As you might know by now, I like to carry stuff with me when I run. I’m one of those “always prepared” people that doesn’t want to be found without whatever it is I need – a protein bar, an extra hair tie, etc. When I did the Enchanted 10k I had some friends with me that were doing the Princess Half, and they used an SPI Belt for carrying their stuff. SPI stands for “small personal item belt.” So when I got the chance to review my own SPI Belt, I was definitely excited to see how it went!
At first glance, it doesn’t seem like the SPI Belt will hold much. You clip it around your waist (or you can even strap it across your chest if you prefer), and you can put whatever you need to carry into it. It’s comfortable and doesn’t bounce around. One of the nice things about it is that the strap is adjustable, so you can make it fit you just the way you like it. Plus, if you lose any weight from your fitness activities you don’t have to worry about getting a new size!
I will admit, when I first saw the SPI Belt I was skeptical that it would hold much. They say that it has an expandable pouch, but looking at this, how much could it really expand?
Turns out, a whole heck of a lot! I was amazed at how well I could fit stuff into that tiny little pouch. Since it fits the shape of whatever you put into it, it won’t get any bigger than what you need. For my run I managed to fit my cell phone, iPod, house key, ID, and a full size protein bar.
And it was very comfortable. I think that’s one of the advantages of the adjustable strap – you can position it where you want it and what tightness you want. I didn’t have any problems with bouncing at all, and the items I was carrying didn’t feel heavy around my waist.
It also looks nice. It’s not super noticable, and they recommend you wear it under your waist, so you can even cover it with your shirt if you prefer. But they come in a variety of fun colors (I went with orange, my favorite!) so you might want to show it off!
The only slight negative I have about it is that it is difficult to get items in and out of the belt while you’re running, or even walking. It’s great if you’re someone that’s looking to hold your things while you run and you don’t need to access them during the run. For instance, you can stick your iPod in there with a playlist, your keys, your ID, etc. But if you want to access your phone, or eat a protein bar or gu or whatever it is you’re carrying, it might be a little difficult. I don’t think any product made to carry stuff while you run has really solved this problem, but I found it a little more tricky with the SPI belt because of it’s expandable nature. It’s really form fitted around your items, so if you take something out it moves everything around – and I had stuff fall out when I tried to take my phone out.
Still, the SPI Belt is so great in other ways that if you’re not looking to open it while you run I highly recommend it. I’m definitely going to use it for shorter runs, and I might even use it for long runs and just carry my phone in my hand! (I check it so much to see my pace anyway that it’s worth it for me to have it out and carrying it). My friends really love using them and now I can see why. I definitely recommend that you look into their site and the product!
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Running Gear Guide:
Leave a Reply