In our search for the best phone armbandwe meticulously researched over 30 models and chose 6 of the most popular and top-performing bands for side-by-side analysis. Our fitness-obsessed testers evaluated each armband while running and performing various exercisesconsidering important aspects like comfortease of useand stability. We've identified which models are the most comfortable and the best valueas well as which armbands can accommodate multiple devices of different sizes. Whether you want to run around the block or are running a marathonwe've found the best armbands to help you stay connected and keep the tunes going while you're on the move.
The vast world of smartphone gear is constantly evolving. We've tested the top iPhone 16 casesas well as products like touchscreen gloves and car phone mounts to ease your purchasing process. We've also tested fitness equipment if you're looking to mix up your routine with some cross-training. If you're thinking about upgrading from an arm bandcheck out our smartwatch review or consider one of our favorite fitness trackers.The Best Running Armband
We put various s of running armbands to the test from brands like LifeProofTune Beltand more to find the best products
Credit: Matt Bento
By Matt Bento ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Updated July 242023
Our Top Picks
6 Best Running Armbands
REASONS TO BUY
Phone detaches from armband
No case to interfere with touchscreen
Magnetic guide for easyone-handed attachment
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks weather protection
No padding on velcro strap
Expensive
The LifeProof LifeActiv Armband Quickmount sets itself apart from the rest as the most versatile and functional armband we tested. Removing the phone is quick and easyso reviewing a map or changing the playlist can be done without interrupting your run. Some armbands come with a rotating mountbut those still require neck-craning and arm-twisting maneuvers to use your phone. The LifeActiv allows you to detach the phone one-handed just by flipping a lever and giving the phone a twistand magnets guide the phone into place for quick and easy reattachment. It only took a few quick tries to get the hang of detaching and re-attachingall while keeping our focus on the road ahead.
A potential dealbreaker for some is that the LifeActiv armband requires a mounting piece to be permanently attached to the back of your phone using a strong glue. It's not difficult to doand the mount is slimbut it inevitably adds volume to your phone. That saidwe didn't mind the extra bulk in exchange for long blissful runs with little time lost to fidgeting with an armband. Another important consideration is this model lacks protection from the elements because it doesn't encase your phone in any sort of sleeve. For serious runners who require GPS navigation and who like to switch up their playlist oftenwe think you will enjoy the LifeActiv.
The Lifeactive is a tester favorite. It allows for an easy “quick draw” removal of the phone from your armand you can re-attach your phone with one hand! Credit: Matt Bento
REASONS TO BUY
Snug and stable fit
Provides a little weather protection
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Phone can't be accessed without removing the armband
Difficult to text or navigate apps while the phone is in place
The LOVPHONE Armband is a super affordable armband offering solid performance. This model gives you a convenient way to carry your phone along to track your fitnessand we recommend it for those who don't intend to utilize apps or switch up playlists during their run. This armband doesn't move once it is strapped into placemeaning it won't chafeallowing you to focus on your run. A small pouch behind the main phone pocket gives you another safe place to stash tiny essentials like a key or credit cardand there is a little velcro tab to keep your headphone cord from flying all over the place.
Despite keeping your phone safe and securethis armband makes it hard to use apps or adjust your music on the fly. The clear plastic cover allows for tappingpinchingand swipingbut you'd have to contort yourself to actually see the screenand you'll definitely need to stop running to use your phone. If you're the type of runner who likes to “set it and forget it” while focusing on putting miles under your feetthis is the armband for you.
Affordably pricedcomfortableand complete with features like a credit card holder and a headphone clipwe are big fans of the PHONELOV. Credit: Matt Bento
REASONS TO BUY
Padded strap
Easily adjusted
Multiple access points for headphone cords
REASONS TO AVOID
Too thin for phones in bulky cases
Initiallywe were skeptical about the thin padded strap on the Tune Belt Sportbut we were pleasantly surprised a few miles in to realize it stayed in place well and was actually quite comfortable. Its comfort is owed to the mostly neoprene construction. The thin velcro strap is easily adjustable while on the moveallowing you to promptly change the band's position to get a better view of the screen. The neoprene sleeve and clear plastic screen cover also add a bit of weather protection.
Removing the phone from the band isn't too challengingbut only our most determined and dexterous testers could place the phone back in the sleeve without removing the band from their arm. Although the plastic screen cover allows for touchscreen operationit slightly impacts the touch response of the screen. Considering everythingthe Tune Belt Sport occupies a happy medium between a floating mount armband and a more protective sleeve while offering comfort for the long haul.
The Tune Belt can accommodate a wide range of sizes. We found that when using a smaller phonethe tune belt still held the phone snug and secureand we didn't experience any annoying jostling when running with it. Credit: Matt Bento
REASONS TO BUY
180 degrees of rotation
Stretchy silicone mount holds phones of all sizes
Elastic strap accommodates arms 8"-16"
REASONS TO AVOID
Plastic parts can feel uncomfortable
Very small key holder
"One size fits all" is a bold claimbut the Newppon 180 Rotatable delivers with a grippy silicone mount that stretches to accommodate devices as large as an iPad mini securely. We even tested it with an old iPhone 5and it remained in place as we sprinted our way through our tests. There is no sleeve to interfere with the screenand the rotation function makes it much easier to see the screen and use your phone while it's still attached to your arm.
This armband employs a solid plastic component to keep the phone firmly in placeand there is very little material to pad the plastic. If the band isn't situated high enough on your bicepit can feel uncomfortable. When worn over a shirt sleeve in colder weatherthis was less of an issue. We also found that the advertised keyholder is a bit small to hold most keys securely. If you're always upgrading to the newest devicethis armband is a good choice since it can handle many different models and case sizes.
The Newppon is pretty niftywith stretch silicon straps that hold a range of phone sizesplus it rotates 180 degreesmaking it a little easier to see what's on your screen. Credit: Matt Bento
REASONS TO BUY
Water-resistant neoprene
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Won't fit bulky cases
Not very padded
Do you loathe the feeling of your phone shaking and wiggling against your arm as you run? Are you looking for an armband that will hold your phone as snugly against your arm as possible? The low-profile Tribe Fitness Water Resistant is a solution for folks who just want a simpleeffective way to run with their phone without having it flop around annoyingly in their pocket. Additionallythe Tribe provides a key holder pocket and a headphone clip without adding any extra bulk.
If your phone is in a bulky protective caseyou might need to ditch the case to fit your phone in the slim neoprene sleeve. The armband has a snug fitso removing the phone from the sleeve while the band is still on your arm feels nearly impossible. While the neoprene backing feels soft against the skinour testers occasionally felt the vinyl front piece poke them in the arm. For runners who don't want to fuss with their phone while hammering out the milesthe Tribe Armband will do the trick.
This armband holds your very snug against your armbut the thin neoprene sleeve may not fit your phone if it has a bulky case. Credit: Matt Bento
REASONS TO BUY
No velcro band
Comfortable
REASONS TO AVOID
Phone cannot be accessed without stopping activity
Hard to put on over a long-sleeved shirt
The E-tronic Edge Armband Sleeve is unique among its contenders. It consists of a one-piece lycra sleeve with a zippered pouch. This design has many advantagessuch as comfortable straps no pressure pointsa key or card pocketand a zippered pouch that can fit most phone sizes. If you nail the sizingthe whole sleeve stays put nicely at the base of your elbow.
Although the zippered pouch keeps your phone secureit is not easy to unzip while it's on your arm. More often than notpulling the zipper tab just ends up pulling the sleeve up or down your arm without opening the pouch. Furthermorethis armband can be hard to put on over a long-sleeved shirt or jacket. Forget about accessing your phone or messing with your apps while wearing this armbandbut if you're a smartwatch owner who pairs your device with wireless headphonesthis unique sleeve may be the most comfortable option.
There is a phone in there! While comfortablethis armband is not for folks who like to frequently change their playlists or look at a GPS during their runs. Credit: Matt Bento
Why Trust GearLab
We did the majority of the testing by strapping these armbands on and hitting the local trails and neighborhood streets. We also wore them while performing various exercises like pushupspullupsand burpees. We paid special attention to how comfortable each model felt on our armshow easy it was to view our phone's screen and use apps while the armband was strapped onand how much movement or wiggle we felt while we ran. We conducted our tests with three different phones of varying sizes.
This review comes to you from lifelong runners Matt Bento and Hannah Hall. Both are seasoned gear testers who are very critical of their equipment. From backcountry slogs to urban marathonsthese two have enough miles under their feet to know how much a comfortable armband can enhance a run. Matt likes to curate long playlists to stay focused as the miles go bywhile Hannah likes to adjust the music on her phone mid-runblasting the right tunes to charge the next hillor check her GPS app to monitor her progress. Their diverse preferences and needs provide for a complete and comprehensive assessment of the top cell phone armbands.
Analysis and Test Results
We identified four key metrics to evaluate armbands. Comfort was first and foremost. Although comfort can be somewhat subjectivethe Tune Belt Sport is an easy favorite. Ease of use also greatly affected our choice of armbandswith the LifeActiv coming up on top due to how easy it is to attach and remove our phones while the band is strapped to our arms. We took versatility into accountespecially whether each armband could fit a variety of phone sizes. We looked at stabilitypaying close attention to the movement of our devices and whether or not the armbands shifted on our arms.
Why Do You Need an Armband?
Although you can keep your phone in a pocketfanny packor backpackan armband will give you the most access to your device with the least interference to your workout. Most athletic wear has small pockets (or none at all)and the feeling of a phone jostling around while you move can be distracting or downright uncomfortable. Anyone running longer distances with a small backpack will need to stop their activity and remove the pack to operate their phones. If your earbuds aren't wirelessyou'll need to run the cord down your shirt or out of half-opened zippers to connect to your device. Many armbands also include a clip or velcro tab to manage the slack in your headphone cord. All these small conveniences add up to a lot of what will improve your running or workout experience.
Larger armbands can interfere with certain exercises and stretching positions. We found that armbands with softer materials mitigated this problem. Credit: Matt Bento
Comfort
A comfortable armband can encourage you to rack up the miles while listening to your favorite songs. An uncomfortable armbandin contrastwill have you turning around and heading home in disappointment. The most comfortable armbands we tested feature some type of moisture-wicking paddinghighly adjustable strapsand softflexible components. The least comfortable models had rigid plastic parts that uncomfortably dug into our arms when we bent or stretchedor unpadded straps that pinched or chafed during a long run.
We found the Tune Belt Sport Armband extremely comfortable despite having a thin velcro strap. Credit: Matt Bento
The Tune Belt Sport is a favorite in terms of comfort because it is heavily padded with neoprene and provides good adjustability with its velcro strap. The strap is thin and easy to adjust on the fly and wide enough to avoid pressure points. The E-tronic Edge is also a comfy modeldistributing pressure evenly over a softstretchy sleeve and forgoing any velcro straps. Because the E-tronic Edge isn't adjustableit's important to pay attention to the manufacturer's sizing guidelines. Among the removable mount- armbandsthe LifeActiv Armband is the most comfortablewith only a small bit of plastic included for the mounting piece that never interfered with our movements.
The unique E-Tronic running sleeve keeps your device in a zippered pouch. Our testers found this design quite comfortablebut had trouble accessing their phonessince when they tugged on the zipperit pulled the whole sleeve down instead of unzipping. Credit: Matt Bento
The less comfortable models were the mount- with larger plastic components like the Newppon 180 Rotatable. It wasn't particularly bothersome while runningbut we noticed the rigid plastic poking our arms during specific exercises and stretching positions.
Models using stretchy silicone to hold the phone in place kept our phones securebut removing and reattaching the phone while the armband is still strapped to our arms proved incredibly difficult. Credit: Matt Bento
Ease of Use
Some runners like to “set it and forget it,” strapping their armband on and enjoying their infinite playlist as the miles fly by. Most of ushoweverwill need to occasionally access our phones to change up the tunescheck our splitsor glance at a GPS app. Although we'd like to ignore our phones while runningconstant connectivity is a necessity for someso being able to quickly access your phone to receive a call is an important function. When assessing ease of usewe looked at how quickly we could strap on and remove the armbandshow difficult it was to see our screens and perform basic functions like texting and choosing songsas well as whether or not we could remove our phones without removing the entire armbands.
Of the armbands we testedsleeve- models with clear plastic front pieces offered the most protection from the elements. The floating mount armbands grip the back of the phone and expose it completelymaking it easier to use your phone on the go but leaving the phone vulnerable in a drizzle. None of the models we tested are completely waterproofso if you go running rain or shineyou'll want to pair them with a waterproof caseand you'll need to make sure you find an armband that can fit your phone with the case on. The Tune Belt is particularly accommodating to bulky phone caseswhile the Tribe Fitness Water Resistant Armband offers the most weather protectionbut it can be a tight squeeze for a phone in a waterproof case.
Magnetic guides help you dock the phone with the Lifeactive armbandand a small switch locks it in place. The whole process takes about 5 seconds. Credit: Matt Bento
The LifeActiv Armband easily takes the cake when it comes to convenience. After installing a thin plastic mounting piece to the back of your phone or phone caseyou can easily attach it to the band on your armand remove it again by clicking the lock switch and twisting the phone. Then you can quickly check Stravaswitch to your favorite metal playlistslap your phone back in placeand run off into the sunset.
To use the Lifeactiv armbandyou need to permanently fix a mounting piece on the back of your phone or phone case. It holds the phone very securelybut you can't remove the mounting piece if you want to switch to another device. Credit: Matt Bento
Armbands with rotating mounts like the Newppon allow you to change the viewing angle to make reading and typing a little easier while the phone is on your arm. This means you don't have to bend or crane your neck as much to use your phone as you do with a fixed armband.
The Newppon armband lets you rotate your phone 180 degrees on a floating mountso you can better position your phone to see the screen or send a text. It s easy to rotatebut there is enough resistance that doesn't rotate when you don't want it to. Credit: Matt Bento
Armbands with clear plastic screen shields like the Lovphone Armband and the Tune Belt Sport offer some protection for your phone while letting you see and manipulate the screen. Howeverthey can't provide the same accuracy or sensitivity as an unprotected screen. The E-tronic Edge holds your phone in a zippered pouch. You'll need to completely remove your phone from the pouch to use it.
Sleeve- armbands are less convenient when it comes to accessing your phone. A clear plastic window in the front allows you to tap and scroll on the screenbut you won't be able to use buttons on the top or sides of the phone. Credit: Matt Bento
Almost all the models we tested employed some form of velcro strap to cinch the armband down and secure it to your arm. The Tune Belt is the quickest and easiest to adjustand most others are close behind. The advantage of the velcro strap design is that you can adjust the tightness of the band and easily put it on over a jacket or long sleeve shirt. The E-tronic Edge employs a strapless sleeve design that you slide on over your arm. It's comfortable but very frustrating to put on over a shirt sleeve.
Versatility
A versatile armband would ideally fit a variety of devices and help you avoid buying a new armband whenever you have to get a new phone. The Newppon 180 Rotatable has stretchy silicone bands that secure phones in place surprisingly well and accommodate devices as small as an iPhone 5 all the way up to an iPad mini.
These one-size-fits-all bands use stretchy silicone straps to secure the phone in place. They can hold a phone as small as an iPhone 5 snugly but can expand to accommodate and Galaxy 8 and even an iPad mini. Credit: Matt Bento
Assuming that new phones will continue to keep getting biggerthe sleeve- armbands are not as accommodating. In our testingputting a small phone in a sleeve that is too big for it didn't detract from our experience at all. After you cinch down the velcroeven a small phone won't move around. The E-tronic Edge has a pretty stretchy pouch that could hold a small phonekeysand even a couple of energy gel packets.
Several armbands feature a small pocket to hold a house key. Credit: Matt Bento
Extra features also enhance a model's versatility. The Lovphone ArmbandTribeand Newppon models include a key holder. With the exceptions of the LifeActiv and the E-tronic Edgeevery armband had a small velcro clip to remove slack from your headphone cords and prevent them from flying all over the place.
A one size fits all mount- armband like this one will allow you to use the same band if you get new phone of a different size. This design tends to wiggle around more than the sleeve- bandsso if you plan to wear an armband while doing dynamic exercisesa sleeve- is a better choice. Credit: Matt Bento
Stability
Closely linked to comfortstability refers to how much a device moves around or jiggles in the armband as you move. Some users may not find this to be an issuebut many of our testers found too much movement to be infuriating. If your phone feels like it's bouncing all over the place while secured in an armbandyou might as well just keep it in your pocket. Although some models permitted more movement than othersnone of the armbands had us worried that our phones would fall out.
With “sleeve ” armbandsyour phone is held very securely within a sleeve. These are the most stable and comfortable types of armbandsbut once you put them oneit will be difficult to access your phone. Credit: Matt Bento
The sleeve- armbands are certainly the most stableholding our phones snugly in placeespecially after cranking down on the velcro straps. These include the Tune Belt Sportthe Lovphonethe Tribe Water Resistant Armbandand the E-tronic Edge.
Less stable are the floating mount- armbands. The wiggle factor here seems to depend on how far away the mount holds the phone and can be compounded by the size of your device. The LifeActiv is the most stable. It keeps the phone mount close to the armband and includes a locking mechanism.
The Tribe armband on the left holds the phone farther away from your arm than the Newppon armband on the rightresulting in a less stable“jiggly” running experience. Credit: Matt Bento
Conclusion
We hope you find that this deep dive into cell phone armbands helps you find the best product to get you off and running. Rememberthe whole point of these armbands is to provide more comfort and convenience than running with a phone in your pocket. Pay special attention to the size of your phone and the size of your arms when ordering an armbandand consider how much you like to tinker with your phone while you run.
The right armband will keep your phone secure and accessibleso you can stay connected and inspiredmile after mile. Credit: Matt Bento
—Matt Bento
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