Nomad Launches Hydrophobic Leather 'Active Straps' for Apple Watch

Popular accessory company Nomad has released a new range of premium Apple Watch bands made from hydrophobic leather and designed for "heavy everyday use."

nomad active strap 1
The new Active Straps are water and sweat-resistant, and feature ventilation channels on the underside of the leather to ensure the bands remain comfortable and breathable during workouts.

Nomad says the bands are "built for sport," but the look is more formal than sporty, and the bands can be rinsed with water after a workout so they're ready to wear for a night out.

The new Active Strap Apple Watch bands are available in both black and mocha leather, and customers also have the option to choose between black hardware and silver hardware on the stainless steel accents.

nomad active straps
The Active Strap is available for 42mm and 44mm Apple Watch models, in one size that fits wrists ranging from 150mm to 210mm. The Active Strap costs $69.95 and can be ordered on Nomad's website from today.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Tag: Nomad
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...

Top Rated Comments

TheRealTVGuy Avatar
77 months ago
“Stainless steal”, eh?

I always thought it was spelled “steel”.
;-)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
votdfak Avatar
77 months ago
The best one for myself is Nike Sport Band. Dries quick cause holes and odor free. Nike Sport Loop is easier to adjust, but Nike Sport Band reigns supreme imho.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FairlyKors Avatar
77 months ago
I wouldn’t expect this to feel exactly like leather, especially given the texture and form that is visible on the inside the band. I wouldn’t even care if this wasn’t real leather, either. Durability and high quality materials (including no weird/harmful chemicals) are what I would want from a waterproof watch band at this price.

I think the band’s rectangular shape looks far better on the Apple Watch than the rounded off bands I see everywhere. I’ve (personally) been tired of Apple’s rounded off corners for years now. The iPhone 5 was the best example of minimal design. It was thin, could be easily gripped due to its “chamfered edges” and was far sleeker than the current “flattened tampon” design that’s been Apple trademark for, what, seven or more models now?

Anything to offset the mashed cookie dough look of the Apple Watch is a step forward, IMO.

For those who want a nice leather band that feels, wears, smells, etc. like leather, you can always chose to use more than one band. As long as these watches require daily fiddling with chargers and the like, why not take another 30 seconds and change the band to fit whatever you’re doing?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
77 months ago
They always make quality products. That price isn’t bad either.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
77 months ago
Meh. I prefer to have materials that an animal wasn't killed for. Or at least not during this millennia.


The best one for myself is Nike Sport Band. Dries quick cause holes and odor free. Nike Sport Loop is easier to adjust, but Nike Sport Band reigns supreme imho.
I agree, except that I feel that the Nike Sport Bands run tighter than the regular Sport Bands.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)