Notes: As anyone who knows me can attest, I get up to some odd adventures and can be rough on equipment, which is why I tend towards what I would call adventure proof equipment. I like to keep things simple, robust, reliable, have understandable directions for use,and preferably with a warranty. The LIFEPROOF cases and accessories have all these virtues and more, and is my penultimate favorite choice of protective gear for my electronics for all those reasons.

Appearance:  A rather stylish minimalist look and feel rather than the chunky overkill of a Survivor series case. The iPhone snaps into skeletonized ( and honeycombed)frame of high impact plastic with a lockable springloaded snap on lever at the top of the case and is nicely enclosed on all four corners so it is less likely to get caught and snagged or flipped out of the holder. This  holder also leaves all the buttons and screen accessible for anything you might want to do.

First Impression: Decently made,nice tactile nonslip feel of closed cell neoprene rubber with some actual padding with some ribs to better hold the strap and iPhone without movement. The neoprene or silicone rubber is nicely wide so it spreads out the area on your arm to make it more comfortable and less tourniquet like than many other holders. Band is also ventilated by a series of holes that make it much more breathable.Generous amount of velcro and reflective markings also contribute to the overall impression of a very thoughtfully designed system.

Directions and Instructions: Straightforward and easy to follow instructions and tips.

Testing: We have used the armband (and the waterproof swimming headphone adapter) while swimming and out in downpours. The iPhone always stayed secure and we were able to operate all the controls and hear everything while under water with no problems or malfunctions at all. The headphone adapter  also comes with a plug retainer/holder for the waterproof headphone jack plug which is normally screwed into the phone case when you are not wearing headphones which is quite handy so you do not lose the plug and compromise the watertight case (an important point !)

We have also used it extensively at the gym and other places where we wanted the phone on our arm rather than in a pocket. It has kept the iPhone secure and out-of-the-way without feeling like a tourniquet, and it stays in place better than any other armband we have tried for active use.

Other: They have a lot of other equipment and options for the case such as a life ring for aquatic environments ( read boating and dropping it over the side), hand and shoulder straps (highly recommended) and other items.

Final Thoughts: The most comfortable and easy to use armband we have encountered. Far to many of them are very tight-fitting  (too tight for almost any kind of protective case) for the iPhone itself and many don’t feel nearly as comfortable and secure as this one.

Website: http://www.lifeproof.com