With the heat of summer and time to get outside and active, you may want to swap your Apple Watch band for something flexible, comfortable, and waterproof. It's no secret that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a top-tier smartwatch with a rugged design, large display, and ample battery life, but the right strap is key to comfort, style, and versatility. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 shares size and dimensions with the original Apple Watch Ultra, and comes with one of the three premium Apple bands, each tailored to specific activities. Apple also offers a metal loop option for $100 additional fee. Beyond Apple's options, there are plenty of great third-party bands for workouts, swimming, work, or formal wear. I tested several options and consulted ZDNET reviews and staff members' recommendations to create this guide to the best Apple Watch Ultra straps you can buy. (Note that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a 49mm watch, so bands fit for the larger Apple Watch Series 11, 45mm, also work with the Apple Watch Ultra 3.)Also: The best Apple Watches
Show more (4 items)
Best smartwatch deals of the week $300 (save $50) $150 (save $100) $49 (save $30) $339 (save $60) $250 (save $100) Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. What is the best Apple Watch Ultra strap right now?After years of use in various activities and daily life, my pick for the best Apple Watch Ultra band overall is Apple's own Trail Loop strap. Despite testing many different bands, I kept returning to the Trail Loop thanks to its supreme level of comfort, customizable and flexible fit, lightweight design, and price. It's also included with your Apple Watch Ultra 3 purchase. Read on to learn about our other Apple Watch Ultra recommendations. In our most recent update, we replaced the Zulu Alpha strap with the Aulumu C03 strap for the best Apple Watch Ultra band for custom lengths.Best Apple Watch Ultra straps of 2026 Matthew Miller/ZDNET Why we like it: With past Apple Watch purchases, I always moved on to straps from other manufacturers, but Apple's Watch Ultra 3 options are compelling. After trying two of the four available options, the Trail Loop is the band I keep returning to for daily use. Apple sent along its small/medium Trail Loop in Black/Charcoal, but it wasn't large enough for my wrist, so I purchased a medium/large one in Green/Neon, and it's perfect.With the latest two generations of Apple Watch, the company offers the watch in both titanium and black finishes, so thankfully, the Trail Loop is also available with the metal hardware matching the watch body color.Who it's for: The Trail Loop band is lightweight, durable, and comfortable to wear, making it my pick for the best Apple Watch Ultra band for most people. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is excellent for tracking your metrics 24/7, meaning the band must be extremely comfortable for constant wear to optimize data collection. This band stands out for its thin material and flexibility to adjust to your body's daily changes.Also: I compared the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to Garmin's inReach satellite connectivity - here's the winnerWho should look elsewhere: Unfortunately, Apple's official Trail Loop band is only available in three basic colors, and it's priced at a rather high $99. If you don't like fabric bands secured with Velcro, then you need to look at other options. There are some low-cost fabric band options on Amazon, but I have yet to find one that matches the quality and comfort of Apple's official band.Apple Trail Loop features: Material: Nylon weave with titanium ends| Waterproof: Yes | Compatibility: Apple Watch Ultra, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3, 44mm/45mm/49mm | Colors: 3 | Band sizes: 130-180mm and 145-220mm wrist circumference
