Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Make your Fitbit pretty with Griffin’s new Ribbon and Uptown Bands

griffin ribbon uptown fitness tracker bands screen shot 2015 10 08 at 3 50 pm
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Love your Fitbit, but hate how it looks? Now, there’s a band for that! Thanks to the aesthetically minded folks over at Griffin Technologies, if you’re not totally enamored by your fitness wearable’s au natural appearance, you can disguise it as a ribbon wristband, a leather “Uptown Band,” or a number of alternate accessories that elevate your Fitbit, Misfit, Jawbone, or Garmin wrist-bound wearable.

Griffin has made a name for itself designing and manufacturing accessories for existing technology. Most recently, Griffin made its way into the wearables market, but instead of designing the device, the company is tackling its surroundings. While wearables like the Fitbit and Jawbone are great at getting the job done, few of the gadgets on the market seem designed specifically with cosmetic appearances in mind, and understandably so. After all, it’s a fitness tracker, not a bracelet. Still, wearables that are meant to be worn 24/7 should look nice, so Griffin decided to give fans of fitness bands more options.

Recommended Videos

Its Uptown Band, for example, renders your Fitbit virtually unrecognizable, encasing it in a “double-wrap leather band,” that Griffin calls “perfect for everyday wear or a night out.” While this particular band is only compatible with the Fitbit Flex, other options are a bit more adaptable. The nylon wristband, for example, which Griffin describes as “comfortable and stretchy,” can be paired with the Fitbit Flex, Fitbit One, Jawbone Up Move, Misfit Flash, and Misfit Shine. And with two colors and/or styles per pack, as well as two sizing options, you’re sure to find the band that’s right for you.

Amazon

All of Griffin’s wearable bands come with a discreet pocket that will hold the actual wearable device, and you’ll be able to see the display through the cleverly woven mesh. So while you could spring for the Eyecatcher, Bellabeat Leaf, or other wearables that inherently integrates fashion and function, you could also make do with the less expensive Griffin + existing wearable option. Because those bands cost between $15 and $30, these prices are pretty hard to beat.
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Fitbit Versa 4 vs. Fitbit Sense 2: Which new Fitbit wins?
Lifestyle photo of the Fitbit Versa 4 and Fitbit Sense 2.

Fitbit is back with two new health-focused smartwatches, the Fitbit Versa 4 and the Fitbit Sense 2. Both watches are well-designed tools with health-tracking features, superseding the Fitbit Versa 3 and the original Sense.

While Google purchased Fitbit in the interim between both releases, these still use the company's proprietary Fitbit OS in lieu of Wear OS 3. For that, you'll need to get the Pixel Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, or the Montblanc Summit 3. Instead, these releases from Fitbit iterate and refine what made their previous models so good. The good batteries and handsome designs remain, accompanied by changes to heft and feel and minor software tweaks here and there. With so much overlap, there's a question to be raised about which of the two is the better fit for your wrist and wallet, so which is better for you? We found out.
Specs

Read more
Fitbit cleared to launch new feature that could save lives
Move reminder on a Fitbit Charge 5.

Fitbit has been given the green light for a new feature that will passively check for atrial fibrillation (AFib), a form of irregular heart rhythm.

Clearance for Fitbit’s new PPG (photoplethysmography) algorithm was granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), paving the way for a new Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature for certain Fitbit devices.

Read more
How to measure your wrist for Apple Watch bands
Calibrating an Apple Watch strap.

When Digital Trends got its hands on a refurbished Apple Watch 4, it was perfect -- a 40mm case size with a baby blue Sport Band. The only problem was, even at its tightest setting, the band was too big. It either had to slide it up the arm for it to stay or let it drop to the wrist bone like a bracelet. Eventually, this loose band was replaced with a Sport Loop that could be tightened to a perfect fit.

Apple has caught on that a one-size-fits-all style doesn't work for everyone, and last year, the company introduced the Solo Loop and the Braided Solo Loop to its vast collection. Unlike the Sport Loop, which is infinitely adjustable, the Solo or Braided band -- not to mention the buckle and even various sport bands -- should be more precisely calibrated. If you got one of the Solo bands for your watch, our recent article explains how to measure your wrist specifically for it.

Read more