t sleazy — they start at $ 111 for the calf leather stripe and go up to $ 448 for alligator leather — but they do look the part . These bands come with your selection of transcriber color ( dressed stainless steel or black ) and can be made to conform to either the 38 mm or the 42 mm Watch . While you’re able to definitely find cheap leather band for your Watch , Clessant bear when it amount to preciseness and quality .
form•function•form Button-Stud Apple Watch band
If you ’re appear for an unconventionally fashionable band , you need to break out theButton - Stud Apple Watch bandby Orlando - based form•function•form . This $ 94 band is custom - made with latigo leather , total in three colorsR : io Tan ( chestnut brown ) , Weathered Grey , and Sienna Tan ( dark brown ) . Every band feature handwriting - sew detail and your choice of hardware color : dressed flatware , matte silver , svelte black , or matte lightlessness .
The Button - Stud dance band does n’t adjust , but if you need a different size of it later , the caller will convert it for free .
Unlike other band , the Button - Stud Apple Watch band is not adjustable . This mean you ’ll need to piece your size , which is ground on your Apple Watch Sport Band sizing , when you order . On the Apple Watch Sport Band , I ’m between the third and quaternary cakehole ( the third hole isslightlytoo tight , but the fourth hole isslightlytoo loose ) , so form•function•form send me three bands , one sized for the third kettle of fish , one size for in between the third and the quaternary cakehole , and one sized for the fourth muddle . The band size for in between the third and quaternary hole ( S / M 3.5 ) agree me perfectly , though the band should be a slight close initially because the leather will relax up with wear . The Button - Stud Apple Watch band comes with a life-time size warranty : If the sizing you order does n’t suit , form•function•form will send you a new size as well as a shipping recording label to return the old lot .
I needed help put this one on the first few times .
The band is n’t the only thing that ’s sloshed at first — the clitoris stud block is almost impossible to shut the first few fourth dimension . I had to have another person exit the stria around my wrist joint the first three or four times I wore it , but after a few days of taking it on and off it start to loosen up .
Thanks to its unique settlement , the Button Stud band is comfortable against my wrist .
The Button - Stud Apple Watch band is one of my favorite third - company band so far . It ’s well-situated once you give way it in . I usually hate put on things on my wrist while I ’m typewrite , but because the Button - Stud has no clasp , I scarce even point out it . It ’s alsogorgeous . The purpose is simple yet unique , and will look expert on both men and women .
Incipio Premium Leather band
Incipio’sPremium Leather bandis made of implausibly soft , elastic leather , and is therefore very comfortable right out of the loge . This $ 60 band comes in black , brown , and chestnut brown , and sport stainless blade connect hardware and a unstained brand Incipio - stigmatize buckle .
Incipio ’s band is inexpensive at $ 60 but still looks good .
The Premium Leather dance orchestra is lightweight and simple , with a slightly tapered design that flattens at the end and a single grummet to hold the end of the band in plaza . The untainted steel buckle is curved so it rest flat against your radiocarpal joint , and it ’s pretty comfortable even if you ’re fussy , like I am , about wrist adornments . The long part of the stria is about 4.5 inches long ( the shorter part is 2.5 inches , not including the warp ) and has 11 jam for adjustment . I have a fair minuscule wrist , and the fourth smallest hole fit me perfectly .
Incipio ’s band has plenty of holes for a extremely adjustable fit .
On Incipio ’s website , the Premium Leather striation come out to come with only one connector computer hardware option , polished silverish stainless steel . While this looks all right against my facile Al Apple Watch Sport , it might look a piece more jarring when it ’s connected to a blank greyness or yellow gold Apple Watch . The Premium Leather band is usable for both the 38 mm and 42 mm Watch look .
Incipio ’s mild leather and swerve clasp make this isthmus very comfortable .
Incipio ’s Premium Leather band is the most easy band I tested , and it needs no interruption - in time . My only modest number with this band , aside from the want of hardware options , is that the leather might betoosoft . After one week ’s Charles Frederick Worth of clothing , I did observe a few scuffs and scratches . But for just $ 60 , it ’s a shrewd - look strap .
MintApple: Crocodile, Lizard, and Ostrich
Clessant is n’t the only company making exotic leather bands . U.K.-based MintApple also offers Apple Watch bands in crocodile , alligator , lounge lizard , and ostrich leather . MintApple ’s bands have thick , padded leather in mostly neutral color , and they fasten together with a stainless steel fold up clutch instead of a buckle .
MintApple ’s isthmus close with a folding clasp instead of a warp .
I tested three of MintApple ’s leather bands : The $ 106black crocodile leather banding , the $ 106brown lizard leather band , and the $ 106brown ostrich leather set . If you have a larger wrist , MintApple ’s bands are plan for you . According to their internet site , these bands can fit a wrist with a maximum circumference ( include the Apple Watch ) of 222 mm , or 8.7 inches . you could also especial order a larger size of it ( no word on how full-grown it is ) , and a MintApple representative tells me that small size will eventually be available as well . But sizing was the first issue I encountered with the MintApple band : I have a very small carpus , and none of these bands fit me on even the smallest hole . I had to plug three extra yap in the ostrich leather stria , and it still does n’t sit close-fitting enough against my wrist for my Apple Watch ’s heart rate monitor to employment .
MintApple ’s bands have a clasp instead of a buckle , and I imagine this is not an issue if you happen to have a large wrist . However , for my wrist joint , the clasp was simply too big . By the clip I punched extra holes in the bands and adjusted them to fit my 5.5 - column inch wrist , the clench poked into the bone in my wrist joint , uncomfortable at good and painful at bad . The clasp is curved to accommodate the curvature of your wrist , but I ask that it ’s project to dwell against the bottom of your wrist , not the side of your wrist joint like mine did .
MintApple ’s black crocodile strap .
as luck would have it , these circle are leather and therefore do break in after a few solar day of wear . The crocodile leather band comes in pitch-black , browned , violent , and tan , and feature large scales and a semi - glistening finish . This band is thicker than the others ( though it can be range for both the 38 mm and the 42 millimetre Watch ) , and is therefore probably intimately fit to a larger wrist . The crocodile isthmus is equally slog throughout and takes about four Day to break in . It has two leather loops ( one stationary , one sliding ) to secure the end in place and seven holes for adjustment . This band feels particularly undestroyable and does n’t warp at all .
MintApple ’s brown lizard strap .
The lizard leather band comes in two coloration : Black and non-white Brown University – I tested the brownish lounge lizard leather dance orchestra , which is a copious , cryptic Robert Brown with a textured , semi - shining finish . This band features thick , pad leather near the adapter , and sharpen off into thinner leather near the end . It has seven holes for adjustment ( I had to punch an extra three ) , a MintApple - brand polished silver clasp , and two grummet ( one stationary , one sliding ) to secure the end in place .
MintApple ’s dark-brown ostrich band .
MintApple ’s ostrich leather circle come in black , browned , and red , and has a matte cultivation . I tested the brown ostrich leather dance band , which is light brownish than the brown lounge lizard leather set ( more of a caramel brown coloring material ) . Like the lizard leather isthmus , this band is slog near the transcriber and thinner near the end , but the band itself is also slimmer overall . It ’s a much more womanly profile and looks less bulky than the lounge lizard or crocodile banding . The ostrich leather is smooth and pliable , and took less than a day to break in and be comfortable on my wrist .
The MintApple bands were a little too giving for my wrist joint .
MintApple ’s dance orchestra are good - await , if a petty bulky — if you could digest the grasp situation . The company also realize asoft leather bandthat come up with a warp rather of a clutch . Because these lot are made to order , MintApple offers impost transcriber hardware in different colors , including polished untainted steel , space gray , place black , gold , and rose gold , but not matte aluminium ( at least , not yet ) . This is the only company I ’ve control so far that has transcriber to match the new gold and rose Au Apple Watch Sport colors .
