What you need to know before you buy the Apple Watch Milanese Loop Strap

The Milanese Loop Strap for the Apple Watch is a stunning stainless steel mesh bracelet that wraps around your wrist to form an adjustable watch strap. It has quickly attracted much attention and has become a fan favourite, especially among steel strap fans. Most critics praised the way Apple combined high-quality materials with a simple yet elegant design to create an exceptionally good-looking watch strap. 

However, the Milanese Loop Strap is a pretty hefty investment, and the asking price of £100 (almost one-third of an actual Apple Watch Series 7) is a steep price to pay. So is it worth the high price? Or are there better alternatives in the market? Let's find out.

Pros of Apple Watch Milanese Loop Strap

It is highly scratch resistant: It is one of the few watch straps that can withstand scratches, deformation, and discolouration, making it the most durable of the bunch. Although it is not absolutely immune to scratches, the way it handles them when compared to the silicone and leather counterpart is truly remarkable. So if you are in the market and looking for a durable and stylish apple watch strap, look no further.

Breathability: If you have always been using a silicone strap, you will know how sweaty it can get, even with moderate usage. But if you are a fitness freak, having a rubber strap is a nightmare. It can quickly get all sweaty and uncomfortable. Fortunately, Apple Watch Milanese Loop Strap design incorporated breathability and woven a metal mesh that allowed air to pass through, keeping the surface of your skin cool and preventing any sweat buildup. So if you are active throughout the day and do not want sweat to build upon your wrist, Milanese Loop Strap is a great choice. 

A perfect fit: You can adjust the band for any wrist, no matter the size, thanks to the magnetic fastening and looped design. There are no size recommendations or try-on sessions required, unlike the rest of Apple's Watch band lineup. You may also alter the size to make it suitable for your wrist in terms of comfort and fit, unlike Apple's other bands, which only come in 10mm increments. If you've ever owned a watch strap that was always just a little too tight or too loose, you'll enjoy how the Milanese Loop strap solves that problem.

Cons of Apple Watch Milanese Loop Strap 

It does not look exactly like the images on the website: Apple's official shorts of their products are usually a bit exaggerated in comparison to its devices' true looks. The same is true in this scenario, and it doesn't appear to be as glossy as the photos suggest. However, it is still appropriate for formal clothing and has a clean vibe to it that many people would appreciate. 

It is not the most comfortable strap: Like any stainless steel strap, Apple Watch Milanese Loop Strap isn't the most comfortable watch strap currently available on the market. We wouldn't suggest it for workouts or strenuous physical activity. For fitness or lengthy periods of exercise, you will be better served with a sports strap or Nike strap.

It does get loose throughout the day: If you've looked at watches with comparable stainless steel mesh bands, you've undoubtedly heard that they tend to come loose during the day or aren't the most comfortable for daily wear. The Milanese Loop on the Apple Watch has a bit of the same issue, and Apple's magnetic closing, although making the watch very easy to put on and take off, doesn't help either. You do need to tighten your strap multiple times a day, especially if you choose to work out wearing the watch. But it is not a huge deal breaker because no matter how hard you try, you are unlikely to get the strap loose enough that it falls off your hand. 

Pulling hairs: We have seen in a few reviews that people had trouble with their Milanese Loop Strap as it clings to the hairs on their wrists. We did not face any such issue in our testing, but I have very thin hairs on my wrist, so it was maybe for that. But we feel pulling hairs can be a bit of an inconvenience but unlikely to be a reason for you to ditch the watch strap altogether. 

Do we recommend getting the Milanese Loop Strap?

Despite a few minor hiccups, we still find the Apple Watch Milanese Loop Strap to be an excellent choice. It is highly durable and premium-looking and would not show degradation in colour anytime soon. We also love how it fits every wrist, and you do not have to worry about trying it out before purchasing.

There are a few minor issues that you must consider as well, like the fact that the watch strap may get loose when using it actively throughout the day or the few hairs it might cling on when you try to remove the watch strap. But our biggest complaint has to be the price Apple asks for the watch strap. £100 is a bit too steep for most people as it's almost one-third of the actual price of the watch. So we recommend you check out some third-party retailers where you can find the Milanese Loop Strap and other high-quality Apple watch straps at a fraction of the price. We have seen prices starting at just £30, which is an absolute bargain.

Other alternatives of Milanese Loop Strap

If you want something classy and gorgeous and money is not an issue, you may consider picking the Apple Watch Hermès - straps, they usually start from £300 and can go all the way to £550. 

If you are into sports and fitness you may like to consider Sport Strap for Apple Watches, there are few options including Nylon Sport Loop Strap, Elastic Nylon Loop Strap and solo loop strap and you can pick them from a third party reseller for a fraction of the price.