Customer Reviews

Belkin Dual-Fit Armband for iPod nano 4G (Black)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I purchased this from J&R (good service, quick shipping, all good) hoping to wear it while working out. On the good side, the sleeve is well-made and attractive, and it fits the iPod Nano 4G well. You can get to the lock button on the top. But two things keep me from using it every day. First, I'm just not comfortable with the band around my arm when lifting weights. The strap isn't quite long enough for me to get a comfortable fit. But the biggest challenge for me is operating the controls through the clear plastic cover. Even with the sleeve unstrapped and the case held in my hand, sitting down and concentrating, I'm unable to navigate the menus one click at a time through the clear cover. In numerous tries, I haven't been successful selecting what I want from the menus while the iPod was in this case. I've thought about cutting a hole in the center, but the case isn't all that comfortable for me anyway. Try operating your iPod with a clear sheet of overhead projector film in front of the click wheel. If you can do it, then you will probably be successful with this case. I've ended up just putting my iPod in my pocket.

Alright. I live in Grenada where I go to medical school. It is hot and humid here, but I refuse to give up my favorite sport: running. I had a friend bring this armband down when he came to visit me, along with a new 4th generation iPod nano. My previous iPod was ruined when I was caught in a downpour and my former armband failed.

Every product description describes this armband as "water resistant". Really? It can't even keep my sweat out of the compartment. The first time I used it, my new iPod was swimming in my own effluent (read: sweat).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The ends of this armband are completely open (no flaps or anything to keep water out) and the open portion is held directly against the skin, which seems to guide sweat from your arm directly into the iPod compartment. I'd return it, but there is no way for me to get another one on this island. I've resorted to a system using ziplock bags and rubber bands to keep my own sweat from ruining my iPod. I dread the day that I get caught in one of our rain storms.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: In terms of "water resistant" armbands, this is the worst one I've ever had. Look elsewhere.

I have other gripes about this armband, but I'm tired and I have work to do. I'm sure there are good armbands out there, but this isn't one of them.

UPDATE Feb. 10, 2009

This armband was unable to protect my ipod from my own sweat. My iPod is dead; thanks Belkin. This is AFTER using plastic bags and rubber bands to supplement the arm band's own "water resistance". I now realize that not only does sweat/water enter through the top and bottom of the iPod compartment, but also is wicked through the armband itself.

ALSO, the click wheel (specifically, the wheel part) barely works with this armband.

I recommend you pick up an armband from Marware. The "Marware Sportsuit Convertible for nano 4G" actually holds the ipod away from your skin and the band is not contiguous with the ipod compartment. It might not look as nice as the Belkin armband, but it isn't a piece of crap, either.

I'm a Marine stationed on Okinawa, so it's safe to say I've used this arm band a lot since all i really do is weight lift every day. All reviews seem to be negative so i thought I'd put in my opinion.

First off the absorption of sweat:
I too lift weights for a solid hour to hour an a half, so by no means are my work outs not stressful. But I don't know what the hell you guys seem to be doing to sweat through this arm band. But this is what i do to prevent it. It comes with a little card board shape of an ipod when you buy it, i just slip my ipod in front of this while in the arm band.. it's still a nice fit so don't say it won't. Also i keep my barracks key in the nice little pouch in the back that rests against your arm. It's a flat key that fits perfectly. (Since you probably won't have a key like mine; be smart, cut out a thin piece of card board and use this instead. Problem solved. Adapt and overcome right?)

The arm band being too small:
I was skeptical when buying it because lots of reviews say, "it's not comfortable and too small." Ok let me specify those that didn't. If you are a 210lb + man who does nothing but weight lift.. ya ok this thing probably won't fit you. No big just go back and return it. I'm 160lbs, with the skinny frame but i've packed on lots of muscle since joining the Corps.. I'm very cut but this thing still fits my arm and isn't "uncomfortable" when lifting. It extends to a good med/lg sized arm.

The plastic is too thick? :
Some said the plastic is too thick around the wheel..? I won't deny it, but it's not impossible to operate. Use your freakin finger nail to scroll then! i don't know? i get mine to adjust volume and search songs just fine. This is probably because it keeps out the rain off the majority of the ipod. I live on a tropical island people where it's 90% + humidity when i walk outside the gym. So yes i've been rained on from the gym to my barracks and had this thing on my arm for a good 20 seconds before realizing. F**k maybe i'm just lucky? but the ipod wasn't affected at all. I've also checked several times to make sure it's not "fogging up" like people claimed. There MIGHT be a little from what i can see, but defiantly NOT enough to kill the ipod in noticeable water.. you guys exaggerate too much.

I gave it a 4/5 because yes it's not perfect, but i'm also not complaining. For 19.95 at the base PX.. the arm band does its job

I had to buy this item since my previous armband (and Ipod!) were stolen. The design is attractive and modern, but the plastic used in its fabrication makes it impossible to operate the click wheel on the Ipod. No matter how hard I tried, I had to push really hard to press the button and when I wanted to slide from one song to another, the plastic either did not work or it gave me an inaccurate response.
Belkin should take this product out of circulation, the 3rd generation model was WAY BETTER. I must say though that Amazon gave me outstanding customer service to solve my problem with this device and offered me a refund.

I'm surprised that reviewers give this three stars, but note flaws that make this armband useless for its intended purpose. First, the unit collects moisture during any sort of strenuous exercise. This is fatal to iPods, and I nearly lost mine during a 20-mile run (yes, I have high demands). And the plastic cover is not aligned with the iPod's controls, meaning song change and volume controls are hit and miss, at best.

Your money is valuable. Look elsewhere until Belkin offers you something you deserve.

This armband works well with the iPod nano, headphones are easily accessed and overall it stays secure while I run, etc... The only complaints I have with it are, it is hard to spin the wheel through this plastic casing. Also the armband does not stretch very far so if you have bigger arms this is not ideal.

I purchased this armband for use while running because it was the first available armband for the 4g nano. I was very happy with it up until the summer heat hit. It is very comfortable to wear, but if someone had arms any bigger than mine (14"), I imagine it would be a little tight. While the pocket on it is a little useless, it's a nice feature for a key or a couple dollars. i don't think the screen does not interfere with the controls, they work just fine for me. I wore it during the rain season and it kept my iPod completely dry, even through hard rainfall. I didn't have any problems with sweat seeping through during the winter (I live in So Cal, so the winters are mild). However, once summer hit, I started noticing sweat gets through the armband into the case, and my iPod is very wet at the end of my runs. I'm not sure if this is because it's getting old (I've had it for ten months), or because I'm sweating more because of the heat. Either way, I'll be replacing it, because I don't want to ruin my iPod. This is a nice, comfortable case, but if you're concerned about it being sweat-proof, I'd find another case.

I like this armband alot. It's not uncomfortable, and its perfect for jogs. The setbacks are that the clear plastic part that goes over the iPOD makes the click wheel hard (but not impossible) to access. Also, the armband is very hard to put on with one hand. Basically, you have to attach the velcro, slide it up your arm (which is hard if you have baggy sleeves)and then adjust it (at which point, the whole thing might come apart). If you can get past that, then its really a great buy.

This thing works well. The only issue, as I'm sure people have stated, is that it's problematic when trying to actually operate the ipod. Previously I would just take out the ipod to change the volume or switch a song or playlist. The product overall, after going through some armbands, is good. What you can do, which my brilliant boyfriend figured out, take an exacto knife and cut out the area around the ipod click wheel. Works awesome! After that... it's perfect.

My arm radius might be 7" around (like, the doctor usually uses a child cuff when taking my blood pressure.) Amazingly, this product actually fit my arms. I really like how comfortable and easy it is to use. The only downside is the funky plastic used to product the iPod's front; it's plastic that can get funky easily - especially at the gym. Also, the fabric is loose enough that it doesn't stay aligned with the holes for the buttons/ports on the top and bottom. Otherwise, it is a sound product.