As a runner, there always a few essentials you should take along with you on your runs, especially long ones. I, for one, have never been a huge fan of runner’s belts but used one out of necessity. I mean how else were you going to carry your phone,key,gels, etc during your run.To my knowledge there was no real alternative out there for runners, so I did what i had to do. Last week, I went to VA to run the Richmond Half Marathon and while i was walking around the expo, I came up on a book for Roo Sport. Having never heard of it, I walked over and let the representative explain to me how it worked. It was literally a magnetic pouch, designed to eliminate the use of a runners belt. They come in two sizes, one that fits phones the size of iPhone 6 and one big enough to fit bigger phones the size of the iPhone 6 plus. At the end of the day, I was still a skeptic but decided to purchase one anyway just to see. The following is my review of the Roo Sport 2.0:
The Roo Sport is small magnetic pouch, with 2 zipper pockets and one large slot(w/ holes for your earbuds) big enough for your phone. Not only can it hold your phone but it is also big enough to hold up to 6 energy gels.
The proper placement of the pouch is your in front, over either your right or left leg. You can also wear in the back, but I did not try it there. After you tie off your shorts/pants, you simply place the larger side of the pouch inside your shorts and flip the smaller side over your belt-line. You will know it’s secure when you hear the magnet snap together. That’s it, you are now ready for your run. I know you are probably thinking, just as I was, how does this pouch stay secure and not bounce once you start running. This was the part I was a skeptic about, so the only way to know for sure is to go out for a run. I ran a half marathon, and to my surprise, it did not bounce. Yes, I could tell it was there but it didn’t bounce at all the whole time. While i was running, I was able to pull out my gels without pulling out the whole pouch which was extremely convenient. When you run with a belt, you sometimes end up with chafing from the belt moving but there was no evidence of chafing with the roo sport.
Cleaning the roo sport may also be a question that comes up. Well, it is pretty simple. It’s a magnetic pouch so all you have to do is magnetically stick the pouch to the inside wall of your washer machine, and it can easily be washed.
All in all, the roo sport is a must for active runners,cyclist, etc who are not a fan of belts. The price ranges from about $25-$35 depending on the size you get, although you may be able to get it a little cheaper at a race expo. It is a good investment.
Price: ****
Durability: ****
Comfort:****
Usability: *****
Overal: *****
TMilesAndRunning 