Wearing your Apple Watch
Find out how to get a good fit when you wear your Apple Watch and 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 — will keep you comfortable and allow the sensors to do their jobs. You may want to tighten your Apple Watch band during workouts, then loosen it a bit after you’ve finished.
Find out more about getting the best results when you use the Blood Oxygen app.
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 maximise skin contact with the sensors, wear your Apple Watch above the wrist bone (towards your elbow, not your hand).
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 Apple Watch is on top of the wrist bone, move your Apple Watch above the bone. To test whether your Apple 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 the Apple 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:
Nickel. Apple Watch models with a stainless steel or an aluminium 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 the 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.
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 doctor 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 Series 10
Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + Cellular) (Titanium) and Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): titanium, sapphire crystal, titanium back
Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS): aluminium case, Ion-X glass, aluminium back
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) (Titanium) and Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) (Hermès): 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) (Aluminium) and Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS): Aluminium 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) (Aluminium) and Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS): Aluminium case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminium) and Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) (GPS): Aluminium 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) (Aluminium), Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike) and Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS): Aluminium 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) (Aluminium), Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike), and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS): aluminium case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back
Apple Watch SE (1st generation)
Apple Watch SE (1st generation) (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminium) and Apple Watch SE (1st generation) (GPS): Aluminium 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) (Aluminium), Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike), and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS): aluminium 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) (Aluminium), Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) (Nike+), and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS): aluminium 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) (Aluminium) and Apple Watch Series 2 (Aluminium): 7000 series aluminium case, Ion-X glass, ceramic back
Apple Watch Edition
Apple Watch Edition (1st generation): 18-carat 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-carat gold
Apple Watch Nike Sport Band: Fluoroelastomer with stainless steel or aluminium
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-carat gold
Classic Buckle: Leather with stainless steel or 18-carat 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
Titanium Milanese Loop: Titanium
Non-water resistant band materials
Apple Watch Series 2 and later have a water-resistance rating of 50 metres under ISO standard 22810:2010. Apple Watch Ultra and later have a water-resistance rating of 100 metres 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)
Hermès knit bands (Hermès Bridon)
Keeping your Apple Watch and bands — as well as your skin — clean and dry maximises 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.
* Learn more about Apple's restrictions on wearables.
