Hello everyone, just sharing some thoughts.
I originally bought my Apple Watch with the silver Milanese loop band, figuring it was what I preferred and it was affordable. Long story short, I came to prefer a darker color; bought a knockoff black Milanese loop but noted the difference in quality between the two, and then went for an Apple space black Milanese loop.
And I was happy. Until I saw a coworker with the stainless steel link bracelet. Then I began to covet the space black link bracelet. After searching for a few weeks, I found a nice deal on a used one, and recently received it.
Back when I didn't own a Watch and was trying one in the store for fun, I had a few qualms with the link bracelet. Similar to the bands of an old watch I had tried to wear once, it pulled on my arm hairs when I tried one on in the Apple Store. The Milanese loop didn't. It also seemed less adaptable compared with the Milanese loop, which became even more of a concern when I noted that I adjusted the Milanese loop a few times during the day (because my arm would evidently swell a bit depending on the environment). Then, of course, was the fact that the link bracelets are about $300-400 more than the Milanese loops (and, excluding one of the Hermes bands, represent the most expensive bands you can buy), and that they show scratches a lot more easily than the Milanese loop bands. All of that, and the link bracelet just looked like your standard old metallic watch band, whereas the Milanese loop was a lot more modern... right?
It may just be that it's new, but I put on the link bracelet, wore it for a day, decided to try and decrease wear and tear by going back to the Milanese loop, and am now using the link bracelet again. It's a bit heavier and a bit warmer (less breathable, although I think that the breathability of the Milanese loop is a bit overstated), but it looks really, really nice. The no-tools-required for adjustments approach is well known, but I was still impressed with how quick and easy it was to adjust the band to the right size. Even though I can't easily readjust the size throughout the day and it's a lot more rigid than the Milanese loop, I feel that it holds to my wrist better than the Milanese does, yet it doesn't feel uncomfortable like an over-tightened Milanese would.
My fears about it pulling at arm hairs? It seems like it should, but so far I haven't had a single tug. I can only imagine that it's the difference between having a band that is properly sized compared with oversized (which was likely what happened at the Apple Store).
My original plan had been to reserve the link bracelet for more formal events and use the Milanese loop as my standard band, but I like the link bracelet enough that I may use it more often. I am nervous about scratching it, though; the stainless steel version can stand up to buffing, but the space black version isn't as easily fixable. It'd be a shame to keep it in a drawer over fears of scratching, but it's expensive enough that I do have some pause about it... although I'll keep using it regularly. As a sort of compromise, I went ahead and purchased a used stainless steel version...
... and with that, I will have every version of Apple's metal bands. I think that's it for my band purchases; Heaven help me if I develop a liking for the leather bands. (Someone previously posted on here about an experiment with mixing links between the space black and stainless steel versions, but they never posted a picture; if I have the time, I'll give it a go and post the results.)
Long story short, I still really like the Milanese loop bands, but the link bracelet - despite seeming so simple by comparison - is really, really nice. It feels a bit more solid on the wrist and I think it looks a bit more formal (or at least, traditional). I often think that someone could mistake the Milanese loop as being fabric from a distance, and truthfully, the space black link bracelet is polished such that I could imagine someone thinking it were plastic... but it is a really nice band. It shows fingerprints (and probably scratches) easier than the Milanese, but it feels really nice on the wrist. If you've been using a Milanese loop and have been wondering about the link bracelet, I'd say to go for it. Neither is superior to the other and I imagine I'll go back to using my space black Milanese regularly soon enough, but these are high-quality bands that make owning the Apple Watch even more of a joy.
Addendum: I mentioned above that the Milanese loop breathability is overstated, but after using the link bracelet for a bit longer, I take it back. The link bracelet becomes pretty warm - even simply walking around outside (not exposing the band to sunlight), if I shift the Watch on my wrist I can feel the warmth emanating from the band. Granted I'm in the tropics, but I never experienced that with the Milanese loop. It makes me think that the Milanese loop makes for a nice summer band, whereas the link bracelet is better for cooler environments. I still wouldn't want to use either as a sports band, but as far as the metal bands go, the Milanese loop is definitely is definitely the cooler (temperature-wise) of the two.
I originally bought my Apple Watch with the silver Milanese loop band, figuring it was what I preferred and it was affordable. Long story short, I came to prefer a darker color; bought a knockoff black Milanese loop but noted the difference in quality between the two, and then went for an Apple space black Milanese loop.
And I was happy. Until I saw a coworker with the stainless steel link bracelet. Then I began to covet the space black link bracelet. After searching for a few weeks, I found a nice deal on a used one, and recently received it.
Back when I didn't own a Watch and was trying one in the store for fun, I had a few qualms with the link bracelet. Similar to the bands of an old watch I had tried to wear once, it pulled on my arm hairs when I tried one on in the Apple Store. The Milanese loop didn't. It also seemed less adaptable compared with the Milanese loop, which became even more of a concern when I noted that I adjusted the Milanese loop a few times during the day (because my arm would evidently swell a bit depending on the environment). Then, of course, was the fact that the link bracelets are about $300-400 more than the Milanese loops (and, excluding one of the Hermes bands, represent the most expensive bands you can buy), and that they show scratches a lot more easily than the Milanese loop bands. All of that, and the link bracelet just looked like your standard old metallic watch band, whereas the Milanese loop was a lot more modern... right?
It may just be that it's new, but I put on the link bracelet, wore it for a day, decided to try and decrease wear and tear by going back to the Milanese loop, and am now using the link bracelet again. It's a bit heavier and a bit warmer (less breathable, although I think that the breathability of the Milanese loop is a bit overstated), but it looks really, really nice. The no-tools-required for adjustments approach is well known, but I was still impressed with how quick and easy it was to adjust the band to the right size. Even though I can't easily readjust the size throughout the day and it's a lot more rigid than the Milanese loop, I feel that it holds to my wrist better than the Milanese does, yet it doesn't feel uncomfortable like an over-tightened Milanese would.
My fears about it pulling at arm hairs? It seems like it should, but so far I haven't had a single tug. I can only imagine that it's the difference between having a band that is properly sized compared with oversized (which was likely what happened at the Apple Store).
My original plan had been to reserve the link bracelet for more formal events and use the Milanese loop as my standard band, but I like the link bracelet enough that I may use it more often. I am nervous about scratching it, though; the stainless steel version can stand up to buffing, but the space black version isn't as easily fixable. It'd be a shame to keep it in a drawer over fears of scratching, but it's expensive enough that I do have some pause about it... although I'll keep using it regularly. As a sort of compromise, I went ahead and purchased a used stainless steel version...
... and with that, I will have every version of Apple's metal bands. I think that's it for my band purchases; Heaven help me if I develop a liking for the leather bands. (Someone previously posted on here about an experiment with mixing links between the space black and stainless steel versions, but they never posted a picture; if I have the time, I'll give it a go and post the results.)
Long story short, I still really like the Milanese loop bands, but the link bracelet - despite seeming so simple by comparison - is really, really nice. It feels a bit more solid on the wrist and I think it looks a bit more formal (or at least, traditional). I often think that someone could mistake the Milanese loop as being fabric from a distance, and truthfully, the space black link bracelet is polished such that I could imagine someone thinking it were plastic... but it is a really nice band. It shows fingerprints (and probably scratches) easier than the Milanese, but it feels really nice on the wrist. If you've been using a Milanese loop and have been wondering about the link bracelet, I'd say to go for it. Neither is superior to the other and I imagine I'll go back to using my space black Milanese regularly soon enough, but these are high-quality bands that make owning the Apple Watch even more of a joy.
Addendum: I mentioned above that the Milanese loop breathability is overstated, but after using the link bracelet for a bit longer, I take it back. The link bracelet becomes pretty warm - even simply walking around outside (not exposing the band to sunlight), if I shift the Watch on my wrist I can feel the warmth emanating from the band. Granted I'm in the tropics, but I never experienced that with the Milanese loop. It makes me think that the Milanese loop makes for a nice summer band, whereas the link bracelet is better for cooler environments. I still wouldn't want to use either as a sports band, but as far as the metal bands go, the Milanese loop is definitely is definitely the cooler (temperature-wise) of the two.
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