Review: Running Buddy smartphone pouch

For many years, I’ve been using a Wahoo Fitness Sportband to hold my iPhone when I run. I’ve replaced it a few times and try my best to keep it in good shape. It appears that rinsing it after I run and adjusting the strap caused my last one to wear out prematurely. I can’t say that I’ve been disappointed with it, but when I heard a recommendation for the Running Buddy on MacBreak Weekly, I figured I’d give it a try.

The Running Buddy is a pouch that clips to my shorts using very powerful magnets. The pouch holds my iPhone 6s pretty snuggly the magnets ensure that it won’t move. When I first put my phone in the pouch and started running, I had my doubts about it as I thought my phone would fall. It was a weird feeling having the pouch on my waist. After a few miles of running, I forgot that I was still wearing it. One thing to note about the pouch is that if your shorts aren’t tight, then the pouch with your phone will pull down your shorts!

I’ve been running with the pouch for a few weeks and I can’t quite say if having the phone on my arm or on my waist is better. The pouch is slightly more comfortable as I don’t have pressure on my arm, but the pouch rubs against my stomach. The armband’s neoprene got quite disgusting because of the sweat. The different material of the pouch seems like it would repel sweat better.

I’m going to keep using the pouch as I’m starting to get used to how it feels.

Pros

  • Convenient way to hold iPhone while running.
  • No unsightly tan lines on my arm.
  • No pressure on my arm.
  • Material is easy to wipe off and doesn’t appear to retain sweat.

Cons

  • Feels kind of weird on my waist.
  • At first it feels like it is going to fall off.
  • Can’t glance at information on screen.
  • Unknown longevity as the part that comes in contact with my waist and shorts gets covered in sweat.
  • Material rubs against my abdomen and could cause irritation.

Summary

This case is an interesting solution to holding my phone. For people walking, I can definitely recommend it if you don’t have pockets or the pockets aren’t convenient. For runners, I think it takes getting used to and if you don’t like armbands, it is definitely worth a try.

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