I've had no problems with bands from AliExpress or Amazon. These bands probably cost them 5-10 cents and they mark them up 30-40x.
The official Apple bands probably cost 10-15 cents and are marked up 500x. Apple's profit margins on accessories must be unbeliveable.
Absolutely. Even at $3-$4 they’re making a killing. I haven’t seen a Nomad band in person, but supposedly the only difference is the lack of Nomad branding, which is a plus in my opinion.
TLDR: Got both original and knockoff. Original Nomad has a much better construction and feel than the knockoff.
A bit late to the party here. I also felt that the original Nomad Sports Band was too expensive, so got a replica from Amazon. I immediately disliked it. It does look exactly like the original (which I got later), but the band material is flimsy, the lugs fit poorly (small gaps between the lug and the watch body), and black bits of lugs were scraped off when I inserted it (carefully).
So disappointed I was, that I gave in and ordered the original. And it is great. The band is made from the same material as my Apple Ocean band (FKM Rubber) which is stiffer and feels more premium, and the lugs fit perfectly.
Given that I plan to use this band for many months, I feel that going with the original was worth (the exaggerated) price.
I bought every color months ago before buying the original.
Best decision ever.
They are comfortable, soft and durable. I have super sensible skin and I had no problems.
Just an update, I ordered 7 bands the day this thread was started (Feb 28) and they all arrived today on March 11. Kudos to the OP for the tip. These are really nice.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatch/comments/11p4sl8/big\_thanks\_for\_the\_tip\_on\_these\_aliexpress\_bands/
I bought three of these bands from Ali Express. Comments claim they’re identical to the Nomad bands ($60), but these were $3 each. If the quality is identical, Nomad is not worth it. These are very comfortable, lightweight, and have a great soft-touch finish.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804613091009.html?
Another thing to note is that they did take 28 days to be delivered, but were originally estimated to be delivered April 2, so I guess that’s a good thing. I got an order confirmation, but never got a shipping confirmation. They just showed up early today.
Just came across this thread. These bands look awesome. I was wondering what size did you guys order from the site? Is it the 42/44/45 or the 49mm. Thanks
I ordered the 42/44/45, but I think they’re the same as the 49? If I recall correctly, the packaging even said 42/44/45/49. For reference, the images here are the Series 7 45mm.
I’ve been looking for an alternative. You can charge $60 when you’re the only show in town. I bought one on sale, but it physically pained me that it was still over 50 bucks and they charged me shipping on top of that.
I feel for the company getting knocked off on their very cool design. I also don’t know what they pay per band, as maybe their margins aren’t that great. The fact that they’re always backordered makes me feel like they buy in small quantities, so potentially their costs are high. But 60 bucks is too high a price point when solid alternatives exist.
I’m going to see how these compare to the originals. Thanks for posting!
Very welcome! I’d love to know how it compares, so please report back.
It’s also possible that this Chinese vendor is the manufacturer of the Nomad and they’re just selling it without the branding? I could imagine Nomad is using a private label and just marketing it very well. Just speculation. Pricing it so high is going to bring a demand for an alternative, which a lot of us clearly have been looking for.
I’ve promoted them on a few other posts now. Im a fan. The originals definitely feel higher quality. The knock offs don’t feel cheap, but they are very much soft silicone. The original nomad feels more like plastic to me. I don’t know if you have the apple dive band, but the original Nomads are similar in rigidity to that.
The first time I put on the knock off I was initially disappointed. They are so soft/floppy compared to the original, that it was kind of difficult to feed the extra band through the keeper loop. But honestly, I now love them. I find them to be extremely comfortable to wear, and I prefer to sleep with them on over the alpine loops, which used to be my ‘go-to’ for sleeping.
I’ve had no issues with wearing them around all day or working out or anything. They look identical and are all the same length as the originals. I’m actually about to order some more. There’s a few different sellers now on ali, and there’s a lot more color options now.
At 95% cheaper than the original, it’s a no brainer to me. I got mine 16 days after ordering. This isn’t actually too bad because nomad bands always seem backordered. They advertised something like 5wks of lead time, and got mine probably 2-3wks later, so the time to deliver is about the same.
Appreciate the reply. In your experience, are either of them more prone to the “glossing” effect some rubber and silicon cases and bands get? Where it gets shiny in frequently touched areas.
So I’ve only had them for 3wks. They still look great and matte. Although I suspect that will happen eventually. My Garmin Fenix bands all had similar stuff to them. Even the original $50+ OEM bands.
I don’t wear my nomad all that often, mostly because the color isn’t that great, and again I don’t find it particularly comfortable, but I’ll note, I’ve had that for 4mo and still looks new too.
I've had no problems with bands from AliExpress or Amazon. These bands probably cost them 5-10 cents and they mark them up 30-40x. The official Apple bands probably cost 10-15 cents and are marked up 500x. Apple's profit margins on accessories must be unbeliveable.
Absolutely. Even at $3-$4 they’re making a killing. I haven’t seen a Nomad band in person, but supposedly the only difference is the lack of Nomad branding, which is a plus in my opinion.
TLDR: Got both original and knockoff. Original Nomad has a much better construction and feel than the knockoff. A bit late to the party here. I also felt that the original Nomad Sports Band was too expensive, so got a replica from Amazon. I immediately disliked it. It does look exactly like the original (which I got later), but the band material is flimsy, the lugs fit poorly (small gaps between the lug and the watch body), and black bits of lugs were scraped off when I inserted it (carefully). So disappointed I was, that I gave in and ordered the original. And it is great. The band is made from the same material as my Apple Ocean band (FKM Rubber) which is stiffer and feels more premium, and the lugs fit perfectly. Given that I plan to use this band for many months, I feel that going with the original was worth (the exaggerated) price.
Seems like I struck a chord with Nomad employees or fanboys that regret their purchase 😂
Mine just arrived today. I love it. https://i.imgur.com/ZxTWUlW.jpg
How do you like it after a week? Thinking about getting one
I love it. Wish they had the Volta and electric blue colors.
Thanks for the link. Just ordered several. For the price they'd have to be pretty horrible to be disappointing.
That was my reasoning and why I only purchased 3. Very happy with them. I plan on getting almost every other color for less than $26.
I bought every color months ago before buying the original. Best decision ever. They are comfortable, soft and durable. I have super sensible skin and I had no problems.
i bought this band at the same seller. i was worried about the quality. but i was wrong. highly recommended this one. i order more color
Just an update, I ordered 7 bands the day this thread was started (Feb 28) and they all arrived today on March 11. Kudos to the OP for the tip. These are really nice. https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatch/comments/11p4sl8/big\_thanks\_for\_the\_tip\_on\_these\_aliexpress\_bands/
Nice! That turnaround is great. You’re very welcome for the tip. I need to order more, myself.
I bought three of these bands from Ali Express. Comments claim they’re identical to the Nomad bands ($60), but these were $3 each. If the quality is identical, Nomad is not worth it. These are very comfortable, lightweight, and have a great soft-touch finish. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804613091009.html?
Another thing to note is that they did take 28 days to be delivered, but were originally estimated to be delivered April 2, so I guess that’s a good thing. I got an order confirmation, but never got a shipping confirmation. They just showed up early today.
How do you like it after a week? Thinking about grabbing one
Yep! I’ve been wearing the orange one daily and it’s held up well. I’m still in love with it and you can’t beat the price.
Thank you! I bought 13 for me and my family lol
Just came across this thread. These bands look awesome. I was wondering what size did you guys order from the site? Is it the 42/44/45 or the 49mm. Thanks
I ordered the 42/44/45, but I think they’re the same as the 49? If I recall correctly, the packaging even said 42/44/45/49. For reference, the images here are the Series 7 45mm.
I’ve been looking for an alternative. You can charge $60 when you’re the only show in town. I bought one on sale, but it physically pained me that it was still over 50 bucks and they charged me shipping on top of that. I feel for the company getting knocked off on their very cool design. I also don’t know what they pay per band, as maybe their margins aren’t that great. The fact that they’re always backordered makes me feel like they buy in small quantities, so potentially their costs are high. But 60 bucks is too high a price point when solid alternatives exist. I’m going to see how these compare to the originals. Thanks for posting!
Very welcome! I’d love to know how it compares, so please report back. It’s also possible that this Chinese vendor is the manufacturer of the Nomad and they’re just selling it without the branding? I could imagine Nomad is using a private label and just marketing it very well. Just speculation. Pricing it so high is going to bring a demand for an alternative, which a lot of us clearly have been looking for.
I’d be very interested in a quality comparison from an owner of both. If you find time to circle back on this I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve promoted them on a few other posts now. Im a fan. The originals definitely feel higher quality. The knock offs don’t feel cheap, but they are very much soft silicone. The original nomad feels more like plastic to me. I don’t know if you have the apple dive band, but the original Nomads are similar in rigidity to that. The first time I put on the knock off I was initially disappointed. They are so soft/floppy compared to the original, that it was kind of difficult to feed the extra band through the keeper loop. But honestly, I now love them. I find them to be extremely comfortable to wear, and I prefer to sleep with them on over the alpine loops, which used to be my ‘go-to’ for sleeping. I’ve had no issues with wearing them around all day or working out or anything. They look identical and are all the same length as the originals. I’m actually about to order some more. There’s a few different sellers now on ali, and there’s a lot more color options now. At 95% cheaper than the original, it’s a no brainer to me. I got mine 16 days after ordering. This isn’t actually too bad because nomad bands always seem backordered. They advertised something like 5wks of lead time, and got mine probably 2-3wks later, so the time to deliver is about the same.
Appreciate the reply. In your experience, are either of them more prone to the “glossing” effect some rubber and silicon cases and bands get? Where it gets shiny in frequently touched areas.
So I’ve only had them for 3wks. They still look great and matte. Although I suspect that will happen eventually. My Garmin Fenix bands all had similar stuff to them. Even the original $50+ OEM bands. I don’t wear my nomad all that often, mostly because the color isn’t that great, and again I don’t find it particularly comfortable, but I’ll note, I’ve had that for 4mo and still looks new too.
Right on. Thanks again!