Every once in awhile I get the opportunity to try a simple product that fills a very specific need, and does the job very well. Such is the case with the HB Tune handheld iPhone/iPod pouch (disclosure: this product was a media sample provided free of charge by the manufacturer).
I generally don’t run with my iPhone (unless I forget my Garmin), but lately I’ve been trying out a few running apps for reviews I’m working on, and I’ve come to realize that not only do I hate carrying my iPhone on my arm, it’s also really difficult to see and manipulate an iPhone that is not held in-hand. I’ve long been a fan of hand-held water bottles, so the idea of holding my phone in hand when I run seemed like a no-brainer, but doing so without something to secure it in place was always an issue.
The HB Tune case is basically a pouch with a well-designed strap that wraps around your thumb and over the back of your hand. It secures the iPhone very well, and while on I don’t really even need to wrap my fingers around the phone – comfort is excellent. The pouch is large enough to accommodate a credit card, driver’s license and a few dollar bills behind the phone (I know this because I’ve had to use it while running home after dropping my car off at the dealership).
The plastic faceplate of the case is flexible and allows you to manipulate the touch screen on the phone, though it’s not terribly form-fitting so this takes a bit of getting used to. That being said, it’s not generally the case that I’m trying to play Angry Birds while I’m running, so it does the job just fine.
All-in-all, the HB Tune handheld case is a handy little tool that I highly recommend. No frills, just does the job it was designed to do, and it does it well.
The iPhone version sells for $24.99 on the HB Tune website (also available at Amazon.com), and pouches are made for other smartphones as well. Visit the HB Tune website for more information.
About Peter Larson
On running with iPhones: before I got a Garmin, I ran using the Runkeeper app, which I really like. However, when I ran with my iPhone in my hand, the GPS signal often got messed up, that didn’t usually happen when I carried the phone on my arm.
It looks silly having an iPhone without other free accessories
like iPhone case, earphone etc. Jogging
every morning with Runkeeper app is awesome to track time and miles on how long
we have run.
hmm.. free iPhone case? i don’t think that’s true.. i search many site for free stuff but there’s no site that give’s free case.
Have you seen HandAble, a handheld phone holder that should be on every cell phone. Unlike other attempts at handheld phone holders, HandAble feels like the missing link, providing the perfect way to manage your phone while in your hand like turning and positioning your phone anywhere on a 360 degree arc (not available on any other handheld holders). The HandAble will adjust to any hand size (no kidding), retracts when not in use, and, when used as directed, prevents accidental phone drops. HandAble can be purchased online at HandAble.com.
I too can concur that the HB Tune is the most natural way to run with your phone. I’m actually building a running app that suits this too – check it out if you want, we’re looking for testers:
link to indiegogo.com…