Disclaimer: The Peak Lapel was sent these bracelets free of charge for the purposes of this review.
Some things are pretty hard to find. A decent bracelet that men can feel comfortable wearing is one of them. Especially if you want it at a reasonable price. Indeed, there are some guys that are more comfortable with the idea of wearing a bracelet — or any type of jewelry — in the first place. Some guys will wear just about anything, while others are put off by the very idea, and uneasy about the whole thing. And that’s all equally fine! But if you, like me, have been teetering right on the edge, then the men’s collection of April Soderstrom bracelets are for you.
We like these bracelets for a whole bunch of reasons. For starters, their designs. They’re understated and subtle, and so are a perfect first step into the world of men’s bracelets. They also do have some slightly louder pieces, but, all of them are super tasteful. Nothing is over the top. They’re also pretty unique and cool-looking. The black bracelet — my personal favorite — is a matted, textured, black lava stone, with a very cool metal cube accent to finish it. I’ve never seen something that looks quite like this. It’s cooler the closer you look at it, and it’s a super cool thing to be able to tell people you are wearing on your wrist. And, again, really all of their men’s offerings have this great, clean, simple, cool aesthetic. We truly think this is an excellent place to start if you’re looking to dip your toes (or hands?) into the world of men’s bracelets.
We also appreciate the fact that these bracelets are stretchy and made on an elastic sort of thread that runs through the center. This means that you don’t have to worry about sizing, or clasping the bracelet around your wrist, nor worrying about it falling off in the middle of the day. And this is a big deal. Depending on the size of your wrist, many bracelets likely won’t even fit you, and most bracelet companies do not even bother offering different sizes for men. With stretchable bracelets like these, though, that’s not a problem. (And a nice stretchable bracelet is pretty hard to come by, in all honesty.) The one downside here? They will occasionally pinch the hairs on your arm/wrist. It’s nothing too major, but be warned.
Finally is the price, which, at about $40 a bracelet, we think is super fair and reasonable. Again, a product like this is somewhat hard to find, and especially in this price range. Many similar brands charge upwards of $50 or $60, and then prices go way, way up from there. So, we think this is a fair value — and some are available at closer to $36 even!
Speaking of buying things, it’s worth pointing out that Soderstrom also has a much more robust women’s line of jewelry, and they were kind enough to send some for my wife to test as well. While jewelry is a fickle thing, and not always to everyone’s taste, she assured me that the quality really was there, and was a great value at the price. They also included “featherweight” earrings that don’t require a back, which were quite cool as well. If you’re looking for a solid gift for your special someone, this is worth checking out as well.
In conclusion, then, we think April Soderstrom is an excellent place to look for the guy who is curious about owning some high quality, but still affordable bracelets. They look good, wear very well, and are an excellent compliment to your daily wristwatch.