According to Griffin Technology, Inc., their new armband was designed in cooperation with sports good manufacturer adidas as a complement to the adidas personal trainer system, miCoach. Although I did not try the miCoach app on my iPhone 3Gs, I did use Griffin’s armband and have to say that it is impressive. What struck me […]
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Review: Griffin Technology’s miCoach Sport Armband fits like a … glove?

Oct 25th 2010 by

According to Griffin Technology, Inc., their new armband was designed in cooperation with sports good manufacturer adidas as a complement to the adidas personal trainer system, miCoach. Although I did not try the miCoach app on my iPhone 3Gs, I did use Griffin’s armband and have to say that it is impressive.

What struck me as I first removed it from the packaging was how light the armband was! Although I don’t own any other armbands for comparison (I used CaseMate‘s ID/ credit card case with a long piece of velcro threaded through the provided credit card slot), I have looked at a few at local brick-and-mortar stores and thought they were more bulky than I would have liked. Therefore, I was never inclined to gamble even a few dollars on something that I wasn’t sure I would like (even online).

According to Griffin,

The ultra-lightweight armband, available for iPhone, iPod touch, and other smartphones, … is available in two versions—one for iPhone and iPod touch, and one for various smartphone devices. The ultra-lightweight performance nylon wraps around your upper bicep, and a sweat-proof, touch-through screen cover protects your device while you use it. An inline pocket holds your house or gym key, and a strategically placed port accepts headphones.

The positives:

  • the attention to some of the aforementioned details make it rise to the top in my mind with respect to quality. Sure, I could have bought a $4 discount armband, but I wonder how many of those I would have discarded before recognizing the quality offered by Griffin’s?
  • the subtle curve of the pull tab (see picture) ensures a close fit on the arm: no fidgeting to locate and release the velcro;
  • the sweat-proof backing has raised dots that help keep the armband securely in place;
  • the easy-to-use hood that covers the iPhone ensures that the device will remain where it’s supposed to, and it’s also wide enough to tuck one’s key under, provided that key is longer than the provided key-pocket (as my car key is);
  • the clear plastic cover allows the iPhone’s touchscreen to be active. This may be common place and just unknown to me, but it was a welcome surprise since I can forward through songs, workout routine, etc. as I have been using lolo Burn pretty regularly now (review here);
  • the raised adidas “mi” symbol rests right over the iPhone’s home button so it is easy to locate by touch alone.

The negatives:

  • the armband is made of nylon: be prepared for it not to breathe against your skin;
  • washing instructions are printed on the backside of the nylon armband, but you’d better be well read on your decoding of laundering;
  • the clear plastic cover is glossy and not matte finished. I don’t know if this can be improved in future versions, but trying to see what’s on the iPhone screen is challenging in the sunshine and the glossy plastic.

Overall, Griffin Technology has undoubtedly succeeded with this superior sports armband. Whether used with the promoted adidas miCoach system, your favorite workout app, or iPhone’s native iPod app, I highly recommend the armband and anticipate it will last for many years to come. It has certainly become a permanent part of my workout arsenal.




According to Griffin, The adidas miCoach Armband, $29.99, is now available at major retailers that sell Griffin products, including Best Buy, adidas retail stores, and online at www.griffintechnology.com.
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Griffin’s miCoach Sport Armband was provided for review on iSource.com. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About Us” section.

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