I have the 2024 Apple Watch Pride band, and it’s stunning | Tech Reader

It’s June, which means it’s Pride Month. This takes place every year to honor the ongoing struggle for civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the achievements of those LGBTQ+ individuals.

One of the things I look forward to each year for Pride Month is Apple’s release of the Apple Watch Pride Band. In 2016, Apple distributed exclusive Pride bands to its employees who participated in San Francisco’s Pride parade.

Then, in 2017, Apple began to sell Pride Edition Apple Watch bands to the public. The first Pride band was the nylon strap, but it did not include a matching Pride watch face. In the following years, Apple began to have a matching watch face for each year’s Pride band release.

This year, Apple’s Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop is accompanied by the Pride Radiance watch face, and it’s one of my favorites to date.

An improved version of the 2021 Pride band

If this year’s Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop looks a little familiar, that’s because it is. It has the same overall design as the 2021 Pride Braided Solo Loop but with the addition of more colors.

For the record, the 2021 Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop was one of my absolute favorite Apple Watch bands. I wore that one every day for several months — it got dirty, and I did throw it in the washer to clean it every so often. This was also my first Braided Solo Loop band, and I loved how comfortable it was, though I wore it enough that it eventually stretched out a bit. So, when I saw the 2024 version was a tweaked version of that, I knew I had to have it.

Though the 2024 Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop looks the same, there are some differences. For one, the overall color palette is lighter and brighter, whereas the 2021 version’s colors were a bit darker. The 2024 band also has some new colors, like pink and another shade of blue.

With the 2024 Pride Edition band, it’s more about the colors of multiple Pride flags, according to Apple’s website. Black and brown (which are also on the 2021 version) represent Black and Latin communities as well as those impacted by HIV/AIDS. The new light blue, pink, and white represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Again, I really liked the 2021 band, but the 2024 one has now topped it. I love the more vibrant hues because I love having more fun colors to wear (it’s basically my wardrobe these days). And pink is my favorite color, so I like that it was added this year.

Though I really still prefer to use the Modular Ultra watch face on my Apple Watch Ultra due to the configurations, the Pride Radiance face is definitely a fantastic new addition. When I want to go simple, I switch to that one. It goes perfectly with the new Pride band, and I love how the numbers shift around as you move your wrist.

A great all-around Apple Watch band

Though the Braided Solo Loop bands in general are kind of pricey at $99 a pop, they are some of my favorite offerings from Apple.

The Pride Edition band, in particular, is made with 16,000 colorful polyester yarn filaments that are braided together with super-thin silicone threads. It’s stretchy, so it is easy to get it on and off your wrist. As a result of the materials used, the band has a nice, textured feel, but it’s barely noticeable when you wear it. It’s also sweat and water-resistant, so you shouldn’t have an issue with working out or even swimming with it.

The only qualm I have about the 2024 Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop is that the lugs look a little odd with an Apple Watch Ultra. Since the largest size it comes in is 45mm, it fits the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra fine, but the edges of the lugs are recessed, so there’s a little gap where the band starts with the rest of the watch case. This wouldn’t be an issue with a standard Apple Watch Series 9 or any other “normal” model, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re rocking an Ultra.