Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, XL, Tornado/Gray, Fall 2021)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes. This band is the much rarer XL size, offered only in the 45mm size to fit 170–245mm wrists.

This Tornado/Gray band used a two-stripe design first introduced in Fall 2021. One stripe was olive green and the other was a dark gray with edges in dark green. The connector and closure plastics were in a dark green color that matched the thread edges.

Apple’s use of green hues in a color named “Tornado” can be explained by science. According to Accuweather, when the sun’s “…setting light is transmitted by a massively thick cloud composed of water droplets and ice particles, the results are a green sky.”

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Accuweather

Apple Watch Sport Loop (44mm, Khaki, Fall 2019)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. They were available for the 38/40/41mm and 42/44/45/49mm Apple Watch models.

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band has been available in several styles and colors. This particular design is comprised of a two-tone design with one accent color. This Khaki Sport Loop uses dark khaki brown and dark chocolate brown as base colors with edges in a very light beige. The closure and connector plastics are all in a shade of dark khaki that matches the thread color.

Apple describes the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Bandbreite

Apple Watch Sport Loop (44mm, Pomegranate, Fall 2019)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. They were available for the 38/40mm and 42/44mm Apple Watch models.

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band has been available in several styles and colors. This particular design is comprised of a two-tone design with one accent color. This Pomegranate Sport Loop uses two shades of pink as base colors with the edges in a pale pink. The closure and connector plastics are in a shade of pink that matches the lighter pink thread color.

This band’s namesake, the pomegranate fruit, comes from a shrub grown for thousands of years in the Middle East, India, the Mediterranean region, and now across the globe. The exterior of the fruit is the light pink color of this watch band, while the interior features an “inner flesh that’s packed with crunchy, juicy edible seeds called arils.” The arils are red/dark pink and resemble the darker color of the band. The accent color resembles the color of the interior flesh of the fruit that surrounds the pomegranate seeds.

Apple describes the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Bandbreite, Wikipedia, HealthLine

Apple Watch Sport Loop (44mm, Dragon Fruit Sport Loop, Summer 2019)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 38/40/41mm and 42/44/45/49mm Apple Watch models. They were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (38/40/41mm) and 145–220 mm wrists (42/44/45/49mm).

This Dragon Fuit band appears monochromatic and closely resembles the color of the exterior of a Dragon Fruit. Upon close inspection, the band uses at least three thread colors: pink, bright pink, and dark pink. The connector and closure plastics are all in the shade of pink that most closely resembles the color or the exterior of a Dragon Fruit.

This band’s namesake, dragon fruit, is also known as the pitaya, an edible species of cactus native to southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. The exterior of the fruit is the color of this Sport Loop. (The interior of a dragon fruit has white flesh peppered with tiny black, crunchy seeds—and is not represented in the design of this watch band.) The dragon fruit is said to taste like a cross between a pear and a kiwi.

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Wikipedia, HealthLine

Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, Dark Cherry/Forest Green, Fall 2021)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes.

This Dark Cherry/Forest Green band used a two-stripe design first introduced in Fall 2021. One stripe was “Dark Cherry,” a shade of dark red, and the other was “Forest Green,” a shade of dark green. The edges were pale melon and provided a striking contrast to the dark stripes. The connector plastics were dark red—a similar shade to the “Dark Cherry” color—and the closure plastic matched the pale melon color of the edges.

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Bandbreite

Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, Midnight, XL, Fall 2022)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). This band is the much rarer XL size, offered only in the 45 mm size to fit 170–245mm wrists.

This Midnight band used a multi-stripe design. The primary color of the background was dark gray, and 8 thin rows of contrasting colors accented the background, including two rows of gray-green, 2 rows of rust, 2 rows of dark brown, and 2 more rows of light gray. The two edges were different colors—one side was gray-green, and the other side was light gray. The connector and closure plastics were dark gray.

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Sources: Apple, Bandbreite app

Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, Oat Milk/Lemon Zest, Spring 2022)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes.

This Oat Milk/Lemon Zest band used a two-stripe design first introduced in Fall 2021. One stripe was “Oat Milk,” a shade of off-white, and the other was “Lemon Zest,” a shade of bright yellow. The edges were black and provided a striking contrast to the lighter stripes. The connector plastics were off-white—a similar shade to the “Oat Milk” color—and the closure plastic was black.

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Bandbreite

Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, Nectarine/Peony, Spring 2022)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes.

This Nectarine/Peony band used a two-stripe design first introduced in Fall 2021. One stripe was “Nectarine,” a shade of shade of bright orange, and the other was “Peony,” a bright red/pink. The edges and connector plastics were off-white, and the closure plastics matched the Peony stripe.

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

In my opinion, the shade of Nectarine does, indeed, match the orange gradient that can be found on an actual nectarine. However, as an Indiana native where the peony is the state flower, this shade of “Peony” is not representative of the actual plant’s flower.

Source: Apple, Bandbreite

Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, Lavender Gray/Light Lilac, Spring 2022)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes.

This Lavender Gray/Light Lilac band used a two-stripe design first introduced in Fall 2021. One stripe was “Lavender Gray,” a shade of shade of light purple-gray, and the other was “Light Lilac” a light pale purple (almost white). The edges and connector plastics were a contrasting yellow (similar to the “Lemon Zest” shade used in Apple’s Spring 2022 collection), and the closure plastics matched the Lavender Gray stripe.

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Bandbreite

Apple Watch Black Unity Sport Loop (45mm, Spring 2023)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes.

The Spring 2023 Black Unity Sport Loop is the third Apple Watch band in the Black Unity collection. The band was released with a matching Apple Watch face, iPhone wallpaper, and Mac wallpaper. Apple describes the band and collection:

“Inspired by the creative process of mosaic, the new Black Unity watch band and matching watch face symbolize the vibrancy of Black communities and the power of unity.”

This is the first Apple Watch Sport Loop design to use a relatively complex design with multiple textures. Placed flat, one side of the design reveals abstract letters spelling “UNITY” using different thread textures. The other side is black. The color palette matches those that of the Pan-African flag. Apple describes the design:

“Designed by Black creatives and allies at Apple, this band honors Black history for anyone committed to ending systemic racism and building a more equitable world… Featuring the colors of the Pan-African flag, this adjustable, soft and lightweight Sport Loop band contains the word ‘unity’ woven in layers for a three-dimensional texture.”

One of the band’s edges is bright red, and the other edge is bright green. The connector and closure plastics are black.

Apple says that they are “supporting five global organizations focused on uplifting Black and Brown communities by unlocking creative potential with technology:”

  • Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia)
  • Ghetto Film School (New York City, Los Angeles, London)
  • Music Forward (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Shout Mouse Press (Washington D.C.)
  • The National Museum of African American Music (Nashville, TN)

The box and interior packaging are primarily black with white text. The packaging includes an insert that features a “UNITY” design on the front and a further explanation about the Black Unity collection inside (in English and five additional languages).

I find this design particularly striking, unique—and perplexing! The “UNITY” pattern is on the inside of the band, while the primary, out-facing color is solid black. Thus, when wearing the band, the artistic pattern is barely visible. In my case, the band appears mostly black (with the red and green edge stripes), and the only part of the pattern exposed is part of the “U”—while more than two-thirds of this eye-catching design is facing my wrist.

Source: Apple (bands, Sport Loop), Bandbreite