Answer:
Short answer... No
From the big brands to the 3rd party sites, it can be excruciatingly difficult to determine how a band can cost less than half of what it would normally cost! Less than 50%? Sounds great! However, it would be the classic too good to be the true story to assume that the quality and longevity of the band would the same.
The comparison...
Take for example a silicone band from Apple which costs $79 AUD vs. eBay which may cost ~$9 AUD vs. the OzStraps version which costs $14.99 AUD. At these significant price differences, going with the much cheaper one seems to be a no-brainer! But can we expect the quality, workmanship, and durability of all the bands to be the same?
Different bands range from poor to very good
Unfortunately, there are substantial differences in quality between all bands.
We've found that many of these cheap bands are either dipped in the cheap latex-like paint which peels and cracks over time or simply known as 'lint collectors' as they gather all kinds of dust/lint throughout their usage. Our bands are similar to Apple's, however, are hypo-allergenic which means they are less prone to induce any allergic reactions and has the consistency and durability to boot!
The OzStraps difference
All of this sounds a bit mind-boggling when it comes to choosing a band then doesn't it? Not to worry, the team here at OzStraps have done the quality testing for you! Our stringent tests from various brands and manufacturers have resulted in more often than not, bands being rejected than admitted to our selection.
Furthermore, once we've on-boarded a specific band, we work towards the continuous improvement via our product enhancement processes to ensure that our bands are made stronger and without compromise to allow us to stand out amongst the crowd!
As a result, all the existing bands we stock have undergone several improvements and revisions based on our customer feedback! For example, with our most popular band, the Milanese loop, we've listened and heard that you would prefer a band that has a high magnet strength to avoid failure and to ensure that the colour does not fade. We've worked hard in person with our manufacturer to make certain that our Milanese loop bands meet the requested requirements.
Our promise to you
Our main priority for the bands we provide to you is:
Reliability - ensure that it holds up to the test of time without risk of breaking your watch!
Affordable - exorbitant prices aren't in our vocabulary! However, great quality at low prices is!
Warranty & Support - we particularly pride ourselves on this one! We are more than happy to assist in any installation woes, general enquiries or even just for a chat about smartwatches and bands in general :)
Jeff
OzStraps Team
