The first party bands are great quality but too expensive to only have those if you like a lot of options. For variety I definitely have 3rd party in my collection as well.
Unfortunately, in the world we live in there is rarely a middle ground you can either go cheap or expensive because everyone who makes a high-quality product will want to maximise their profits.
Well...the people have spoken (in the comments). Third party bands are becoming very good, and the Apple ones don't really worth all that money (maybe, just maybe the Milanese loop). I've got an Ultra, with 2 original Apple bands. I didn't see the need to get more Apple bands, so I've turned to the replicas. I've got the fake Orange Alpine Loop, and I kind of love it the most. It's 85-90% the look and feel of the original one (the look maybe 95%) , maybe not the quality because it doesn't have anything titanium, but it gets the job done and if I really like it, it means it is very close to the original (for $4 directly from China - that's 25 times less).
Hi there, my replica ocean band just arrived today and I must say that yes they have very different texture and quality. The original ocean band is thicker and a bit heavy plus the buckles are titanium , while the replica one is lighter and more stretchy. But they are both soft to touch. The video that you have is a sand color, which the replica one has in their color scheme, but they also have that white color that is same in your video. I bought it less than one dollar and I bought eight colors and I think I like it. I’m not really into heavy and extreme activities such as diving. I am just using it for work in a regular basis. Just an average user here. I also checked that they also have that NOMAD counterfeits which has different colors as well. To tell you honestly those NOMAD counterfeits are really OK and thicker. I must say that if you want to spend less then go for this replica ones and will not spend $100 and will not use it for heavy duty purposes just for changing it every now and then, counterfeits are OK to buy IF you dont mind spending alot! 😅I also have Ringke, my third party band which I trust. I had three of it for $10 only and most of the time I’m using it that’s all. Spigen bands are okey as well for my stainless bands Thank you for the video.
The silicone sport bands you can absolutely get away with 3rd party. The fabric bands like the sport loops you're going to be better off getting the real thing. For my favorite sport loops that I plan on wearing a lot I buy the real ones. And then the others that I like but probably won't actually wear all that much I go 3rd party. It also depends on design of the band as well too. If it's a fancier design like the new sport loops there will be a bigger difference with the 3rd party bands than a solid color band.
As I grow my band collection, I go several weeks without using most of my bands (about 30 so far), so I doubt I’ll wear most of them out any time soon. Paying $50 and $100 for Apple bands is a serious waste of money. I’ve purchased a few special editions, but most of my bands have come from Amazon, Best Buy, and Temu. Most look fine. No one I know is scrutinizing my bands for real or fake. They can care less.
Cheaper bands work? Yes. What quality are you looking for since you are not using one for years. I could change 9 bands in a year if my budget is $90 a year for watch bands, and a $99 “real” band won’t be in the budget
Here in the Philippines you can get the ocean replica bands for roughly $1.10 and replica alpine loop and trail loop for $2 - $4 1✌️😁 so i ordered every color they have and it still won't cost as much as 1 original apple band. If it breaks after a few months just get new ones 😂
Same. I bought 8 colors for only 40₱ hahahaha. Ang mura. I also bought from Ringke mga nasa 400-500₱. Ayos na din. Spigen for stainless in silver and black are also solid. Gusto ko lng ma try gaano ka close ung OG ocean band ko sa fake nato. Atleast i have options ( white/ sand/ blue/ cherry/ red/ orange/ clover green / yellow)
I bought a knock up band on Amazon. It’s a woven braided loop and it has an adjustable clasp the thing that I noticed the parts that go into the Apple Watch seem to be made out of some sort of plastic. Instead of the steel that they use in the Apple Watch or whatever they’re using titanium You know the things that slide into the watch so that I can tell right away it’s already a cheaper material. However, that being said the braided solar loop that I have gotten seems to be a fairly decent quality it’s thick. The adjustment works great on it so I think one has to decide you know which one they want to watch you know to me $100 for a band is a lot, but you know some people don’t mind spending the extra to get the quality.
How do those hold up over time? I'm considering getting one this year. Do they start to fray over time? Does the color change with usage as it becomes dirty and stained?
@@Husker_ it does not fray at all! My bright green one looks a little dirty close up but I haven’t washed it yet. My abyss blue one I’ve had 2 years and seems the same color. They do stretch a bit though after a week or 2 of using it, so I would get a pretty snug fit, I’m ~180mm wrist, so I get size 8. It stretches out about 1/3 of an inch after a month even after washing it, but it’s still perfectly stretchy. You just don’t want it loose, you want it to stretch out to a gentle snug fit.
@@honeyyeyes I don’t recommend 3rd party when it comes to the braided. Apple made the band very nicely and durable and high quality, and I can tell within a second if it’s 3rd party or OEM by the way the braids attach to the lug.
Not sure about these type of bands - but I have bought braided solo loops off of ebay/amazon for about $10 and the quality was pretty decent. My thought is that the quality depends on the band they are knocking off. A braided solo for $10 is totally do-able... assuming that's the band you're looking for.
I got a selection of cheap Ocean Bands for my 40m SE. I usually only buy from Apple. Anyway I’m really impressed and like them better than Apples Sport bands. Really comfortable and I love the colour selection.
I bought 8 colors of replica ocean bands and i love it. The only difference is the buckle from the original and the material is thicker. But hell yeah, i will not use it for diving with my ultra watch 2. Il just use it for my styling. 😅 i also have bands from 3rd party such as Ringke ( Bold bands), Spigen ( stainless silver and black), plus the 8 i bought. 😅 Colors in replica ( white, sand, yellow, olive green, blue, black, red and orange)
Rocking a pink glow in the dark band on my S7 now 😁 my favorite one is a red ocean band I got from Amazon same day. Love authentic bands but not the $ lost
My trail loop replica band started to fray after two wearings. The orange pull tab was a cheap ribbon material and was sewed on crooked. It was $5 on EBay including first class postage. Where is the profit??? Bought the Apple band soon after. A watch band needs to be light and comfortable and replica bands are hardly that. Can you review a Rubber B swim skin in alligator? Keep up the great work.
Bought two replicas one almost lost my ultra in Jamaica Bay and the other one never seen water decided and to unravel. It’s not worth it for such an expensive watch. I will stick to OEM.🤷🏽♂️
People like to collect a lot of things & the end they are worth next to nothing when you get rid of them. Taps, CDs, DVDs, Beanie Babies, ect. Do I care that the knockoff is not an exact replica of the apple band? Absolutely not.I go with the cheap brands. If you order off of amazon you don't have to wait that long or if you really don't care if they take a month to receive them get them off of aliexpress.
I got the alpine loops off Amazon and I like the feeling of them. But I also got the Nike sport loops that’s say Nike and have the swoosh on them and I can tell the material of the Nike ones are off. They are scratchy. So I’m gonna be buying the Apple Nike sport loop to see if there really is a difference in feel. Other then that I’ll stick with buying the cheap knock offs. I’m a cheapskate
The genuine ones? I disagree completely. I’ve had some for years that are still in just as good of shape as the day I bought them. They feel amazing to me on the wrist, I think the quality on the genuine did outstanding
Tried my share of 3rd party and nope, the quality is just not there man. They feel and mostly look cheap but to each their own. There are times I wish I could tolerate 3rd party bands 😜. With how fast 3rd parties bands came/come after official release it’s feels like these companies are tipped of? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. As always, great video. Thanks.
The first party bands are great quality but too expensive to only have those if you like a lot of options. For variety I definitely have 3rd party in my collection as well.
Unfortunately, in the world we live in there is rarely a middle ground you can either go cheap or expensive because everyone who makes a high-quality product will want to maximise their profits.
Those who make a quality product are the middle ground and the rest are cheap and cheaply priced or high quality with a tag to match
@@crawdaddy1600 absolutely correct
Replica apple bands are great in my opinion. 99.9% of my Apple Watch bands are replicas and I have not had any issues with them over 4 years.
Doesnt replicas scratch the watch inside?
@@p.a.2712lol no, why would they? 😂
Well...the people have spoken (in the comments). Third party bands are becoming very good, and the Apple ones don't really worth all that money (maybe, just maybe the Milanese loop). I've got an Ultra, with 2 original Apple bands. I didn't see the need to get more Apple bands, so I've turned to the replicas. I've got the fake Orange Alpine Loop, and I kind of love it the most. It's 85-90% the look and feel of the original one (the look maybe 95%) , maybe not the quality because it doesn't have anything titanium, but it gets the job done and if I really like it, it means it is very close to the original (for $4 directly from China - that's 25 times less).
Hi there, my replica ocean band just arrived today and I must say that yes they have very different texture and quality. The original ocean band is thicker and a bit heavy plus the buckles are titanium , while the replica one is lighter and more stretchy. But they are both soft to touch. The video that you have is a sand color, which the replica one has in their color scheme, but they also have that white color that is same in your video. I bought it less than one dollar and I bought eight colors and I think I like it. I’m not really into heavy and extreme activities such as diving. I am just using it for work in a regular basis. Just an average user here. I also checked that they also have that NOMAD counterfeits which has different colors as well. To tell you honestly those NOMAD counterfeits are really OK and thicker. I must say that if you want to spend less then go for this replica ones and will not spend $100 and will not use it for heavy duty purposes just for changing it every now and then, counterfeits are OK to buy IF you dont mind spending alot! 😅I also have Ringke, my third party band which I trust. I had three of it for $10 only and most of the time I’m using it that’s all. Spigen bands are okey as well for my stainless bands Thank you for the video.
The real trick is buying OEM bands on sale. Woot has braided solo loops for $30 right now. Every color, selling out fast.
The silicone sport bands you can absolutely get away with 3rd party. The fabric bands like the sport loops you're going to be better off getting the real thing.
For my favorite sport loops that I plan on wearing a lot I buy the real ones. And then the others that I like but probably won't actually wear all that much I go 3rd party. It also depends on design of the band as well too. If it's a fancier design like the new sport loops there will be a bigger difference with the 3rd party bands than a solid color band.
Bandaholic is the cringiest thing I’ve heard in any of these reviews. 😢
As I grow my band collection, I go several weeks without using most of my bands (about 30 so far), so I doubt I’ll wear most of them out any time soon. Paying $50 and $100 for Apple bands is a serious waste of money. I’ve purchased a few special editions, but most of my bands have come from Amazon, Best Buy, and Temu. Most look fine. No one I know is scrutinizing my bands for real or fake. They can care less.
Cheaper bands work? Yes. What quality are you looking for since you are not using one for years. I could change 9 bands in a year if my budget is $90 a year for watch bands, and a $99 “real” band won’t be in the budget
Here in the Philippines you can get the ocean replica bands for roughly $1.10 and replica alpine loop and trail loop for $2 - $4 1✌️😁 so i ordered every color they have and it still won't cost as much as 1 original apple band. If it breaks after a few months just get new ones 😂
Same. I bought 8 colors for only 40₱ hahahaha. Ang mura. I also bought from Ringke mga nasa 400-500₱. Ayos na din. Spigen for stainless in silver and black are also solid. Gusto ko lng ma try gaano ka close ung OG ocean band ko sa fake nato. Atleast i have options ( white/ sand/ blue/ cherry/ red/ orange/ clover green / yellow)
I’ve had problems with knockoff nylon sport loops. The Velcro pads will come loose. This has never happened with any of my genuine Apple bands.
Replicas all the way baby
I bought a knock up band on Amazon. It’s a woven braided loop and it has an adjustable clasp the thing that I noticed the parts that go into the Apple Watch seem to be made out of some sort of plastic. Instead of the steel that they use in the Apple Watch or whatever they’re using titanium You know the things that slide into the watch so that I can tell right away it’s already a cheaper material. However, that being said the braided solar loop that I have gotten seems to be a fairly decent quality it’s thick. The adjustment works great on it so I think one has to decide you know which one they want to watch you know to me $100 for a band is a lot, but you know some people don’t mind spending the extra to get the quality.
I am a bandaholic. I have most all the bands, but my favorite is a gently snug braided solo loop ❤️
How do those hold up over time? I'm considering getting one this year. Do they start to fray over time? Does the color change with usage as it becomes dirty and stained?
@@Husker_ it does not fray at all! My bright green one looks a little dirty close up but I haven’t washed it yet. My abyss blue one I’ve had 2 years and seems the same color. They do stretch a bit though after a week or 2 of using it, so I would get a pretty snug fit, I’m ~180mm wrist, so I get size 8. It stretches out about 1/3 of an inch after a month even after washing it, but it’s still perfectly stretchy. You just don’t want it loose, you want it to stretch out to a gentle snug fit.
@@LeesReviews69
Thank you! I appreciate the reply. I think I better add one to my collection. Now it’s time for the hard part, picking out the color…
I love the look of the braided solo loop too! Do you have the Apple version or 3rd party? Do you recommend buying the Apple braid or 3rd party
@@honeyyeyes I don’t recommend 3rd party when it comes to the braided. Apple made the band very nicely and durable and high quality, and I can tell within a second if it’s 3rd party or OEM by the way the braids attach to the lug.
Not sure about these type of bands - but I have bought braided solo loops off of ebay/amazon for about $10 and the quality was pretty decent. My thought is that the quality depends on the band they are knocking off. A braided solo for $10 is totally do-able... assuming that's the band you're looking for.
I’m currently looking for a good braided solo loop. Do you have a link on the one you like?
+1
I got a selection of cheap Ocean Bands for my 40m SE. I usually only buy from Apple. Anyway I’m really impressed and like them better than Apples Sport bands. Really comfortable and I love the colour selection.
I bought 8 colors of replica ocean bands and i love it. The only difference is the buckle from the original and the material is thicker. But hell yeah, i will not use it for diving with my ultra watch 2. Il just use it for my styling. 😅 i also have bands from 3rd party such as Ringke ( Bold bands), Spigen ( stainless silver and black), plus the 8 i bought. 😅
Colors in replica ( white, sand, yellow, olive green, blue, black, red and orange)
i got a 3rd party apple trail loop on amazon because i have the 41mm and the oem doesnt fit my watch. it was a 3 pack for $25 and its amazing
I have been using the fake straps since 8 months and they hold up great 😃👍
Rocking a pink glow in the dark band on my S7 now 😁 my favorite one is a red ocean band I got from Amazon same day. Love authentic bands but not the $ lost
The fake sport loop band in yellow, blue and orange is much, much prettier than the original :)
Please tell us, where we can get it!
My trail loop replica band started to fray after two wearings. The orange pull tab was a cheap ribbon material and was sewed on crooked. It was $5 on EBay including first class postage. Where is the profit??? Bought the Apple band soon after. A watch band needs to be light and comfortable and replica bands are hardly that. Can you review a Rubber B swim skin in alligator? Keep up the great work.
Bought two replicas one almost lost my ultra in Jamaica Bay and the other one never seen water decided and to unravel. It’s not worth it for such an expensive watch. I will stick to OEM.🤷🏽♂️
With inflation, I say get a deal when and where you can
People like to collect a lot of things & the end they are worth next to nothing when you get rid of them. Taps, CDs, DVDs, Beanie Babies, ect. Do I care that the knockoff is not an exact replica of the apple band? Absolutely not.I go with the cheap brands. If you order off of amazon you don't have to wait that long or if you really don't care if they take a month to receive them get them off of aliexpress.
I got the alpine loops off Amazon and I like the feeling of them. But I also got the Nike sport loops that’s say Nike and have the swoosh on them and I can tell the material of the Nike ones are off. They are scratchy. So I’m gonna be buying the Apple Nike sport loop to see if there really is a difference in feel. Other then that I’ll stick with buying the cheap knock offs. I’m a cheapskate
I wouldn’t trust a cheap band on my $800 watch
🤔 even tho the bands still made in China would you pay the same with a high price tag
@@bigmaxcc Different qualities even though they are made there. Stop being a d head
I’m amazed at how terrible and cheap the genuine sport loops feel, it’s disgusting really.
The genuine ones? I disagree completely. I’ve had some for years that are still in just as good of shape as the day I bought them. They feel amazing to me on the wrist, I think the quality on the genuine did outstanding
@@wa11pon33 they’re thin and flimsy
@@dh7314 they’re thin because they’re supposed to light and breathable and id hardly call them flimsy
@@wa11pon33 good for you, I hold a different view
@@dh7314 well that’s just simply not allowed
The original ocean band look white light and fake look like white normal
This works perfectly tho. For people who don't keep it real all the time. I guess that's all of humanity. 🤣
Great review partner!
I know pretty well as a band addict haha
OEM ALL THE WAY 💯
*amzwatch* 99% in appearance for 2% of the price now there is a conundrum.
Tried my share of 3rd party and nope, the quality is just not there man. They feel and mostly look cheap but to each their own. There are times I wish I could tolerate 3rd party bands 😜.
With how fast 3rd parties bands came/come after official release it’s feels like these companies are tipped of? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
As always, great video. Thanks.
If that’s the case you won’t be complaining buying the official Apple straps
@@bigmaxcc I see that differently but shall quote my late, clever father; it’s always something ;-}
lasted couple months before broke
Quality always : Apple always ❤
So glad I'm not a slave to this company anymore.