Fussy people

I dislike fussy people. I especially dislike having to admit that I am overly fussy about watchbands. Too weird.

The leather band that came with the Withings Steel HR Sport watch has gotten pretty comfortable, now that I have worn it for weeks. I no longer have to put it on “too tight" for it to collect heart rate consistently and some of the stiffness has gone away. However, I thought it would be worth trying to find something more comfortable. I wanted something soft and washable, but not made of plastic/rubber/silicone that sticks to sweaty skin. I wanted one that was not too long.

I purchased a 20 mm canvas watchband from Barton. I chose a black one with quick release mounting and a 20 mm "gunmetal gray” buckle. When I opened it, I was surprised to see that it was very wide and did not taper from mount to end. That meant the buckle was noticeably larger than the one on the Withings leather band. However, the canvas band was the same width as the Withings silicone band. Thus, the buckle on the canvas band was similar in size to the one on the silicone band. Thankfully, the canvas band was not nearly as long as the silicone band. The Barton band snapped onto the watch in two seconds.

The canvas band seemed pretty stiff when I was putting it on the watch. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I put it on my wrist and it was comfortable right away. The width and buckle size were not a problem. I have worn it all afternoon and taken it on and off a couple of times - totally comfortable!

The Barton band is an attractive dark black with matching top stitching that promises to be sturdy. The buckle color matches the watch casing well. The overall aesthetic is just right - functional, not too fancy, and not too casual.