How Cheap Can You Go On Third-Party Bands?

I did an experiment to see just how little money I could get away with spending on third-party bands while still getting a good quality product. I wanted an alternative to the white Sport Band that came with my Apple Watch; actually, I wanted to build a collection of sporty bands. I ordered silicone knock-offs from three different sellers at three slightly different price points on eBay and got very different results.

First I ordered from sellforless12, where I paid about $11 apiece, shipped. The price has actually gone down since I ordered them last year; they are currently $9.49 with free shipping. If you order two or more, you can get another 10 percent off. I was extremely happy with these, as I detailed in my review on AppAdvice. While I can tell they’re not genuine Apple Sport Bands, I have no complaints about them, except that the colors were really nothing like what Apple offers. Since I placed that order, they’ve released colors that appear to be much closer to Apple’s than the ones I have. I’ve worn them quite a bit, including during sweaty workouts. There is one important distinction between this listing and the other two I’m about to describe. Sellforless12 offers you a choice between the S/M or the M/L band size when you order. I can really wear either size, but if you can’t, that’s something to keep in mind.

Next, I tried valuebuybuy, which currently sells Sport Band knock-offs for $6.39 per band, shipped. You can get another 10 percent off buying two or more. If you read the listing carefully, it does say that these bands are S/M. You can get 38mm or 42mm width, but you get no choice on the length. Luckily S/M is my preferred size, so these bands worked great for me. Again, the color wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped. The turquoise band I got is far brighter than Apple’s soft, subtle version. But the navy blue band is very close to Apple’s Midnight Blue, close enough for me, anyway. These bands appear to be just the same quality as the ones I got from sellforless12. I use them often and they’ve held up well. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were made in the same factory.

Then I pushed my luck, buying two even cheaper bands, this time from bessky_key. I was sucked in, or should I say suckered, by the low price: just $4.43 apiece shipped. I really wish I’d spent the extra two bucks and bought from valuebuybuy instead. I ordered dark gray and lavender, and actually, both colors were really lovely and look very much like Apple’s. The bands feel fine, not quite as soft as the others but certainly acceptable. That’s where my satisfaction ends, however. Both bands were total duds, for different reasons. The lavender one has a missing rubber piece and doesn’t stay on the watch at all. The gray one flat out doesn’t fit onto the watch at all. Additionally, there is no way to choose whether you get S/M or M/L, it’s just luck of the draw. I requested S/M in my note to the seller since that fits me better, but I got two M/L bands. That would have been a little annoying, but doable, if they were functional bands at all. I’m currently in the process of having eBay try and work out a refund for me and my little nine bucks.

The bottom line is, anytime you order third-party bands from eBay, it’s a crapshoot. I can only tell you my own experience and can’t guarantee that someone else will have the same. You can’t rely on photos because sellers often use photoshopped images or borrowed Apple images to display their wares. But I had excellent luck with sellforless12 and valuebuybuy, not so much with bessky_key.

Check out our buyer’s guide for more third-party Apple Watch bands.