At the Utah Valley Marathon expo, I saw a product called the FlipBelt. After the race, I went home and did more research on the product. Additionally, someone at my local running store told me about this product. I have a few frustrations with my Nathan pack and have been looking for something better.I decided to check it out and I am glad I did.

I will use a product like this when I am out for mid-range run. This is a run where I need to bring some gels and a handheld, but I don’t need to bring a full hydration vest.I also use it on long supported runs like a road marathon with plenty of aid stations. I pack the gels that I know my body does well with in case the race doesn’t have the type of gels I prefer. This ensures I’m covered in case I need a gel between stations or if the race doesn’t have enough.

I have been using a shadow pack by Nathan. It is a pack that you buckle on and tighten with straps. Nathan’s shadow pack (I hate to call it a fanny pack 😉 is small and fits about five gels when fully loaded. It fits keys no problem. I can only fit my iPhone in it if I remove the case. With only a couple gels, it fits small and snug against my body. However, when I pack it with five gels, it sticks out quite a bit (see below) and is a bit bulky. This bulkiness can cause it to jostle on runs. It is annoying to have to adjust it on runs. There are some harder edges on the pack you have to be careful with so they don’t rub or irritate you on a long run. Also, the tightening straps on mine are getting old. I have to tighten them quite a bit then I have a bunch of extra strap I need to wrap around somewhere. Overall, it has been a decent pack. It has served me well despite my few complaints.

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Enter the FlipBelt.

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It is a belt with no buckle. You step into it to put it on. I am often the guy that is between sizes. I was worried I would end up with one too big or too small. However, it fits me just right. It’s tight enough to be snug without being too tight and it isn’t too loose. It hugs my waist nicely. When I run, it doesn’t move at all. No bounce. It easily fits five gels and can fit more. You insert the gels into opening on the sides of the belt. Then you flip the belt around so the openings are against your body. The FlipBelt does not have any hard edges to rub. It is quite seamless and smooth. The material is actually quite soft. The FlipBelt easily fits my iPhone with the case still on. It also fits keys and has a little clip to help with this or anything else you might want to clip to the belt. It should really fit most items you would want to bring with you on a run. I think the FlipBelt looks better on than the other bulky fanny-esque pack. It looks like it’s part of your running outfit. I’m excited about this product and looking forward to continuing to use it. I will update this review if any issues come up as I use it.

You can check out the FlipBelt website for some of their videos on the product. They also have sizing information and a FAQ section. The belt also comes in a number of colors. As pictured, I went with the black one.Feel free to post any questions or comments about this product below.