My favorite accessories for the Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch Series 5 is as much an accessory to my iPhone as it is a personal health and fitness assistant, but despite being an iPhone peripheral by nature, I use a handful of accessories to augment my Apple Watch Series 5 experience. Indeed… insert the ‘we heard you liked accessories, so we put accessories on your accessories…yada, yada, yada’ meme here.

In this piece, I’ll be giving you all a first-hand look at my favorite accessories that I use with my personal Apple Watch Series 5 every day.

My favorite accessories for the Apple Watch Series 5

1) Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition

The Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition is an integral component of my accessory collection. It brings the mobile device wireless charging experience all together as Apple once set out to do with the now-cancelled AirPower project.

This product looks as premium as it performs, coated in an unsuspecting space gray finish and topped off with a beautiful leather-covered Qi-enabled wireless charging pad for up to two iPhones (or an iPhone and a pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro), this charger delivers up to 7.5w of power to compatible handsets.

At the rear of the charging dock is a Nightstand Mode-compatible Apple Watch charging puck mounted on a subtle hump, and Nomad even puts a little rubber bumper on the base to keep your Apple Watch’s finish from getting scuffed. Another design feature that we like is the integrated ambient light sensor, which dims the charging LEDs at night.

If I had to list any negatives about this charger, my only gripe would be that the AC adapter is bulky and clunky, causing clearance concerns for some home environments.

You can purchase a Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition from Nomad’s website for $150.

2) Speidel Twist-O-Flex Band

Perhaps the most personal Apple Watch Series 5 accessory I use is the one that touches me all day long, and that award goes to the Speidel Twist-O-Flex band, an exquisite stretchy and flexible stainless-steel band that feels great and fits most wrist sizes.

For those unaware, I use the Apple Watch Series 5 Edition in the black titanium finish. Paired with a set of dark Clockwork Synergy-brand lugs, I absolutely love the way that this brushed stainless-steel band pops against Apple’s dark titanium finish, giving it a fancy two-tone appearance.

Speidel is a trusted name in the watch industry, and it was only a few years ago that the company began dabbling with the Apple Watch. When fully contracted, the band looks just like any other solid stainless-steel wrist strap, but the claspless on-and-off process is both convenient and comfortable.

I have little bad to say about this strap as I love using it so much, and if you’re interested in trying one, then it can be had for $60 from Amazon.

3) OtterBox EXO EDGE Case

I’m not usually one to use cases with something as personal as my Apple Watch, especially with the robust materials Apple uses in its higher-end smartwatch lineup. On the other hand, my New Year’s resolution was to become more active and to enhance my sleep tracking, both of which pose higher risks for watch damage. For that reason, I turned to OtterBox’s new EXO EDGE case for the Apple Watch.

I’ve tried different Apple Watch cases before, but most felt too bulky, while some felt like they’d pop off too easily. Others simply didn’t have the bezel I wanted to see around the display, which is perhaps the Apple Watch’s most vulnerable surface. Fortunately, the OtterBox EXO EDGE has me covered on all these fronts.

While maintaining good access to the Digital Crown, buttons, microphones, and sensors, this case integrates a proper bezel around the display to prevent screen scuffs, and there’s no chance it’ll be falling off any time soon. The installation process necessitates that you physically remove your Apple Watch strap, and that’s not something I’ll be doing while working out or sleeping.

Despite OtterBox’s reputation for bulkiness, the EXO EDGE doesn’t add that much extra heft to the Apple Watch, and if you’re planning on getting active, especially with the more vulnerable lower-end materials found in the Apple Watch Sport, then I’d definitely recommend giving one a shot.

The OtterBox EXO EDGE Apple Watch case can be purchased from Amazon for $50 with an optional buy-two-get-one-free deal for the family.

4) Satechi USB-C Magnetic Charging Dock

When I first laid eyes on Satechi’s new USB-C Magnetic Charging Dock for Apple Watch, I immediately fell in love with it. The dock is almost as small as can be and plugs directly into any USB-C enabled device, including the latest iPad Pro and most modern-day Macs. Obviously, you could plug this into any USB-C enabled power adapter or battery pack as well.

The wire that you see in the photo is nothing more than a USB-C extension cable, and it can be removed from the dock itself on demand. If you have a case on your iPad Pro, or you need more space when using your AC adapter or battery pack, then the cable can come in handy.

Satechi always does a nice job color-matching its products to Apple’s device lineup, and this accessory doesn’t stray from that practice. It works exceedingly well and looks great simultaneously. That said, I have virtually no complaints about this product and I use it frequently.

You can pick up a Satechi USB-C Magnetic Charging Dock from Satechi’s website for $39.99.

5) SENA Leather Apple Watch Case

When it’s time to store my Apple Watch Series 5 when not in use, I find putting it inside of my SENA Leather case to be a better solution than just laying the smartwatch on a hard table surface.

Not only does the SENA Leather Apple Watch case integrate a soft, felt-like base for your Apple Watch to sit on, but it integrates with any one of your OEM Apple charging cables to provide a Nightstand Mode-compatible charging solution if you should ever need it on the go.

The lid of this case connects to the base magnetically, and it doubles as a height-increasing stand if you should choose to place it underneath the base instead.

Those interested in grabbing a SENA Leather Apple Watch case for the safe storage of their Apple Watch can snag one from Amazon with Prime shipping for just $30.

Conclusion

Apple Watches can be personalized to a high degree, and I find that accessory usage can be just as personal. That said, while these are my favorite accessories to use with the Apple Watch Series 5, I’m sure opinions will vary substantially from person to person.

Also read: My favorite wrist bands for the Apple Watch

While I hope that my recommendations have helped you find something useful for your Apple Watch, I would also welcome readers to leave a comment below discussing their favorite accessories and why. We at iDB look forward to reading about and trying them ourselves.