New Offerings From Southern Straps

With the recent introduction of the Apple Watch Series 5, many watch band manufacturers are introducing new colors and styles.  We got an opportunity to look at a couple of the latest offerings from our friends at Southern Straps.

We first looked at several Southern Straps in April 2018 (read our review here).  If you haven’t seen it, we encourage you to check it out since all of the positive points still apply to their products today.

Disclosure: Apple Tech Talk participates in various affiliate marketing programs and may receive compensation if you purchase a product through one of our links, and/or in the form of product donations from the companies whose products we review . Unless otherwise specifically stated, Apple Tech Talk does not receive any other compensation for its reviews. The opinions expressed are based solely on our independent testing, are our own and are not shared with anyone prior to release on our site.

Apple Tech Talk Scorecard

Southern Straps – Unboxing

Our two Southern Straps were individually wrapped in a heavy paper envelop.

This is a nice change from the thin wrappers we are used to seeing from watch band suppliers based overseas.  The envelops are sturdy enough to be used to store your watch bands when not in use.

Our sample bands were 40mm styles with gold connectors and buckles to go with our 40mm Gold Apple Watch Series 5, but also fit an older 38mm Apple Watch perfectly.

One of the things we like best about Southern Straps is the ability to customize the watch band for your specific wants and needs.  All of the bands are available in the 38/40mm and 42/44mm sizes, and can also be selected with black, silver or gold hardware to match your watch.

Southern Straps – Blue and White Nylon Band

The first new Southern Straps band we looked at is a Blue and White Nylon.

Even before you attached the band to your watch, you can tell the attention to detail that goes into every Southern Straps Apple Watch Band.

The stitching on the nylon is perfectly spaces with no missed stiches or loose threads.  We also appreciate that the width of the band is an exact fit to the connectors.  Finally, the imprint of “Southern” on the top of the buckle is a nice touch.

The band has twelve (12) holes and it is hard for us to imagine a wrist that was either too big or too small for the band.

The band has two strap retainers on the buckle side of the strap.  The one closest to the buckle is fixed in place while the second floats free so it can be moved to hold the strap in place based on the size of your wrist. The Southern Straps Blue and White Nylon band has an MSRP of $45.00, comes with a 5-year warranty, and is available from Amazon in a variety of other color combinations.

Southern Straps – Brown Leather Band

The other band we tested is a Brown Leather Band.

We should point out that the due to lighting conditions, our photo of the Southern Straps Brown Leather band above appears slightly more orange than  it actually is.  The photo on the Southern Straps site is closer to the actual shade of brown, and you can see that here.

The band is made from a single piece of full grain Italian leather which has not been sanded, buffed of snuffed, (all terms to describe ways that split or sliced to make it thinner).  The leather is also vegetable dyed to give it a rich, long-lasting color. The strap is accented with hand stitched waxed cord in a light tan color, which is done right in their San Francisco factory.

Unlike the blue nylon band, the brown leather also has two strap retainers but both are movable to accommodate the tail of the strap once it is on your wrist.

The brown leather strap also has twelve (12) holes and can accommodate any wrist between 14cm and 25cm (5.5in to 9.8in).

Our Southern Straps Brown Leather Band had gold hardware.  We found the gold to be slightly brighter than the gold color used on the current Series 5 Apple Watch.  However, once the band was attached to the watch, everything seemed to blend together nicely and the different shading was not noticeable.

Like all of the Southern Strap bands, the brown leather band is also available with silver and black hardware (bands with black hardware also have black stitching), and in sizes to fit all Apple Watch models.

The band is also available in black leather and has black stitching regardless of the hardware color you choose.

The Southern Straps Brown Leather band has an MSRP of $85.00, comes with a 2-year warranty, and is available from Amazon.

The Bottom Line

One of the things we like most about the Apple Watch is the ability to change its look with a simple change of the watch band.  And while there is certainly no shortage of third-party watch bands we know that not all Apple watch bands are created equal.

Whether you have an older model or the latest Series 5, your Apple Watch was a major investment so why not have it look its best with a high quality watch band?

All the Southern Straps watch bands we have tested have the same thins thing in common.  They are all made from high quality materials with excellent craftsmanship with a wide range of colors and styles.  Th ability to get any of their bands in any size and with any color hardware gives you the ability to make the band truly yours.

You can check out all of the other Southern Strap watch bands for the Apple Watch at their web site, www.southernstraps.com.

We would like to thank the folks at Southern Straps for providing the Blue and White Nylon and Brown Leather watch bands for our testing and review.

What is your favorite style of watch band for your Apple Watch?  Why not joint the conversation and leave a comment below?

If you liked this article, please consider sharing it with your friends and leaving a comment below. Also, don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, “Follow Us” on Twitter and add the Apple Tech Talk channel to your Apple News app.

And if you haven’t subscribed to Apple Tech Talk, now would be a great time to do it so. Just scroll down to the form below and enter your name and email address. Then you’ll receive a notification whenever we post new articles. Don’t worry, we never sell or share your information. While you’re at it, check out our YouTube channel (here) where you will find video on interesting products any Apple enthusiast would love.

Apple Tech Talker