8 Best Apple Watch Ultra Bands

For everything water focused or sweat drenched, I'd go with the Ocean Band. It is specifically made for water activities—sailing, snorkeling, and the like—so it's obviously the best option for anyone on the water. But I also think it's the front-runner for the Watch Ultra 2's best generalist band for those who like to stay active.

Since it's made of rubber like a typical sport band, you don't have to worry about keeping it clean or keeping it safe. The titanium finish on the clasps classes up the joint a little bit, so it doesn't look or feel cheap whatsoever. The only fault we found is that it's not incredibly perforated, so it'll feel a bit more restrictive than your typical sport bands.

Next up from Apple is the Alpine Loop. This nylon band is made from two different textiles woven together and it's our pick of the three for the everyday wear. It's comfortable, breathable (aka mostly sweat-free) and comes in a bunch of different color combinations that will help you look nice at work.

The outer textile layer is textured in loops, giving the band a thicker look to match the thickness of the Ultra Watch. But it does so without adding much weight, keeping the (already hefty) watch as light on your wrist as possible.

For the last Apple option, we turn once again to Trail Loop. Listen, they make the watch and if you get the Ultra 3, this is the one that comes with it by default. It only makes sense that it would be one of the best. The watch bands that Apple comes out with almost always look the best, and they tend to last. Since the Watch Ultra 3 is the smart watch best honed for adventure, this band follows suit.

The trail band is great for general wear, but when it comes to outdoorsing—on the slopes, on the trail, or at the campsite—it's the best. The nylon weave is lightweight, durable, and pretty easy to keep clean. For pretty much anything that's not underwater or having you drenched in sweat, this is the band.

When it comes to finding a breathable and durable sport band, we really like this option from Nomad. Unlike the Ocean band, this is a true sport band—made from fluorocarbon-elastomer rubber and designed to be extremely resistant to not just the oils and sweat your body produces, but external elements as well.

Across the board, this band is really good. It never gets dirty or nasty, nor does it sustain any water or weather. The aluminum closure pin is sturdy and lightweight. Plus, there are tons of color options to satisfy your own taste. I like it in an outdoorsy safety orange, but the Lunar Gray might be a better choice if you're wearing this with outfits.

The latest from Nomad is a rugged band to match the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It's durable, yet sleek, with different options for color accents. We prefer this ultra orange since it matches the crown and action buttons.

What makes this band is it's linked design. It looks great, with the highlight color subtly showing from underneath. Each one is removable, so you can customize the fit pretty exactly. Best of all, it's more flexible than your average linked watch band, meaning it's a whole lot more comfortable.

It also comes in a stylish titanium if you aren't in love with our titanium pick ahead. Honestly, the only negative is that it tends to me more expensive than your average Apple Watch band.

If you want a fancy leather band, the options are slim (mostly because Apple itself has removed leather from all its accessories). In all of our searching, all the touching watch of bands our editors have done, this was one of the best leather options we could find.

Here's the thing: It's an objectively nice band. The leather is decent quality, but the way the look comes together without any accents or distinguishing features gives it a tech look that we don't think everyone will love. Without any stitching, the look is significantly more tech-y than the average leather watch band. Not necessarily a bad thing, but for a fashion band, it could be an issue.

WITHit makes a ton of bands that are universally compatible across all sizes of Apple Watch. It's remarkably convenient for the shopper, but if you're going to go with one this is a style we haven't covered yet.

The clasped titanium watch band is a look you're used to seeing on your TAG Heuer but not as much on our smart wearables. But we find a thicker band style like this one works well with the larger 49mm Ultra watch, so we think it works well on this particular model.

If you want something that combines the luxury of leather with the convenience of magnetics, this is the ultimate Ultra band to get. It comes at a bit of a premium price, but Lucrin delivers with its calf-leather band with a magnetic clasp.

Lowkey, any band requires fiddling with our fingers is getting the axe these days. Some of our favorite bands for our Apple Watch Series 10 are magnetic. None of them are as chic as this one. Plus, there are so many color options to choose from, and they all look great.

Thankfully, this is an easy answer. There is only one size! Every Apple Watch Ultra is 49mm. Whenever you're looking for an Apple Watch Ultra band, all you have to do is make sure the band is compatible with 49mm watches.

According to language directly from Apple: "Bands for 49mm cases are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, or 46mm cases. Bands for 44mm, 45mm, or 46mm cases are compatible with 49mm cases."

This means every band in the 44mm to 49mm range is basically the same thing in terms of sizing. If it says it's compatible with 44m or 45mm, but doesn't list anything about the Ultra, it will still fit.