One of the joys of owning a watch with industry standard lug bars is how any strap, providing it’s the correct width, can be fitted to your watch, giving it a whole new look for a fraction of the price of a new timepiece.
This is also the case with some smartwatches, but not all. Specifically, the Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch use proprietary connection for their straps, meaning that only bands sold by the manufacturer can be fitted.
Apple and others offer a wide range of straps, and the Watch has been out for so long now that loads of companies sell adapters to fit regular straps. This hasn’t been the case with the Pixel Watch.
Google sells the Crafted Leather Band, which comes with adapters for accepting a regular strap, but Google doesn’t offer these adapters on their own.
Thankfully, the smartwatch accessory industry has started to catch up. There are now several companies selling strap adapters for the Pixel Watch, in various sizes and finishes to suit your watch and whichever strap you choose to pair it with.
As highlighted by Droidlife, there are multiple options available now on Amazon, although we’ve found that some are currently sold out in the UK. Adapters available to both US and UK shoppers are priced at around $9 to $12, or £5 to £9, and can be bought in black, gold, rose gold and silver finishes.
We can’t speak for their quality, as we haven’t tried them for ourselves, so we urge readers to check user reviews and star ratings before making a purchase.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Hopefully though, this is just the start for customising the Pixel Watch. As long as the smartwatch itself proves popular, we should eventually see a third-party strap and accessory market as vibrant and buoyant as that for the Apple Watch.
Key here will be the Pixel Watch’s popularity, and also if Google retains the same strap connectors for future generations of its wearable, as Apple has across generations of Watch.
Alistair is a freelance automotive and technology journalist. He has bylines on esteemed sites such as the BBC, Forbes, TechRadar, and of best of all, T3, where he covers topics ranging from classic cars and men's lifestyle, to smart home technology, phones, electric cars, autonomy, Swiss watches, and much more besides. He is an experienced journalist, writing news, features, interviews and product reviews. If that didn't make him busy enough, he is also the co-host of the AutoChat podcast.
-
A Pilates instructor says this is the five-minute routine you need for your back
Tight and tense after a long day of sitting? Unwind with these five exercises
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Microsoft Teams gets a great free update that iPad owners will love
Happy video calling!
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Your Apple TV just got a great new trick
Actually it got a couple...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple just accidentally leaked the M4 MacBook Air
Don't expect a redesign, this upgrade is all about processing power
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Apple AirPods Pro 3 tipped for an earlier than expected release date
And with a redesign too, possibly
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple Music gets a huge free update you can enjoy even if you don't subscribe
Viva la musica!
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Google's "Willow" quantum chip won't just change future computers, it could change the world
Willow smashes benchmarks at a level hard to comprehend
By Chris Hall Published
-
Apple Vision Pro could learn a thing or two from PSVR2 when it comes to gaming
Craving proper gaming on the Apple Vision Pro? That could happen
By Chris Hall Published
-
Your iPhone is about to get its biggest free update yet – iOS 18.2 release imminent
Apple Intelligence could make its bow in the UK in the next couple of days, along with new AI features for the US and much more
By Rik Henderson Last updated
-
Apple Watch just got a great free update to help you get home safely
Uber has significantly improved its Live Activities feed
By Britta O'Boyle Published