Upgrade your Apple Watch with our favorite accessories

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• Best sports group

  When you buy your Apple Watch, you have choices which group you get at checkout. The two WIRED editors Adrienne So and I find that textile and metal (stainless steel or titanium) bracelets are more comfortable and fashionable than fluoroelastomer bracelets, which tend to be stiff and can irritate your skin. I love the Nike Sport Loop so much that it’s been my everyday band for six years, and I ended up purchasing it in two colors: navy and black. Made from recycled polyester, spandex and nylon, it’s soft, breathable and easy to hand wash. The Velcro tab makes it as adjustable as a bracelet can be, and it’s easy to attach with one hand. Apple doesn’t advertise any water resistance, but I’ve swum with it several times; after rinsing it and letting it air dry, it looked brand new. The thread is reflective if you run at night, although it is subtle.

  It comes in five colors and three case sizes, making it compatible with most versions of the Apple Watch. If you are looking for a leather bracelet, Konsu NYC offers a beautiful braceletAlso. For more recommendations, check out our Best Apple Watch bands guide. —Boutayna Chokrane

• Best Charging Stand

  

  Belkin

  3-in-1 Qi2 Charging Stand

  Even though Apple has Significantly improved battery life on the Apple Watch in 2025, it still won’t last more than 24 hours on a single charge. If you have an iPhone, AirPods and an Apple Watch, a 3 in 1 charging station keeps everything organized, reduces cable clutter and ensures your devices are always charged and ready to go. WIRED Review Simon Hill—which specializes in smartphone accessories—claims that the Belkin 3-in-1 Qi2 Charging Stand is the best money can buy. Thanks to his Qi2 certificationit can quickly charge an Apple Watch Ultra and Series 7 or newer, but it is compatible with all Apple Watches. Hill also likes the chrome aesthetic of this particular mount; It’s a tree-shaped stand that suspends two gadgets in the air (MagSafe compatible), with a slot for the AirPods case on the circular band. —Boutayna Chokrane

• Best portable charger

  

  Anker

  MagGo Power Bank for Apple Watch

  A fully charged Apple Watch should last all day, but since I don’t always remember to charge it, I always carry a power bank to back me up when I’m away. WIRED Review Simon Hill says the Anker MagGo Compact Power Bank is the best portable charger for Apple Watch. It can provide 5 watts and supports Nightstand mode. It has a battery capacity of 10,000 mAh and its built-in USB-C cable and USB-C port deliver up to 30 watts to your phone or small device. Plus, it comes in white, black, teal, and pink for added whimsy. —Boutayna Chokrane

• 

  Contrary to a phonea watch is worn on the wrist, so every millimeter of ownership counts. If all you want is a slim, affordable, attractive bumper that will protect your watch from bumps and knocks all day long, this is my favorite. It’s made from extremely thin matte thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and fits a 41mm watch well. The dark green color I tried is well represented by the images on the site. However, reviews say that lighter colors show dirt very easily, so I would stick to darker shades.

  ★ Alternative: THE Spigen Fine Cut ($15) is also a very nice minimal case. But it’s a bit more expensive and the plastic isn’t as soft to the touch. —Adrienne So

• Best screen protector

  

  L.K.

  Apple Watch Screen Protector

  As with straps, the best protector is not always the brand name or the most expensive. I tried screen protectors from Spigen and Zagg, but when I pushed or pulled a case on it, the thin films peeled or bubbled almost instantly. This screen protector, also made of TPU, is easy to apply and appears invisible once in place.

  I especially like the small rubber installation pad, which holds the watch much more securely than other installation plates. Even though it’s reasonably simple to use, I recommend watching the short film educational video before putting on the screen protector. Don’t worry, if you make a mistake, it includes several replacements. —Adrienne So

• Best tape storage

  

  Twelve South

  TimePorter Watch Strap Wall Mount

  Even the most sober and minimalist among us probably have at least two bracelets: a nylon sport bracelet for everyday use and a titanium or steel bracelet for dressing up.

  You can always keep your spare bracelets in a shoebox on your dresser, but I really like this hanger from Twelve South. The wall mount is incredibly easy to install: just make sure you don’t hang it upside down and stick it to your wall. The bands fit snugly into a compression groove at the top. Each holder holds up to six bracelets, but you can easily add more if your collection is larger than mine. —Adrienne So

• Best headphones

  

  Not only the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 the best workout headphones if you own an Apple Watch, but they’re also the best workout headphonesperiod. They even have a heart rate monitor based on the one used in the Apple Watch. If you already own an Apple Watch, this feature is unnecessary, as iOS will prioritize fancier readings from the Apple Watch over headphones. But if you run with it third-party fitness apps like Nike Run Club or Peloton, you will find the additional data useful.

  On top of that, the headphones are incredibly comfortable, sound great, have excellent noise cancellation, and have most of the aforementioned Apple-exclusive features, like hands-free Siri (no adaptive audio, though, sad). The case also features wireless charging, and unlike many other Apple products, it comes in bright, fun colors. Our review unit is Electric Orange, but I find the Hyper Purple to be just as good. —Adrienne So

• Best workout app

  

  I guess you wanted an Apple Watch partly because you needed one a fitness tracker. Most great fitness apps work on the Apple Watch, like Strava, PlatoonOr Nike Run Club. However, if you’re firmly ensconced in Apple’s walled garden, the best fitness app is probably Apple Fitness+which interacts seamlessly between the watch, iPhone and Apple TV+.

  I like it mainly because it’s included in my family’s Apple One subscriptionbut it’s also incredibly practical. There is now coaching for outdoor walks and runs (although there is another Apple app that I use for this purpose, which is Podcasts). The workouts are not intimidating and many of them are very short. Those five minutes when I didn’t respond to your Slack? I was probably doing a five minute core workout! Sorry, it’s just hard for me to sit still! For more fitness apps and services, check out our overview. —Adrienne So