Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I may not be the typical or even intended customer for the Ultra, but I am posting this review in case it helps others in my situation who might be on the fence. I am not a hardcore athlete, endurance hiker or a diver, but I do spent a fair amount of time outside with dogs and horses and enjoy skiing in the winter, and I like the additional safety layer of always-on cellular connectivity right on my wrist. I weigh about 145 lbs with a 6.5 inch wrist and have until now always worn the smaller of the Apple Watches on offer, most recently the Apple Watch Series 6 40mm with a S/M sport band. I am at the stage in my life where it’s getting harder to read text on a small screen, so this year I decided to upgrade to a larger Apple Watch. It didn’t make sense to me anymore to have a great watch capable of providing all kinds of useful information only to struggle with the smaller screen, especially as I am frequently in situations where it is much more convenient to rely on my watch than to get my phone out. I went to try on the Apple Watch series 8 45mm in person and to take a look at the Ultra mostly for fun, assuming it would be much too big and bulky on my wrist. I was amazed that when I tried the Ultra and the Series 8 on my wrist side by side, the size difference was negligible. Yes, the Ultra is thicker, but there does not seem to be much difference on the wrist between a 45mm and 49mm watch face. The difference in brightness and clarity of the Ultra’s screen though is impossible to miss, at least for me. I don’t know whether it is the flat edges or the flat screen, or just the extra brightness the Ultra offers, or maybe just those extra mm, but I was so hooked by the screen that I decided I wanted the Ultra to work for me, despite it being considerably heavier than the Series 6 40mm that I am used to. Here are my observations after wearing an Ultra for the last 2 days. First, the size and thickness of the Ultra don’t bother me at all, but the weight does take some getting used to. The key here is the band. My watch came with the Alpine Loop in Starlight, Size M and for the first couple of hours I was sure I was going to return the watch. I really dislike the band - the weight of the watch is such that the band has to be quite tight on me, or the watch moves around too much for my comfort - but the material of the band, especially at the edges, just feels rough and scratchy and I found it much too irritating to my skin to wear the watch securely. I also don’t know how the Alpine Loop could ever be kept clean - the material doesn’t wipe easily and retains water. I want a comfortable band that can get wet and dry easily and that I can clean off with a wipe. I decided to try on an old Sport Band from my son’s 45mm watch, and it is a game changer for me. The watch is now comfortable to wear, even with the sport band tight enough to prevent the watch from slipping around. Yes, a few times a day I find myself more “aware” of the Ultra on my wrist compared to the Series 6 that I always forgot was even there - but the trade off for me is absolutely worth it. The extra features of the Ultra are nice to have, although not necessary for a user like me, but the gorgeous and easy to read screen, and the larger crown and buttons that I can use with gloves while at the barn or riding, make it a winner for me over the Series 8. The cellular connectivity is outstanding - I can send and receive messages and make phone calls from the watch in places where my iPhone 12 Pro can’t get a strong enough signal. Even the times I am “aware” of the Ultra on my wrist, it is in a good way. I love the way it looks and there’s something weirdly reassuring about its slightly heftier feel. For anyone wondering if the Ultra looks bulky and ridiculous on a smaller wrist, no one in my family has even noticed I have one, not even my son who is always the first to spot anything new. If it looked silly, trust me, he would notice and say something! The only reason I am giving the Ultra 4 stars instead of 5 is the band, which I have set aside in a drawer and will very likely never use. I wish Apple would make a sport band specifically for the Ultra, as I don’t know if the regular sport band is really designed for the additional weight. I could try the Ocean Band, but I am not a fan of the fussier design and don’t want to part with another $99. The Ultra though is here to stay and other than having to spend more $ to buy a 45mm sport band of my own, I could not be happier with my purchase. One last comment - I originally purchased the watch from Amazon but then Best Buy had earlier availability, so I ended up keeping the watch from Best Buy and returning the watch from Amazon once it arrived. That’s the only reason for the return - two Ultra would have been a bit too much of a good thing:)