A good armband helps you do that—it holds your phone without pinching, chafing, overheating, shifting, or bouncing—so you can focus on your form, or the road, or the pizza you’re going to destroy at the end of your run. We put a box of running armbands to the test to find which do the best job of staying in place and holding our phones securely—while also being comfortable and easy to ignore. We research the market, survey user reviews, speak with product managers and designers, and use our own experience running with our phones strapped to our arms (over shirts and jackets and right against our skin) to determine the best.
The 10 Best Cellphone Holders for Running of 2021, According to an Expert
Jack Hackett , Head Coach and Founder of Infinity Running Company , explains that it’s important that your cellphone holder feels comfortable and secure on your body. In addition to providing emergency service, cellphones offer fitness tracking apps and motivational music which is why many runners take their devices on their runs. A convenient way to carry both your phone and fluids, the design makes it easy to remove and replace the two BPA-free bottles.
The clear plastic window covers your screen but still allows full touchscreen control so you can access notifications and apps.
The clear plastic cover allows you to change your music, check a text, or use a running app without removing your phone. Made from durable, recycled fabric with a memory foam back that’s comfortable against your skin, the armband has a mesh layer behind the phone pocket to allow for sweat ventilation. It features a large, easy-access window compartment to keep your phone protected, as well as a rear pocket to stash gels, money, or anything else you need on the run. The water-resistant Lycra material protects your valuables from sweat and light rain, and the Dura-Comfort technology ensures no bouncing, riding up, or chafing.
The design makes it easy to quickly remove and replace the two BPA-free bottles, which feature leakproof push-pull nozzles.
This budget-friendly running belt from MoKo Sports is proof that you don’t have to spend a lot for quality products with all the features that runners want. The ultra-lightweight, durable running belt is made to hold even the biggest phones, while still having plenty of room for keys, nutrition , and other essentials. The adjustable length makes it easy to get a comfortable fit, while the reflective stripes add to your visibility when running in low-light conditions .
The belt is made of high-quality, water-resistant material, so your valuables stay protected, even if you run into some unfavorable weather conditions . Distance runners need a secure way to carry their phones, as well as other long-run essentials such as keys, sports nutrition, ID, and money. It’s made of wicking neoprene fabric and has no openings directly on the skin, so your device stays protected from sweat and the elements.
The clear plastic cover allows you to change your music, check a text, or use a running app without removing your phone. “FlipBelt claims a “no bounce” design that has proven true to its word, even during a half marathon with a mobile phone and some snacks in the belt. The FlipBelt is practical for your cell phone and keys, but is also ideal for quick access to energy gel packets and bars, tissues, identification, cash, and any other small items.” — Wendy Bumgardner , Verywell writer and product tester
The versatile FlipBelt is also useful for traveling or attending sporting events and concerts, as a way to securely carry and hide your passport, credit cards, and other valuables under your clothes. With a slim, streamlined design and no uncomfortable, irritating fasteners, it doesn’t move, ride up, bounce, or chafe as you’re running .
Final Verdict For a running belt that can comfortably and securely hold your phone and other essentials, the FlipBelt (view at Amazon) rises to the top for its performance, design, and versatility. “If you are running with your phone so you can listen to music or podcasts, make sure there is a headphone jack,” says Paul Ronto, ultra-runner, gear expert, and chief marketing officer for RunRepeat.com.
“Surprisingly there are a lot of phone holders that do not work with a corded set of earphones, which may mean an expensive upgrade to wireless headphones.”
14 Best Phone Holders for Running 2021- Best Running Phone Holder
Whomst among us mere mortals has never used “Ugh, but I don’t have anywhere to put my phone” as a legit reason to not go running? Below, peep this list of the best phone holders for running—or walking, cycling, carrying both your bagel and iced coffee on a Sunday morning.
Best phone holders for running: comfortable running armbands, belts and vests
It’s likely that it doesn’t fit in the tiny pocket provided on your gym shorts and there’s always the fear when holding it that the very expensive glass device could slip out of your hands and smash into a million pieces. It’s always helpful to opt for a waterproof design or one fitted with a touchscreen window so you can use it no matter the weather and on the go – and it may even have a little space for your keys, cards, cash or gels.
If you have been distracted by your possession moving around while you’re pounding the pavement, this handy contraption ensures that you can run hands-free and without jiggling.
You then place your phone in the buttoned pocket on the front of the vest that comes down to reveal a touchscreen window that you can access easily and speedily while you are on the move without breaking a stride.
Taking the traditional running essential to the next level, this band has a 360 degree rotatable construction to make it easier than ever to be able to change song, check maps or whatever else without needing to put a pause on your strides. The bands are made from rubber and so can fit phones of all sizes, while also leaving all the capabilities like FaceID, volume and more intact.
This band will help you store all your running necessities like your keys, cards or whatever else in a secured pocket without the touchscreen window that may tempt you to constantly be checking your texts. It is fitted out with multiple expandable pockets to keep everything tightly and securely in place as well as a special headphone port and reflective detailing. The expandable and adjustable belt can hold a surprising amount of possessions but still remains virtually undetectable as you partake in your fitness regime. Keep it stashed away in a secure location while you take your running to the streets and store alongside your other possessions without it getting scratched thanks to the four different pockets.
Best running armbands and phone holders 2021
A running armband or phone holder is essential gear for runners. Running has become an even more popular form of exercise for those wanting to get out of the house to keep fit, especially when until recently lockdowns had kept gym doors closed for so long.
But unlike the treadmills at the gym, the great outdoors has no handy storage spots, which is why you’ll need the best running armbands or phone holders to keep your valuables secure. In January 2021, we used our daily exercise quota to put 10 popular running armbands from the likes of Nike, Decathlon, Sweaty Betty and more to the test.
We pounded the pavement and park over a distance of 57km to find out which of these running armbands and phone holders are the most comfortable, secure, durable and easy to use. Tips for living well – get our free Food & Health newsletter: shop savvy, eat well, stay healthy
If you’re not yet a member, you’ll see an alphabetically ordered list of the running armbands we tested. The Armpocket Racer had the thickest padding of all the running armbands we tested. We put it through our tough durability tests to see if the strap can also be relied on to keep the phone holder on your arm. Headphone ports Six: top-right, top-left, top-centre, bottom-right, bottom-left, bottom-centre Headphone ports Six: top-right, top-left, top-centre, bottom-right, bottom-left, bottom-centre Headphone ports Six: top-right, top-left, top-centre, bottom-right, bottom-left, bottom-centre
At the centre-bottom of the screen window on RevereSport’s armband there’s a spot that works with fingerprint scanners, which is very handy if you need easy access to your phone when running. We took this and other important ease of use factors into account in our tough tests.
We were pleased with how responsive our touchscreen was through the screen window of the Ronhill Phone Armband RH-003282. We also judged it on how easy it was to attach, how securely it stayed on, and how quickly it dried when soaked.
There’s a gap at the bottom of the screen window on the Tune Belt AB91 which, although handy for accessing a fingerprint scanner, makes it much easier for water to get inside. Instead of a screen window there’s a large extra zip pocket that you can easily store items, such as keys and cash, inside.
We weighed up the usefulness of this extra pocket as well as other key ease-of-use factors in our tough tests. We only ran in dry, mild conditions to avoid any undue impact from adverse weather.
Comfort and security aren’t the only things that make a good running armband. None of the armbands we tested claim to be waterproof, but all should provide basic splash protection so your phone won’t be at risk if you get caught in the rain. We checked for any tears or loose stitching and tested the durability of the strap by attaching and detaching it 100 times to see if you can expect any deterioration after wearing it for lots of runs. Some armbands lost a significant amount of strength and became fluffy, whereas others weren’t impacted by this test at all.
As running is such a unique experience for each user, deciding which phone holder is best for you can be tricky until you try them out. – as long as the screen window works with your touchscreen, you can easily tap away on your phone without having to fiddle around with taking it out and putting it back in. Make sure to check the screen window dimensions and maximum phone height an armband can take before you buy it.
– armbands are often unable to fit phones of every size comfortably in the pockets. Make sure to check the screen window dimensions and maximum phone height an armband can take before you buy it. – your arm can only fit so much, so if you’re keen to take extra items like water bottles or energy gels you’ll find armbands limiting. However, if it’s hot outside, you sweat a lot, or if you’re just going for a lengthier run carrying water is a very sensible thing to do. Dehydration can give you a headache and ruin your run at best, and can cause some very severe health conditions, such as heatstroke or seizures, at worst. It’s not a good idea to drink your fluids all at once, though, as over-hydrating is bad for your health and your body will most likely reject most of the liquid instead of using it to hydrate you.
Spacing out your hydration equally over a longer period is a good way to ensure you get the most out of the water you’re drinking.
For example, if you’d lose one litre of fluid during a 60-minute run, you should aim to drink around 250ml every 15 minutes to keep optimally hydrated. The rate you lose fluid during exercise can vary, so if you want to be precise it’s worth reweighing yourself every now and again to see how you should adjust your hydration.
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