Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

The agonising pain of the sports strap

profmjh

profmjh

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 7, 2015
1,734
1,800
UK
I've now mastered the technique of putting the sports strap on with one hand (i.e. without having to rest the watch on something) but I'm now suffering the agonising pain of having my arm hair ripped out and pulled. The sports strap is rubber which naturally pulls at hair, and hairs can get trapped between the overlapping parts.

This makes me even more furious that Apple couldn't get its supply in order. I'm now interested again in a leather loop or Milanese, but these are ludicrously not available until some unannounced date in June.

Cue fanboys explaining how predicting sales is really, really hard and how Apple is the greatest company in the world and how anyone criticising Apple is an enemy of the people.

Oh - and for the stupid amongst you - yes, I'm exaggerating. But it does hurt. My old watch never did.
 
I have hairy arms and wear the sports strap with my SS model. No hair pulling etc here, although I did go 1 hole larger after first trying on the watch to account for the band being 'tucked in'. Its now not super tight but the HR monitor etc all works well.
 
I hear the CIA uses the sport strap instead of water boarding as the preferred method of "enhanced interrogations"
 
Marshall73 said:
I have hairy arms and wear the sports strap with my SS model. No hair pulling etc here, although I did go 1 hole larger after first trying on the watch to account for the band being 'tucked in'. Its now not super tight but the HR monitor etc all works well.
Click to expand...

I though apple said the sport strap was soft and smooth, did not think it would pull hairs. Looks like ill have a hairless wrist.
 
You know with the amount of attention the AW brings it might be proper etiquette now to shave ones arm.
 
I would say that you are probably between holes size wise. One is probably a little too loose and one is tight enough to tug at arm hair. I have had the same issue with cheap rubber bands in the past, but I find the sport strap to be incredibly comfortable, in fact despite not having worn a watch regularly in the past 10 years or so I have adjusted to wearing the :apple: watch in a very short time.
 
Day 5 Report:
Some blogger wrote that the biggest surprise of the watch is "that it receeds in the background". That you actually forget about it for long stretches. I haven't worn a watch during the 7 year smartphone gap and I feel exactly the same way.

One of the reasons is comfort. The opposite use case for me; absolutely no hair pulling. Almost silky to the skin. All day comfort. Beautiful. Recognizably pleasing.

I agree that learning to easily strap is a 4 day process. But today it became enormously satisfying because you realize that the sport band has a truly elegant, yet sure fitting design that leaves you head shaking in approval. Oops,tap, time to get up!
 
Surely this thread will make this week's highlight reel. Whoever made the "trendy as hell" one wrist shaved comment deserves a pint of cider or beef broth. That was genius.

macmanscaping.com. Registered. It's also for sale if you are interested in a prominent domain with unlimited potential.
 
If you can, try to the other size band. The holes line up a little differently so you might get a better fit. While I don't have hairy arms, my sport band moves very little throughout the day and sometimes I forget I'm wearing it.
 
Apple got you covered :)

ishave-rasoir-iphone-packaging.jpg


But seriously, you could put a little talken powder on the straps, makes them less sticky.
 
I have pretty hairy arms and I can barely tell I'm wearing the watch. I have it on pretty tight so I can feel the taptic feedback and have the heart monitor work.

swNiBuc.png
 
Kazakaz said:
I have pretty hairy arms and I can barely tell I'm wearing the watch. I have it on pretty tight so I can feel the taptic feedback and have the heart monitor work.

Image
Click to expand...

Strong green statement.

I will admit, we got some hairy armed Macrumor members.

Just need to start doing some man-scaping, it's easy mate, just get a shaver and go for it. Just be careful when you get close to the crown jewels.
 
I don't get any hair pulling at all. This is probably the most comfortable watch band I've ever worn. A lot nicer than the one that comes with the original Pebble.
 
profmatt said:
This makes me even more furious that Apple couldn't get its supply in order. I'm now interested again in a leather loop or Milanese, but these are ludicrously not available until some unannounced date in June.
Click to expand...

The Milanese feels fantastic, I'm loving mine- BUT - many have complained about hair pulling with the Milanese as well. I've only had that happen once. Ymmv. I'm of Italian descent- so I'm pretty hairy.

087F427D-D6D3-4BCE-9A12-A9360302FF3A.jpg
 
Give it a few days for your arm and you to get used to it. I had the same problem with the jawbone up and after about a week I realized that I didn't notice it anymore.

I have experienced a similar experience to you but it is getting better every day and is now almost unnoticeable. I think your nerves around the band get used to it eventually and stop being sensitive.
 
BritinNC said:
Give it a few days for your arm and you to get used to it. I had the same problem with the jawbone up and after about a week I realized that I didn't notice it anymore.

I have experienced a similar experience to you but it is getting better every day and is now almost unnoticeable. I think your nerves around the band get used to it eventually and stop being sensitive.
Click to expand...

I actually had the same problem with the watch I have on now, which is a stainless steel Citizen EcoDrive. The links in the band kept ripping my arm hairs out every time I put it on.......for about a week. Then I either stopped noticing it or it just stopped happening.

I imagine the same will be true for my Apple Watch.......if it ever ships.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back