A Precautionary Tale: Temporarily Protecting Against Microsoft Band Rips and Tears

Recently, I reported my own beginnings of a Microsoft Band 2 tear. This issue has become more widely reported over the last couple months. I was hoping to avoid the problem myself, but sadly, I recently noted a deeper indention in my Microsoft Band that will eventually lead to a permanent tear in the material. The location of the indention is commonly known as the area where tears and rips happen. Even on new Bands pulled directly from the packaging, you can get a sense where this is located, as there’s noticeable bumps on either side of the screen where the Band material connects.

Microsoft has been good so far about replacing Bands with usage tears, so that’s not a problem. If you happen to live within car distance of a Microsoft Store, you can get it replaced on the spot. However, if you live outside the area of a local Microsoft Store and have to utilize Microsoft’s online support for a replacement, you have to give up your Band for a week or longer. You have to ship your Band, they have to receive and inspect it to ensure the product wasn’t abused, and then they’ll ship a new one. This means you have to live without fitness tracking until a new one arrives. For those using the Microsoft Band for more than just an expensive wristwatch, this can be dooming.

After discussing my reported tear on social media, I decided to start testing some protective options. These would need to be options that wouldn’t void warranty, but could protect the Band against further tears before I had the opportunity to visit my local Microsoft Store – which is about an hour away.

What I ended up with is a workable solution. It’s not a pretty solution, but manageable and it works to cover the impending tear area. For those in the same situation, I just thought I’d share what I’ve done in the event you, too, would like to get a bit longer use of your fitness device before getting it swapped out.

It should be noted that if your Band is completely torn, this is not a workable solution. This only works to

I settled on X-Treme Tape Silicone Rubber Self Fusing Tape, thanks to a suggestion from @DaveCothran. This stuff is rated to fix vents, ducts, hoses, and even plumbing and electrical repairs, so I was positive it could handle a simple Band issue. I chose the Black color, but it does come in other various colors such as red, yellow, blue and white. So, you can add a splash of vibrancy if you want. And, who knows, maybe this will become “a thing” with Microsoft Bands where all the cool kids doing it.

The X-Treme tape is a perfect solution. Not only does it protect the area, but it also doesn’t void warranty because the tape only sticks to itself – there’s no adhesive backside to permanently stick to the Band material. If you ever need to remove the tape, you just snip it off.

I’ve tested for a few days, using it normally through sleep, runs, weight training, and daily wear. Because it’s made from silicone, its waterproof (sweatproof) and doesn’t cause skin rashes.

Run through the slideshow above to see how I applied it. You could probably do a much better job than I did, but this should get you started.

The tape is available from Amazon for $12.50 for a 36-foot roll: X-Treme Tape TPE-X36ZLB Silicone Rubber Self Fusing Tape