Here’s How to Prevent Your Watch Strap From Irritating Your Skin
Fitness trackers and smartwatches want to live on your wrist 24/7. Of course, you’ll need them during your workout and later for sleep tracking, and of course you won’t want to miss the stress readings and data display throughout the day. But after a while, if you wear a tight silicone bracelet every minute of the day, you may find that your skin starts to become red or itchy. Here are some tips on how to reduce the likelihood of irritation and what to do if you already have a rash.
Wear your watch loosely when not exercising
Most smartwatch and fitness tracker manufacturers say they should be worn loosely for everyday wear. Fitbit , for example, writes that the band should be worn “loosely enough that it can move back and forth on your wrist” and advises to “Lower the band around your wrist and loosen it after exercise.”
This loose fit allows air to contact the skin as the watch moves throughout the day. This way, no moisture or sweat will reach any part of your skin.
Garmin andApple (to name a few) are saying pretty much the same thing. While exercising, you should wear your watch tightly, above your wrist (so that it is at least an inch or two away from the actual wrist joint). This ensures good and tight contact between the heart rate sensor and your skin. But once the workout is over, return the watch to a more comfortable position.
A good rule of thumb is that when you’re not exercising, the watch should be able to move back and forth on your wrist. But if you try to move your watch during exercise, your skin should move with it.
Wash your watch strap daily.
Irritation can occur when sweat, moisture, or other substances (such as soap) come into contact with the skin. The easiest way to avoid this is to take off your watch and rinse it when you shower.
If you’re not in the shower, try to find another time during the day—for example, while you’re washing your hands—to take off your watch and make sure it’s clean. Read the care instructions included with your device; you may be advised not to use soap.
Let’s look at other material for the group.
Waterproof materials such as silicone are more likely to cause irritation, likely because they trap sweat and moisture on the skin. If this is an ongoing issue for you, consider a fabric watch band that breathes a little better. For example, here’s a pack of five bands that fit the Fitbit Charge 6 . Whatever your device, there are likely many third-party bands out there in a variety of materials.
Pro Tip: If you’re going to buy fabric tape, get two. That way, you can still wash them (or wear them in the shower or pool) and then swap them out for dry ones instead of wearing wet ones for the rest of the day.
Give your skin a rest if it’s already irritated
If you already have a skin rash, the most important thing is to stop wearing your watch while you wait for it to heal. If you take a break from your watch at the first sign of irritation, it will likely go away quickly.
One day, when I had redness and itching from my Garmin band, I immediately washed the watch and then, once it was dry, put it back on my other wrist. Yes, it is strange to wear a watch on the “wrong” wrist, but you need to give the skin a chance to heal. You can also simply not wear a watch for a while.