FIT KIT REVIEW // Quadlock Smartphone Mounting - Sports Armband
7/11/2017
Disclosure: I received a Quadlock Sports Armband for free in return for an honest review on my blog. I am not being paid to talk about or advertise their products. All opinions of the product are my own. See my policy page HERE for more detail.
I never go out running without my phone, for a number of different reasons. First off, for emergencies, if I get stuck somewhere or I need to contact someone immediately, I'll have it there. I also take a lot of pictures out on my runs, I like to have a picture training diary of sorts(If you follow me on IG, you already know this!), plus you never know what you'll see out running, so having my phone with me means I'm not likely to miss any photo op. Lastly, it's my music source if I feel so inclined.
Carrying my phone for a run has always been a big issue for me. I've always gone for a bigger phone which isn't very practical for exercising with and it doesn't leave you with a lot of choices for cases to carry them when running. I've tried a lot of different belts and armbands since I started running and never had one thats comfortable. They either don't fit my phone, they are super uncomfortable or they bounce around and are really annoying to run with.
That is until I had the opportunity to try out the Quadlock Sports Armband. I've been using it the last couple of months, so I've had lots of time to try it out in different conditions to give a full rundown of it.
Who are Quadlock?
I suppose the best place to start would be to give a bit of background on the company. Quadlock was developed in Australia by a designer called Chris Peters. The Quadlock system is called so due the four tabs which are integral to the system itself. It allows you to securely and conveniently attach your smartphone to your bike, car or arm.
Chris had recently moved to Sydney and found having access to google maps very handy for getting around the area and as cycling was his main form of transportation, he thought it would be a great idea to be able to see his phone and maps whilst riding.
The Quadlock kickstarter project was launched in Dec 2011 and smashed the funding goal within two weeks! Since releasing the original bike mount, they have since released a car mount, belt clip, tripod adaptor and the sports armband that I'm reviewing.
How does the Quadlock work?
The Quadlock has a dual stage locking mechanism that locks your phone in place to the mount. As briefly mentioned before, the mounting system has four tabs which slot into an adapter and click and lock into place(as shown below). When the phone has been locked into the mount, it is completely secure. I have never once worried about my phone falling off the mount on the armband, even when I rigorously move my arms about.
A phone cannot be accidentally released from the mount but can be removed from the mount very conveniently when needed by pressing down the lever on the mount and twisting the phone off.
Pros and Cons:
As always, there are pros and cons for anything that you use and I've made a list of the ones I've found during the few months I've been using the Armband mount.
Pros:
Security of Mount - This has to be the top one for me. As I mentioned above, I've never once had to worry about my phone falling off the mount mid run. It's totally secure and the dual stage locking mechanism is fab.
Very Easy to use - I can't begin to describe how easy it is to put the phone on the mount and to take it off very quickly when needed. It literally takes seconds!
Universal with lots of devices - For some devices, the Quadlock has the option to come with a pre-build case for your phone(seems to be iPhone mainly and some Samsung models) for extra security.
However, they also have the option of a Universal Adaptor so that you can stick it on to a case of your choice(a smooth, non-textured, non-poruous surface like Polycarbonate, see the note on this page for details: https://www.quadlockcase.co.uk/products/running-kit-universal-fit)
I must admit, I was a little worried about a stick on adaptor, but it is a 3M VHB Adhesive and is VERY strong, there's no way that baby was coming off once I'd stuck it down!
Comfortable & doesn't move - I've had this with armbands and belts in the past and was worried that with a bigger phone, the weight would make it flop around on my arm.. the first run I used it, it was a little weird, but not long into the run, I really didn't notice it was there and I don't pay attention to it anymore!
It's made of a nylon lycra so it's comfortable on the arm and doesn't slip down or turn around on the arm which is a thumbs up from me!
Cons:
It's not waterproof - at least not the version I use. For some particular phone models, there is a waterproof casing to go over the phone, but for the phones not supported, there's no way to have a waterproof solution. I know some phones are not already water resistant/waterproof, but if it isn't like mine, then you can't use it in the rain. Maybe I can get some sort of 'plug' for the headphone jack at the top of the phone though.. I just haven't looked into it.
I did get some chaffing - This might only be me.. my partner bought his Quadlock running armband and hasn't had this issue at all and I suspect it's my saggy arm skin causing the issue - but since it's gotten a lot hotter recently, I've had a little bit of chafing on the top of the armband(when skin to quadlock, over a t-shirt is no issue!) - it doesn't cause a problem when it's not hot though! I've been using a chafe stick which seems to stop it from happening.
Cost - For a phone mount, £41.90 for the armband and £11.95 for the Universal Adaptor(Or up to £49 for the case+sportsband bundle) is pretty expensive some would say, especially when there are cheaper sports armbands on the market. There is a 10% discount when you sign up for their newsletter however.
Despite this, Quadlock is top quality, the materials are soft against the skin and it doesn't look like it will fall apart any time soon, so whilst it might be an expensive up front cost, you probably wont have to replace it as often as cheaper options. The pros for this mount far outweigh the price for me, I like being able to take my phone off my arm within seconds to capture a shot and I hardly notice it's there, for me, I'd buy one again in a heartbeat if I needed to replace it.
Plus - Once you've gotten the case/universal adaptor, you can use it with lots of different mounts, especially, like if you use your phone as a sat nav in your car for e.g. or maybe on your bike.
Overall Impressions
I'm so happy with the armband! It's solved all my issues for carrying my phone on my run. No more annoying bouncing or slipping of armbands or running belts. I love the accessibility of my phone on a run and how secure it is. I've already mentioned that my partner also bought his own Quadlock mount and loves his too!
If you've not been able to find the perfect mounting product for your smartphone yet or want something that gives you secure, yet effortless accessibility to your phone out on you run, then I highly recommend you try out Quadlock and their range of mounts!
Where to find Quadlock?
If you're interested in finding out more about quadlock or seeing some more pictures of their products, I've left all the places you can find them below!
If you're not a runner, or don't have a need for a sports armband for your phone, but maybe want the same sort of option for your bike, then I'll have a review up for the Quadlock Out Front bike mount in a few days, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
You can get 10% off your order by using the following link: http://quadlock.refr.cc/3B6T6GM *Please note this is a referral link and I will earn 5% of your order at no extra cost to you to use on the quadlock website.
Carrying my phone for a run has always been a big issue for me. I've always gone for a bigger phone which isn't very practical for exercising with and it doesn't leave you with a lot of choices for cases to carry them when running. I've tried a lot of different belts and armbands since I started running and never had one thats comfortable. They either don't fit my phone, they are super uncomfortable or they bounce around and are really annoying to run with.
That is until I had the opportunity to try out the Quadlock Sports Armband. I've been using it the last couple of months, so I've had lots of time to try it out in different conditions to give a full rundown of it.
Who are Quadlock?
I suppose the best place to start would be to give a bit of background on the company. Quadlock was developed in Australia by a designer called Chris Peters. The Quadlock system is called so due the four tabs which are integral to the system itself. It allows you to securely and conveniently attach your smartphone to your bike, car or arm.
Chris had recently moved to Sydney and found having access to google maps very handy for getting around the area and as cycling was his main form of transportation, he thought it would be a great idea to be able to see his phone and maps whilst riding.
How does the Quadlock work?
The Quadlock has a dual stage locking mechanism that locks your phone in place to the mount. As briefly mentioned before, the mounting system has four tabs which slot into an adapter and click and lock into place(as shown below). When the phone has been locked into the mount, it is completely secure. I have never once worried about my phone falling off the mount on the armband, even when I rigorously move my arms about.
Pros and Cons:
As always, there are pros and cons for anything that you use and I've made a list of the ones I've found during the few months I've been using the Armband mount.
Pros:
Security of Mount - This has to be the top one for me. As I mentioned above, I've never once had to worry about my phone falling off the mount mid run. It's totally secure and the dual stage locking mechanism is fab.
Universal with lots of devices - For some devices, the Quadlock has the option to come with a pre-build case for your phone(seems to be iPhone mainly and some Samsung models) for extra security.
However, they also have the option of a Universal Adaptor so that you can stick it on to a case of your choice(a smooth, non-textured, non-poruous surface like Polycarbonate, see the note on this page for details: https://www.quadlockcase.co.uk/products/running-kit-universal-fit)
I must admit, I was a little worried about a stick on adaptor, but it is a 3M VHB Adhesive and is VERY strong, there's no way that baby was coming off once I'd stuck it down!
Comfortable & doesn't move - I've had this with armbands and belts in the past and was worried that with a bigger phone, the weight would make it flop around on my arm.. the first run I used it, it was a little weird, but not long into the run, I really didn't notice it was there and I don't pay attention to it anymore!
Cons:
It's not waterproof - at least not the version I use. For some particular phone models, there is a waterproof casing to go over the phone, but for the phones not supported, there's no way to have a waterproof solution. I know some phones are not already water resistant/waterproof, but if it isn't like mine, then you can't use it in the rain. Maybe I can get some sort of 'plug' for the headphone jack at the top of the phone though.. I just haven't looked into it.
I did get some chaffing - This might only be me.. my partner bought his Quadlock running armband and hasn't had this issue at all and I suspect it's my saggy arm skin causing the issue - but since it's gotten a lot hotter recently, I've had a little bit of chafing on the top of the armband(when skin to quadlock, over a t-shirt is no issue!) - it doesn't cause a problem when it's not hot though! I've been using a chafe stick which seems to stop it from happening.
Despite this, Quadlock is top quality, the materials are soft against the skin and it doesn't look like it will fall apart any time soon, so whilst it might be an expensive up front cost, you probably wont have to replace it as often as cheaper options. The pros for this mount far outweigh the price for me, I like being able to take my phone off my arm within seconds to capture a shot and I hardly notice it's there, for me, I'd buy one again in a heartbeat if I needed to replace it.
Plus - Once you've gotten the case/universal adaptor, you can use it with lots of different mounts, especially, like if you use your phone as a sat nav in your car for e.g. or maybe on your bike.
Overall Impressions
I'm so happy with the armband! It's solved all my issues for carrying my phone on my run. No more annoying bouncing or slipping of armbands or running belts. I love the accessibility of my phone on a run and how secure it is. I've already mentioned that my partner also bought his own Quadlock mount and loves his too!
If you've not been able to find the perfect mounting product for your smartphone yet or want something that gives you secure, yet effortless accessibility to your phone out on you run, then I highly recommend you try out Quadlock and their range of mounts!
Where to find Quadlock?
If you're interested in finding out more about quadlock or seeing some more pictures of their products, I've left all the places you can find them below!
If you're not a runner, or don't have a need for a sports armband for your phone, but maybe want the same sort of option for your bike, then I'll have a review up for the Quadlock Out Front bike mount in a few days, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
You can get 10% off your order by using the following link: http://quadlock.refr.cc/3B6T6GM *Please note this is a referral link and I will earn 5% of your order at no extra cost to you to use on the quadlock website.
Question: Do you take your phone out with you when you run? What do you currently use to hold your phone?
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