There’s no denying that lately I have become obsessed with saddle brown leather. I’ve wrapped it around my iPhone, iPad Pro, and now my Apple Watch. So I was really excited when Bueno reached out to me. – I’d like to be completely transparent with all of you, this Apple Watch band was provided for review but that will not influence my opinions.
Design
Bueno’s leather Apple Watch band has a really nice design. It features a rougher looking leather style which just looks fantastic on my wrist. I was concerned that it wasn’t going to fit my fat wrists, but when I strapped it on my wrist it fit great. It’s comfortably fastened at the fourth to last hole. The buckle is also smaller than others so it is not as obtrusive when laying your wrists on a flat surface especially when typing. This band also has custom Apple Watch connectors. They claim this new buckle is much more secure than the Apple design as the screws don’t wiggle out over time.
I saw the reviews on Amazon and a lot of customers were complaining of the connector becoming loose. I’m not sure if Bueno was using an authentic Apple connector or not but this new connector seems to hold up quite well. I’m not too big of a fan of the connector design, it features less rounded edges and seems a little bulky. It also uses a pin system to hold the band and I’m not too big of a fan to see the pin holes. At the tip of the band is a sharp triangle shape that helps draw your eyes to the end of the strap. I didn’t know how I would feel about the triangle as I felt it was a more feminine design. After using it for awhile I can say that I don’t mind it anymore, in fact I really like it.
Materials
This leather band is advertised that it is made out of Genuine Leather. For those that do not know, Genuine Leather is a brand of leather not a statement saying it’s made of real leather. However, Genuine Leather is real leather although it’s considered to be a low end type of leather. This Watch band does smell and feels like leather so I have no question that it’s using real leather. That being said, the inside and the edges seem like leather and the outside material feels like vinyl. I could be wrong, this is just what it seems like to me. If it was a vinyl material, it would allow easier manufacturing while keeping the price low. Vinyl would also help better protect the band if it came in contact with liquid. Although vinyl will start to crack over time so we’ll see if it starts to crack over the next year. If it does I will update this review.
Value
Like I had mentioned above, this watch band is not made of premium materials. Don’t get me wrong, I do not mean that as a dig against this band. Right now Bueno is having a sale on this watch band on Amazon for $17.99. An Apple Watch band that does include leather, looks great, and was well manufactured for under $20? That is an incredible value in my opinion. That being said it does appear that this band does retail normally for $43.99. When the price moves more into the $40 price range then I start to get a little more picky about the product. At that price point I would like to see the additional of higher quality leather and better designed Apple Watch connectors that don’t have a visible pin hole. At the end of the day, this watch band is comfortable, it’s sturdy, and looks great. I have no problem recommending this band to anyone who is looking for a great saddle brown leather Apple Watch band without breaking the bank.
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