Maybe your Apple Watch came with one of the unique, fluoroelastomer bands with pin-and-tuck closure and you’re looking to get some more. Maybe your Apple Watch came with a different band and you’ve had your eye on a sport band (or several) ever since. The thing is, the real Apple bands are $49 a pop, and while they’re certainly worth it, there are also several really good alternatives you can try for much, much less.

Tough enough

Nomad Sport Strap

Staff Favorite

If you want something similar to the Sport band, but with a bit of a different look, check out Nomad’s offering. As befits its brand, the Nomad Sport Strap is a little more expensive than other entries on this list, but it’s also of a higher quality than most of them, too. Made of high-grade silicone, this strap is water resistant and features a tough buckle that should stand up to all sorts of environmental hazards. It’s made for Apple’s larger 42mm/44mm watches.

$40 at Nomad

Colorful savings

AdMaster Sport Band

AdMaster’s silicone band features two pins for its clasping mechanism for a more secure fastening, but otherwise it looks and behaves much like the official Apple band. The band band is made of soft silicone and comes in a wide variety of colors such as red, black, midnight blue, ocean blue, pink sand, purple, and pink.

$8 at Amazon

A classier silicone strap

Clockwork Synergy Silicone Strap

The Clockwork Synergy Silicone Strap is designed with a comfortable silicone, and while the buckle doesn’t function like your standard Apple Watch Sport Band, Clockwork Synergy gives you the option to choose what your buckle color will look like: you can pick from stainless steel, brushed steel, yellow gold, rose gold, or PVD black.

$12 at Clockwork Synergy

Vibrant and cheap

ViTech Silicone Sport Band

If you’re looking for a durable and comfortable Apple Watch Sport band replacement, then consider taking a peek at the ViTech Silicone Sport Band. This watch band is made from a smooth silicone and comes in a wide set of colors including antique white, black, midnight blue, rose red, and vintage rose.

$8 at Amazon

Thank u, NEXT

NEXT Sport Band

This band from NEXT six colors and is ready for any size Apple Watch. The band looks a lot like Apple’s band, but with some key differences, like flatter ends. Available in black, midnight blue, gray, olive green, pink, and lavender.

$15 at Best Buy

All of these are excellent sport bands for your Apple Watch, and you can get them without shelling out the $50 for a first-party band from Apple. Any would be a great addition to a band collection, but personally, I’ve got my eye on the Nomad Sport Strap. It’s a different aesthetic than the other bands offer, and appeals to me, personally.

iMore – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog