The 8 Apple Watch Bands Our Editors Love Best

Sizing and compatibility is a confusing issue. The following is straight from Apple's website as of January 2025 and applies to all the models I listed above.

"Bands for 38mm, 40mm, and 41mm cases are compatible with each other, and bands for 42mm, 44mm, and 45mm cases are compatible with each other.

Bands for 46mm cases are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, and 46mm cases. Bands for 49mm cases are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, or 46mm cases. Bands for 44mm, 45mm, or 46mm cases are compatible with 49mm cases."

Woof—I know, that's a lot of numbers. Here are the key takeaways. There's basically three categories of band size, but they all have some overlap. Every band in the 44mm-49mm range is basically the same thing sizing wise. And, importantly, 42mm bands are also compatible with 44mm watches and vice versa. 40mm bands are not compatible with anything else that Apple currently sells aside from the SE 3. Equipped with that knowledge, you can begin shopping.