Watch Straps

You need the modern equivalent of the Animal watch straps from BITD. Not sure what the modern equivalent is - perhaps something like a NATO-style strap?

You can buy packs of retaining loops on Amazon/eBay. Knock off, not official Garmin but good enough. Not a complete solution, I know.

I used to have a couple of Animal watches and loved the colourful velcro/fabric/leather straps. A cheap way to jazz up your watch when you fancied a change. I've probably still got half a dozen old ones in the bottom of a drawer somewhere.

Something similar-ish for a Garmin watch might work quite well if it exists?

I've had my Fenix 6 for more than 18 months and it's still on the original strap. I wear it almost 24/7.

Not really surprised, judging by how cheap those plastic straps are they’re practically a consumable. I hate any sort of silicon/plastic watch strap anyway, they make my wrist sweaty and cause a horrid itchy rash, and they start to stink after a while. I bought a Deep Blue dive watch with one, with an odd fitting. I had to stop wearing it in the end, it was so irritating to wear. Still got the watch, it’s impossible to find any other make of strap to fit it.

As it’s a springbar fitting, then any reasonable ZULU/NATO woven nylon strap will fit, and you won’t need to fanny around trying to get the springbars in and out either.

You can buy packs of retaining loops on Amazon/eBay.

Or you can cut a small section of roadie inner tube for maximum style points.

Thanks everyone. I normally wear my watch pretty much 24/7 so avoid nylon or any other fabric. Might have to rethink that now and remember to take the watch off when showering.

I’ve had my Fenix 6 for more than 18 months and it’s still on the original strap. I wear it almost 24/7.

You’re clearly less of a cack handed fool than me.

I'm using a cheapy velcro loopy thing I got off Amazon (not the official £50 rip-off Garmin job) had it about 10 months, wear it 24/7, so it gets a good slosh in the shower most days and is easy to remove and wash, IIRC it was about £15: 

Edit: looks like it is currently only ~£12 Linky

I've been through the mill with straps... I've tiny wrists so like the Velcro/infinite adjust ...

This is the best so far..about £25 off Amazon...

I do have the black, slightly stretchy one linked to above...it's comfy, but when diving into water kinda rips itself open!

DrP

I have the black version of the hemsut above. It is really good although i did unpick the stitching for the stupid 'rugged' flag

i did unpick the stitching for the stupid ‘rugged’ flag

But how will people know you're rugged now? 😉

Agreed... Without telling people you're rugged, are we even rugged bro?!

DrP

I have a leather Garmin strap.

Leather is hands down the meat material for 247 use.

I do swap it for the original plastic one when full and continuous submersion imminent.

It's an Garmin strap and it's genuinely been quite impressive and it doesn't look like it's 2 years old.

i got one of these for my £10 Casio, and its great. The plastic one that came with it, lasted about 18 months. This stainless one has been on since,  probably 6 years so far.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berfine-Release-Premium-Stainless-Replacement/dp/B07DP3SJKM

Not great for sportsing though, as it rattles around a bit if youre doing sports.

and its heavy too, much heavier than the actual watch.

I've never had an issue with Garmin straps. Suunto straps are comfier though.

Would love an Animal strap from BITD.

I hate any sort of silicon/plastic watch strap anyway, they make my wrist sweaty and cause a horrid itchy rash, and they start to stink after a while.

I used to get an itchy rash under the silicone strap if I did any sport or sweaty activity. Not straight away, but after a few hours or the next day. This was because I used to take it off before showering and put it back on afterwards.  I now take it in the shower with me, give it a good rinse then dry off.  No itch, no rash, no stink.

Don't seem to have an issue with plastic straps and they seem to last a good year. Yes to getting pongy so the watch comes in the shower. MrsF cant wear the plastic ones due to them irritating her skin, so has an aftermarket metal one.

Hemsut do a version that has the "Rugged" in a smaller font for those of us that want to keep our ruggedness to ourselves 🙂

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-Forerunner-Vivoactive-Approach-Replacement/dp/B0BQ31JPGX/ref=asc_df_B0BQ31JPGX/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=664490991525&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3153403415396052045&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007346&hvtargid=pla-1943589676216&psc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwp8OpBhAFEiwAG7NaEqPG1-Xy3giLrpIR4MV4iMgNxk00ORgevYUbD-SN6nuQHTUYYgV6mBoCTKAQAvD_BwE

I tend to alternate between this and the (more comfortable) Yooside strap. 

I might try a leather one, but not sure how this would hold up to a bit of daily exercise (30-60 mins). I don't mind changing straps for a longer session, but I doubt I'd bother if I had to do it every day. 

Hang on... That says "super rugged".

That's the one I SHOULD have...!

DrP

I do like the look of the Hemsut strap, though I'd be going for the 'stealth ruggedness' version above. I don't like to brazenly flaunt my ruggedness.

Question though, being fabric, doesn't it soak up sweat when exercising?

I know my old animal fabric straps did and would soon pong if you didn't wash them. Washing them eventually made them fade or cause the stitching to get ragged. However they were cheap enough you could have a few to cycle through to slow this.

At £25 for the Hemsut strap, it is a bit much for me to consider buying a handful to cycle through.

It’s basically made from the same stuff as a seatbelt (but in brighter colours) so doesn’t absorb much. Still needs a wash from time to time though.

It doesn’t stretch as much as the yooside type ones (or at all really) so isn’t quite as comfortable. I think it looks better though (a bit wider and comes in orange) which is why I tend to alternate between them.

roverpig and myself have identical watch strap approaches!!<br />Hemsut (AKA King rugged) and the yooside!

And agree, the yooside has some stretch to it, so i guess IS a bit more comfy, but i had concerns about the velcro not being as sticky..<br /><br />DrP

Just bought one of them there Hemsut straps off the back of this thread. How rugged am I? 💪

Just bought one of them there Hemsut straps off the back of this thread. How rugged am I? 💪

I always had you down as a NATO strap kinda guy. 😉

😂 once upon a time maybe, when G10 watches were free!

I like leather but it does get a bit ripe after a while. Think I’ll be going for the extra rugged! Will report back in a month or two when I’ve inevitably destroyed it.

I bought a full grain (Horween?) strap off a leather maker on Etsy.

3 years of daily use it's just fine, if a tad pongy. A douse in water and a re-oil with Nikwax and it just keeps going.

God knows how when there are major floods on the roads in every direction around here, but Amazon managed to deliver this today.

Thanks for the tip. Seems like a robust, quality item. And of course my chest puffed out just a little bit knowing I am not just 'rugged' but 'super rugged'. Result!

Bought a Hemsut rugged (not super, that’s too much ruggedness for me). Despite buying the size stipulated it has play and didn’t even come with a set of pins. The only ones I have are very loose when used with it.

Another to add to the bag o shite strap pile!

A word of warning on those velcro amazon straps:

I have a Fenix 6 sat at the bottom of Bournemouth Bay as my velcro strap  came undone whilst kitesurfing....there are ones with a strap retainer that are better like this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B1LGZV74?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_shar e"> http://YOOSIDE for Fenix 7 / EPIX 2 /... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B1LGZV74?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Bought a Hemsut rugged (not super, that’s too much ruggedness for me). Despite buying the size stipulated it has play and didn’t even come with a set of pins. The only ones I have are very loose when used with it.

That's odd. Mine snaps on to the Garmin pins and is really tight and secure, no more play than the OEM strap and no way it'll come off without operating the little sliding catches. Are the pins themselves loose without the strap in place? 

No, pins are fine. I clearly have some type of watch strap based curse 😂

A timely thread. Lost my Garmin Instinct last night. Was working a late, one of the strap loops failed. When I got home at 330am I realised my watch was missing. It turned up in my colleague’s van. By the looks of the pic, the other loop went too.
I have to have the strap quite long, so I guess without the loops it’s just not secure.

Any recommendations for a metal strap, preferably with a decent number of links?

Cloth doesn’t work for me. Silicone only just worked if I kept it very clean and alternated wrists.

I've found the Garmin, and aftermarket ones from Amazon made from the stretchy sillicone don't last very well, the holes always wear in the strap where the clasp is.

I've also found the velcro type straps hold water for ages, and you can end up with damp patches on your clothes from them.

I have a couple of aftermarket silicone straps for my Fenix. They are both Notocity brand with the screwed bar in the buckle and not the weaker thin sprung pins in some other straps. They are pretty much indistinguishable from the garmin strap. One gets used mostly for riding and rinsed afterwards, one gets 70% of the daily use (garmin strap does the other 30%). All straps about 2.5 years old and only the aftermarket daily use strap is showing any signs of wear, the loops are getting slightly baggy.

Used animal straps BITD and before the garmin was using NATO straps. The silicone straps don't get anywhere near as smelly and are so easy to rinse and dry.

Don’t know what I do but I wreck them very quickly. Snapped buckles, torn silicone straps, snapped pins, cracked buckles etc etc. Wouldn’t mind but I have a desk job! I am cack handed though.

Very happy with my leather strap from Stevo straps - much cheaper than genuine Garmin too

God knows how when there are major floods on the roads in every direction around here, but Amazon managed to deliver this today

Their driver must be Double Super Rugged. What did it say on his watch strap?

FWIW when my Omega strap shit a link and I nearly lost the watch I replaced it with a Zulu Diver NATO. That was 7 years ago. It gets the occasional bath in the washing machine when it gets too grubby and still looks reasonable. Omega do an almost identical one for 7x the price. 

bought a hemsut super rugged and been wearing it since Nov.

comfortable and  secure, but now im spending more time in hoodies, ive noticed that the velcro strap is attacking the inside of the sleeve, back to the standard strap while i consider a leather one.