So what do you do if you have a laptop with a lid sensor that is triggered by your watch band? Your options should be pretty obvious.
You could get a new, non-magnetic band. I do love the convenience and easy removal of my current band, but this is probably the simplest solution.
You could learn to love wearing your watch on your opposite arm. For most people, this might be tough, but I do switch up watch arms now and then when my right wrist gets irritated by the fact that I track nearly every waking and sleeping moment of my life with my smartwatch. And if you aren’t using your PC during most of your waking hours like me, switching your watch to your other arm or taking it off just while working or gaming might be easy enough.
Also, if you just bought a laptop that is triggered by your favorite watch band, and you don’t want to give that up, you could return the laptop for something else.
The good news is that it’s unlikely any other random model you choose will have the same problem. Perhaps this magnetic sensor issue is more common on Chromebooks (which I tend to avoid), but none of the dozens of other laptop models I’ve put my wrists on since May of 2025 have been triggered by my watch strap. So if you’re unlucky enough to be struck by the curious watch strap laptop curse once, it probably won’t happen with the next laptop you choose. Still, it’s always good to check out a laptop in a store, if you can, for this and several other reasons.
After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He\u2019s spent the last 15 years covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper, PCMag and Digital Trends. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-25/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Matt Safford Managing Editor After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He’s spent the last 15 years covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper, PCMag and Digital Trends.
3ogdy That's what happens when bad laptop design, with magnets close to the screen as well, and a poorly designed wrist band are put together. Magnetic straps have spent more time unlatched than they did latched in my case. I hated my Galaxy Watch 5 Pro band for how easily it would pop open unintendedly. This is a case of Apple style oversimplification for the sake of looks. That's why Apple USB cables fray so easily After searching for better options, I realized people have tried to reinvent the wheel and failed miserably in terms of watch bands. Nothing beats classic strap with a pin. Reply
LordVile 3ogdy said: That's what happens when bad laptop design, with magnets close to the screen as well, and a poorly designed wrist band are put together. Magnetic straps have spent more time unlatched than they did latched in my case. I hated my Galaxy Watch 5 Pro band for how easily it would pop open unintendedly. This is a case of Apple style oversimplification for the sake of looks. That's why Apple USB cables fray so easily After searching for better options, I realized people have tried to reinvent the wheel and failed miserably in terms of watch bands. Nothing beats classic strap with a pin. Velcro is easier Reply
abufrejoval Congratulations to you both on finding the bug! I always find these stories of the analog physical world impacting good old binary computers utterly fascinating, The Register tends to have quite a collection of them, but I've had a few of them as well over the last 45 years of IT. It's a good reminder of their giant complexity we almost completely forget about, as we use computers for way too many hours every day. Reply
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/psa-your-watch-band-may-be-messing-with-your-laptop-magnetic-clasps-can-cause-lid-sensors-to-lock-your-pc#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
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