This is a great product. I was skeptical of its effectiveness and value initially, but after fairly extensive use in a myriad of activities/situations, I can honestly say it was worth the money and a great buy.
I have used the FlipBelt in a range of activities, including "outdoor" and sports-activities (e.g. running, hiking, snowboarding, biking, and even swimming in pools and the ocean) and it's worked excellently. I've also used it when attending concerts, trade shows, and even a multi-day music festival- it's worked well in those situations also.
One use-case that I hadn't originally considered when I purchased the FlipBelt was "casual everyday use," though I've been particularly happy with the FlipBelt using it in that manner. To clarify, typically, I carry quite a few items around with me everyday (e.g. A full set of keys, two smartphones, a bunch of cards, maybe some cash, sometimes lip balm, and sometimes more). With the most comfortable clothing I own (or formal/dressy clothing for that matter), I simply can't carry those items (not well, anyway)- said items carry awkwardly, noisily, and sometimes uncomfortably. In addition, often-times, the outline of those items in my pockets looks terrible, and certainly stunts efforts of "trying to look nice or dress-up." With a FlipBelt, I literally wear whatever I want to wear- comfortable, classy, slimmer-fitting, no-pockets, loose and light, whatever- owning a FlipBelt, I can comfortably carry around any or all of the items I usually carry- bulky or not. (The FlipBelt is actually fairly inconspicuous, even when worn with "less forgiving" clothing, and it remains so for me, even when I'm using it to carry "all my stuff.")
After owning one for a while, the FlipBelt has easily worked its way into my regular wardrobe- its too convenient and common-sense an "accessory" to NOT use, at least for me anyway.
I no longer have to pick out an outfit for any activity based on how many pockets I'll need, or how much stuff I'll be carrying around. The FlipBelt stretches well to accommodate all manner of "cargo," and it holds it all well, in-place, without causing discomfort. A smartphone such as an iPhone 5s, for example, fits very easily, and an iPhone 6 or Samsung S5 or S6 fit also, though with a little stretching- it's still fairly easy to slide those phones into and out of the FlipBelt "pockets," however. I haven't tried a Samsung Note 4 or the iPhone 6L, but I have little doubt that those types of phones could be carried in a FlipBelt, though with those "phablets," there would obviously be a bit more stretching. Quickly removing or storing something like a Note 4 or a iPhone 6L (while wearing the FlipBelt) would be a little bit more cumbersome, too, I imagine, but certainly still do-able.
The built-in key-clip/lanyard is a fantastic feature, and it ensures that you won't lose your keys/key-chain, regardless of the activity you're doing. The clip is also very handy for things like work/resort/casino/hotel key-cards, access-cards, and discount-cards, provided they have some kind of hole punched through them or some other method of attachment. To me, it makes sense to punch a hole into most of my cards (away from any integrated security-chips or magnetic-strips) so that I could "key-chain them together," or otherwise secure them when necessary- the FlipBelt's key-clip/lanyard feature is quite nice for that purpose. The lanyard portion is also (for me) just the right length and "stretchiness"- it's not so short that you can't even get the keys out of the belt, and the lanyard length also happens to make it easier to "fish the keys out" of the FlipBelt, by pulling on the lanyard itself.
Even when carrying a bunch of items (like the example "cargo" I listed above), the FlipBelt is still surprisingly comfortable- the material it's made of breathes well, it's fairly durable and retains "stretchiness" well, it washes easily when necessary and whole belt dries relatively quickly when washed or taken swimming. Further, (as long as it's sized correctly) the FlipBelt feels almost invisible while worn directly against skin, or even when it's worn over other clothes.
The continuous "wrap-around" design of the FlipBelt's "pocket" allows for "adjusting" the placement of carried items without requiring that the belt be removed. The ability to "adjust" the placement and orientation of carried items throughout the FlipBelt's wrap-around pocket, and through its cloth, while still being worn, makes it easy to "flatten" a loaded-up FlipBelt for appearance and comfort purposes. It is due to this ability to "adjust" carried items that I find the FlipBelt able to stay relatively inconspicuous in many outfits, for many activities, and a wide-range of carrying-ability, all while being quite comfortable. To me, the ability to make said "adjustments" to carried items while the belt is still worn, is a critically-important design-aspect that should not be overlooked.
A Few Considerations:
I originally had reservations about the design of the FlipBelt, since it doesn't "come-apart" like a belt (there is no buckle, velcro, or zipper)- you don the FlipBelt by sliding it over your head and down your body, or the opposite-way- that seemed like an hassle to me at first; like it was a design-oversight, or a bean-counter eliminating features or some other cynical explanation.
In using the FlipBelt, I must say that it's design allows it to be light, comfortable, non-chaffing, easy to rotate-around your body, inconspicuous, and durable. I doubt, now, that having something like a buckle or zipper would have improved the design- in fact, I think it would have detracted quite a bit from my positive experience with the FlipBelt thus-far.
Even when considering the design of the FlipBelt's pocket-openings (there are four, evenly spaced around the belt, if I recall correctly)- they have no closing-mechanism; no zippers, no Velcro, no buckles, but the FlipBelt still contains all of my stuff well nonetheless. The explanation for this lies in the ability to store items into the wrap-around pocket of the FlipBelt, and then literally flipping the belt inside-out while wearing it- this faces the four pocket-openings of the FlipBelt snugly up against the wearer's body, thus preventing the FlipBelt's contents from falling-out (provided the belt is sized correctly to the wearer).
[Incidentally, I believe the suggested waist-sizes are relatively accurate, or at least it was in my case. I don't believe that FlipBelts should be considered to "run large" or "run small," but of course, your mileage may vary.]
[Disclaimer: I am not in any way whatsoever affiliated with or compensated-by either Amazon, any FlipBelt resellers, nor the FlipBelt manufacturer. I wrote this review of my own volition as an individual customer.]
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 10.94 x 5.28 x 0.87 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.12 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 11 x 5.5 x 0.65 inches |
| Item Weight | 85 Grams |
| Brand Name | FlipBelt |
| Warranty Description | 1 year manufacturer |
| Model Name | Fb0114-arsm-l |
| Color | Acrylic Summer |
| Material | Polyester |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | FlipBelt |
| Part Number | FB0114-ARSM-L |
| Style | Fb0114-arsm-l |
| Included Components | Running Belt |
| Size | Large |
