To launch the Pixel Watch, Google made 5 different watch bands available in different colors. These are first-party watch bands that certainly aren’t cheap, but should at least arrive with decent quality In fact, before the arrival of the Pixel Watch we were initially convinced that the Active Band was pretty cool.
If you’re buying a Pixel watch, you’ll get an active band in the box. However, if you want another band or need a different color of the Active Band, you’ll pay anywhere from $49.99 to $79.99.
The active band Runs $49.99 and is the cheapest. It’s a rubber material that’s meant for everyday wear and stays, well, active. It should resist sweat and all that you can throw at it. The Stretch band, which is a single looped fabric band (made of recycled polyester and spandex) without a clasp, is meant to be extremely comfortable and sweat-resistant at $59.99. The Woven band As well will run you $59.99 and is made from recycled yarn.
For those looking for something a little classier, there is Two leather bands At $79.99.
Outside of the Pixel Watch, there are two other official watch bands outside of the 5 that you can choose from at launch. They are Metal link (link) and Metal mesh band (link), which should arrive in the spring, according to Google Store listings for each. They are pictured above on the right side.
At $199 and $119 respectively, these bands are the most expensive of the bunch. If well made, they can be worth it, although I’ve already seen some online chatter that they cost more. This is really a personal take, as a premium metal watch band can certainly ask for over $200. Apple’s Metal Link bracelet is $349 for comparison. Their Milanese loop bracelet is $99. Samsung’s Metal Link bracelet for the Galaxy Watch 5 costs $300.
If there’s one takeaway from all these official Pixel Watch accessories, it’s that first-party accessories aren’t nearly as cheap as the third-party stuff you’ll find on Amazon. I know this is an obvious observation, but if you’ve been screaming about $200 metal bands from Google, give cheap third parties some time and they’ll have what you need.