SarahDisney
So ... Yeah
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2014
FlipBelt: A Review
*Note: I was not in any way compensated for this review. This is an unsolicited review based entirely on my 2-week usage of the FlipBelt, which I purchased based on recommendations and research
I was looking for a running belt to hold some stuff during my runs – phone, ID/cash, key, tissues, maybe a “snack.” Previously I had been wearing a skirt with pockets to hold all these things, but that limited my clothing choices, so I wanted to try out a belt.
The two things that appealed to me most about the FlipBelt were the style (I liked that it looked like the top of yoga pants and not like a fanny pack) and the fact that it really seemed to hold a lot. I also liked that it had a key hook (although that wasn’t necessary for me, as my key is on a necklace). I ordered it online (in Carbon) early in May, and received it a few days later.
My first “tryout” of the FlipBelt was on the treadmill for about 15 minutes. It stayed in place, held all of my stuff, and I was able to figure out how to get my phone in and out. It passed the treadmill test, and I was ready to try it on outside.
My first outdoor trial was a shorter (30 minute) walk/run with my sister. I put a plastic case with my ID/cash on the key hook (along with my key), stuffed a pack of tissues in the side, and put my phone in. Everything went okay – it stayed in place and I was able to access whatever I needed.
From there, things went a bit downhill. On my longer runs, the belt moved around a bit. I prefer to wear it on my hips, and it sometimes ended up on my waist, where it wasn’t comfortable. Sometimes I was able to move it back to my hips and it stayed in place, but other times it moved back to my waist. I found that the movement differed based on my outfit – with some outfits it moved a lot, but with others it mostly stayed in place.
On my first long run, I put my snack (jelly beans) in a mesh bag and put them in the belt. They ended up becoming gummy, which I think was in part because of the extra heat of the dark belt. When I started carrying the jelly beans in a plastic bag, I did not have any issues.
On my last run, my key was coming out of the belt. This may have been because my key wasn’t pushed in far enough, but it still was frustrating for me.
Overall, I found the belt easy to use – it was easy to get things in and out, and things stayed inside the belt. But I did not like that it didn’t stay in place, and that sometimes things did move within the belt (and in the case of my key one day, almost fell out).
Bottom line … I liked the FlipBelt, but not enough to keep it. I’m in the process of returning it. That said, I think it may be worth considering for others, and certainly would not discourage someone who was already interested from trying it out.