What Are The Advantages Of A Rubber Watch Strap?

Rubber straps are an often overlooked option when it comes to watch straps, but we should really be paying them more attention. They are extremely comfortable as well as durable and they look cool.

There are actually a number of advantages to using a rubber strap on your watch, which I will go through now.

Rubber Straps Are Comfortable

The first advantage of a rubber strap is that they are very comfortable. Often people think they will be hard and not very flexible, but this completely wrong.

Rubber straps are very tough, but they feel great, they are actually quite soft and flexible and while you can get some poor quality ones, the majority are very comfortable.

You also don’t have to break them in; they just feel nice right from day one.  

Rubber Straps Look Great

I guess this is subjective, but I think a lot of people would agree that rubber straps look cool.

You can get different styles and colours which means you can always find something that will work well with your watch and your general style.

You can get rubber straps in quite bright bold colours, which sounds garish, but if you have a watch with a colourful dial …it can be the perfect pairing.

I have seen so many examples of people pairing a bright orange strap with a dive watch that has an orange dial. Sounds dreadful, but looks great.

You also have luxury watches like the Rolex Yachtmaster, it comes with a rubber strap, known as the “Oysterflex”. If a luxury brand can use a rubber strap, then you know they must look pretty good, even if they try and give it a fancy name to sound better.    

Rubber Straps Are Waterproof

It is probably no surprise that rubber straps are waterproof and this is exactly why they are often paired with dive watches.

You can place your rubber straps in as much water as you want, even salt water and it is not going to have any negative effects.

A lot of straps, especially leather will not be able to tolerate this, so if you are going to be near water a lot, or even sweating a lot, then a rubber strap really can be the best option for you.   

They Are Also Easy To Wash

The waterproof nature of rubber straps also means they are very easy to wash. Some types of rubber straps can attract dust and link, which is annoying, but the good thing is that this can be easily washed away.

You can quickly dunk your rubber strap into some warm soapy water and give it a wipe with a cloth and it will be basically restored back to brand new.

Some types of straps you need to be a little more delicate with, but you can wash a rubber strap without any issues, they are very easy to care for.

Rubber Straps Are Robust

A great advantage of a rubber strap is that they are very robust. They are just a strip of rubber, which doesn’t sound very exciting, but it actually means they are very tough.

There is not exactly at lot that go wrong with them. They are not going to fall apart or start fraying at the edges. They are going to be able to take knocks and bumps and you can get them covered in all sorts of dirt and they will be fine.

However, they will not last forever and they will eventually wear out, but this is going to take a whole lot longer than many other types of strap. 

Rubber Straps Are Affordable

Rubber straps are also very affordable, as I mentioned, they are just a strip of rubber so they are not exactly complex.

This means they are easily produced and very affordable. Of course you can get different levels of quality, just like any other type of strap, so you may find the prices do vary. However, even the very best rubber straps are going to be very affordable.

They are also going to be very good value for money as you will get a lot of use out of them. They will take a long time to wear out, so the cost will always be more than justifiable.  

Rubber Straps Are Usually Breathable

When we initially think of rubber, we assume they are probably really sweaty and maybe this is the case on some of the lower quality ones, but in fact a lot of them are actually really breathable.

If you look at a lot of the straps they are usually covered in various holes, which are all designed to help with air flow and make the straps more breathable.

The fact they are breathable also just helps them feel more comfortable on the wrist.

Rubber Straps Won’t Hold Temperature

One of the huge benefits with a rubber strap is that it will not hold the temperature. A lot of dive watches come with a metal bracelet, and while these look great, they can get very cold in winter and very hot in summer.

This can actually become uncomfortable for the wearer and a rubber strap totally negates this issue as it doesn’t hold onto heat in the same way.

This is going to make sure that your watch is always comfortable no matter what climate you are in.

Conclusion

Hopefully now you can see that rubber straps are great and they have a lot of advantages. While they may not work with every style of watch, they can be paired with a large number of watches and there are enough styles and colours that you should always be able to find something that works for you.

Rubber straps really are worth your time, so if you haven’t got one already, you should really consider adding a few to your collection so you can start enjoying all the benefits they have to offer.

(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Watch Straps)