Wearing your Apple Watch

Learn how to get a good fit when you wear your Apple Watch and find out about potential skin sensitivities.

A better fit means better readings

Wearing your Apple Watch with the right fit — not too tight, not too loose, and with room for your skin to breathe — keeps you comfortable and lets the sensors do their jobs. You might want to tighten your Apple Watch band for workouts, then loosen it a bit when you’re finished. 

Learn more about getting the best results when you use the Blood Oxygen app.

Recommended fit

Apple Watch on wrist showing recommended fit

Your Apple Watch should be snug but comfortable. For best results, the back of your Apple Watch needs skin contact for features like Wrist Detect, the Taptic Engine, and the electrical and optical heart sensors. To maximize skin contact with the sensors, wear your Apple Watch above the wrist bone (towards your elbow, not your hand). 

Incorrect fit

Apple Watch on wrist showing incorrect fit

If your Apple Watch doesn’t stay in place, or the sensors aren’t reading your heart rate, check your watch placement and tighten the band. If your watch is on top of the wrist bone, move the watch above the bone. To test whether your watch is too loose, shake your wrist and then turn your palm face up. If the back of your Apple Watch loses contact with your skin, you should tighten your watch band. 

If you have a Solo Loop or Braided Solo Loop, the band size should be comfortable, but snug against your wrist. Simply pull from the bottom of the band to stretch it over your wrist when you put it on and take it off. Solo Loop may increase in length over time.

For people who are sensitive to certain materials

A great deal of care and research goes into choosing materials for all our devices. In addition to ensuring that all materials adhere to existing regulations, we developed our own specification for Apple Watch that goes beyond those requirements.* In fact, every material that touches your skin has gone through extensive evaluation in accordance with our specification. This includes:

  • Thousands of material composition tests
  • More than a thousand prototypes worn for trial studies
  • Thousands of toxicological assessments
  • Consultations with board-certified dermatologists

A small number of people will experience reactions to certain materials. This can be due to allergies, environmental factors, extended exposure to irritants like soap or sweat, and other causes. If you know you have allergies or other sensitivities, be aware that Apple Watch and some of its bands contain the following materials:

Symbol for nickel

Nickel. Apple Watch models with a stainless steel or an aluminum case, the stainless steel band release buttons of Apple Watch Series 4 and later and Apple Watch SE, the stainless steel portions of some Apple Watch bands, the metallic portions of the Hermès bands, and the magnets in the watch and bands, each contain some nickel. However, they all fall below the strict nickel restrictions set by European REACH regulation. Therefore, while nickel exposure is unlikely to be a problem, you should be aware of the possibility in case you're susceptible to nickel-related reactions.

Symbol for Arcrylates

Acrylates. The Apple Watch case, the Milanese Loop, the Modern Buckle (leather and FineWoven), the Leather Loop, the Ocean Band, the Alpine Loop, the Sport Band, the Sport Loop, the Solo Loop, the Braided Solo Loop, and the Woven Nylon contain trace amounts of acrylates and methacrylates from adhesives. Acrylates and methacrylates are found in many consumer products that come in contact with the skin, such as adhesive bandages. Some people may be sensitive to them, or may develop sensitivities over time. Apple Watch and its bands are designed so that parts containing acrylates and methacrylates are not in direct contact with your skin.

     

Another potential cause of discomfort is wearing your Apple Watch too tightly or loosely. An overly tight band can cause skin irritation. A band that’s too loose can cause rubbing. If you experience redness, swelling, itchiness, or any other irritation, you may want to consult your physician before you put your Apple Watch back on.

What's in your Apple Watch

These are the materials that we use to make your Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

  • Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) (Titanium): titanium case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back

Apple Watch Series 9

  • Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel) and Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch Ultra

  • Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) (Titanium): titanium case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back

Apple Watch Series 8

  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel) and Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)

  • Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, nylon composite back

Apple Watch Series 7

  • Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel) and Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 7 Edition: Titanium case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum), Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike), and Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch Series 6

  • Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel) and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 6 Edition: Titanium case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum), Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike), and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch SE (1st generation)

  • Apple Watch SE (1st generation) (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch SE (1st generation) (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch Series 5

  • Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel) and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 5 Edition: Titanium or ceramic case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum), Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike), and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch Series 4

  • Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel) and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum), Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike+), and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS): aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch Series 3

  • Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel), Apple Watch Series 2 (Stainless Steel), and Apple Watch (1st generation) (Stainless Steel): 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 3 Edition and Apple Watch Series 2 Edition: Ceramic case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
  • Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch Series 2 (Aluminum): 7000 series aluminum case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back

Apple Watch Edition

  • Apple Watch Edition (1st generation): 18-karat gold case, sapphire crystal, ceramic back

What's in the bands

These are the Apple Watch band materials that come into contact with your skin:

  • Ocean Band: Fluoroelastomer with titanium
  • Alpine Loop: Polyester with titanium
  • Trail Loop: Nylon with titanium
  • Sport Band: Fluoroelastomer with stainless steel, ceramic, titanium, or 18-karat gold
  • Apple Watch Nike Sport Band: Fluoroelastomer with stainless steel or aluminum
  • Apple Watch Nike Sport Loop: Woven nylon
  • Hermès Bands: Leather, Polyamide yarn or fluoroelastomer with stainless steel
  • Milanese Loop: Stainless steel
  • Link Bracelet: Stainless steel
  • Leather Loop: Leather with stainless steel
  • Modern Buckle: Leather or Polyester and nylon with stainless steel or 18-karat gold
  • Classic Buckle: Leather with stainless steel or 18-karat gold
  • Woven Nylon: Nylon with stainless steel
  • Sport Loop: Woven nylon
  • Solo Loop: Silicone
  • Braided Solo Loop: Polyester yarn with stainless steel
  • Leather Link: Leather with stainless steel
  • Magnetic Link: Polyester and nylon with stainless steel

Non-water resistant band materials

Apple Watch Series 2 and later have a water-resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. Apple Watch Ultra and later have a water-resistance rating of 100 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. However, not all Apple Watch band materials are water resistant. The following band materials are not recommended for use in water or workouts: 

  • FineWoven (Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle)
  • Leather (Leather Link, Modern Buckle, Leather Loop, Classic Buckle, and Hermès leather bands)
  • Stainless steel (Milanese Loop and Link Bracelet)
  • Knit (Hermès Bridon)

Keeping your Apple Watch and bands—as well as your skin—clean and dry maximizes comfort and prevents long-term damage to the watch. This is especially important after workouts or exposure to liquids such as sweat, soap, sunscreen, and lotions that can cause skin irritations.

If you have questions about wearing your Apple Watch, contact Apple Support.

* Learn more about Apple's restrictions on wearables

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