We’ve been reviewing running armbands since 2017 and have yet to find one we truly love. For the latest round of testing, I researched 34 running armbands and tested nine. I ran several times a week for four months, testing each one for at least six miles and my favorites for much more. Three additional testers took top contenders on runs, to provide additional feedback.

I interviewed runners at the Lakeview Run Club in Chicago about their experiences with armbands and other ways of carrying their phones. I spoke with four experts about what a runner should look for in an armband, how armbands stack up against other gear, and their potential effect on a runner’s gait.

A running armband should attach your phone securely to your arm, and it should keep bouncing and slipping to a minimum.

We’ve been reviewing running armbands since 2017, and this review builds on previous rounds of research and testing. In 2024, I set out on a new round of testing, consulting running reviews and message boards, and sifting through customer reviews. I spoke with runners about their preferences and experiences with armbands, and I consulted experts, to get their advice and hear about any safety concerns.

Based on these conversations and customer reviews, I settled on nine models to test. After using each one at least twice and for at least six miles, I sent the top five contenders to three additional testers (with varying upper-arm circumferences) to wear on their runs.

We paid particular attention to the following:

Security and stability: Your phone should not slip (or fly) off your arm while running. The armband itself should stay securely on your arm, with little bouncing or slipping.

Comfort: We took note of any chafing, pinched skin, band tightness, breathability, and other factors affecting overall comfort.

Accessibility: We tracked how easy it was to get the armbands on and off, take phones in and out of the pocket, and navigate phone screens while they were strapped to our arms.

Capacity: Some bands carry only a phone. With others, you can slip in keys, credit cards, and cash.

I gave preference to armbands that were compatible with wired earbuds, and I considered water resistance a plus, but not a necessity.

Our testing confirmed what Bryan Heiderscheit, a physical therapist and professor of orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told me: Most runners find themselves “graduating out of” armbands if they start running multiple times per week or for longer than about 30 minutes at a time.

But experts were also loath to outright discourage runners from using armbands. “For a majority of runners,” Heiderscheit said, an armband is “fine if it’s comfortable and you’re going shorter distances.” It’s still better than carrying a phone, since gripping a small weight in your hand “throws off your arm carriage much, much worse than having it in an armband.”

Nate Helming, a running coach and the head of content marketing at running-store chain Fleet Fleet, suggested looking for options that allow your “phone to be more centered on your body,” so that your arms and legs can be as “unimpeded and as balanced as possible.”

Running armbands can generate asymmetry, especially on longer runs. A running armband effectively straps a small weight—your phone—onto one arm. Some runners might not feel any change in their running motion. Others might notice an immediate effect on how they swing their arms or hold their body as they accommodate the added load.

While this imbalance might be slight, Heiderscheit pointed out that “anything that throws off a symmetric gait pattern, given enough time and distance, can lead us to develop a subtle injury.” He recommends runners pay attention to any new pain or discomfort, especially when running for more than about 30 minutes at a time.

Dr. Adam Tenforde, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, suggested alternating which side an armband is worn on to reduce the effect of any asymmetries. (This tip helped alleviate tension around my left shoulder and neck, which I’d already developed from wearing an armband on that side while testing products for this review. But the best fix was just to return to using my running belt.)

They can be uncomfortable and distracting. It’s difficult to forget you’re wearing an armband. One tester described the pocket-style bands as “big hunks of neoprene against my (fairly short) arms that felt really warm and sweaty on hot days.” And I found that if I wanted to avoid being distracted by a bouncing phone, I had to tighten any armband to an uncomfortable degree.

They can chafe. Even if you’re able to get a secure fit, bands can chafe when worn against bare skin. One tester reported increased chafing on sweaty summer runs, and Jill Angie, a running coach and founder of Not Your Average Runner, noted that “when you have fat arms, the chafing when you put something extra on them is pretty bad because [armbands are] not exactly made of soft, comfy material.” Wearing a band over shirt sleeves can help with chafing, but this can also result in a less-secure fit and may require periodic mid-run adjustments.

They aren’t versatile. Although you can fit a card and keys alongside your phone in most pocket-style armbands, they can’t carry much else. This can be limiting on longer runs, when you may want to bring other necessities with you. It could also be frustrating if you want to carry less. (If you decide to run without your phone, several of our running-belt picks offer lower-profile, less-obtrusive ways to carry a pared-down load.)

It’s still hard to see or reach your phone. Armbands make it nearly impossible to check your phone—let alone skip a song by tapping the screen—without stopping. If I wanted to glance at my phone, I had to crane my neck and rotate my upper arm to see the screen, which was still at an awkward angle. With our top-pick running belt, it was easier to slip out my phone to skip a song or peek at a notification without stopping (even if it’s not the safest thing to do), instead of twisting my arm and neck.

They’re annoying to clean. Because of the plastic sleeves or other components meant to hold your phone in place, most armbands, including our favorite options below, are not machine-washable.

Top pick

Tune Belt Sport Armband AB91

The best running armband

This armband offers the best combination of stability, comfort, and quality of any we tested. It pairs nicely with an extender (sold separately) to fit larger arms or over bulkier layers.

Buying Options

$20 from Amazon

The Tune Belt Sport Armband AB91 (and the slightly larger AB92) earned middling reviews from our testers, but it’s still the best of the 27 running armbands we’ve tried over the past seven years. This armband was stable on our testers’ arms, requiring little or no mid-run adjustment, and we appreciate its simple design.

It feels reasonably secure. The Tune Belt Sport Armband’s stitching and materials—particularly around the phone pocket and plastic window—appear to be sturdier than those of other, slightly less expensive armbands we considered with glued-on windows. If you know your armband will get a lot of use, we think the Tune Belt armband’s superior construction will last you longer than the Tribe’s.

The neoprene band is relatively soft against the skin. The armband comes in three sizes, and the company provides a helpful size chart, detailing different phone and case combos.

It’s the least-annoying option for quick phone access. Though I struggled to tap out texts or do much more than skip a song through the plastic window over my phone screen, the Tune Belt was the easiest pocket-style armband to slide my phone out of without removing the whole rig. As with other armbands with plastic sheeting, with this one, Face ID does not work through the transparent window.

An optional extender helps it fit larger arms. The Tune Belt armband’s default band is listed as fitting biceps between 9 and 16 inches, though you can purchase an extender, which increases the band’s circumference by about 6 inches. The default band was too small for the 16¾-inch bicep of one tester. But they reported that “with the extender, it had the best length to allow for adjustments,” including fitting over wool shirt sleeves.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The seams are bulky. Hefty seams around the phone pocket made it challenging to use buttons on the sides of our phones.

There’s little room for keys. If you want to carry keys along with your phone, you’ll have to slide them in front of your phone screen or behind your phone, where they may press against your arm when the band is tightened.

It’s not fully waterproof. The plastic window and neoprene body will help shield your phone from light rain, but water did get through the top opening and seep through the neoprene when I approximated a downpour in my shower.

Budget pick

Tribe Comrade

Serviceable and inexpensive

This armband is decently stable, and it’s among the least expensive we tested. We have concerns related to its durability, though.

Buying Options

$13 from Amazon

With the Tribe Comrade, you get what you pay for, which isn’t a lot. But it stayed put on our arms, with the need for only minimal mid-run fiddling. And its strap, with a hook-and-loop closure, was easy to adjust.

It’s a good choice for the armband-curious. The stitching and materials of the Tribe feel flimsier than those of the Tune Belt armband. And amid many positive customer reviews, we’ve seen some people report that their armbands broke in less than a year. But if you’re unsure whether you will take to an armband, we wager you’ll move onto something else before you wear through this one.

It’s easy enough to get to your phone. The plastic window of the size-large Tribe Comrade fit snugly over my Google Pixel 7. And it was easier to skip a song, check a notification, or react to a message with the Tribe Comrade than with the Tune Belt armband. Like our top pick, this one is not compatible with Face ID. The armband has a tab for securing wired headphones on one side, and there is a small pocket for a key on the other. Three headphone ports on the top and bottom of the phone pocket accommodate a variety of wired earbud configurations.

It’s easily adjusted and can fit a decent range of arm sizes. The Tribe’s strap can thread through two different buckle loops in the armband’s body, depending on the circumference of your biceps, with a listed size range of 9 to 16 inches. It comes in several colors and three sizes suitable for different phones.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s hard to slip your phone in and out. The armband’s slim profile and a flap at the top of the phone pocket make it tough to remove your phone without taking the whole thing off.

We noted several comfort complaints. The armband fabric is scratchier against the skin than the fabric of the Tune Belt. This was most notable during hot, summer testing, but we did not experience pronounced chafing. In previous testing, the armband did soften some over time.

Keys placed behind a phone can also dig into your arm when the band is fully tight. One tester also found that the band sometimes pinched his skin when he tightened the strap.

It’s not fully waterproof, either. The tighter pocket and seal between the armband’s plastic face and body will keep water out a bit longer than the Tune Belt armband. But water seeped in from behind the back of the pocket and through the top flap when I tested the Tribe Comrade in the shower.

Best for

Quad Lock Run Kit

Best for those with a Quad Lock phone case

This pricey setup is less bulky than pocket-style armbands, and it’s compatible with the company’s phone cases, as well as with its bike and car mounts. This model leaves your phone exposed, though.

Buying Options

$75 from Quad Lock

The Quad Lock Run Kit includes a phone case and a nylon-Lycra armband. A plastic mount on the armband locks into the corresponding socket on the back of the case, and the phone detaches when you release a bright blue latch.

It’s best for people who intend to use the running armband with other products from the company, such as the car phone case or bike mount (the top pick in our guide to the best bike phone mounts). If you’d rather not use a Quad Lock phone case, this probably isn’t the pick for you.

The system leaves your phone exposed—which could feel like a benefit or a flaw. Despite the open-face design, phones feel safe in the Quad Lock case and armband (we do not recommend the sticker-mount option). You can feel the strong plastic mount on the armband lock into a corresponding opening on the back of the case (and hear a faint click). Once it’s connected, there’s no discernible jostling between case and mount. Pressing on a blue tab releases your phone from the neoprene band.

After some trial and error, I was able to twist my phone on and off the armband’s plastic notch without removing the whole thing. One tester who had previously used the Quad Lock praised the quick lock/unlock mechanism for giving him speedy access to his phone’s controls and cameras. And because your phone isn’t encased in a pocket, it’s also easy to tap your screen and use, for example, Face ID with the phone still attached to your bicep, albeit while contorting your neck and shoulder. On the flip side, your phone is fully exposed to the elements.

It’s comfortable enough, but not more so than our other picks. The Quad Lock got mixed reviews when it came to comfort. One tester appreciated that its narrower band and open face make for less tight-fitting neoprene on hot days. Another tester said that to keep the band from slipping, he had to tighten it to an uncomfortable degree.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The band can slip, and the phone can bounce. While our phones felt secure, multiple testers noted during their runs, this band slipped more than with the Tune Belt or Tribe armbands. As when we first tested for this guide, in 2017, we noticed that our phones bounced a bit while running, which I found distracting.

It’s most convenient to use the Quad Lock case full-time. As one of our testers noted, the case is secure, but it’s also annoying to put on and take off your phone. If you prefer to use another phone case the rest of the time, it’s probably not worth the hassle of switching cases each time you go on a run.

The sticker-mount option is finicky and less stable. Two testers were unable to get a secure fit attaching Quad Lock’s sticker-mount option to the backs of phone cases, even when following the company’s guidelines on phone materials and application.

If you get a new phone, you’ll need a new case. If you get a new phone, you’ll need to get a new case to continue using the armband.

If you don’t need to see your phone screen: You may like the Tune Belt Armband AB93, a neoprene, pocket-style armband without a see-through window. It feels stable and secure while running, and it offers additional internal organization. A small divider makes it easy to stash things behind your phone through a slit at the back of the pocket. It has no headphone ports, so if you want to use wired headphones, you’ll have to put your phone in upside down and leave the upper flat open.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the armbands we’ve considered. It includes models we’ve tested that are still available.

Unlike our picks, the Lululemon Fast and Free Running Armband is machine-washable (lay it flat to dry), and it has held up fine over five washes so far. It’s light, thin, and surprisingly stable. But the L/XL size strained to accommodate a Pixel 7, even without a case. The armband’s hook closures are tricky to secure one handed, so I had to take the band on and off to adjust its circumference. It’s also hard to see or tap your phone screen through this band’s mesh pocket.

The Nathan 5K Smartphone Armband is bulkier, hotter, and less stable than either the Tune Belt or Tribe armbands we recommend. I had to crank it to an uncomfortable tightness to get a stable fit.

We tested three sleeve-style armbands. The Nathan Vista Smart Phone Arm Sleeve was surprisingly cumbersome, given its lightweight material. The top of the sleeve rode up uncomfortably, sometimes bunching at my armpit, and the small hook closures were challenging to adjust. At 7.5 inches, the E Tronic Edge in a size medium was too long to fit comfortably between the crook of my elbow and my armpit. The Sprigs Phone Armband took up less real estate on my arm, but the band slipped and my phone bounced with every movement. All three lack headphone ports, and the E Tronic’s zip pocket is all but incompatible with corded headphones.

We tested two additional open-face armbands, comparing them with the pricey Quad Lock we recommend. With the VUP Running Armband 360°Rotatable, your phone is secured by what are essentially thick rubber bands. Although we avoided any disasters, our phones bounced in this contraption, and we worry the rubber bands will stretch out over time. The armband’s material is also rough against bare skin. The LifeProof Lifeactív Armband was more comfortable than the 360°Rotatable, but we were unable to get the mounting sticker secure on our phone cases, even while following the company’s material and placement instructions. After trying three times on three different cases, we concluded it wasn’t worth the hassle or risk of the sticker detaching from our phones in the middle of a run.

Ben Frumin contributed reporting. This article was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.