PORTHOLIC Exercise Running Pouch Armband

Our smartphones do so many things for us today, whether it’s to connect with our friends and family or just to play music and listen to podcasts. When you step outside for some exercise like running or going to the gym, your athletic clothing might not account for holding a cell phone. Phone running armbands were created for this exact scenario and they do a great job of offering convenience to those runners who like to use their phone while exercising.

A phone in your pocket is still pretty far from your head, so the audio wire that connects your earbuds to the phone can either get in the way of your swinging arms or you have to tuck the wires under your shirt, which can eventually make them stick to your skin and tug at your ears while you’re exercising. These issues are alleviated by strapping the smartphone to your arm at the bicep region with one of these handy armbands.

The phone armband will have a slot that is big enough to hold your cell phone tightly as to not let it slip around too much as you move your arm. The materials should be friendly to potential sweat as well as stretching and moving with the motions of your body.  Luckily, some specific design elements can help us differentiate one brand of these armbands from another and help narrow down a decision to fit the perfect phone running armband to our needs.

Running on roads or anywhere near motorized vehicles always has the potential to be a dangerous activity. Being clearly seen by an oncoming vehicle, especially at night, can increase how safe you are from an accidental collision. Some companies take this safety to heart and include thick, reflective strips in the armband to add to the number of ways a car can see you when it’s dark out. If you do a lot of running at night, you will benefit the most from a product like the TRIBE Cell Phone Armband Case that adds a huge safety feature to their phone-carrying armbands.

If you think having access to your screen is useful when you’re out wearing your new armband, look for models that have a clear plastic face that lets you operate the phone without removing it from the sleeve. These designs are convenient in one way, but they tend to have a bit of rigidity from the harder plastic screen cover so they might feel a tad less flexible than other styles. If you think seeing your phone’s screen while you’re out on a run isn’t important, you can focus on a more comfortable product that is made of stretch-resistant neoprene that holds your phone tight to your arm with the highest level of security and comfort. Look for a model that utilizes an adjustable velcro strap that holds the unit on your arm. Other sleeve models slide over your forearms and up to your biceps like it’s the actual sleeve of a shirt.

If you have an odd-sized phone or don’ t like the idea that one size can fit all phones the same, you might like a phone running armband that offers specific sizes for most of the common smartphones on the market. Instead of having your phone slip around in a case too big for it, look at something that has a super handy sizing chart to make sure your phone will fit snuggly in its new armband.

If you’re out on the run, you will often be locking your house or apartment doors behind you when you leave. Some companies know you too well and they designed a pouch in their phone running armbands that is designed to fit that house key specifically. A product like TRIBE Water Resistant Cell Phone Armband has you covered with your home security by offering this feature and it also has adjustable sizing for arms up to 14 inches around which makes it a practical answer to those with larger upper arms who are wondering if the smaller sizing will even fit them at all.

• If you use wireless earbuds, you have the convenience of a more minimalistic phone armband, since many products are designed around having a wire running into them.
• If you do use wired earbuds, make sure the armband you get has a practical access point for plugging your headphones into your phone. Some even offer specific slots for a Lightning Connector.
• Sweating profusely into this armband might be something you don’t want to ignore. If you sweat a lot, look at the cleaning instructions for the armband before you get it as some can be machine washed conveniently, while some might need more meticulous care.
• When you have a phone strapped to your arm while you are running, and if the phone is streaming music to your ears, there is a real possibility that the phone can get hot. If you’re working your phone pretty hard and it’s also in the direct sunlight, the best thing you can do is spin the armband until the phone is facing into your body. The little bit of shade this maneuver offers can help the phone stay at a more friendly temperature.