The only gripe I can see so far...

[ssledoux]

Of course I'm barely a day in, but I think my biggest gripe is going to be how tight I have to wear the watch. I'm used to wearing my watches loose-fitting, almost bracelet-like. How tight do I actually have to have this to make it function properly?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

You should loosen it a bit. I wear my link bracelet one finger width loose without locking and it still manages to measure my heart rate.

 

[TypeMRT]

The user guide is a good place to start:

A better fit means better readings.
For best results, the back of Apple Watch needs skin contact for features like Wrist Detect, the Taptic Engine, and the heart rate sensor. Wearing your Apple Watch with the right fit — not too tight, not too loose, and with room for your skin to breathe — will keep you comfortable and let the sensors do their jobs. You may want to tighten your Apple Watch band for workouts, then loosen it when you’re done. In addition, the sensors will work only if you wear Apple Watch on the top of your wrist.

Too loose.
If your Apple Watch doesn’t stay in place, or the sensors aren’t reading your heart rate, tighten the band a bit.

Just right.
Your Apple Watch should be snug but comfortable.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204665

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

The problem with that guide is people interpret "snug" as tight and wear it too tight. Like I said, it'll still function when worn looser. One finger width loose won't lock it up unless there's a lot of movement (e.g., walking rapidly). It can be worn tighter when exercising.

 

[ssledoux]

Thanks. That's about how I have mine. It's definitely tighter than I'm used to, but I think I can get used to it.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Thanks. That's about how I have mine. It's definitely tighter than I'm used to, but I think I can get used to it.

No matter how tight it is you will have times where the watch will not pickup your HR. I can wear mine tight or so loose that it can slip over my wrist bone and it does about the same. Just try it different ways and enjoy.

 

[BarracksSi]

I switch between three different holes on my Sport band depending on what's going on. For a workout, I use the most-snug of the three, if for no other reason than to make sure it doesn't move at all. I wear it at its loosest when it's warm or when I'm sleeping. Most of the time, it's in between.

It's randomly locked itself maybe once since I got it last August, so it's doing pretty good.

 

[dewski]

i can easily slip my finger between my watch and my arm and mine functions properly. I wear it loose enough that i can wiggle my wrist and change the position of the watch.