Don’t ever buy an Apple Watch strap again

I own many watch straps, far too many, and they tend to either have 20mm or 22mm lug widths. This is standard in the watch industry with a few anomalies which can be annoying, but most people who own a few watches will have watches in these sizes, for men most likely 22mm.

This got me thinking because I also own many Apple Watch straps and after checking out some adaptors they tend to have 24mm lug widths to fit the Apple Watch (44mm) size.

After a bit of searching I found the (are you ready for this?) Y2PKZISTORE Replaceable Metal Connection Adapter Spring Bar Watch Strap Connector Stainless Steel Adapter Watch Strap with Replacement Tool Compatible for Apple Watch Band 42mm 44mm (Silver-4 Pair) over at Amazon.

For £9.99 you get 4 pairs of adaptors, 8 spring bars and a simple strap changing tool which appears to be decent value. And it is good value.

The adaptors all fit smoothly and never catch in the strap holder, which is commonplace with many cheaper Apple Watch straps, and the spring bars are surprisingly sturdy.

And that is all I have to say really because that is all I need them to do. I can now attach any 22mm watch strap I own to the Apple Watch and as an extra bonus the 22mm strap width actually suits the 44mm Apple Watch much better from an aesthetic perspective. If you own the smaller Apple Watch you will get a 20mm lug width which gives the same perspective which again works better than the standard Apple way.

For a small amount of money you really can save a lot of money in the long run if you are a serial Apple Watch strap buyer and I can confirm that spending the equivalent on a normal 22mm watch strap will get you a LOT more than buying an Apple Watch strap at close to £50. A quick look on Amazon will also show that the 'same' strap with an Apple adaptor on the end commands a big jump in price which is likely a product of the high price of official Apple straps.

Examples-

Genuine Horween Basketball Leather Watch Strap £48

H Link Shark Mesh 316L Stainless Watch Strap £48

ZULUDIVER Vintage Tropical Style FKM Rubber Watch Strap £38

Just look at this page and you can see the comparison to a £49 sport band from Apple. There is no doubt in my mind which is the better value.