Compare Top 5 Apple Watches
The Best Apple Watch Accessories
Photograph: Simon Hill
Once you have your Apple Watch, you’re going to need some accessories. Here are the ones for you to consider first.
A 3-in-1 charger. Apple Watches are notoriously hard to keep charged. This Belkin Qi2 charger ($110) is our favorite stand, but we have many more selections in our Best 3-in-1 Apple Wireless Chargers. You can also pick up a power bank ($90) with a built-in Apple Watch charger so you’re not caught outside with a dead watch.
Whatever band you want. Our Best Apple Watch Accessories guide has a ton of options. My personal favorite band of all time is the Konsu NYC supple leather band ($139), but we have many more in our guide.
A case and a screen protector. Apple’s service pricing is notoriously exorbitant—repairing a watch costs almost as much as buying a new one! Bigger and more expensive isn’t always better. If the case is big and doesn’t fit well, it will rattle annoyingly every time you get a notification. I like the Spigen Thin Fit Case ($15) and a screen protector set from Amazon ($10); extras are nice if you mess up the first application.
Avoid These Watches
It’s been years since we’ve seen retailers carry the Series 1, Series 2, or Series 3. You may see them on resale sites, but they are not worth the price. WatchOS 26 only works with the second-gen SE and newer, so we no longer recommend buying the Series 4 or 5, or the first-gen SE. The Series 1 isn’t waterproof; neither the Series 1 nor the Series 2 has any cellular capability; and none of these watches are compatible with the latest watchOS version.
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