How to Make Your Own Apple Watch Nylon Bands at a Fraction of the Price

It was widely expected at last Monday’s “Let Us Loop You In” special media event that Apple would take the wraps off at least something having to do with the Apple Watch. However, none of us knew exactly what the revelation would entail until the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, got up on stage to announce a new “Spring collection” of Woven Nylon Apple Watch bands…

And so far, perhaps understandably, the response to that highly-anticipated news has been somewhat bittersweet.. I mean, sure, the concept of a Woven Nylon band sounds awesome, right? After all, Nylon is comfortable to wear, withstands stains well enough, and is an extremely durable fabric. So yeah, all things considered, Apple’s new collection of Woven Nylon Watch bands — which is comprised of 7, unique and eye-popping colors — are pretty cool.. That is, of course, if you can stomach the thought of plunking down $49 for one.

Yes, the bands are cool — the colors are cool, the concept is unique.. Let’s all just agree on that front, okay? But what if we told you it was possible, with a little investment of time, and just $5 or $6 — or about 10% of the retail price on Apple’s website, you could construct your own Woven Nylon Apple Watch band? Well, it’s true, friends, according to avid YouTuber, Okinawan Matt.

Matt, disgruntled with the retail cost, apparently took matters into his own hands — ultimately stumbling upon some super-cheap NATO bands, which typically run about about $3 to $4 apiece online.

The only downside, unfortunately, is that the way these bands are designed, you wouldn’t be able to use them as-is — in other words, right from the package, simply because they’ll end up restricting your access to the heart-rate sensor located on the back of the watch face.

However, the good news is: nothing is impossible in life, with a can-do attitude, a little bit of elbow grease, and perhaps a couple hours of your time!

NATO bands are essentially Woven Nylon bands that are often worn by members of the military, primarily in light of their comfort and durability through a wide range of tasks. They’re very hard to tear, easy to clean, and are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

You can check out the video presentation above to get a better idea of what exactly is involved in the process — at least, from a hands-on standpoint. However, in essence, Matt says all you’d have to do is cut the NATO band to fit the existing Apple Watch shape (the most time consuming part of the process), and then attach some $2 Apple Watch Lugs using the included screw.

Once those are in place, all that’s needed is just a little bit of cutting and sewing to bring the fringes and loose ends together, and then you’ll have a fancy new band — in a color of your choice, mind you — that costs significantly less than the $49 Apple-branded Woven Nylon straps sold on Apple’s website.

Also, I mean, you made it yourself, right? That’s definitely something to be proud of!

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