I wear my Apple Watch every day, so it is nice to have different watch bands for different occasions. I bought my first Apple Watch with a leather band, but I rarely wear that one anymore because I far prefer wearing the Milanese Loop during the day — a band that looks great and feels really good. (My review.) At night, when working out, and on the weekends, I like wearing a Sport Band, especially once the larger XL size came out. (My review.) In March of 2016, Apple introduced a new band called the Woven Nylon band. It costs the same as the Sport Band ($49.00) and those two are the least expensive watch bands sold by Apple. I've been curious about the Nylon Band for many months now, and my family bought me one for my birthday earlier this month. I've now been wearing it almost every day for over a week to put it through its paces. I like this band a lot because it is so comfortable. I had expected to find that this band is even better than the Sport Band for exercising, but I actually found just the opposite. Here are my thoughts on this band.
The look
Apple describes the Woven Nylon band as follows: "Every Woven Nylon band is made from more than 500 threads woven together in a unique, colorful pattern. Monofilaments connect four layers of the weave to create a single durable band with a comfortable, fabric-like feel." The buckle is made of stainless steel.
The band has a wavy weave pattern. It currently comes in seven color combinations. For five of them, the first listed color is the accent, and the second listed color is the main color: Light Pink/Midnight Blue, Yellow/Light Gray, Space Orange/Anthracite, Toasted Coffee/Caramel, Navy/Tahoe. (These colors were all added by Apple in September of 2016.) Apple also continues to sell the Woven Nylon in Pearl, Blue and Black. Because Apple changes those colors from time to time, you are reading this post in 2017 or later, I suspect that the available colors will have changed. I have the Navy/Tahoe Blue Model, and it looks like this:
Here is a closer view, which allows you to better see the weave. (As always, you can click on a picture to see a larger version.)
I think that the Woven Nylon band looks nice. None of the colors have that super-bright look that some of the Sport Band colors do, which makes this band somewhat less casual than the Sport Band. Having said that, my personal opinion is that Woven Nylon band is still a little too casual for work. My law firm has an office casual dress code, so I usually only wear a suit when I am going to court, visiting clients, etc. I wore my Woven Nylon band on six days when I wasn't wearing a suit and instead wore just a long-sleeve button-down shirt with slacks, I often felt that the Woven Nylon band was just a little too casual — close, but not quite there. And for the one day last week that I wore a suit, I switched to the Milanese Loop because I just couldn't imagine wearing this band with a coat and tie.
But of course, fashion works in different ways for different people, so maybe this look is formal enough for you. I do occasionally see attorneys wearing a stripped NATO-style nylon watch band with traditional watches, so I suppose this look can work for some people. Also, I have seen some people online claim that the Black version of the Woven Nylon band looks more formal. Perhaps that one would look more appropriate with more formal clothes, but I'm not sure.
The feel
I expected the band to feel like a piece of cloth. It doesn't. It's thicker and stiffer than that, although perhaps the stiffness will wear off after a few months of use.
Even so, it is incredibly comfortable to wear, and it is arguably the most comfortable band that Apple makes. It feels really good against my skin. It is also very light. If you are a looking for a band that you barely notice when wearing it, I think that this is the best one that Apple offers.
Length
Apple says that the 42mm version of the Woven Nylon band that I have fits 145-215mm wrists. (For 38mm watches, the Woven Nylon band fits wrists 125-195mm.) The Woven Nylon band is just a tiny bit longer than the L size of the Sport Band which is made for wrists up to 210mm, and not nearly as long as the XL size which is made for wrists up to 245mm. In this picture, the black band at top is the XL size Sport Band, the bright blue band is the L size Sport Band, then you see the Woven Nylon band, and finally you see the white M size Sport Band.
As you can see, the holes on the Woven Nylon band extend just a tiny bit farther than the L size Sport Band, but not much. I have a larger wrist; using a measuring tape from my wife's sewing kit, I measure it right at 210mm. When I wear a L size Sport Band, I use the very last hole. (That's why I prefer the XL size Sport Band, as I explained in this post.) But with the Woven Nylon band, I can use the second-to-last hole for the same fit.
Using one of the last holes on the Woven Nylon band is much better than the using one of the last holes on a Sport Band because with very little of the band left over to tuck using the pin-and-tuck enclosure of the Sport Band, that band can pop open, especially if you accidentally pull it or if it gets caught on something. The Woven Nylon band uses a buckle, and while I don't like that so little of the band is left over to tuck when I use the second-to-last hole, it is definitely secure and I have zero concern that it will disconnect and cause my watch will fall off of my wrist. Having said that, if there was an XL version of the Woven Nylon band, I would definitely prefer it.
Exercise
If you are like me, you aim to get your 30 minutes worth of green exercise circles on your Apple Watch every day. When you work out, you are going to sweat. I find that the Sport Band works great for exercise, but I thought that the Woven Nylon band might be even better because I had read some reviews in which folks praised the Woven Nylon band for breathing more when you sweat.
I have never had a problem with the Sport Band when exercising. Sweat has never caused it to feel itchy or anything. But with the Woven Nylon band, I find that there are two minor annoyances when I work out.
First, for the first five minutes or so of a workout, I find that it slips up my arm a little. Once I start to sweat enough, the band stays in place and this is no longer a problem. But it is a tiny bit annoying for the watch to move. Also, I wonder if that movement affects the accuracy of the readings by the sensors on the bottom.
Second, after I finish working out, I notice that the Woven Nylon band has absorbed sweat, which makes it a little damp. Indeed, the band is water resistant so it is okay for it to get wet, but if you go swimming with it or get caught in a big rainstorm, it is going to take a while to dry. With a Sport Band, you can just wipe off the water with a towel and then it is dry.
So maybe the Woven Nylon band breathes more than the Sport Band. And if you find that the Sport Band makes you uncomfortable or itchy when you work out (a complaint I have heard some make before), then perhaps the Woven Nylon band might work better for you. But my preference is to use the Sport Band when I am perspiring.
Conclusion
I expected this to be a great band for exercise, and that didn't turn out to be true for me. I prefer the Sport Band for exercise, and the Sport Band also seems to make the most sense if you are going to get wet. And because I consider the Woven Nylon band to be somewhat casual, now that this post is written and my testing period is over, I am going to return to wearing my Milanese Loop for work every day — especially when I am wearing a suit. But for weekends and other times when I want to wear a more casual and incredibly comfortable watch band, the Woven Nylon band is fantastic. I really like this band, and if you use an Apple Watch and don't currently have a Woven Nylon band, I encourage you to check it out. At only $50, it isn't too expensive to get as a second band for your Apple Watch, and that is a good price for someone to give it to you as a gift (how I got mine) or for you to give one to the Apple Watch wearer in your life.