I’ve been wearing and reviewing the best Garmin watches for many years and for most of that time I used them with a silicone band, usually the one they came with. This isn’t a terrible thing to do — Garmin’s silicone straps are more comfortable than most and are easier to clean and dry faster than fabric straps, so can be great for swimmers in particular.
However, in the time I’ve been testing sports watches, nylon bands have become more and more popular, and once I started using one myself I’ve rarely wanted to go back to a silicone band. Even if you’re not sure you’ll prefer it, I’d recommend that any Garmin user picks up a nylon band for their watch just in case.
You don’t have to spend much to get one either. Garmin’s own UltraFit nylon bands are expensive at $39, but you can find third-party bands very easily that cost a fraction of that price on Amazon and elsewhere —- the band I use most often is one I found on eBay, just because it’s the exact shade of blue I wanted.
Garmin does now ship some watches with a nylon band as standard, like the Garmin Enduro 3 and Garmin Venu X1, and I hope this becomes the norm going forward. Or, ideally you get a silicone and nylon band in the box — given the high price of the best sports watches, this would be a nice touch from any brand.
Comfortable and easy to adjust
The main reason to use a nylon band is comfort. They don’t rub the skin or irritate it in any of the ways silicone bands can, and adjusting them is easy since you can pull them exactly as tight as you want, rather than relying on a standard band having a hole in the right place for you.
This is a major plus point for those who find they get rashes from silicone bands, and even though I don’t suffer from that myself, I do get heat rashes in the summer and find nylon bands more comfortable to wear than silicone bands when I do.
More reliable heart rate monitoring
Another advantage of the secure fit is that I tend to find I get slightly more consistent heart rate monitoring from watches when using a nylon strap.
I can tighten the optical sensor snugly against my wrist, and the watch doesn’t move around at all during runs in particular. With silicone bands it’s sometimes trickier to get the right snugness of fit to get a reliable heart rate reading.
While I still default to using a chest strap heart rate monitor when accuracy is essential, nylon bands can help improve the often unreliable heart rate tracking you get from sports watches.
The straps do dry quickly and can be cleaned
One common fear people share when I recommend nylon bands is that they’ll feel slimy and unpleasant to wear after showering or swimming with the watch, whereas you can quickly dry off a silicone band.
Nylon bands do dry more slowly than silicone bands, but I wash them after a workout then rub them with a towel, and by the time I’m out of the shower myself I don’t find them any worse to wear than a silicone band.
You can (and probably should) also throw them in with your washing occasionally to get a deep clean, if you’re worried about them retaining germs more than a silicone band.
To avoid the wet band problem entirely, you can also pick up a set of two and swap between them after a shower, so they can dry entirely between uses.
I’ve accumulated a lot of bands now to suit different watch styles and sizes — like running shoes, you can never have too many.
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