Urban Armor Gear (UAG) is arguably best known for their portfolio of smartphone cases, but they also sell some very intriguing smartwatch straps. Their NATO Straps for Samsung's Galaxy Watch are both stylish and durable, and a dose of adrenaline to the somewhat staid rubber straps that come standard. Colors include Olive Drab and Grey for the 46mm model, but only grey is available for the 42mm variants. Fortunately, the grey works well with my black Galaxy Watch and I quickly favored it over the stock Silicone. I've never been a fan of NATO straps as they're traditionally one piece that slides over the case back, but this one is more “conventional” with a two-piece design and stainless steel pin buckle. You're getting the look of a military-ish NATO strap with the convenience of a conventional setup. Is that worth an extra $49? Let's take a closer look.
One complaint I have with the black silicone strap is the load of dust it attracts. It just always appears dirty as dust and lint cling to it like a magnet. Not the biggest of deals, but one that became glaringly obvious after replacing it with the UAG NATO Strap, which is quite the opposite and always looked clean.
As mentioned before, the strap comes in two pieces with a conventional pin buckle, which I find much more comfortable than a one piece NATO (and it looks better, too). It's made from a high strength nylon weave that feels like it could lift a truck and will easily outlast the life of the watch. It's also compatible with most 20mm lugs, so it's not only great for smartwatches, but conventional watches as well. If you have a Hamilton or Seiko in your collection, for example, this could really spruce it up.
A very appreciated feature are quick release levers, allowing you to install and replace the strap without tools. Simply slide the lever back to retract one end of the spring bar. As far as I'm concerned, every strap produced today should have this.
On the wrist, the nylon fabric is as comfortable as the silicone, although it won't repel water as well. It's perfectly fine getting wet, but will absorb water like any fabric. The good news is that it dries very fast, so if you take your watch for a swim, just dry the strap off with a paper towel and it'll be completely dry in a matter of minutes. It wears like any two-piece strap with two stainless steel loops and buckle. I have relatively thin wrists and this fits very well with holes to spare, so it's likely to be perfect for just about everyone. One-size-fits-all wrist measurements are 5.2 inches to 7.52 inches (133mm – 191mm).
I do have a couple of gripes, most notably the huge UAG patch that's stitched on the top. It's just a bit too conspicuous and would've been better both smaller and either printed or woven into the strap without being a separate piece. It's not really an eyesore, but my watch also isn't competing in the Daytona 500. I wish it was available in olive for the 42mm models as well. Why limit them to just grey? These are minor complaints, however, as the overall package is comfortable, stylish and as durable as it gets. My Galaxy Watch 42mm with its external bezel and blacked out design really took on a military vibe with the UAG NATO Strap, and it's always fun to change things up. UAG sells a wide variety of Galaxy Watch straps that we covered back in October, along with smartphone cases.
The grey strap for the Galaxy Watch 42mm sells for $49.99 and comes with a one-year warranty. You can buy it directly from UAG with free global shipping and no hassle returns. It's definitely not the cheapest strap around, but a fair price considering the materials and overall quality. If you wear your Galaxy Watch frequently and want to upgrade from the silicone, without sacrificing durability, this is a solid buy.
