Since my Apple Watch Series 10 arrived I’ve worn it with Apple’s Milanese Loop band, which is easily one of the best you can buy, but when Nomad announced a new glow-in-the-dark Sport Band, I thought it was time for a change. Turns out, getting it to glow was a bit of a challenge, and while it looks as outrageous as you’d expect, I found I like it for a different reason.
Wearing the band
I’ll come to the glow in the dark bit next, but for me to even think about wearing Nomad’s Sport Band it had to come at least close to the Milanese Loop’s comfort. I’m very pleased to say it does, and it’s an interesting alternative to Apple’s own Sport Band. The fluoroelastemer rubber material is surprisingly thick and therefore feels very durable. I could wear it for any sport or activity and not worry about it.
It’s secured on your wrist using a metal pin-and-hole system, and cleverly the holes travel the entire length of both ends of the band, ensuring there’s masses of air flow and plenty of adjustability. You have to tuck the end of the strap underneath the other, but I’ve found it easy to get the right degree of tightness. I’ve certainly never noticed it getting hot or sweaty, and while it’s a bit chunkier than I personally prefer to wear overnight, I doubt it would cause any discomfort. Best of all, it fulfilled my top priority for any watch band — to be almost unnoticeable on my wrist during the day.
This is what has appealed to me more about Nomad’s Sport Band than the color or it’s glow in the dark feature. Apple’s own Sport Band is similarly excellent, and I also really like Casetify’s Impact Band too, which matches it for comfort and is really lightweight. Where does Nomad’s Sport Band fit in? It appears to be tougher and feels a little more durable than both of them, and is more rugged in appearance, giving it a style of its own. All of this applies to any Nomad Sport Band which is available in a variety of colors, but I’ve been wearing the one that glows in the dark, so what’s it like?
Nomad’s coolest glow yet
This is the third glow in the dark Apple Watch band Nomad has released, and it’s in a fantastic Icy Blue color. When it’s not glowing, the band takes on an almost off-white color with just a hint of cool minty blue, and it’s very special indeed. It’s not in-your-face blue, even when glowing, and it goes with most outfits because of it. The Nomad Sport Band isn’t dressy like the Milanese Loop, and is more rugged looking than Apple’s or Casetify’s alternative, making it the most casual of these three excellent bands.
The glow in the dark part is really fun, but it has taken some effort and patience for it to work for me. The band needs to see enough light to “charge” the photoluminescence up. It’s winter in the U.K., where I live, at the moment and sunlight isn’t very common. Because it’s cold, my wrists are almost always covered in several layers of clothing, meaning my Apple Watch gets hidden away most of the time.
To give the Nomad Sport Band a fighting chance I left if on the windowsill all day, and I finally got to see it glow after night fell. It looks excellent. Not too bright, but bright enough that everyone would notice it on your wrist. It’s a uniform glow, with no hotspots or dull patches, and the Icy Blue tone gives it a sci-fi, Tron-like appearance that I adore. The previous lime green version wasn’t to my taste, but this one is perfect. It’s not a band for someone who doesn’t want attention though, as people will notice it.
It took a while, and some effort, to give the Nomad Sport Band enough sunlight to charge it up, but once the Watch was back on my wrist and hidden away, the glow sadly soon faded. Admittedly it’s not getting a full day’s sunlight at the moment (not even close) and it is still very new, so the length of time it glows for may change accordingly when conditions alter. Oh, the joy of winter time in the U.K., but the glow in the dark Nomad Sport Band really managed to brighten things up.
Worth buying?
At the time of writing some versions of the limited edition Icy Blue glow in the dark Sport Band are still available on Nomad’s website, and given how the previous limited versions have entirely sold out, I’d say if you want one it’d be best to get one soon. It’s well worth it too. It’s more than just a fun glowing watch band due to Nomad’s attention to detail from ensuring the glow is consistent across the entire band, to not letting any additional treatments necessary affect the band’s usual high level of comfort.
Nomad’s not charging any more for the limited edition glow in the dark Apple Watch band either, and it’s yours for $60. Sadly the smaller 41mm/42mm version have sold out at Nomad, but you can still buy the 46mm/49mm version which fits bigger Apple Watch models and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Nomad’s glowing Icy Blue Sport Band is going to enter my regular rotation of Apple Watch bands, but I think I’ll save it for the summer months when both it and I have a better chance of seeing some sun.