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Strap Studio Gear S3 bands hands-on: Stylish and affordable genuine leather collection

The included black rubber Gear S3 strap is functional, but thankfully there are affordable leather band options in various colors and styles. Strap Studio brings high quality leather bands for just $30 and $40.
Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
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The Gear S3 Frontier, see my full review, is a fantastic smartwatch, as long as you don't try to connect it with an iPhone. While the watch is elegant with the option for incredible watch faces to make it even better, it comes with a black rubber strap that is fit for the gym.

Thanks to Strap Studio you have 15 band options to improve the look and feel of the Gear S3 Frontier or Classic on your wrist.

Ordering and shipping

A few weeks ago my buddy Des Smith, T-Mobile senior project manager of superphones, posted a Tweet about the Strap Studio bands. After checking out all of the band options, the prices of the bands, and seeing that you can get a 10 percent off coupon by entering your email address into the Snap Studio system, I placed an order.

I ordered a Seta Grey band for my Gear S3 Frontier and it's stunning. I have received numerous comments on it from family and friends. The grey blends into black at the edges and contrasts very well with the Gear S3. I couldn't be happier with the band choice I made.

Shipping from Switzerland was only $10 so with my 10 percent discount my total for one band was $45.10. My band arrived in about a week and was packed very securely too. If you spend more than $100, then shipping around the world is free.

Band options

After reaching out to the Strap Studio folks, three other band options were sent for testing. In addition to the Seta Grey model, I tried out the Nagano Black, Nappa Dark Blue, and Tuscany Tan bands over the past week.

Strap Studio bands come in the following styles and colors:

  • Nagano: Beige, black, dark brown, and medium brown colors. This style has stitched edges with white threads, two strap securing loops, and raised smooth leather between the stitches. The straps are 115 and 75 mm in length.
  • Nappa: Dark blue, green, orange, and pink colors. The Nappa bands have no visible stitches, but have the same raised smooth design as the Nagano. There are two narrower strap securing loops. The straps are 115 and 75 mm in length.
  • Seta: Acacia brown, dark brown, grey, and navy colors. The Seta style offers a white thread stitched design, flat leather material, and one wide strap securing loop. The straps are 115 and 75 mm in length.
  • Tuscany: Black, dark brown, and tan colors. This style also offers white thread stitching and flat leather. There are two strap securing loops too. The straps are 125 and 80 mm in length.

Strap Studio Gear S3 bands hands-on (in pictures)

The Nagano, Seta, and Tuscany bands are priced at $39 each while the Nappa line is $29. Note that the Tuscany line is 15 mm overall longer than the other three styles so if you have larger wrists then you may want to consider this model first.

Quality and design

In order for a company to attach the Designed for Samsung logo to a product, it signs up to be a partner with Samsung and follows a process for authorization to use the logo. When you see this logo on products, you can trust that Samsung has certified the product compatibility.

All bands are hand sewn and made with premium Italian leather. The Samsung spring bar system is included so it just takes seconds to switch out bands and be on your way.

Buckles are made of stainless steel. The Tuscany and Seta watch bands have PVD (physical vapor deposition) black buckles. PVD is a coating process and in this case adds a color over stainless steel material.

Daily usage experiences

As soon as my Seta Grey band arrived I knew I had made the right choice in ordering this color and style. It looks great with the Gear S3 Frontier and I am a huge fan of the single strap securing loop. The way the color transitions from grey to black at the edges helps the band stand out a bit while still looking great.

I think my second favorite is the Tuscany Tan model as it gives an "adventurer" look to the Gear S3. I like the bold white thread design and flat leather with PVD buckle.

The dark blue color on the Nappa one looks great too and I may just have to get the Seta Navy or Nappa Green one too.

Every one of the bands I tested was extremely comfortable and let me wear the Gear S3 for days. The genuine leather was a bit stiff for a couple of days, but eventually broke in and formed to fit my wrist better over time. The buckles keep the bands securely on my wrist and the quick release pins are also substantial and secure.

If you have a Gear S3 Frontier or Classic, then I highly recommend you consider one, or more, of these bands. They look great, function perfectly, and look to be made very well.

Samsung Gear S3 launches in the US, UK:

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