Pela’s newest addition to its sustainable tech accessory family is the Apple Watch Bands for $39.
Made from its custom Flaxstic material, the band is 100% compostable, so when you’re done with it, the band will entirely decompose, leaving no waste. It’s great to know a product won’t contribute to polluting our oceans or our planet which is a big draw for us.
The price also undercuts official Apple watch bands, especially for the three-pack bundle that saves $35. This is an even bigger incentive because you spend less and reduce your waste.
The bands are cute, and if you’re already a fan of Pela, like we are, you can coordinate your phone case, AirPods case and Apple Watch bands to match. There’s no harm in buying extra bands if you like changing your color scheme since the products are waste-free. Plus, the setup for attaching the magnetic metal clasps is simple (we’ll get to this later).
We’re excited about the moves Pela has made toward sustainable tech accessories since itkeeps plastic out of the oceans and landfills while still keeping you and your tech on-trend.
The setup
Attaching your Pela watch bands, which are designed to fit 38mm and 40mm watches, to your Apple Watch involves two steps. The straps will not just slide into the watch band connection like the Apple ones.
Your bands come with magnetic metal connectors, which is an effort to be more sustainable since the metal connectors are easy to swap between bands.
The metal lug, which fits into the holes of the band for sizing, easily pops in place.
Hooking the clasps to your watch is simple with the quick-release metal clasps. One part of the clasp pops off so you can slide the first half into the top of the band. Slide in the other half and click the clasp closed. Then you can slide the bands into your watch.
The bands are only available in one size, which we found to be comparable to the S/M size offered by Apple. We also found we used the same measurement as we used with the Apple bands.
Sizes aren’t being added to the lineup, so it would be nice if more were available.
The wear
Pela’s watch bands are flexible, but it takes time for them to form to your wrist.
They’re slightly stiff and will keep your watch higherup on your wrist when you first wear them, but they become more flexible and form to the shape of your wrist after about a week. That allowed the watch to move farther down the wrist.
They are flexible enough though when you put them on after charging, you won’t have to force them to bend. The slot for the band to tuck into once you’ve sized it on your wrist is also slightly lifted, which made the wear more comfortable. It gave room for the leftover band to slide into it without pushing the opposite band up and making it feel tight.
For everyday wear, they function just like you’d expect. We also tested the bands while strength training and running. The watch stayed in place for the most part so it didn’t interrupt our workout and we didn’t have to adjust it.
That meant the bands didn’t interfere with the Apple Watch’s sensor. They also didn’t hold onto any extra sweat or feel uncomfortable while working out.
Overall, the watch bands were extremely comfortable. They fit snugly, but not too tight, which means they didn’t slide around or move off the center of the wrist.
We had a full range of motion so we didn’t have to pull the watch band over our wrists as much as we had with our previous bands.
Final thoughts
The Pela watch bands, including the Apple Watch Band, are definitely a great move when it comes to moving toward a sustainable tech accessory lineup.
The watch bands are available in five colors, so you can match your band to one of Pela’s 100% biodegradable phone cases. The color lineup is standard with bright and some neutral tones.
The ease of set up, comfort of wear and the knowledge that we won’t add to the plastic in the ocean are reasons we love these bands. Sustainable tech and accessories are on the rise, so we’re excited Pela added Apple Watch bands to its product lineup.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailer’s listed prices at the time of publication.