Three new Strap Studio Gear S3 smartwatch band options: Horween leather and textiles to match your style
(Image: ZDNet)
In January, we looked at the first four style options of watch bands for the Gear S3 from Strap Studio. Strap Studio is an official Designed for Samsung partner and just launched three new band styles with the same reasonable $39 price.
Strap Studio reached out to see if I wanted to test the new Field, Kvadrat, and Essex styles. A week later, all 11 available colors in these new three styles arrived for testing. In order to make sure I tested each color and style, I've spent the last month swapping bands on a daily basis to coordinate with my clothes and events.
Band options
The new Strap Studio bands come in the following styles and colors. All of the bands are 125 x 80mm in length with a lug size of 22mm. They work with the Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic.
- Field: Gray, red, navy blue, trench, and black colors. Trench is a light tan/khaki color. The Field style is created with handcrafted premium textile from Italy. The stitching on each band matches the color of the band so it blends in. All colors have PVD black buckles with two stylish loops that hold the bitter end of the strap against the rest of the band. It was rather difficult to use the easy change pins to swap to the Field bands since there is not much of a gap as the material takes up most of the 22mm lug opening. Over time, it was easier to swap in the Field band, but there is definitely a bit of break in period.
- Kvadrat: Grey, beige, and orange colors. The Kvadrat style is another made of textile material, this time originating from Denmark. Leather is also integrated into the securing system with leather lined opening and two leather loops on each band, in black and off-white colors. The texture is more pronounced with a subtle gingham appearance that is most pronounced on the Kvadrat Grey band that has black and white highlights. Stainless steel buckles are present on the Kvadrat bands.
- Essex: Chestnut, brown, and black colors. The Essex style is constructed from Horween leather from Chicago. The leather smells fantastic, is soft and supple on the wrist, and is thick so it will last for years. Horween leather develops a patina over time, and I can't wait to see what these bands look like after extended use. PVD black buckles are used on the Essex collection with two leather loops. Basic stitching is present to secure in the easy change sping bar system and this style is the easiest of the three new styles to swap out quickly.
All three new styles are priced at $39 each. I would love to see a purchase option for multiple band orders, something like three bands for $100, since it is very difficult to choose just a single band. You also receive free worldwide delivery for orders of $100 or more.
Quality and design
All bands are hand-sewn and made with premium textiles and leather from Italy, Denmark, and Chicago. The Samsung spring bar system is included so it just takes seconds to switch out bands and be on your way. Simple insert on end of the pin into the socket and the slide down the top end using the handy lever on the upper pin to move the band into position and release the lever for final lock in.
Buckles are made of stainless steel and PVD. PVD (physical vapor deposition) is a coating process and in this case adds a black color over stainless steel material.
In order for a company to attach the Designed for Samsung logo to a product, it signs up to be a partner with Samsung and follows a process for authorization to use the logo. When you see this logo on products, you can trust that Samsung has certified the product compatibility with Samsung's associated product.
Three new Strap Studio Gear S3 smartwatch band options:
Daily usage experiences
The Seta Grey band I purchased late last year was my favorite style, until this new collection arrived. It is tough not to love the look and feel of the soft Horween leather on the Essex, but the Kvadrat offers a unique fashionable look to your Gear S3, too. For some reason, I absolutely love the dual loop look of the Field models, too, and the bold colors with sporty look are great for summer time use outside.
My Gear S3 Frontier is used more than my Apple Watch in large part because of these fantastic Strap Studio bands. They are so stylish, attractive, and comfortable that they make my Gear S3 Frontier more valuable as a smartwatch.
Every one of the bands I tested was extremely comfortable and looked great. As I mentioned above, the Field series is a bit tougher to swap out at first, but it breaks in over time and is easier to swap using the easy-change pin system.
If you have a Gear S3 Frontier or Classic, then I highly recommend you consider one, or more, of these bands. They look fantastic and are of the highest quality I have experience on a watch band. They are reasonably priced for such quality and design, and the toughest choice you will have to make is to decide which style and color you want to wear with your Gear S3.