Apple officially announced the Apple Watch Series 9, along with a series of new bands to go with it. Among other things, Apple announced that it was no longer using leather for any of its accessories, and replaced it with FineWoven instead, which is a suede-like microtwill. We'll get more into that later, but Apple did release such a watch band for the Apple Watch.
And since the Series 9's predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 8 boasts the same size, you can use older bands on the new model and vice versa - they also use the same clasp mechanism to attach the band.Thus, there are a lot of excellent bands for the Apple Watch Series 9 that already existed before watch came out. Let's take a look at some of the best ones.
- Apple / Pocket-lint
Apple FineWoven Apple Watch Band
Best band overallApple's new FineWoven bands use a microtwill material that is 68 per cent recycled. Apple says it has a lower carbon footprint than leather. The band feels suede-like and comes in both 41mm and 45mm sizes to fit any Apple Watch, even the Apple Watch Series 9 Ultra. It comes in three colors, including taupe, evergreen, and Pacific blue. It's a tad pricey, but that's expected for Apple products.
- Nomad / Pocket-lint
Nomad Sport Apple Watch Band
Best sport bandThe Nomad Sport Band is about as good as it gets for sport bands. It uses fluoroelastomer rubber, which is 100 per cent waterproof. It also comes in eight colors with five additional, limited edition colors. The band is lightweight, breathes well, and comes in 41mm as well as 45mm sizes, which should cover all Apple Watch Series 9s. There is also a Sport Slim variant if you want a thinner watch band.
- Apple / Pocket-lint
Apple Sport Loop
Best fabric bandThe Apple Sport Loop band is one of the most comfortable fabric bands you can buy. It's a nylon band, which means it has native water resistance, and it's breathable enough to let sweat escape to keep your wrist from getting too moist. Like most of Apple's watch bands, it comes in both 41mm and 45mm sizes to fit all modern Apple Watches. It's also made of partially recycled material.
- Otterbox / Pocket-lint
OtterBox All Day Band
Best silicone bandThe Otterbox All Day Comfort band is arguably the best choice for a silicone watch band. It uses a soft touch silicone material that Otterbox says is quite breathable. It's also sweatproof. It comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes for the latest Apple Watches, and it also comes in nearly a dozen colors. It's more expensive than most of the ones on Amazon, but still cheaper than Apple's silicone watch band.
- Spigen / Pocket-lint
Spigen Rugged Band
Best rugged bandThe Spigen Rugged Armor Pro is a good bet for a rugged Apple Watch band. It uses a rubber material with carbon fiber accents, so you know this thing really means business. It offers a wide range of adjustability, waterproofing, and it's one of the few watch bands that covers the case of the Apple Watch, which adds a lot of extra protection. It's a tad bulky, but rugged things often are.
- Nomad / Pocket-lint
Nomad Aluminum Band for Apple Watch
Best premium bandNomad makes some quality metal bands. They come in three flavors, including aluminum, steel, and titanium. Each one comes in two colors for a total of six options. The bands have a timeless look with metal links and a modern clasp. Each one also comes with a tool to adjust the band. These are a little expensive, but they're high quality, and you can choose the metal that best suits you.
- Buckle and Band / Pocket-lint
Buckle and Band Mona Brown Hybird Watch Band
Best leather bandBuckle and Band have a few good leather Apple Watch bands. They are the Mona, Mila, Miam, Hybri, Lond, and Vegan. Each one has a distinct look and color with your choice of metal color to go along with the band. There are several good, high-quality leather bands, but Buckle and Band make some of the best. The Vegan option is also nice if you don't want real leather.
- Lerobo / Pocket-lint
Lerobo Silicone Sports Wristband
Best budget bandThe Lerobo Sport Band is a good budget-oriented Apple Watch band. It has over a dozen colors to choose from, although not every color is available at every size. In any case, this is a soft silicone band. It's soft, sweatproof, and Lerobo puts holes in it for breathability. You can pick up one of these bands for under $10, and it's still good enough to last you a long time.
The best Apple Watch Series 9 bands: Which one is right for you?
Watch bands are highly personal choices. Don't listen to a tech blogger on the Internet when it comes to what you want and prefer. You should definitely buy the one that you like best since you're the one wearing it every day for the whole world to see. You know what clothes you're wearing with it and what style lets you express yourself the best.
That said, you should shop for bands that make the most sense to you. For example, you'll probably want a silicone or fabric band if you exercise a lot since fabric is washable and silicone is sweatproof. Those bands are often called sport bands for a reason. People who have rugged hobbies should consider a rugged smartwatch band like the Spigen Rugged Armor Pro. Apple's FineWoven is a good all-around option as well.
Which Apple Watch bands are compatible with my Apple Watch?
Here's a quick primer on how this all works. The 38mm, 40mm, and 41mm Apple Watches all use the same band size. Thus, if you have a 38mm band, it'll fit on a 41mm Apple Watch. Meanwhile, the 42mm, 44mm, and 45mm Apple Watches, along with the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra, all share a watch band size as well. Fortunately, Apple is excellent about keeping these sizes consistent, so watch bands from prior generations still work with the current generation.
Can I still buy the leather Apple Watch band?
Yes, but only while supplies last. Apple swore off of leather and has replaced it with the FineWoven material on all of its accessories, including cases and MagSafe wallets. The old leather bands are still available as of this writing, but once they're sold out, they're gone for good.