The Best Running Belts, According to Runners

Three of the runners I spoke to swear by the FlipBelt, as do I. It’s a stretchy, tubular band that sits on your hips and lies flat against your body. It has multiple pocket openings and can accommodate a phone, credit cards, and other small items. It also has an internal key hook for added security. The runners I spoke to all appreciated the fact that the FlipBelt, even when filled with several items, doesn’t move around.

Evan Covell, a Santa Barbara–based running coach with Team RunRun, has been using the FlipBelt twice a week for nearly five years and says he hasn’t found a better way to store his phone for a run. “I love that my phone fits perfectly and stays in place on my lower back. There is zero bouncing and as soon as I start running, I forget my phone is even there,” he says. Charmagne Ladannie Cayetano, a runner with New York City–based running group Asian Trail Mix, loves using the FlipBelt on race days because it allows her “to carry a lot more without feeling any bounce.” She wore it during her first marathon and was able to comfortably carry an 11-ounce FlipBelt water bottle, ten gels, and her phone in the FlipBelt.

Since it’s essentially one large 360-degree tube with various access points, you can evenly distribute the weight of your things. Plus, “It’s very easy to take gels out and stash the trash back in,” according to Covell. “It’s also easy to access my phone to change the podcast and put it back in place without having to stop my run.” And in terms of durability, Covell says that even after constant use and once-a-week washes for the past four-plus years, “it is still in the same great condition that it was in when I first purchased it.”

Elena Metta, a runner with Asian Trail Mix, and I both prefer the zippered FlipBelt. It’s essentially the same as the classic FlipBelt, except it has a zippered pouch in the front for added peace of mind. I like that because it’s more of a standard pocket than a slit, it’s easier to take my phone in and out of it.

Metta, who owns three different FlipBelts because she finds them “very comfortable and don’t move around as I run,” loves using the FlipBelt during races and long runs (up to ten miles) “to make sure I have enough fuel with me.” She’ll carry a half-liter water bottle, gels, her phone, some money, and her house keys in the FlipBelt. Another detail Metta appreciates about the FlipBelt is the array of colors and patterns both styles come in, including hot pink (the one I personally have), aqua, and a multicolored marble pattern.

The SPIbelt (short for “small personal item belt”) was the second-most-recommended belt among the runners I consulted for this story. Designed like a traditional belt with a buckle and an adjustable waistband, it has one large pocket made out of a stretchy material that expands to hold everything you need. (It resembles a very slim fanny pack.)

It’s the preferred running band for both Strategist managing editor Kelsie Schrader and Strategist newsletter editor Ashley Wolfgang, both of whom have used it on major race days. Schrader was looking for something small and snug before the New York City half-marathon last year and found that the SPIbelt worked perfectly. “I was able to tighten it all the way and I barely even noticed I was wearing it during the race,” says Schrader, who has been using it for the past year and a half. She wears it on her daily runs and has also worn it during two marathons, saying that it can comfortably hold her phone as well as three to four large UCAN Edge running gels, though she says if you use smaller gels, you’d be able to fit even more of them in the belt. “It’s very stretchy, so it can hold a lot more than you’d think,” she notes.

When Cayetano isn’t going on long runs or racing and doesn’t need to carry much, she turns to the SPIbelt, which she calls “very cute and stylish.” (It comes in 34 fun colors and patterns, more than the FlipBelt.)

For something that’s a hybrid of the FlipBelt and SPIbelt — and a fraction of the price of either — consider this running-belt waist pack from Dimok, which Strategist contributor Diksha Basu first told us about. It has a buckle and adjustable waistband like the SPIbelt, but is broader, and comes with a pocket that’s wider and longer that looks more like the zippered pocket on the FlipBelt. It comes with two additional side pockets, one of which has a Velcro flap to keep contents securely within.

It’s the running belt that Strategist writer Arielle Avila prefers because “it’s small but stretches out to carry everything I need,” she says. In it, Avila usually carries her keys, phone, gel pack, and earbuds case. Even with all of that packed into it, “my stuff doesn’t bounce around in the pack.” She recently wore it during a half-marathon and found it to be comfortable with no chafing, either. (She also spotted it on a lot of her fellow racers, at least five of them.) One piece of advice: She noticed that wearing it with the pack on her back instead of the front keeps it in place better and prevents it from riding up.

The Naked Running Band is another popular choice among the runners I polled for this story. Think of it as a souped-up version of the FlipBelt. It’s a tubular belt with a large mesh pocket and other attachments that allow you to carry even more than a standard running belt. It’s what Keith Laverty, a Seattle-based running coach with Team RunRun, trail runner, and ultramarathoner, has been using for nearly four years. The first thing he calls out is its durability, simplicity, and “reasonable value relative to other pieces of gear in the train and ultrarunning space.” He also appreciates how ample the capacity is, thanks to its “easily accessible” 360-degree deep pockets.

For his 50K–100K ultra events, Laverty will usually carry up to six gels, a packet of chews, a buff or cap, and sometimes even a soft hydration flask or headlamp in the Naked Band. (On shorter road runs, he’ll use it to carry his cell phone, credit card, and snacks.) Even on his long runs, Laverty will opt for the Naked Band over wearing a hydration vest, using a handheld water bottle instead (and stowing it in the belt when it’s empty). “When I wear my Naked Band, I often associate those runs with feeling fast, free, yet prepared for what the day will bring and the demands of my run adventure,” he says.

Jaime P. Chien, a runner with Asian Trail Mix, also uses the Naked Band on long runs when she brings along hydration, and likes its snug fit (“The lack of bouncing was a big deal for me,” she says), large capacity, and its breathable mesh material. She carries up to two eight-ounce soft flasks and her iPhone Max in it. She also appreciates that it comes with two bungees to which you can attach a race bib. For serious trail running, it also has silicone grip loops in the back that can hold trekking poles and a rain shell.

This utility belt from Ultimate Direction is similar in style to the Naked Band but is slightly more affordable. It’s what Kyle Fulmer, a Boulder-based running coach with Team RunRun who has completed over 45 ultraraces, has used since 2020. He loves that it’s “super lightweight, very durable, and convenient,” and that it allows him to go hands- and hydration-pack-free. “Unless I am in a long ultradistance race, I go for the belt over the running vest every time,” he says. Thats because it can easily hold a soft water bottle in it in addition to his phone, car keys, and a couple of gels. As long as you get the proper fit on the belt, “it doesn’t bounce too much and you can forget you’re wearing it,” he says. He will sometimes carry gloves and a light running jacket in it as well, as it has silicone bands in the back for extra storage.

If you want the option of attaching water bottles to your running belt, consider Fitletic’s running belts, which Jay Ell Alexander, founder of running community Black Girls RUN!, recommends. It is a buckled belt with an adjustable waistband that has a zippered pocket, loops to carry up to six gels, and race-bib attachment toggles. You can also add water bottles that comes with a holster that slide onto the belt. Alexander, who has been using both the standard belt and the hydration belt that comes with two water bottles for nine years, says that she loves how well they fit on her and also stay in place, and adds that they are durable and easy to clean.