Leather vs Nato vs Rubber – Which Watch Strap Suits You?

The three most common watch strap materials solve different problems. Here's a quick guide to which one suits you best.

Leather

Best for: suits, the office and everyday wear when you want a classic look. Leather ages beautifully with the right care (see our care guide), but it doesn't handle water or heavy wear as well as the other materials. Our range spans everything from classic smooth leather to vintage and embossed leather watch straps.

Nato/nylon

Best for: everyday wear, travel and active use when you want to swap straps quickly. A Nato strap wraps around the whole watch case, which makes it extremely durable and almost impossible to lose your watch from – but it's also the least formal of the three. See our Nato strap size guide if you're new to the format.

Rubber

Best for: swimming, training, diving and humid weather. Rubber watch straps handle water and sweat without damage, are easy to clean and keep their shape in the heat – but they breathe less against the skin than fabric and can feel too sporty for formal occasions.

How to choose

If it's a watch you wear to work – choose leather. If you want to change the strap quickly depending on the day – choose a Nato strap. If it's a dive, sports or summer watch – choose rubber. In fact, many people own two or three straps for the same watch and swap them to suit the occasion, which is easy with the most common widths (18–22mm) – see our size guide and strap changing guide.

Conclusion

There is no objectively "best" watch strap material – only the one that suits how and where you actually wear your watch. Still unsure? Leather is the safest first choice if you're only going to own one watch band.