Go Hands Free and Tangle Free with These Two Fitness Tech Products

When you’re working out, you want to be able to appropriately focus on the exercises you’re doing. You want to run like the wind — not waste time and energy adjusting ear buds each time they fall out. You want to burpee freely — not worrying about whether your cords are going to get caught. And you want to have your phone near you or on you without worrying about whether you’re going to drop it, knock it off the treadmill or have it fall out of your jacket while running onto the hard, hard pavement. (Take it from someone who just spent full price on a new phone — the hard, hard pavement is not friendly. You don’t want to do that.) Lucky for you, if you’re addicted to your phone and the tunes it brings to your workouts, we’ve tested out two products that are here to save the day!

1 Voice Bluetooth Headband

First up, the 1 Voice Bluetooth Enabled Wireless Headband ($59). When Jenn and I first saw this product, we were skeptical. We thought it would be either really cool or really awful — and I was actually pleasantly surprised. First of all, let me preface this by saying that this is the first time I’ve used Bluetooth anything. But it was super simple to connect to my phone, so after a quick charge with its USB adapter, I was ready to roll. I got my tunes going and then after a bit of fumbling, had my headband on and earbuds in my ears. This is probably my least favorite part of the product — the headband does a good job staying on once it’s there, but it is a bit awkward getting it on with the wires and earbuds. It’s like you pay upfront for your tangle-free run by dealing with getting situated before you get started.

It’s super easy to operate and toggle between tracks, adjust volume and take calls. I’m no audio know-it-all, so I’ll say that my music came through loud and clear. When I switched over to take an incoming call, I had a little more trouble with clarity, but whether that’s my mobile carrier or the Bluetooth is unclear. (Har har. And I know for certain it’s not my phone. I have a brand-new one. I wasn’t kidding about the hard pavement.) The headphones provide 5 to 6 hours of continuous playback, so these things will last you for a marathon run fully charged. And I will say that the “noise isolation” quality of the headphones did the job because once my music was going, I didn’t hear my kids complaining that I had to go for a run.

The best part? Truly what it’s built for: Not having to deal with wires crossing your body or pulling your earbuds out when they get caught on something. Whether you’re running or hitting the gym, this is a great way to cut down on that annoyance. The company also offers Bluetooth sunglasses and hats, so if the headband look doesn’t work for you, those might.

PortaPocket

I recently reviewed a pocket you could easily iron into your favorite workout pants so that you’d have a handy spot for your mobile device and other essentials. Now, I’m testing out a PortaPocket, a product that doesn’t make you commit a pocket to your favorite pair of pants. Heck, you don’t even have to commit to a specific place to put this pocket because you can use it however you want to. Think of it as a fanny pack — only cooler — that you can put on your arm, around your waist, on your calf or even wear garter-style on your thigh. The company offers various sizes of pockets and straps, so depending on your needs — and your phone size — you can customize it to fit you. (Some even come with bling!)

I tested it out with a 12-inch mini strap around my arm, but the size of my Samsung Galaxy S6 just seemed a bit too heavy to be on my arm, although I would do that in a pinch. I much preferred strapping the 36-inch waist/thigh belt ($12.95) around my waist. It feels secure and sturdy, but lets you have easy access to your device when needed. The pockets are water- and sweat-resistant, so while you don’t have to worry too much about a heavy sweat, I’d be careful taking your phone on a run in the rain or something. Err on the side of larger pockets ($13.95) so that you’ll have a large enough pocket to accommodate any phone upgrades you do in your future.

It is nice that you can move the pocket as needed depending on your workout. If you’re running, you can do whatever’s comfortable for you. If you’re in the gym, you can be mindful of your plan for that day and put it where you need to. If you’ll be lying on your stomach for any reason, you can adjust the phone to your side or back as needed.

Put these two products together and you’ll be able to focus on your workouts without worrying about your phone or cords. Just make sure you’re fully charged and ready to go — we can’t help you with everything.

How do you deal with your phone during workouts? —Erin