Third-party Apple Watch bands have been around since Apple debuted the original Apple Watch in 2015, typically offering consumers a lower-cost option to style their watch, unlike Apple’s own bands, which start at $50.
A new option for buyers is now offered by an Austin, Texas-based company called Braxley Bands, which sells $30 Apple Watch bands with a unique twist: they’re unibody bands that are fully elastic and stretch over your hand to fit on your wrist.
installation
Like all other Apple Watch bands, the Braxley Band snaps into the Apple Watch case by sliding the lugs into the cutouts on the top and bottom of the Apple Watch. Each band has a logo, but they face inward when wearing your Apple Watch, so they won’t be visible
The Braxley bands on my Apple Watch Series 2 weren’t quite as smooth as the Apple-made bands (like my Sport Loop and Classic Buckle), so there was a bit of wobble when I tested every aspect of the band. It wasn’t so bad that I was worried the Braxley bands would disconnect, but that’s the reality of some third-party Apple Watch bands.
Once installed, Braxley bands have a simple process to place on your wrist: you stretch the band until it’s big enough to go over your arm and slide it over your wrist. Some of the company’s materials initially make it harder, including the denim and rose options I found, which lead to a bit of a struggle to stretch the material over the larger part of your hand before it returns to your wrist.
Over time, however, things get easier as the harder material becomes a little more flexible. As for the more elastic bands with the High Tide and Orchid designs, this was never an issue as these bands were able to slip on my wrist immediately without any hassle.
daily use
I’ve been using four Braxley bands on my 42mm Apple Watch Series 2 for the past few weeks, and have enjoyed most of the accessories. My favorite Apple-made band is the Sport Loop because it’s so easy to put on, it’s a great workout companion, and the bold colors still look good in a formal situation. Few of the Braxley bands I tested offered this utility, and they were all comfortable to wear every day.
Starting with the more colorful designs, Braxley Bands sent me a High Tide (with black connectors, seen in the photo above) and an Orchid (with rose gold connectors, seen below), both in medium. The company offers a collection of these retro-style bands, including one that mimics the design of the 90s Solo Cup. Of the two I received, I personally preferred the High Tide design.
Both bands are well-designed and sturdy, surviving through numerous workouts and staying firm on my wrist. Both bands came with one or two slightly frayed fabric edges, but otherwise they were both very clean and well made, and never seemed to lose their elasticity after stretching them over my arm repeatedly throughout the day. In terms of comfort, Braxley was the best of these bands thanks to the super-soft fabric made using the band’s trademarked “ELSTC” material.
The other two bands I got are the Denim (with silver connectors) and the Rose (with rose gold connectors), which are essentially the same build as the previous bands with slightly stiffer components. These are the company’s more formal band options, adopting a uniform color band design throughout. Otherwise, they have the same features, fully elastic body, moisture wicking fabric and fully machine washable.
Although the company says these bands are made using the same materials as the more heavily designed bands, they are noticeably thicker to the touch, and as a result not immediately comfortable. As I mentioned above, they stretch your arm and do more, so when they come back on the wrist they feel a bit tighter than other bands. This is only for a short break-in period, however, and eventually the Rose Band becomes as comfortable to wear as the Medium High Tide and Orchid Bands.
One thing to consider with the Braxley Band is that if you wear other jewelry on your wrist, you may need to remove it before sliding the Apple Watch onto your wrist, especially if your jewelry is large. Otherwise, Braxley bands earn a lot of points for how quick and easy they are to put on; I started sliding my Apple Watch in the dark before I woke up in the morning.
In terms of sizing, the company says the small bands will fit 6-inch wrists, the medium will fit 6.5-inch wrists, and the large is aimed at 7-inch wrists. My wrists only measure between 6.5 and 7 inches, and the medium fit me best, while the large was a bit too loose and would slide on my wrist.
All of the medium-sized bands stayed tight during workouts across the board, sitting in place just above my wrist, and didn’t move around even when I was running. While each band supports moisture wicking during a workout, anything other than sweat will soak Braxley bands quickly and take hours to dry. This means that Braxley bands are not really suitable for wearing in the shower.
Even though my Apple Watch is stainless steel, I thought the Braxley bands still looked pretty good with the non-silver connectors, but that’s definitely a matter of personal taste that will vary from person to person. You can’t customize the color of the connector when you buy from Braxley Bands (like you can’t with Apple), so it’s unfortunate that you can really like a color like the High Tide, but prefer a connector that isn’t black. By now, Apple Watch owners will be used to such discounts.
bottom line
Overall I enjoyed my time wearing the Braxley Band and plan to keep the Rose Band on my Apple Watch for some time from now on. The company’s bands are ultra-comfortable, sturdy and easy to move, and their designs should satisfy customers who want colorful designs and those who want something a little more stylish.
How to buy
You can buy a Braxley band on the company’s website, and as of writing there are a total of 12 designs to choose from, priced at $29.99.
Braxley Bands sent MacRumors four of its Apple Watch bands for this review. No other compensation was received.
