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Rash - Sport vs Apple Watch?

noobinator

noobinator

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jun 19, 2009
7,419
7,135
Los Angeles, CA
I had a 42mm SS Apple Watch when it was first released. I only had it a few weeks. During this time I never recall any sort of rash or irritation.

Since then I was Apple watchless until I got a 42mm Space Gray Sport two days ago. Today was the first time I wore it more than an hour at a time. I wore it a out three hours and when I took it off I had a bright red circle on my wrist where the circle on the back of the watch touches my skin. It was itchy too. The watch was definitely not on too tight. I like to wear my watch loose (don't use the heart monitor).

I thought maybe it was just from the watch resting in the spot but then the itchiness worried me. And the red mark also did not go away for about 3 hours.

My main question would be is there a difference between the back of an Apple Watch (SS) and a Sport Watch (Aluminum)? Meaning, is the circle part on the back different? Or is it SS on the Apple Watch and Aluminum on the Sport? I'm wondering why the Apple Watch didn't irritate me but the Sport did.
 
The only difference is the material. Ones aluminum, ones stainless steel. The stuff they use to anodize the aluminum might be causing your reaction?
 
The Sport Apple Watch uses plastic on the backplate/ circle part. However the SS Apple Watch uses ceramic instead which may be why you are getting a reaction with the Sport.
 
I'm going to try it all day today and see if it gets bad again or if it was a fluke. Does anyone know BestBuy's return policy on returning opened watches? If it happens again today I'd like to exchange it for a SS model.
 
Not sure what Apple use for Ceramic Coating of AW and AW Edition. Ceramic coating has been using on cookware, and reason is it resist high heat and scratch, and is PFOA and PTFE-Free. It is possible someone is having allergy reaction to frequent heart rate sensors light on AW Sport but not on AW and AW Edition, since the added Ceramic Coating actually reduced heat transfer to skin from the heart rate sensors light, vs simple plastic on AW Sports.

Just a theory based on some understanding of Ceramic coating characteristic.
 
I got my Apple Watch a few days after launch. I got the 42mm Sport Space Gray. I use the black band. About 6 weeks ago I noticed a rash near my wrist. It took about 3 weeks to go away. It's been fine ever since. Been wearing the watch for about a week now. No rash at all. Don't know if it was the watch or something else, oh well.
 
Although rare, people can be allergic to plastic. But make sure it's not some residual film left by the factory so I'd suggest washing the watch case using a strong dish detergent (Dawn) to remove any potential film/residues left during manufacturing in case you're allergic to the latter.
 
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Since you said you don't wear it tight against the skin, I'd have to say you are probably having a reaction to the different materials. I have the SS and there have been times I've felt an irritation. I wasn't cleaning the watch daily back then and when I started using just a damp paper towel on both the back of the watch and my bands, I'd say it eliminated it. Anytime I feel the slightest irritated on my wrist, I just wipe everything down including my skin. I would think it's entirely possible that there's some factory film of some sort that could be reacting to you too.
 
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noobinator said:
I'm going to try it all day today and see if it gets bad again or if it was a fluke. Does anyone know BestBuy's return policy on returning opened watches? If it happens again today I'd like to exchange it for a SS model.
Click to expand...

When I bought mine and my wife's at Best Buy before Thanksgiving, they said I had until January 15th to return them for a full refund. They seem to have open box Apple Watch's in their stores all the time, so they must be getting a lot of them back.

TxWatch
 
I wore it five hours this morning and my rash was worse than yesterday. I did clean the circle part on the bottom and wore it to fit right. Not too tight or too loose.

Returned it to Best Buy right now and got a SS again. Let's see if I have any reaction to it this time around. I didn't back in April or whatever. I'll report back later tonight. I think I wanted the SS again any ways so I'll be very happy if no rash! They only had it with a white sport band so I bought a black one too for now.
 
noobinator said:
I wore it five hours this morning and my rash was worse than yesterday. I did clean the circle part on the bottom and wore it to fit right. Not too tight or too loose.

Returned it to Best Buy right now and got a SS again. Let's see if I have any reaction to it this time around. I didn't back in April or whatever. I'll report back later tonight. I think I wanted the SS again any ways so I'll be very happy if no rash! They only had it with a white sport band so I bought a black one too for now.
Click to expand...

Just curious. Why did you return the SS in the first place and got the Sport at this time?
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
Just curious. Why did you return the SS in the first place and got the Sport at this time?
Click to expand...

First time around I paid for it and wasn't sure it was for me. This time around it was a gift. I also have been wanting one again for awhile now since OS 2 came out. I was given a gift receipt so I paid the difference only so $200. So $200 out of pocket for a SS.
 
I have a space gray and I got the rash. I put the zagg screen protector over the circle on the band. The sensors work and the rash cleared up. Simple cheap fix vs. $$$$ for the SS watch.
 
FrisbeeK9 said:
I have a space gray and I got the rash. I put the zagg screen protector over the circle on the band. The sensors work and the rash cleared up. Simple cheap fix vs. $$$$ for the SS watch.
Click to expand...

For $200 more, compare Apple with Apple both with sports band, you get SS could be polished like new by jeweler, sapphire glass won't scratch, and ceramic coating back reduced allergy, and most important allow one to wear AW as a normal high end watch supposedly looks like, without any watch protection case. If SS is $$$$, then Sports is $$$.
I have never seen anyone put case on $10,000+ Rolex, let along a sub $1000 watch less than 10% of Rolex.
 
FrisbeeK9 said:
I have a space gray and I got the rash. I put the zagg screen protector over the circle on the band. The sensors work and the rash cleared up. Simple cheap fix vs. $$$$ for the SS watch.
Click to expand...

It's not even the same thing. You got a rash where the pin in the Sport band lies, indicating an allergic reaction to nickel. The OP got a rash where the back of the watch sits and it's plastic.
 
noobinator said:
Returned it to Best Buy right now and got a SS again. Let's see if I have any reaction to it this time around. I didn't back in April or whatever. I'll report back later tonight. I think I wanted the SS again any ways so I'll be very happy if no rash! They only had it with a white sport band so I bought a black one too for now.
Click to expand...
Good luck, hopefully the different materials will not cause a reaction.

My wife suffers from a similar issue, and so she needs to be careful of what metals are in her jewelry

There's no use in suffering with the sport if it literally becomes painful to wear.
 
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