Watch band sizing for 38mm & 42mm

[raythepa]

Hope this makes sense.

I tried on a 38mm Series 2 watch. The wrist band just barely caught the last eyelet of the silicone band.

I tried on a 42mm Series 2 watch. The wrist band caught right in the middle of the available eyelets on the silicone band.

If I wanted the 38mm watch, do Apple bands come in longer sizes? I didn't see any and figure I'll just have to get a different band or a third-party band. Feeling like the band is driving me to the 42mm and that doesn't seem right.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Panther61]

Hope this makes sense.

I tried on a 38mm Series 2 watch. The wrist band just barely caught the last eyelet of the silicone band.

I tried on a 42mm Series 2 watch. The wrist band caught right in the middle of the available eyelets on the silicone band.

If I wanted the 38mm watch, do Apple bands come in longer sizes? I didn't see any and figure I'll just have to get a different band or a third-party band. Feeling like the band is driving me to the 42mm and that doesn't seem right.

Thanks for your thoughts.

You need to get the 42mm size. No XL Apple Sport band available for the 38mm. Best news is your wrist will fit nicely with the sportband that comes with the 42mm. No need to get anything larger.

 

[CarlJ]

I have not paid attention to the 38mm bands because I have a 42mm Apple Watch (series 0), but Apple's 42mm sport bands come with three pieces - the upper piece (traditionally goes from the top of the display over the top of your wrist and has the fastening pin on it), and two lower pieces (that go from the bottom of the display around the lower side of your wrist, and have a row of holes for the pin). In the 42mm watch, these two lower pieces are referred to as S/M and M/L, and together these are advertised to fit wrists from 140 to 210mm (my wrist is about 180mm and fits with the S/M piece, with one or two holes to spare). The idea being that you wear the top piece with whatever lower piece works better for you.

As well, for some colors (no, I don't know which), you can also get the band wth a L/XL piece replacing the S/M piece (so the band covers M/L/XL instead of S/M/L). The sizing goes like this (copied off Apple's page for the white Sports Band):

38mm
S/M & M/L - Fits 130–200mm wrists.

42mm
S/M & M/L - Fits 140–210mm wrists.
M/L & L/XL - Fits 160–245mm wrists.​

I don't know if they offer any bands with L/XL parts in the 38mm size - Panther61 suggests the answer is no.

The third-party sport bands vary from mediocre to quite good, though they're all silicone, I've not seen any yet using the fluoroelastomer that Apple uses. Some prefer silicone, many don't mind, but others dislike the silicone ones (I think Apple's bands feel better) - so it's definitely a YMMV situation. But the third-party companies are quick to fill in the gaps in Apple's lineup - more colors, different lengths, bands in 38mm that Apple only offers in 42mm (e.g. the Leather Loop) and vice versa. You can likely find third-party 38mm straps long enough to work for you, but I wonder if the 38mm watch you tried on perhaps had the S/M lower piece fitted rather than the M/L piece - is your wrist larger than 200mm?

This may help with sizes (the lighting is bad, the color isn't quite right, but the rulers are readable):

 

[raythepa]

This may help with sizes

OK now I get it (bad brain cells i guess), thx so much