I am notoriously bad at failing to practice what I preach when it comes to taking my cell phone with me when I exercise. You'd think I would have learned my lesson after losing my dog on a run a few weeks back, but, no, I'm still terrible. That's one of the reasons why I was excited to test out a Sprigs Banjees Wrist Wallet, a handy wallet designed to be worn on the wrist (duh, right?) made in cute designs and styles. Given the option to choose which Banjees I wanted to try, I immediately veered toward the Big Banjees, specifically designed with an extra external pocket large enough to store a smartphone. (See where I'm going with this? I'm at least trying to remedy my ways!)
Here is what I discovered...
Styles and patterns
Choosing the style was easy - the Big Banjees is the only Sprigs wrist wallet designed to hold a smartphone. Choosing the design, though? Not quite as easy! For the Big Banjees alone, there were 19 different design options to choose from, and while I'm drawn to bright colors and fun patterns, it still took me awhile to settle on the Rasta print rather than some of the other cute options.
Product design
The Banjees itself is extremely lightweight, made of a polyspandex material that's stretchy and comfortable to wear. Across the top of the Big Banjees on the underside of the wallet, there's a zippered opening to a pocket equal to the length and width of the Banjees itself. It's plenty big enough to store everything from ID and credit cards to keys, cash and even some energy gels or hydration tablets.
On the front side of the Big Banjees there's a patent-pending hooded pocket designed to hold a standard smartphone in place without the risk of it falling out or getting scratched by a zipper or other closure device. I'm not cool enough to own an iPhone or another standard-sized smartphone, but even my super-sized phone was able to fit without an issue because of the nice, stretchy fabric.
Comfort
It's clear from the get-go that wearing the Banjees itself is going to be comfortable. It's like wearing any high-quality workout wear - the fabric is stretchy, soft and wicking, the seams don't scratch and the zippered pocket isn't in direct contact with your skin. The real test was whether or not it would be comfortable when filled with an oversized smartphone, ID, credit card and keys. Here's what I discovered:
- Credit cards/IDs/cash: You really can't tell that there's anything in the wallet when you fill the pocket with these items. They don't shift or add bulk to your wrist, so it's just as comfortable as when you're wearing it empty. My guess is the same would be true if you were stashing a locker key or spare house key in the pocket, although I didn't test this out. That said, I did test carrying my keys a different way...
- Key ring: One morning when I was walking to a coffee shop, I threw my Banjees on and grabbed my giant key ring. As I was walking the 2/3 mile to the store, it dawned on me that I didn't need to tote my keys in-hand. Because I didn't have my cell phone with me (old habits die hard, apparently), I just opened up the hooded pocket and tucked my key ring inside. While they keys were heavy enough to cause the Banjees to sag lower on my wrist, the whole key ring stayed in place and didn't shift or cause any irritation while I was walking around.
- Phone: As I pointed out above, I don't have a standard-sized smartphone. My phone is huge. so wearing the Banjees with the phone inside did feel a little bulky, especially when I first put it on. That said, with a little adjusting, I can get the wrist wallet situated so that it feels comfortable, and once in position, it doesn't slide around. Plus, because the material is thin and the phone sits so close to your skin, it's easy to tell if you're getting a call or text even when your phone's set to vibrate. This is a huge benefit to me because I never have my ringer on and one of the reasons I stopped taking my phone with me on runs was because I was checking it every few minutes to see if I'd missed a call. It ended up being more of a distraction than a help!
Learn more
To learn more about Sprigs and all their Banjees products, check out their website and find them on Facebook and Twitter. You can also enter to win any Banjees of your choice by heading to the GirlsGoneSporty Giveaways Page until June 10th, 2012. Be sure to let us know which Banjees style and pattern is your favorite!
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