Sporteer Sport Armband for Note 5 Review
So I reached out to 3 different companies that make armbands to hold phones for working out/running. One company never even responded to me, one said that they only supported bloggers that had a following already, and Sporteer was nice enough to not only communicate with me but to also supply me with two samples.
www.sporteer.com
I have been using the armband for about 2 weeks now (3 times a week when I run) and for the most part enjoy it.
The armband is big, but then again so is my phone and case, so this is a given. They provided 3 different size armband straps for different size arms. I think I ended up using the largest one, but it is tightened all the way. It took a few days to get used to how I needed to tighten it, where to place on my arm and how to put my phone in. Conventional wisdom would say to put it upright, but I have found that by placing it upside down I can actually read/use my phone while its on my arm (changing music or checking gps/map/distance).
Overall the feel is sturdy and good. It is very durable and the zippers on it are not cheaply made at all like others I have seen. The cover is touch sensitive so you can use the touch screen when in the case, but it is a bit thick and sometimes a bit hard to control accurately. The biggest problem I have encountered it turning up/down the volume or on/off my screen as the buttons are on the side of the phone (as most phones probably are) and the zippers go around the sides so in order to turn it up or down I had to unzip the case.
I occasionally have to take my armband off in the middle of a run to change songs/volume/ or something else on my phone. I can easily loosen the velcro band, make my adjustment and then re-attached the case to my bicep and I’m ready to go again.
Wireless headphones would make it much easier, but I have a set of Bose Sport wired headphones that I use because I like the way they sound and fit comfortably in my ear with no tendency to fall out. This creates the issue of dealing with the cable from the bottom of the phone. Luckily, with the dual zippers, that isn’t a problem. Which ever way I have my phone the zippers are very accommodating. The case has several small slots/pouches to hold a credit card or house key so you don’t have to carry all your keys when you work out. I have yet to utilize these but they are secured inside the case so no worries of your key falling out.
All in all, worth the price at $35 dollars. I think they have it on sale for $15 or $20 from time to time as well. They have several different models for different phones/cases to fit everyone’s needs. Just match up what phone you have and case and you are all set.
So if you need an armband to hold your phone while working out, I recommend this one for its price/fit/performance.
