On May 9, 2023, Apple introduced this new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band. This Sport Band was introduced along with a matching watch face and iOS wallpaper. The design is a first for Apple and includes the most colors ever incorporated into a Sport Band. Apple described the Sport Band:
“…the new Sport Band design showcases the original pride flag rainbow colors and five others — black and brown symbolize Black and Latin communities, in addition to those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS, while light blue, pink, and white represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.”
Even the band’s manufacturing process is unique to this design:
“This year’s design integrates a joyful rainbow of geometric shapes on a white base, which are compression-molded into the final band. In the forming process, the base material flows around each individual shape, creating small variations in their layout. No two bands are exactly alike, reflecting the individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The following organizations are supported by Apple’s sales of this Sport Band:
The Nike Sport Loop Apple Watch 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 and 145–220mm wrists. The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes of 38mm/42mm and 40mm/44mm.
This Pride design was primarily black and included the colors of the LGBTQ flag. This Nike Sport Loop Pride Edition (2022) is paired here with an Apple Watch Series 3 in white ceramic.
According to Apple’s website:
“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop features a nylon weave inspired by Nike’s Be True collection, an initiative to promote equality in sport. A hook-and-loop fastener makes for quick and easy adjustment, and dense loops on the skin side provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”
Apple and Nike include the statement, “Apple is proud to financially support LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change.” A list of organizations is included: Encircle, Equality Federation Institute, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG, The National Center for Transgender Equality, SMYAL, The Trevor Project, and ILGA World.
The Nike Sport Loop Apple Watch 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 and 145–220mm wrists. The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes of 38mm/42mm and 40mm/44mm.
This Pride design was primarily white and included the colors of the LGBTQ flag. This Nike Sport Loop Pride Edition (2021) is paired here with an Apple Watch Series 6 in red aluminum.
According to Apple’s website:
“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop features a nylon weave with reflective rainbow yarn inspired by the Pride flag, designed to shimmer when light strikes it. A hook-and-loop fastener makes for quick and easy adjustment, and dense loops on the skin side provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”
“Apple is proud to support LGBTQ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change, including Encircle, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG National, National Center for Transgender Equality, SMYAL, and The Trevor Project in the U.S., and ILGA World internationally.”
The final photo was an accident of auto-focus. My Nikon focused on the reflection of its own logo instead of the Watch for one frame. It was so cool, I kept it.
The Apple Watch Sport Band is made from a flexible rubber material called fluoroelastomer with a metal pin closure. When purchasing an Apple Watch Sport Band, the S/M and M/L sizes are included in the box, allowing the band to fit wrists 140–210 mm.
Apple describes the Apple Watch Sport band:
“Made from a custom high-performance fluoroelastomer, the Sport Band is durable and strong, yet surprisingly soft. The smooth, dense material drapes elegantly across your wrist and feels comfortable next to your skin. An innovative pin-and-tuck closure ensures a clean fit.”
The Nike Sport Band differs from the Apple Sport Band in that the Nike version uses a perforated design to make it slightly lighter and more ventilated. This Pride Edition design is primarily white, and each perforation uses colors from the LGBTQ flag. The Pride version package states that “Apple and Nike are proud to financially support LGBTQ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change.”
The Apple Watch Sport band has been available in the most colors so far. As of December 2021, 110 Apple Sport Band colors were available with an additional 36 Nike Sport Band colors (according to the Bandbreite app).
This example comes with S/M and M/L sizes for the 44 mm Apple Watch that is also compatible with 42 mm and 45 mm sizes.
The Apple Watch Braided Solo Loop is Apple’s first Braided Solo Loop to feature multiple colors in the same band. Like all Braided Solo Loop designs, the band features “stretchable recycled yarn interwoven with silicone threads designed for ultracomfort with no buckles or clasps.” Its multiple colors are explained by Apple to include:
“various Pride flags to represent the breadth of diversity among LGBTQ+ experiences and the history of a movement that has spanned generations. Black and brown symbolize Black and Latinx communities, in addition to those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS, while light blue, pink, and white represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.”
At the same time this band was released, a matching Apple Watch face was included with the next watchOS update. For the first time, the new face was also accessible from a printed App Clip code in the band packaging.
Apple Watch Pride editions were first introduced in 2016. This version shows that Apple “stands with, supports, and is proudly made up of members of the LGBTQ+ community.” The Pride edition supports “LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change, including Encircle, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG National, SMYAL, and The Trevor Project in the US, as well as ILGA World internationally.”
Although Apple has released several Pride Edition bands, this design is the first multicolor fluoroelastomer band. According to Apple’s website:
“The Pride Edition Sport Band is assembled by hand from individual strips of colored fluoroelastomer. The strips are then machine die-cut and compression molded together. This process results in subtle variations in the wavy rainbow design, making each band artfully unique. Durable and strong, yet surprisingly soft, the band drapes elegantly across your wrist and feels comfortable next to your skin. An innovative pin-and-tuck closure ensures a clean fit.”
The packaging states: “Apple is proud to support LGBTQ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change.” Apple’s website goes on to specify the LGBTQ organizations they support through the sale of this band: Encircle, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, PFLAG, SMYAL, The National Center for Transgender Equality, The Trevor Project in the U.S., and ILGA World internationally.
The Apple Watch Sport Loop band is woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. They are available for the 38/40 mm and 42/44 mm Apple Watch models, and are offered in Regular size to fit 130–190 mm wrists. A Black Sport Loop was offered in size XL.
The Apple Watch Sport Loop band has been available in several styles, including (PRODUCT)RED, Spicy Orange, Nectarine, Electric Pink, Hibiscus, Hot Pink, Pink Sand, Flash Light, Flash, Marine Green, Tahoe Blue, Cape Cod Blue, Midnight Blue, Indigo, Dark Olive, Storm Gray, Black, and Seashell. Close inspection of original styles reveal that designs are comprised of a base color and one or more accent colors; for example, Indigo uses a dark blue base color with accent threads in white, red, and purple. Newer styles use a two-tone design with one or more accent colors, including Pomegranate, Khaki, Alaskan Blue, Anchor Gray, Camel, Midnight Blue, and an alternate 2019 (PRODUCT)RED design; for example, Camel features a tan side and a yellow side with light gray accents. This Pride design features the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ flag.
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.”
This is Apple’s fourth version of the Pride design. The original Pride band, the most rare, was gifted to the Apple employees who participated in the June 2016 San Francisco Pride Parade. According to 9to5Mac, the original Pride band was a “rainbow colored nylon strap and red lugs” that was distributed with a pamphlet that read, “This limited-edition band is a symbol of our commitment to equality and we hope you’ll wear it with pride.” Apple began selling the second Pride Edition design in Spring 2016 in Apple’s Woven Nylon style. In Summer 2018 a third Pride Edition Band was offered in the Woven Nylon style, but featured the LGBT flag colors on a white background. In June 2019 this fourth version of the Pride design returned to the original rainbow design, but the band style was changed to the Sport Loop.
This example is an unopened June 2019 Apple Sport Loop Pride Edition in the 44 mm size. Since Apple has sold this band, they have donated some of the proceeds of Apple Watch Pride Edition bands to LGBTQ organizations:
“Apple is proud to support LGBTQ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change, including GLSEN, PFLAG, The Trevor Project, Gender Spectrum, and The National Center for Transgender Equality in the U.S., and ILGA internationally. A portion of the proceeds from Pride Edition band sales will benefit their important efforts.”