I swapped my Apple Watch band for a popular $15 dupe — and it shows you don’t need to spend $50, but there’s a catch
Since getting an Apple Watch, I don’t know how I’ve managed everyday life without one – it’s one of the best devices I own.
I have the Apple Watch SE 2, and as well as bringing everything I love about my iPhone to my wrist, I love how creative you can get with the endless selection of watch faces and multitude of wristband options, but Apple’s own can be quite pricey. That’s why I swapped out my standard silicone Apple Watch band for a $25 dupe from the brand WITHit.
For the past month, I’ve abandoned my Apple Watch band for WITHit’s Keeperless sports band to see how a knock-off compares, and I was pleasantly surprised with it. However, in between its many positives, my experience was met with a few setbacks that, on reflection, made me see that there’s a clear reason why Apple’s own watch bands have a higher price point.
Pros
I guess the biggest positive to pinpoint here is that WITHit’s silicone watch bands are much cheaper than Apple’s. Although WITHit has its own range of higher-priced Apple Watch bands, its range of silicone and nylon bands is almost half the price of Apple’s own range, starting from as little as $15. I opted for the gray Keeperless sport band, a reasonable $25 option.
Style-wise, the Keeperless band adopts a typical sports band design that’s not too dissimilar to the ones in Apple’s own range. It’s simple and not too flashy. But despite its reasonable price tag, it doesn’t sacrifice comfort, which is a relief, especially since I use my Apple Watch during mixed-intensity workouts.
I spent some time wearing the watch through different activities, and it’s satisfactory to say the least. I was a little worried that the band wouldn’t be able to endure my activity range like my previous Apple Watch strap, but during my weight-lifting sessions, running, and HIIT workouts, my watch didn’t budge or come loose. Now that I know this, I’ve pushed myself to go even harder with my workouts, so you could say it’s boosted my knack for the gym.
Overall, WITHit’s sports band ticks most of the boxes, which didn’t leave me disappointed. However, a few minor setbacks made it clear why it doesn’t quite match the quality of Apple’s own bands.
Cons
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a comfy wristband to wear, but sometimes it can feel quite tight (I definitely wouldn’t wear it during sleep). This is more noticeable when I am stationary and not moving around.
Another thing I couldn’t get past was how difficult it was to put on. Unlike legit Apple Watch bands, this one is a lot more flimsy and requires a lot more work to get it on. From my own experience with both kinds, regular Apple Watch bands are a lot more robust and smoother, meaning that they can slide through the fastener with ease. As for the WITHit band, the rubber doesn’t glide against my skin as much, and I have to force it through the hole to tuck away the excess band.
I’ve praised WITHit’s silicone band for its sporty design, and I stand by it, but with that comes a catch. Whenever I removed the band to charge my Apple Watch, I was more often than not left with several crease marks in my skin, which could be quite itchy at times when I wasn’t wearing the watch. It’s not a good look on anyone.
With all things considered, there hasn’t been a moment during my time using my wristband dupe where I’ve felt compelled to go back to my original Apple Watch band. It’s provided a decent enough experience for me to keep it on, but while its setbacks are microscopic, they do make all the difference.
Prior to my experiment, I used to scoff at the prices Apple was asking for its watch bands, but now I can see why.
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