Review: Speck iPod Gear ActiveFit Armband

Writen By Tyler Ingram on Sep 03, 2008

If you are looking for great accessories that protect your Apple iPod gear then look no further and check out Speck and their great selection of various protective gear for your little music machine. Not only does Speck have Apple iPod accessories but they carry an assortment of protective gear for all of your Apple toys. Yes they carry protective covers for other gadgets such as Blackberries, Garmin GPS and even some PC notebooks.

FedEx Deliveries Are Fun

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I received a text message from my little sister saying that FedEx dropped off a package for me and I could not figure out what it was until I went to pick it up. It seems that Speck not only sent me the iPod Nano armband (ActiveFit) I inquired about they sent me three other protective covers for the Apple iPod 3rd Generation Nano as well which is pretty generous.

Being Fit and Listening to My Tunes

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Recently Robyn and I have been jogging and on our jogs Robyn really likes to listen to music with her Apple iPod Nano. Though not having a holder of sorts for the iPod Nano, Robyn would have to hold it in her hand while she jogs alongside me which to me looks a bit awkward. I looked around but and came across Speck who happened to have a great little armband that not only has breathable mesh but also has a screen protector that can help protect against some of the elements a jogger might face in the outside world.

Comfort Meets Style

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The sportiness of the Speck ActiveFit Armband not only looks good but feels good with its breathable mesh fabric which wraps around your arm and secured with Velcro.

Upon putting on the ActiveFit armband I found that it almost did not fit! Sure with my powerful 15â€ bicep (insert chuckles here) I managed to use the last little bit of Velcro at the end of the strap to secure it and ensured it would not fall off by swinging my arm around in circles.

Performance

Honestly the ActiveFit does not really do much other than keep your iPod Nano attached to you, you know hands free. Because of this you can concentrate on your jogging without having to worry about holding your iPod Nano in your hand or putting it into a pocket (if you have one).

The pocket in which the iPod Nano is placed is made of a spandex-type material that keeps your iPod Nano snug and a small strap at the bottom ensures it does not fall out.

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The clear screen that is stitched into the pocket where the iPod Nano gets placed does not hamper the functionallity of the iPod Nano even with the Gelaskin protective cover attached. It allows easy access to your songs while protecting it from outside elements. Now I would not say the plastic screen is waterproof but I am sure it would handle a mild sprinkle of rain during your jog or an accumulation of sweat during a workout. I probably wouldn’t use the ActiveFit in a monsoon.

Robyn took the ActiveFit armband with her to the gym during one of her workouts and she really did enjoy having her music with her and not having to hold on to her iPod using the equipment. She just set the playlist to the one she wanted and away she went. Having her iPod Nano close to her but not in her way allowed her to enjoy her workout more than previous ones where she has had to hold on to her iPod Nano. being hands-free allowed her to have a better workout.

Conclusion

I wanted to try the ActiveFit out and took it into the world beyond computers along with my Apple iPod 3^rd Generation Nano to see how it would hold up as I jogged my current jogging program. Normally I do not like listening to music on my jogs but I made an exception for the ActiveFit.

Prior to starting my run I did pre-select the playlist I wanted to listen to as it is a bit hard to see the playlist with the unit strapped to ones upper arm. While jogging I did find that I could still use the controls on the iPod Nano through the clear-screen protector especially when I wanted to move forward to the next song. The Velcro strap also held the unit in place as I swung my arms during the course of my jog as well.

Now if I had larger biceps I would find that the ActiveFit would be a bit harder to use and would have to strap it to a forearm. If you are a large, body builder whose biceps are larger than the average human head I would say the ActiveFit would not be the best option. Though if you are of an â€˜averageâ€™ build I am sure you will find strapping the ActiveFit armband around your bicep to be quite a simple task and comfortable as well.

Robyn had no troubles using the ActiveFit with her iPod Nano during her workout and liked how it fit snuggly against her arm. She did not have to worry about it falling off, or not being able to change songs when needed. She just set her playlist and away she went.

If you are looking for an armband for you Apple iPod Nano of the 3rd generation I do recommend checking out the Speck ActiveFit. Not only does it look good, it fits nicely as you work on your fitness.

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