REVIEW - One of the ways to personalize your Apple Watch is by swapping out the bands. I have a metal one for dressier moments, a custom one for awareness, and durable ones for when things get messy.....but I didn't have a glow-in-the-dark one. When Nomad offered to review their Rocky Point Band in a Special Edition Icy Blue Glow, I knew I needed to try it! Did it really glow? How did it look when it wasn't glowing? Read on!
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Price: $89 (Limited Edition: Icy Blue Glow) / $79 (Carbon Black)
Where to buy: Nomad
The Nomad Rocky Point Band is one of Nomad's most popular rugged bands, judging by the number of reviews on their website. It's made with FKM fluoroelastomer rubber that is 100% waterproof and has vents for airflow. The hardware is made from grade 5 titanium.
According to the Nomad website, FKM rubber is a "high-performance fluoroelastomer that is antimicrobial and can be easily sanitized with soap and water". Nomad sent me two bands, the Icy Blue Glow and the Special Edition Carbon Black.
The Icy Blue Glow band looks pale white, but when exposed to sunlight, it turns to a glow-in-the-dark blue using photoluminescence. Inside the house or anywhere indoors, the Nomad Rocky Point Band isn't bright white; it's more of a subdued white. Honestly, I don't think white is best paired with the titaninum finish of the Apple Watch Ultra, but after going outside and exposing the band to the sun, it glows a shimmering blue color that is noticeable in the light, but after stepping into a dark room, it's bright! To me, it gives off TRON Lightcycle vibes! The hardware is black grade 5 titanium and contrasts well with the band, both when glowing or not.
When I mentioned I was going to review a glow-in-the-dark watch band, my wife wasn't feeling it, thinking it was more of a gimmick and something that maybe a kid would wear. I am about 50 years from my childhood, but I enjoy wearing little whimsical pieces once in a while, like fun socks, cartoon lapel pins, or tie tacks, and playful hats. But I do understand there's a place and time for everything, so I was surprised and pleased that Nomad also included the Carbon Black Edition of their Nomad Rocky Point Band. This band is a flat black color, fused with carbon powder, almost reminding me of the anit-reflective Vantablack. The hardware is also black grade 5 titanium and gives off an understated, rugged look.
Both bands use the same, familiar mechanism to attach/detach the bands from the Apple Watch.
Nomad carries three lines of watch bands: leather, metal, sport & rugged. The Nomad Rocky Point Band is their newest product in their Sport & Rugged line. Looking through their website, the Sport Band also has a glow-in-the-dark option, a more traditional neon yellow-green color. Reading the specs, one of the differences between the Sport Band and the Rocky Point band is the hardware: the Sport Band uses aluminum closure pins, whereas the Rocky Point Band uses titanium hardware. And the Nomad Rocky Point Band is only for the Apple Watch Ultra.
Something to note: As I wore the Icy Blue band for the better part of 30 days, it did get dirty and beat up. I wore it swimming, during a move, hiking in brutal sunlight, and working in the yard. I used soap and water to remove the surface dirt and grime, but the smudges and marks would not come off. I tried using a Magic Eraser, but that did not do any better. I'm sure it's obvious, but the white will show dirt more.