I bought the Apple Watch Ultra on day one. But like most people who wanted the watch the day it was released, I had to compromise when it came to selecting the band that came with the watch. (The Trail Loop bands were sold out.) Fast forward a year later and I finally picked up a Trail Loop, and now I’m wondering what took me so long.
Why It Matters
First, a little context. I’ve owned an Apple Watch since the first day Apple started selling them in 2014. Since that time I have collected quite a few bands. Some bands I have really liked and some bands were just ok. But most bands I wear off and on for a year or two and move on to something different. I really haven’t owned an Apple Watch band over all of these years that is simply my go-to band because of comfort… until now.
What Is the Trail Loop for Apple Watch Ultra?
The Trail Loop for Apple Watch Ultra is one of the three types of bands (Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band) that Apple released with the new Apple Watch Ultra last year. While these three watch bands will technically work with the larger versions of Apple’s non-Apple Watch Ultra lineup, they don’t really match the case colors and the contours, so they don’t look right.
The Trail Loop from Apple’s description is:
“The ultrathin, lightweight Trail Loop is made from a nylon weave creating a soft band with increased elasticity for a comfortable fit. The band is infinitely adjustable with a convenient pull tab for quick adjustments on the go.”
The Trail Loop is meant to be used by people who use their Apple Watch Ultra for running or other endurance sports. It is a very thin and lightweight but very comfortable band that you can wear hour after hour while exercising.
How Have I Been Using the Trail Loop?
Even though I actually do participate in an endurance sport (cycling), I don’t use the Trail Loop when I’m on the bike. In fact, I’ve never used the band while cycling. I’m sure it would work great. The reason I don’t is that I have an Apple silicon sport band that is the only band that is compatible with my Road iD, which is a metal ID band that lets EMS know who I am and what my medical information is in the event I am in a bike crash and need medical attention. It is a really nice safety item to have while riding out on the roads as much as I do. There are other versions of the Road iD out there that don’t require me to use a certain Apple Watch band, but I just haven’t changed over to one of those form factors yet.
So if I don’t use the Trail Loop for cycling, what do I use it for then? The answer is everything else. I wear my Apple Watch 24×7, which means I wear it while I sleep. The Trail Loop is so thin and so soft it is the perfect watch band to wear to bed. But I also use the band more often than not during the day as well. You see, because the band is so slim and soft it is very practical to wear while typing on a laptop. So if I am working from home I tend to move between my desk and working mobile on my laptop, and I like having a watch band that doesn’t interfere with the computer surface as I type.
Verdict
The Trail Loop for Apple Watch is simply the most comfortable Apple Watch band I have ever owned. Yes, I’ve owned both the Apple Sport Loop and Apple’s Braided Solo Loop. Both are nice bands but are not as comfortable. The Sport Loop is not as soft and is quite a bit thicker. The Braided Solo Loop, while thicker, is quite soft and comfortable, but I’ve had to return two of them because they eventually stretched out enough and became too loose to wear. And yes, they did stretch out because when I returned the first band I ordered a new one a size smaller, and it started out too tight and then slowly over months stretched out to be too big.
The Apple Watch Ultra Trail Loop, in my opinion, is the most comfortable Apple Watch band that Apple makes. It is too bad that it really only works well with the Apple Watch Ultra and not the rest of the Apple Watch lineup. I suspect Apple does this on purpose, as the band really is designed for endurance athletes, and I think Apple would like to push that demographic into the more expensive Apple Watch rather than cater to their current Apple Watch version and release a similar band for the rest of the Apple Watches. Overall, if you own an Apple Watch Ultra this is a band you should really check out. It instantly became my default watch band unless I was doing a specific activity like dressing up for work or exercising. I normally wouldn’t recommend such an expensive band ($99 is a little obscene for a Watch Band), but given just how much I wear the darn thing it has been totally worth it.
Pros:
- Ultra comfortable
- Very thin and light-weight making it perfect for endurance sports (and good for sleeping and everyday wear too)
- Infinitely adjustable so it always fits perfectly
- The pull tab makes it easy to adjust while exercising
- Easy to wash and dry between workouts
Cons:
- Expensive
- Takes a while to dry when it gets wet (is perfectly comfortable while sweating and exercising but is annoying if you get the band wet while washing your hands or doing dishes)
- The light-colored pull tab gets dirty easily
While there are 3rd party knockoffs out there similar to the Trail Loop, I am not aware of any that don’t compromise the comfort and durability of this band. So as much as the budget-conscience side of me fights this, I recommend skipping the $6 knock-off band and spending the $99 on the Apple version. If you wear it as much as I do it is worth getting the real thing. The Apple Watch Ultra Trail Loop is available now either directly from Apple or from Amazon, both priced at $99.
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