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Nomad just made the boldest Apple Watch accessory yet, and I expect it to sell out soon
One aspect that I love about the Apple Watch is the vast assortment of bands available. You can easily match an outfit, dress up or down for various occasions, show off some personality, and choose the best band for your activities. Over the years, Nomad has become one of my go-to band makers, and its most recent Limited Edition Sport bands are some of the best that I've tested.
Also: My search for the ultimate Apple Watch Ultra strap is over
Three colors have already sold out; High Volta, Electric Blue, and Atlantic Blue, and the latest Blaze option looks to be selling out soon. In its place is a new Glow colorway, which you can probably guess what the unique feature is.
Like the predecessors, the watch band is made of flexible FKM rubber with a low profile pin-and-tuck closure mechanism to keep it secure on your wrist. While Apple incorporates a small round pin, Nomad uses a long oval pin design with a larger tip so that the band stays on better than Apple's own Sport bands.
View at Nomad GoodsThe band is 100% waterproof and fits most, if not all, wrist sizes with openings for the pin along the strip. All Apple Watch versions work with these bands and there are two sizes available starting at $60.
The Blaze color band that I used prior to the Glow was inspired by coastal California hues and is an orange color with yellow undertones. I purchased a rugged band directly from Apple last year to match the orange highlights on my Apple Watch Ultra and, as you can see, the Blaze color is not as bold. In fact, the Blaze may actually match the Action Button a bit closer than the Ultra Orange color.
The newest Limited Edition Sport band is called Glow and has an off-white color in well-lit environments, but then it glows a vibrant green when in darker environments. I've only been using it for a day, but I am impressed by the band's ability to shine brightly in the dark and last for many hours in the glowing condition.
The glow spans all around the band and shines for much longer than I anticipated. It's definitely not designed as a safety feature that could replace a flashlight, but it is fun to see it stand out on your wrist when the lights go down, and will make the watch easier to find if you ever remove it in the dark.
Also: Apple Watch upgrade time? How to choose between Series 8, Ultra, or waiting for Series 9
A question you may have is how the watch band affects sleep. I have only slept one night with the band on and it did not shine too much or interrupt my sleep at all, so that was good to know. However, if you're a sensitive sleeper, I'd advise switching it out for something less polarizing.
I personally like the off-white color of the band when in well-lit environments. There are no spots of the glowing material in the band and the white color looks clean and fantastic. It's tough to capture the glowing green with a camera in a pitch-black space, but it clearly shows up vibrant at first and then the photoluminescence wears down over time. Factor in the high-quality material that Nomad puts in these bands and you have one of the best options on the market today.