This is one of the official Apple Watch bands that has been around since the beginning. Along with the sport band, Nike’s version, for more intense sport, has been a favorite. The additional holes not only add some detail, but also make the band more breathable, making it better for exercise. But is it good enough?
This band is mostly comfortable. A smart sport band, but not without its flaws. Still, it’s a staple in Apple Watch owners’ collections for a reason.
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Comfort 3.5/5
You’d think the holes would make the Nike Sport Band extremely breathable. While it does decrease the amount of silicone that’s coming in contact with your skin, and it does allow sweat to evaporate more, the truth is, it’s only covering a small part of your wrist with these parts. The top of your wrist is still taken up by the Apple Watch, and, where the two ends of the watch overlap on the bottom, they cover each other, blocking airflow. Really, this only improves air circulation on the sides of your wrist. Which, I mean, good for them? But the rest of your wrist is going to miss out.
I actually have found the Archer Canvas strap to be more comfortable and breathable. However, because this stretches just a little, I can go with a tighter setting to get better O2 measurements. That makes the Nike Sport Band, again, really good for sports, but not the best for comfort. Silicone just isn’t a fantastic design for a watch band. It traps too much moisture. The holes on the Nike Sport Band mitigate that a little, but it can’t escape its design. It’s definitely my most comfortable silicone band, but not my most comfortable strap.
More Comfortable Than Standard Sport Band?
I do find that the little extra bit of breathable area is more comfortable than the solid Sport Band. It’s also lighter and less noticeable on your wrist. While both have a bit of stretch, the Nike Sport Band doesn’t seem to have any more than the standard Apple Sport Band.
Durability and Quality 5/5
Apple’s silicone bands are surprisingly durable. I tugged on them, trying to see if they’d stretch out too far, but they always snap back. There’s a bit of give, but not much. I have my original Apple Sport Band from the Series 1 Apple Watch. It’s over four years old at this point. It’s still in good shape. It has some very slight discoloration on the outside, the part that’s exposed to the air and sun every day (and was for many years), but any dirt or grime washes right off. These are thick, study, and durable bands.
However, I might not trust the closure as much as a traditional watch strap closure. I could see falling in just the right way to pull it off, which could send it tumbling. My preferred form of exercise is skateboarding, so, in all honesty, it is possible, even likely, that I could fall in just the wrong way eventually. But, knock wood, I haven’t yet (and I fall a lot). Still, if you’re doing something that could potentially put a lot of pressure on the bottom of your wrist, like outdoor sports, you may want to go with a strap with a more reliable connection, though I’ll admit, it’s never been an issue before.
Fitness 4.5/5
Sweat and Comfort
One of the grossest things is when you take off your watch after a long workout and it’s just covered in sweat. Apple’s standard Sport Band, especially, is bad with this. It traps heat and sweat. The Nike Sport Bands trap less sweat, but they can still get some. Fortunately, the silicone Apple uses is waterproof. You can get all the sweat and grime off with a little soap and water, then get it completely dry with a towel. The fact that it collects less sweat and is easy to clean makes it a fantastic band for exercising.
Safety
One of the key features of the Nike Sport Loop, the Nike version of the watch band I hate, is that it contains reflective material. This is so anyone who exercises outdoors in the morning or evening can have a reflective item on their person. Back when I went to an office, commuting home via longboard at night would feel a little sketchy in areas. Drivers are not the most attentive bunch, and in the winter, it can be hard to see pedestrians, cyclists, or runners. Once more, I’d argue that going to permanent daylight savings time would make everyone’s commute much safer.
Sleep Tracking
I’ve been testing other bands and straps that I don’t feel comfortable wearing to bed. These may be nicer ones, or ones that have large areas that could get caught on my sheets, potentially tearing them. But the Nike Sport Band is perfect for this. There are no sharp edges on the strap, it’s comfortable, and it’s just breathable enough that you can almost forget it’s there. When I’m testing straps that I don’t want to wear to bed, I always swap them out for the Nike Sport Band before I settle in. This may be Apple’s best band for sleep tracking, and possibly one of the best ones on the market.
Waterproofing
This is the ultimate watch band for going for a swim with your Apple Watch… or doing the dishes. I can honestly say I wish I did both more often. The swimming more so than the dishes.
Swimming’s fun, and as an adult in a pandemic living in a city where even a yard is unheard of, I miss it terribly.
More than any cloth, metal, or wooden band, the Nike Sport Apple Watch Band is waterproof. You can dry it faster than you can dry your own hands after washing them for at least 20 seconds. Just take a towel, rub it along the surface in one quick wipe, and your watch is dry.
Any of Apple’s silicone bands would do the trick for this. In fact, any silicone band would work for this. In fact, because of the increased surface area of the band due to the holes, the Nike Sport Band actually is more difficult to dry than Apple’s other bands. However, those little holes will allow some air in, which will be welcome when you get all sweaty doing any other kind of exercise. Because of this compromise, the Nike Sport Band is likely Apple’s best silicone band for exercising, whether you do it on a run or in a pool.
Guys I really miss pools now and I really want to do a cannonball.
Appearance 2.5/5
Pictured with the RhinoShield CrashGuard NX (review coming within a week or two).
I got the Pride edition Nike Sport Band. It has the six colors of the Pride flag in the holes in the band. It’s a nice, subtle Pride band. I like the colors, and I like it more than Apple’s solid striped version on their Sport Band. I’m more of a fan of black as a base color, rather than white, but it’s a good option. It’s a clean look with just a touch of Pride.
With colors like silver, gray, black, or gold, just about any color is a match. But Apple has blue and red Apple Watches now, and they have to be a little bit more careful about watch band choices. They can either go only with muted colors, or they could try to provide complimentary colors. Most of the Nike options would work for any watch. The Spruce Aura/Vapor Green might not work for the red Apple Watch, but the rest would work on any version of the Apple Watch. In fact, the new Blue Black/Bright Mango color is perfect for the new blue Apple Watch.
If I could change only one thing, I might make it reflective in some way, like the Nike Sport Loop. This can make it safer to run, bike, or, in my case, skate in the morning or evening, as it increases your visibility to drivers. I’d also love to see a black/red (or red/black) version, to match my Apple Watch, but the Pride edition and the black versions would match well enough. In fact, while I did order both red and black versions of Apple’s Solo Loop, I’d take a Nike Sport Band version of those color combinations over them. The way the Nike band breaks up the base color just makes these bands more interesting.
Admittedly, the holes seem over the top. I actually know some people have a phobia called trypophobia, which makes repeated patterns of holes, like this, really off-putting. Some people can’t even look at it. I don’t find the design offensive, but I know some people do.
It’s a functional design. If functionally proficient is your style, then it’ll look good on your wrist as well. In fact, it’s certainly among Apple’s best designed watch bands… if you don’t have trypophobia.
Overall 3.5/5
I’ve tested Apple’s Sport Band, their Sport Loop (which I hate), and now the Nike Sport Band. I can say, with great confidence, that of the three, the Nike Sport Band is the most versatile, best looking, and most comfortable. This is my favorite watch band that Apple makes, honestly. Make no mistake, the Modern Buckle is gorgeous, but I feel uncomfortable buying leather (being a vegetarian), and can’t overcome that discomfort when it’s a $150 watch band. Don’t even get me started on Hermès’ calfskin abominations or Apple’s weird pill-based leather loop. The only non-offensive high end band, the Link Bracelet, is also Apple’s most expensive, coming in at as much as $450.
Yeah, for Apple bands, I’m going to recommend the Nike Sport Band.
This is Apple’s best value. It’s a $50 band and it feels as though it’s actually worth the coin. Furthermore, it’s highly functional as a sport watch band, and, depending on your taste, looks good while doing it. I’m actually not a huge fan of the design, but I don’t hate it. I like wearing it, but prefer the appearance of the physical design of most of my other bands.
The Nike Sports Band is Apple’s best band for water sports and people who sweat a lot. It’s easy to clean off, water proof, vibrant, and durable. It’s my favorite Apple Watch band from Apple, even if it’s not my favorite Apple Watch band. It’ll probably be one of my most-used bands, even if I only wear it to sleep.