Review: HB Tune Hand-Held iPhone Case

Every once in awhile I get the opportunity to try a simple product that fills a very specific need, and does the job very well. Such is the case with the HB Tune handheld iPhone/iPod pouch (disclosure: this product was a media sample provided free of charge by the manufacturer).

I generally don’t run with my iPhone (unless I forget my Garmin), but lately I’ve been trying out a few running apps for reviews I’m working on, and I’ve come to realize that not only do I hate carrying my iPhone on my arm, it’s also really difficult to see and manipulate an iPhone that is not held in-hand. I’ve long been a fan of hand-held water bottles, so the idea of holding my phone in hand when I run seemed like a no-brainer, but doing so without something to secure it in place was always an issue.

The HB Tune case is basically a pouch with a well-designed strap that wraps around your thumb and over the back of your hand. It secures the iPhone very well, and while on I don’t really even need to wrap my fingers around the phone – comfort is excellent. The pouch is large enough to accommodate a credit card, driver’s license and a few dollar bills behind the phone (I know this because I’ve had to use it while running home after dropping my car off at the dealership).

The plastic faceplate of the case is flexible and allows you to manipulate the touch screen on the phone, though it’s not terribly form-fitting so this takes a bit of getting used to. That being said, it’s not generally the case that I’m trying to play Angry Birds while I’m running, so it does the job just fine.

All-in-all, the HB Tune handheld case is a handy little tool that I highly recommend. No frills, just does the job it was designed to do, and it does it well.

The iPhone version sells for $24.99 on the HB Tune website (also available at Amazon.com), and pouches are made for other smartphones as well. Visit the HB Tune website for more information.

Posted in: running gear review