A new wearable trend has been making the rounds online as an alternative to double-wristing. Normally, I’m not the type of person who jumps on every internet hack that appears in my feed. Most of them sound clever in theory and disappointing in practice.
But this one caught my attention because it promised to solve a problem I’ve had for years. Whenever I dress up for a dinner, an event or a night out, I find myself choosing between wearing a watch that actually matches my outfit and wearing a device that tracks my steps, activity and health data. Style on one side, fitness tracking on the other. The trend? Wearing an Analog Watch With Fitbit Air Band! Genius.
The idea behind this trend is surprisingly simple: combine both into a single wrist setup because of the Fitbit Air Band compatibility. Curious to see whether it was genuinely useful or just another short-lived internet fad, I decided to take a closer look at how it actually works.
The surprising part is that the Fitbit Air’s simple design may offer a creative solution. Instead of choosing one device over another, some users have discovered ways to combine the Fitbit Air with Apple Watch or even a favorite analog watch. It’s a clever hack that lets you enjoy fitness tracking while keeping the watch you already love on your wrist.
Why People Are Trying This
Wearing two separate devices on different wrists has become a common habit for fitness enthusiasts, but many people genuinely dislike the look and feel of double-wristing. In this case, one wrist will keep your vital health parameters while the other shows the time.
However, the thing is that, even though it is effective, it looks very clumsy and inconvenient.
This exact daily frustration is where Fitbit Air Band compatibility has caught everyone’s attention. The Fitbit Air features a highly minimalist design that completely separates the actual tracker from the strap itself. Because of this clever modular setup, users have started experimenting with sliding their favorite secondary watches right onto the very same band.
This simple trick saves you from compromising on your style just to get the convenience of modern functions. With the help of this trick, you will be able to have all the best features from both sides while enjoying the design of your watches.
This simple adjustment helps you reduce the amount of physical hardware considerably compared to when you’re carrying it on both of your arms, thus, it gives you a highly enjoyable, compact and fashionable experience from a single wrist alone.
How the Fitbit Air Band Works With Other Watches
Before grabbing your tools, you need to understand the mechanics behind this popular wearable hack. It is not a universally supported feature, but rather a creative exploitation of how the hardware is built.
Understanding the Modular Design
The Fitbit Air device is essentially a two-part system: a tiny electronic tracking puck and a specialized strap. Unlike older fitness trackers where the band clips directly into the sides of the device, the Fitbit Air tracking puck slots into a dedicated pocket or cradle built into the strap itself.
The standard nylon band that comes in the box is a single-pass style strap, meaning a continuous piece of fabric wraps around your wrist. Because the nylon material is thin, flexible and completely flat on the sides, it can easily slide through the open spaces of other traditional watch heads. It acts very similarly to a classic, single-pass military NATO strap, allowing you to mount a secondary device directly onto the upper side of the band while the fitness tracker stays nestled on the bottom.
Which Types of Watches Fit Best
The most critical factor for success with this hack of wearing an analog watch with Fitbit Air Band is the lug width of your watch. The lugs are the two metal arms that stick out of the top and bottom of a watch case to hold the strap pins in place. The standard nylon strap has a strict width of 18mm. Therefore, your timepiece needs to have a matching internal distance between its lugs for the fabric to slide through smoothly.
- 18 mm Lugs: This is the absolute perfect size. The strap will fill the entire space between the lugs without bunching up or leaving gaps.
- 19 mm Lugs: This is an uncommon size used by select brands like Certina, but it works quite well with very minimal shifting.
- 20 mm Lugs: This size is highly common on everyday timepieces like the Timex Marlin. The 18mm strap will fit through easily, but you will notice a tiny 1mm gap on either side of the band, which allows the watch head to slide around a bit.
- 22 mm or 24 mm Lugs: Avoid these completely. The 18mm strap is far too narrow for large sports watches and it will look silly and unstable on your wrist.
Furthermore, you must avoid heavy, oversized or thick timepieces. If your watch head is too bulky, it will pull the lightweight fabric strap unevenly, causing discomfort and preventing the health puck from making solid contact with your skin.
Step-by-Step Guide: Wearing a Watch With Fitbit Air Band
If you want to combine an Apple Watch with your fitness tracking strap, you will quickly run into a structural hurdle. Apple does not use standard watch lugs or spring-loaded pins, it uses a proprietary slide-in locking channel.
Material and Tools You Might Need
If you’re trying to pair the Fitbit Air with your Apple Watch, because of its unique design, it is not possible to slide the nylon strap directly inside the watch housing. For that reason, it would be necessary for you to buy two pieces of Apple Watch strap adapters that come at a very affordable price and serve as metal adapters that fit inside the Apple Watch lock-in slots.
Alternatively, some wearable enthusiasts have designed custom, 3D-printed plastic supports or strap extenders. These brackets help to hold the Apple Watch securely on top of the wrist, while allowing the 18mm nylon strap to run underneath via a dedicated route.
Additionally, you will need a Fitbit Air Clip that some people sell in order to attach the puck directly to the Apple Watch strap.
For the Apple Watch Ultra, some models come with the lugs within the design, so third-party strap adapters are not required.
For analog watches, you might want to use a single-pass military NATO strap if you want to change the look of the strap.
Note: if you’re just using the Fitbit Air Band with your Apple Watches and other smartwatches, the nylon strap sits between the device and your skin, covering the rear sensor array and potentially affecting features such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and workout measurements.
Method 1: Using the Fitbit Air Clip With an Apple Watch
In case you want both the sensors of the Apple Watch and the Fitbit Air to work simultaneously, use this method.
- Attach the Fitbit Air tracker to the Fitbit Air Clip accessory.
- Wear your Apple Watch normally on your wrist.
- Secure the Fitbit Air Clip to your clothing, pocket or waistband.
- This method allows you to use both devices simultaneously without blocking the Apple Watch sensors.
- It is the best option if you want to preserve all Apple Watch health-tracking features.
Method 2: Using the Fitbit Air Band as a NATO-Style Strap
In case you want a different color or style of band to work with your Fitbit Air and your traditional, analog watches, use this method.
- Slide the adapter into the top and bottom slots of your Apple Watch until they click securely into place.
- Use a spring bar tool to remove the metal pins from the adapters or leave them installed if the adapters feature pass-through slots.
- Take your Fitbit Air fitness strap and ensure the tracking puck is securely seated in its pocket.
- Lay the nylon band across the back of the watch.
- Carefully thread the nylon strap through the adapters and over the spring bars.
- Pull the fabric through slowly to avoid damaging the nylon or scratching the watch body.
- Note that this method places fabric between the smartwatch and your skin, which may reduce sensor accuracy. It works best with your Analog watches.
Method 3: Analog Watch With Fitbit Air Band
In case you want to use an analog watch with Fitbit Air Band, use this method.
- Remove the old band by using a spring bar tool to take off the existing straps from your watch lugs.
- Put the pins back by clicking the spring-loaded metal pins right back into the watch holes without any strap attached to them.
- Thread the fabric by taking the long end of the nylon band and pushing it down through the gap between the watch case and the top pin.
- Pull it through by running the fabric directly across the back of the watch case, then pulling it back up through the bottom gap under the lower pin.
- Center the watch by sliding the watch head along the fabric until it sits directly opposite the tracking puck so it stays perfectly balanced on your wrist.
If you have a small wrist, you might find that you run out of hook-and-loop material, leaving a loose-hanging flap of fabric at the edge. Make sure the band is snug enough to prevent the Apple Watch from sliding around, but not so tight that it cuts off your circulation.
Best Analog Watches to Use with Fitbit Air
For the absolute best visual balance and stability, choose a slim, lightweight timepiece. Elegant field watches, minimalist quartz pieces, Seiko Sports or even vintage-style mechanical watches fit beautifully. Classic examples like the Instrmnt Field Watch or a Casio watch look incredibly natural because their case heights are low which helps in keeping the overall profile of your wrist slim and clean.
Visual Tips and Tricks
To prevent scratching the beautiful polished metal or glass backing of an automatic watch, you can apply a tiny piece of clear, protective plastic tape to the case back before threading the rugged nylon material across it. If your watch has a wide 20mm lug distance, you can use small plastic washers or tiny O-rings on the sides of the pins to prevent the 18mm strap from sliding left and right throughout the day.
Pros and Cons of Combining Watches With Fitbit Air
Pros of Analog watch with a Fitbit Air Band
- No more double-wristing: You don’t have to wear two separate bands on different arms anymore.
- Keeps your style: You can wear your favorite classic or luxury watch while still tracking your steps and sleep.
- Clean, hidden look: The Fitbit Air tracker sits quietly under your wrist and looks like a normal strap buckle.
- Very lightweight: It doesn’t add much extra weight or bulk to your arm.
Cons of Analog watch with a Fitbit Air Band
- Blocks smartwatch features: If you use an Apple Watch, the fabric band will block its sensors. This means the Apple Watch won’t be able to read your heart rate anymore.
- Lower tracking accuracy: Fitness trackers are designed to be worn on top of your wrist. Wearing the Fitbit Air puck on the bottom of your wrist can make your heart rate readings less accurate, especially during heavy workouts.
- Strap wear and tear: Squeezing the nylon strap through sharp watch pins can cause the fabric to fray or stretch out over time.
- Bulky buckle flap: Depending on your wrist size, the extra strap material might feel bulky under your arm.
Wrap Up
If you enjoy experimenting with wearables and understand the limitations, wearing an analog watch with Fitbit Air Band can be a fun and practical solution. It offers a way to combine fitness tracking with the watch you genuinely enjoy wearing.
However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all setup. The experience depends heavily on the size of your watch, the quality of any adapters used and your personal comfort preferences.
For occasional use or everyday tasks, many users may find the hybrid approach of wearing analog watch with a Fitbit Air Band surprisingly useful. But if comfort, security or durability become concerns,you may want to consider a hybrid watch instead, as it offers the benefits of traditional watch styling and fitness tracking in a single device.
