Alright, so I got my hands on the Samsung Watch 5 Pro. Nice piece of kit, feels solid, does all the smart stuff you’d expect. But the band it came with… well, let’s talk about that.
It arrived with the standard sport band. You know the type, made of that fluoroelastomer stuff. Samsung says it’s sweat-resistant and all that jazz. And yeah, it’s functional, I guess. Good enough for workouts, doesn’t get gross easily. But honestly? It felt a bit plain, a bit boring for everyday wear. Looked kinda cheap, even on a ‘Pro’ watch. I wanted something that felt a bit more me, or at least something I could switch up depending on where I was going.
Finding What Fits
First thing first, had to figure out what size band this Watch 5 Pro actually takes. Didn’t want to order something totally wrong. Quick look around, found out it uses standard 20mm watch bands. That was a relief. Means there’s a whole world of bands out there that aren’t just the official Samsung ones, which usually cost a pretty penny. So, 20mm lugs, standard fitting. Good.
Shopping Around
So I started looking. Loads of options online, different materials, different clasps. Considered a few:
- Metal bands: Look sharp, but maybe a bit heavy?
- Leather bands: Classic look, good for smarter occasions.
- Nylon loop bands: Heard they were comfy.
- Different silicone/sport bands: More colors, different textures than the stock one.
Ended up grabbing a couple to try out – a simple leather one for when I need to look less like I just came from the gym, and a woven nylon loop band because I heard good things about comfort.
The Swap Process
Got the new bands delivered. Time for the actual swap. Honestly, I thought it might be fiddly, but it was dead simple. The Watch 5 Pro bands, like most modern watches, have these little quick-release pins.
Here’s basically what I did:
- Flip the watch over.
- Find the tiny lever on the pin on the underside of the band, right where it meets the watch body.
- Push that little lever inwards (towards the middle of the band).
- The pin retracts, and you can just gently pull the band away from the watch lug.
- Did the same for the other side. Old band off. Took maybe 20 seconds total.
Putting the new band on was just the reverse:
- Take one piece of the new band. Make sure it’s the right way up.
- Slide one end of the pin into the little hole on the watch lug.
- Pull the quick-release lever again to retract the other end of the pin.
- Line it up with the hole on the other side of the lug.
- Release the lever. You’ll usually hear or feel a little click as the pin snaps into place.
- Gave it a gentle tug to make sure it was secure.
- Repeated for the other piece of the band. Done.
Seriously, it’s maybe a minute’s job once you’ve done it once. No tools needed, just your fingernail for the little lever.
Trying Them Out
Put the leather band on first. Instantly made the watch look a bit classier. Felt good, though obviously not something I’d wear for a run. Then tried the nylon loop. Super lightweight, really comfortable against the skin, easy to adjust for a perfect fit. Definitely see why people like these for daily wear.
Final Thoughts
Changing the band on the Watch 5 Pro is super easy because of those 20mm standard lugs and quick-release pins. It makes a huge difference to the look and feel. Way better than being stuck with just the default sport band. If you’ve got one, definitely grab a couple of different style bands. It’s like having multiple watches in one, takes no time at all to switch them up.