Daily practicality is often at odd ends with whimsy. A Nissan Pao will not carry your lumber back from Home Depot. A big, wacky phone case will not fit in your pocket or purse. No matter how much I desperately want one, I know that a plastic trumpet will sound terrible (even if it’s in gorgeous white). But you can have both practicality and whimsy with Nyloon’s Stark Apple Watch band.
Each one of these ballistic-grade nylon bands comes with a unique black-and-white pattern (with seemingly random splashes of red). And they feel soft enough for comfort, but rugged enough to take some abuse.
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Nyloon Stark Apple Watch band review
Nyloon makes a line of nylon Apple Watch bands inspired by NATO straps created for the British Ministry of Defence. But Nyloon’s bands don’t come only in pale-greenish military gray — you can get them in all sorts of colors. I tried out the Stark band.
You can pick between silver or black buckles and connectors. And, like Nyloon’s other bands, the Stark works just like a traditional watch band. One end is a buckle, and one end is a row of holes for sizing. There are not one but two loops to hold any excess band in place, so it wraps snugly around your wrist.
Comfort
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Since I’ve been tracking my sleep with my Apple Watch, for better or worse, I have to consider bands that are just as comfortable in bed as they are during the day. My beloved Speidel Twist-O-Flex band hasn’t seen much use since it pinched my wife two 12 times too many.
I thought the Nyloon band would be a bit scratchy or stuffy. It was breathable, but the feeling of the band took a little getting used to. In one word, I’d say it feels dense. In more words, I’d say the fabric is thick, tightly woven and stiff compared to other Apple Watch bands in my arsenal — it unstiffens after a few days.
This might sound off-putting, but for a lot of people, it’s a feature. I’m never scared, per se, but I always remain conscious of my watch when I’m out and about wearing my Braided Solo Loop with its delicate and tear-able polyester yarn.
I feel no such concern with the Nyloon band. This is what it was made for. This is its wheelhouse.
Bizarre colors and styles
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Stark is a very striking design. The alignment of the color pattern seems to vary — mine is mostly black and white on the outside with a flash of red at the end.
The weave of the fabric has some interesting texture going on, with a few bits of thread sewn on top of and across the band. I’m afraid I don’t know enough about the world of sewing to describe the qualities of this pattern any better than that.
If you’re sensitive to branding and logos on your devices and accessories, you’ll be happy to know that the only logo on the band is a tiny “ny” on the buckle. In most situations, it’s hard to see at all.
A classic Apple Watch band
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Personally, flashy bands aren’t my style, but I can appreciate the option for other people. My wardrobe of black shirts and gray slacks is entirely unprepared for this degree of excitement.
If you need to accessorize, this will do the part in drawing attention to your wrist. I bet this band would pair with the Apple Watch Ultra just fine.
The Stark is available for both small and large Apple Watches.
★★★☆☆
Price: $40
Buy from: Cult of Mac Store
Nyloon provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
