Apple watch irritation solutions

[Littlemiss74]

I’ve got an apple watch & am keen to get set up to record fitness etc but its irritating my skin. Sometimes its under the sensor part & sometimes on the strap itself. I have the pink standard strap it came with & not sure what it is in thats causing the reaction. Has anyone had similar & found a solution? I know there are other straps but what if its the sensor part.

It's more likely you are getting soap suds, dirt, sweat, whatever caught under the watch and the strap.

Do you ever take it off? Take it off for a few hours a day to let the skin recover and clean it regularly.

I think we're too keen to wear them 24/7 and tighter than a normal watch to get the heart sensors working etc.

I bought a leather watch strap from Amazon because the original one irritated my wrist. Never had any issues under the sensor, make sure you keep it dry. Quite often I swap the watch to the other hand throughout the day, especially if it's hot and sweaty.

i charge mine twice a day while i get a shower and don't wear it overly tight. it has no problems with the sensor working.

I've got a leopard effect scrunchie type thing - off Amazon and works a treat

I wash my smart wash in the shower after a run. I figure the sweat under it is not good for the skin. plus it would get smelly.

Sounds like nickel allergy.

I can’t wear any of those types of watches

I had a really horrible rash from my Fitbit. It went away completely by changing the strap. I would start with trying a new strap and seeing how you get on.

I get this from my Garmin and just have to take it off for a wee while every day to let me skin breathe I think.

Changing the strap isn’t going to help if it’s under the watch face though.
I had been wearing mine a good few months before I realised how crusty it was underneath!!! Grim, got a damp cotton bud and ended up having to scrape off dried on sweat from around the sensor bit underneath! Apologies if anyone’s eating…

I had this problem while using the strap it came with (pink silicone one). I replaced it with an elasticated strap and had no problem since. I bought a pack of 5 different color ones on Amazon for under a tenner

I can’t wear the silicone straps with mine, I have the nylon velcro ones instead.

Mine irritates my skin at work but I know it's because my hands are often wet and not drying my skin properly, I tend to leave it off when showering to be able to dry off properly

Apple replaced my strap after I broke out in hives. Sent me a fabric one and I've had no skin issues since

There isn’t any nickel in it. I think the back is entirely glass.

Also if you’re wearing it overnight for sleep monitoring swap arms for the night. I wear my watch on my right arm normally but at night after it’s charged swap it to my left. I take a Zeiss lens wipe thing to the back and front every couple days as well to clean it.

It’s a non absorbent material though, which means sweat could be irritating.

If you've got a silicone strap, change it for a mesh one - Fitbit owners get exactly the same thing.

Silicone straps are completely impervious to moisture, which means your wrist is permanently damp from sweat being held against the skin - a sweat rash. Provide a way for air to get to your wrist and it ceases to be a problem.

Not sure about prices, but the Fitbit versions can be bought very cheaply on Amazon; I find the ones that have a magnetic fastening are incredibly easy to use compared to a standard watch strap, as it's so simple to loosen and adjust position whenever you need to.

I couldn't wear the strap it came with - changed it for a loop strap which is absolutely fine. I guess it was the metal in the original strap.

Annoyingly the loop strap now has a slit in it after two years, which is not very long for an expensive strap.

I wear mine on the opposite wrist overnight to give my skin a rest.

When my skin was bad, I turned the strap inside out and put it in my bra! It still worked!

I have a nickel allergy and have no problems with mine or the silicone strap. I give my wrist a good wash in the shower with it off, wipe the back of it down once in a while and never wear it in bed.

I got irritation from the pink strap from time to time, usually where it buckled. I've got a different strap now that is the fabric Velcro one - think it's called the sport loop.

Thanks for all the replies & suggestions, I’m going to look into them all & will definitely try a new strap

@Pineapplemonkey that's what I have