What Are The Advantages Of Using A NATO Strap?

Nato Straps are a popular style of strap for watches, they are a unique design, but using one may actually be giving you a lot more advantages than just looking good with your watch.

I will go through some of these advantages below and you will quickly see that if you are not using a Nato strap, it is something you should really consider.

Nato Straps Are Light Weight

Nato straps are extremely light weight and this can be an advantage. While most straps are pretty light in general, you can still tell the difference between ones that are heavier and this can bother some people and they will find the weight of a Nato more appealing.

This can be especially true with a watch that has a bracelet. These can be significantly heavier than a lot of other straps as they are solid metal. Swapping one of these to a Nato strap can make a massive difference and suddenly a weighty watch can feel a lot more tolerable on your wrist.

This is something you should play around with, try different straps and see how it feels. Nato’s will always give you the lightest feeling and that may be the sensation you prefer.

Nato Straps Are Comfortable

Due to Nato straps light weight and breathable material, they are extremely comfortable which can be real advantage over other straps.

You can easily adjust them to get a great fit and you will very quickly forget that you are wearing a watch. They are very different to the heavy feeling that bracelet can have or that stiffness you might get from a leather strap.

This makes Natos an excellent choice for any time of the year. They can handle the cold and the heat and anything in between, they are just comfortable and this is exactly what you want from your watch. 

Nato Straps Can Protect Your Watch

Probably the most important advantage of using a Nato strap is the fact that it can add some extra security to your watch.

Since the strap loops through the spring bars, rather than being attached to them, it means the strap will never come off your wrist. This means that is you have a spring bar failure, the watch will still be attached to your wrist.

It is very unlikely to have both spring bars fail at the same time, so your watch is not going to fall on the floor or get lost, which can happen very easily if a spring bar fails when you are using a regular style strap.

Nato Straps Are Very Durable

One of the big advantages of a Nato strap compared to other straps is the fact that they are very durable.

They can pretty much handle anything and won’t get damaged or become scratched. They can handle all sorts of temperatures, they are waterproof and they are even washable too.

They can basically handle a lot compared to many other types of strap. You wouldn’t be able to get a leather strap wet for example and you are also going to get all sorts of scratches on a bracelet.

Of course the holes on the strap can become stretched, but this is usually only a problem on the very low quality Nato’s if you just pay a little bit more money you should get a very durable, long lasting strap.

(You can read more about – How Does A NATO Strap Differ From Other Types Of Watch Straps?)

Nato Straps Are Cheap

I think on of the great advantages of Nato straps is the fact that they are very cheap which means you can buy a lot more of them and then you have many more options for you watches.

Of course you get what you pay for, so if you go super cheap they may not be the best quality, but in general, Nato straps are a lot cheaper than most other straps.

I would generally say that a cheap Nato is always going to be a lot higher quality than a cheap leather strap.

Even if you do get the super cheap ones and they only last a few months, they are so incredibly cheap that you can just keep buying more of them. I have seen them as low as only a couple of pound, which is just crazy, so for a small amount of money you can end up with quite a few of them.

This is also why a lot of watches comes with a free one, they are so cheap they can just basically give them way, and while they may not always send the best quality or colour… a free Nato strap is always welcome.

Nato Straps Just Look Cool

A Nato strap will change the look of your watch, and while other straps will of course do this, I think Nato straps really are the best for this.

They instantly make a watch look more sporty and cool and just generally change the feel of things.

Just looks at James Bond, he instantly made his Rolex way cooler by simply having it on a Nato strap …even though it was a dive watch and he was wearing a tuxedo …something that is usually frowned upon, but he just made it look cool!

(You can read more about – Are NATO Straps Suitable For All Types Of Watches?)

Nato Straps Can Easy Be Swapped

A massive advantage with Nato straps is that you do not need any tools to swap them out. They can quickly slide off the watch and you can slide a new one on. It literally takes a few seconds.

When you have a regular strap you have to mess around with a spring bar tools and while it’s still very easy, it isn’t as quick.

Having your watch on a Nato is the perfect way to travel. You can easily bring a couple of extra Natos and swap them out throughout your trip to change the look of your watch.

(You can read more about – Can You Easily Interchange NATO Straps Between Different Watches?)

Conclusion

As you can now see there are a lot of good reasons as to why you should be wearing your watch on a Nato strap.

They really do have a lot of advantages over other straps and if you are not using them with your collection it is something you should try, as I mentioned, they are cheap, durable and look cool so you have nothing to lose.   

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