How to Install Any Two-Piece Watch Strap on Your Apple Watch with Adapters

Want to refresh the look of your Apple Watch but bored with the usual options? With Apple Watch Adapters, you can use any two-piece watch strap designed for mechanical watches on your Apple Watch. Just follow a few simple steps, and when you're ready to upgrade your style, we've got you covered with straps, adapters, or pre-made options with adapters already installed!

Why Use Adapters?

Apple Watch adapters allow you to change the look of your Apple Watch almost indefinitely! Mechanical watches have been around for hundreds of years, bringing with them a rich history of innovative and unique strap designs. But with Apple’s custom band system, these traditional straps wouldn’t normally work with an Apple Watch. That’s where adapters come in—allowing you to attach nearly any two-piece watch strap and making the possibilities almost endless! Whether you’re into classic leather, rugged nylon, or bold rubber straps, adapters open up a whole new world of customization.

What You Need

• Adapters: These are small, but crucial. They act as the bridge between your Apple Watch and any standard two-piece watch strap.
• Two-Piece Watch Strap: This is any strap you love—leather, nylon, rubber, or even metal! As long as it has standard spring bars, it’ll work with adapters.
• Optional. Spring Bars: These usually come pre-installed with the strap, but if not, you can pick up a set separately. They’re what hold your strap securely to the watch. BluShark two-piece straps always come with quick-release spring bars pre-installed (besides our Horween Leather Straps). Quick-release spring bars make swapping straps incredibly easy since they have small built-in levers that let you remove or install them by hand—no need for a separate spring bar tool. This makes attaching your strap to the adapter quick and hassle-free.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Pick the Right Adapters
Choosing the right adapters is key to ensuring a secure fit between your Apple Watch and your new strap. You’ll need to match both your Apple Watch size and the strap width.

• Shop Silver Apple Watch Band Adapters 
• Shop Black Apple Watch Band Adapters
• Shop Ultra Apple Watch Band Adapters

Choosing the correct strap size for your adapter. 
Our Small Adapters pair with any 20mm strap and our Large & ULTRA Adapters pair with any 22mm strap. 

For a clear example of how a Small Adapter pairs with a 20mm strap, check out the animation above. It shows how both the strap and adapter share the same 20mm width so they fit perfectly together. Just like how the large Apple adapters pair only with a 22mm band.

How Many Adapters Do You Need?
You can either purchase a single pair of adapters and swap different straps as needed, or get multiple sets to make switching straps even easier. Having extra adapters means you can keep them attached to your favorite straps, saving time when changing styles.

2. Pick Your Strap
Since adapters allow you to use nearly any two-piece strap, you can choose from a wide range of materials—leather, nylon, rubber, or metal. Just make sure the strap width matches the adapter size for a secure fit.

• FKM Rubber 2-Piece Straps - Shop Collection
• Fabric 2-Piece Straps - Shop Collection
• Leather 2-Piece Straps - Shop Collection 

3. Install the Adapters on the Strap

For Straps with Quick-Release Spring Bars: Simply slide the small built-in lever to retract the spring bar, align it with the holes on the adapter, and release it into place. Quick-release bars make installation easy and tool-free.

For Straps with Standard Spring Bars: You’ll need a spring bar tool to install these. Insert one end of the spring bar into the adapter’s hole, then use the tool to compress the other end and guide it into the opposite hole. Double-check that both ends are securely in place.

4. Attach the Strap to Your Apple Watch
Once the adapters are installed on your strap, simply slide them into the Apple Watch lugs as you would with any standard Apple Watch band. They should click into place securely.

Why It’s Worth It

Using adapters gives you tons of flexibility when it comes to style, durability, and comfort. Whether you want a premium leather strap for a formal look, a rugged nylon strap for the weekend, or even a silicone band for the gym—adapters let you change things up in seconds. Plus, it's a great way to give your Apple Watch a fresh look without spending a ton of money on Apple’s proprietary bands.

Final Thoughts

Adapters are a game-changer for Apple Watch owners who want more variety in their straps. Whether you're looking for something sporty, classy, or just a little different, adapters open up a whole new world of possibilities for your wrist. It’s an easy, affordable upgrade that’s super simple to do yourself.

So, go ahead and try out that new strap you’ve been eyeing. Your Apple Watch can rock just about any style with the right adapters!