Google’s first wearable is long overdue, but this has had a knock-on effect. It means there are few great accessories for the Pixel Watch. Here are some of the best that we have tested so far and that you might want to know about.
Because the Pixel Watch is quite a niche product compared to the likes of the Galaxy Watch series, there aren’t a ton of third-party accessory makers even offering options for the smartwatch. Until Google can gain a foothold, that might not change. It does mean that, in reality, many of the options we’ve tested tend to be the best of a bad bunch.
Video – Some of the best (available) Pixel Watch accessories
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Official woven strap
Third-party Pixel Watch straps are few and far between. Because of the quality and consistency issues, at least for a little while longer, it’s hard for us to wholeheartedly recommend unofficial watch straps for the new wearable.
My personal favorite of the official lineup is the woven strap. I picked it up in the Lemongrass color. That might not be the best accessory for all settings or scenarios, but it complements the custom colors of the pre-installed watch faces and my Pixel 7 in Lemongrass. The texture is more forgiving than the default silicone band, especially if you wear it in bed.
The push-button clasp is great as there are no adjustment holes to stretch or buckles to distort. It’s super easy to attach and the clip is surprisingly strong. I like that the sliding mechanism means you can set it to the perfect size just once and throw it on without too much difficulty every day.
Google promised a wealth of official Pixel Watch accessories, but there could be a few more in our opinion. Third-party accessory makers haven’t yet made a killer cheap alternative at this stage either. For that reason, although Google’s own watch straps are expensive, they are still the best option for most people.
Charger cradle
This is my favorite new Pixel Watch accessory, and it isn’t even technically designed for Google’s smartwatch. Not being able to charge the Pixel Watch with the Pixel Stand was one of my biggest disappointments. However, thanks to the charger puck being almost identical to the charger for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5, a few accessories like this charger cradle from AhaStyle will work just fine without issues.
There’s a small lip that lets you rest your smartwatch comfortably. The magnet on the charger puck is also strong enough to hold your Pixel Watch without the risk of falling off or becoming dislodged. I have tried charging the Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds Pro, but it’s not ideal there and you need to shuffle to get it to work. The good news is that you can.
It has changed my charging setup and is far and away my favorite Pixel Watch accessory. If there is one I recommend to you the most, it’s this simple cradle. It’s all the more impressive that it’s just a silicone housing for the charger puck. That’s it. This means that it won’t damage the charger and you can just remove it if you need to.
There’s even a cutout in the base that lets you coil the cable and manage just how the wires look. It’s almost like a little Pixel Stand, which means it’s right at home in your wireless charging station. I’ve even paired the Pixel Stand and Watch charge with a dual-port 65W Spigen power brick so that the two can live side-by-side charging my watch and phone all from one power input.
The design also means that your Pixel Watch doesn’t need to lay flat on a table or surface and keeps your watch screen visible at an angle. If you like using the Always-on display feature, this means you can potentially use the Pixel Watch at your bedside like an alarm clock while simultaneously charging.
Screen protector
Curved screens are the bane of cheap screen protectors, and that is certainly true of the Pixel Watch. While the design looks gorgeous, the pebble shape means that there is a sizable portion of the chassis that is exposed to use and abuse day-in-day-out. What’s more annoying is those good screen protectors are hard to come by. If you want full protection and don’t mind added bulk, then Ringke makes a solid clip-on case, but it does detract a little from the svelte curves of the Pixel Watch.
For those of you that want a screen protector that doesn’t diminish or take focus away from the design all too drastically, then finding one is tougher still. I’ve tested a few at this point and find that the best are those that come with a black border around the edges. This makes it easier to fit, but you can get TPU options that wrap around all areas of the screen. These can feel tacky and cheap. At this stage, sadly, it’s trial and error.
That said, there are options that will provide a base level of edge protection and keep your watch slim or lightweight. These options also mean that other Pixel Watch accessories are still compatible and touch controls still work perfectly fine. Reducing screen bubbles is always going to be tough though.
Strap adapters
There isn’t a great wealth of Pixel Watch straps to choose from right now, but that can be leveled up with case strap adapters that open up the more commonly used 20mm strap size. The usage of a slide-in proprietary mechanism means that you’ll need to do this to use your existing watch straps and bands.
Effectively each adapter converts the clip-in mechanism and adds a lug adapter that you might have spotted us explaining with the official leather band workaround. Many online sellers are offering cheaper alternatives that will provide the ability to use your existing watch straps or tap into the broader ecosystem of accessories.
I’ve tested a few and most are in a word: terrible. While the adapters I recommend are not 100% perfect, I think they are pretty solid and make it easier for you to use more standard watch straps and accessories with your Pixel Watch. You may need to play around with your existing straps though. Due to the smaller size of the Pixel Watch chassis, I’ve found that sometimes bands can look a little out of place. This is a super cheap way to just add more “unofficial” Pixel Watch accessories to your daily lineup, and one that I do recommend if you can’t stomach the high official strap prices.
Honorable mention: Official charge cable
There’s not much really to say about the official Pixel Watch charger. There are no solid or safe third-party alternatives that we can recommend. The Galaxy Watch charger puck doesn’t work, so it’s official cable or nothing at this stage.
Having a spare charger in a bag or somewhere accessible is always a plus. Sadly, each cable is priced at $30, which makes it a tough pill to swallow but a worthwhile one at that. Maybe we’ll get some cheaper compatible third-party options later down the line.
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