This $8 Pixel Watch band feels just as good as Google’s, and comes in more colors too [Gallery]

Ben Schoon | Dec 12 2025 - 7:30 am PT

Bands have been by far the biggest headache of owning a Pixel Watch, at least for me. Google’s first-party collection is surprisingly expansive, but also pricey. In the third-party space, options are often limited or of low quality, but I recently picked up a super cheap Pixel Watch band that feels just as good as Google’s “Active Sport” band, but at a fraction of the price.

Google first launched the “Active Sport” band for Pixel Watch in 2023. The band acts as a complement to the default “Active” band by adding holes to the design for better breathability, and also swapping the fluoroelastomer for a lightweight silicone.

This has quickly become my go-to Pixel Watch band, with the “Moonstone” one being my daily band on the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3. More recently, the “Indigo” Active Sport band has been my favorite for Pixel Watch 4 when I’m outside, mostly thanks to that striking color.

Google Pixel’s best color in years, ‘Indigo,’ is even better on Watch [Gallery]

Yet, I wanted more options.

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Google’s color palette this year for the Active Sport band includes the aforementioned “Moonstone” and “Indigo,” as well as a vibrant “Peony” and the more subdued “Lemongrass,” as well as the defaults of “Porcelain” and “Obsidian.” I wanted a color Google has yet to venture into, orange, so I went searching for third-party options.

What I ended up giving a shot was a silicone strap from “HAYONLIY” on Amazon, yet another one of those generic brands dominating internet shopping nowadays. It didn’t exactly instill confidence that what I was buying was anything of great quality, but I ended up very surprised when I actually started using it.

Put simply, I was shocked to see that this cheap third-party band feels just like Google’s.

The silicone material and finish feel the same on my wrist, the design is practically identical, and the fit in the Pixel Watch’s proprietary connector is about as perfect as I could ask for. It looks worse (as pictured below), but it fits perfectly.

The only visual difference, really, is that the locking nub used to hold the band in place is silver across all colors, instead of being a matched color like on Google’s band.

I’ve been using the orange band for a couple of months now, and I’ve been really happy with it. Both during daily use and even wearing it to sleep, I’ve noticed nothing major that sets it apart from Google’s band, at least on my 45mm Pixel Watch 4. There are some buyer reviews where the band or connector broke, and one person was apparently sent the wrong shade of blue, but I’m now two bands in without any issues – and that “white “Starlight” color is nearly identical to Google’s “Porcelain.”

Does this mean you should never buy one of Google’s? I don’t think so, really. As mentioned, I love that “Indigo” color, and you’d be hard-pressed to get something that matches that “Peony” as well. But this cheap third-party band steps up as a cheap alternative to the black and white colors, while also adding some more to the table such as green, dark blue, and a less flashy pink. And it does that while costing just $8. You can even buy the full set of 10 colors for $25, half the price of a single one of Google’s Active Sport bands.

If you’ve got a Pixel Watch, give this one a shot!