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.”
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.
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 holder for running: Keep your phone safe and secure with the best armbands, belts and running backpacks
In the age of Strava and the perfectly curated running playlist, leaving your phone at home is simply not an option. Running backpacks, on the other hand, will be able to offer more space for water bottles, snacks and perhaps a change of clothes.
As we mentioned above, a running backpack might be a better option if you want somewhere to carry other essential items such as keys, money or maybe some emergency snacks.
The weather is rarely reliable in the UK, so if you don’t want the rain to write off your run you’re going to want a phone holder that’s waterproof and has a decent zip seal. Some phone armbands are touchscreen compatible, allowing you to operate your smartphone through a clear plastic screen on the holder. In addition to that, all the essentials are covered: it’s got a waterproof zip seal and a headphone port, and it fits well on both small and large arms.
The swivel feature, which allows you to access your phone at a comfortable angle, is a very nice touch, and it also comes with a headphone cord slot and a small key pocket. The durability of the elastic bands is also questionable: VUP states in the Amazon product information that it can supply replacements if needed, but how much this costs (if anything) is unclear. Nevertheless, provided you understand and accept these risks, the VUP armband is an inexpensive and innovative phone holder. If you’d rather avoid the potential discomfort of velcro straps, the Ronhill Stretch Pocket might be a good alternative.
The elastic pocket stretches over the arm to sit tightly against the skin and is considerably less bulky than some of the other entries on our list. As mentioned in our buying guide, a running belt can be a comfortable alternative to an armband, as it shifts weight evenly towards the core and reduces bouncing when you move.
It’s effectively one large tube-like pocket that can be accessed through a number of openings (these are simple slits in the belt, but if you’re worried about your valuables being secure, a zipper version is available). The belt has a reflective logo to enhance visibility for evening or early morning runs, and comes in a wide range of colours, including neon yellow, bright pink and aqua. Bear in mind that the belt is not waterproof, but you could feasibly wear it underneath a jacket in the event of rain.
Despite this, it offers plenty of storage: in addition to the above-mentioned water bladder, there are six front pockets for small items such as snacks and Decathlon’s own 500ml soft flasks, four back pockets for larger gear, and even slots for walking poles (for when it comes to trail running or hikes).
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