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ThatiPhoneKid

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 15, 2017
984
665
Anyone had any experience with the fake Apple Watch bands which can be found on eBay? Do they look the same as the genuine ones? Thanks
 
Definitely not the same quality. The one I had was exposed to water and the threads started to tear up.
 
My wife and I both have bands from WFEAGL that we bought on Amazon and they are holding up nicely. My wife also bought an iGK band on Amazon that she's had no issues with either.
 
I've had some bad reactions to "fake" Apple Watch bands. Had a burn / rash on my wrist that lasted about a week. A lot of them have really bad chemical smells that never really go away. I have stuck with Apple bands and ... a year+ later, they're like new. Personal experience - I'm sure there are others that have had no problems.

But for my wife and I, we've found the 3rd party ones to last a few months or so resulting in a much more expensive band over the course of a year.

I've settled on the Sports Loop and have used one for over a year every day now.
 
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It depends on the band. I've had great luck with the Sport Loops. They look nearly identical and have held up just fine so far.
 
I've had some bad reactions to "fake" Apple Watch bands. Had a burn / rash on my wrist that lasted about a week. A lot of them have really bad chemical smells that never really go away. I have stuck with Apple bands and ... a year+ later, they're like new. Personal experience - I'm sure there are others that have had no problems.

But for my wife and I, we've found the 3rd party ones to last a few months or so resulting in a much more expensive band over the course of a year.

I've settled on the Sports Loop and have used one for over a year every day now.
What's a few chemical burns if you're saving money... Just kidding. But seriously why don't accessory makers like Anker or Belkin make bands. At least you would have some quality assurance. The price might not be as low but it would be lower than Apple and no bad side effects
 
The sport loops I've gotten have been great, spot on.

The sport bands have been hit or miss. Some have adapters that look like they're loose, some feel way too "rubbery" and attract lint like crazy.
 
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The sport loops I've gotten have been great, spot on.

The sport bands have been hit or miss. Some have adapters that look like they're loose, some feel way too "rubbery" and attract lint like crazy.

Yeah a related thing about most of the 3rd party sport bands is that over time it's like they off-gas or something. They become sticky/greasy/oily or something, like the compound is breaking down. You can use soap and scalding water to clean them up a bit, but generally speaking it's only a matter of time before they're unusable. That might be a year or two, but it happens. I've not had one hold up longer than that. That said, at $10 a pop, I usually get a couple, wear the heck out of them for a season or two, then toss them.

Just ordered the new Apple one in yellow as a little splurge.
 
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I've purchased a few 3rd party bands from amazon and ebay. None fit as well into the watch as the apple ones. Either they don't secure well or they aren't flush w/ the watch. I''m only using apple ones now.
 
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