The icaseBelt from Austrian company Urban Tool is a modern version of the old-fashioned fanny pack, retooled for the iPhone/iPod age. It holds everything you might need for a day trip or jog, and includes built-in controls for your iPod.
Trouble is, the icaseBelt is way too cool for someone my age, but I like it anyway.
Made from a combination of polyamid and lycra, the icaseBelt is extremely soft and flexible. It has an embedded iPod/iPhone remote control panel built into one of the straps, with soft rubbery buttons for controlling volume, play/pause, fast forward and rewind.
I put my iPhone in the front pocket closest to the remote. Since the iPhone is securily tucked away, the remote is great for adjusting the music and volume.
There are two flat but spacious pockets in the front of the icaseBelt. The pockets are like resealable sandwich bags; they have flaps that fold over the top and tuck your devices securely in place.
The second pocket includes a yo-yo-style retractable key strap. The key pull is quick and easy to pull out and it tucks away your house keys nicely. There’s no chance of losing your keys or leaving them at a cafe.
The pocket is quite roomy with plenty of space for sunscreen and lip gloss. There’s also a secret zippered pocket at back, which holds your wallet or camera. The icaseBelt comes with a diagram of where things should go — which I totally appreciated.
The Urban Tool icaseBelt is a nicely-designed, modern-day fanny pack for your iPod and more. If you feel hip enough to wear it you should totally buy one.
The Urban Tool icaseBelt is available in black and retails for $119.90. The strap is adjustable for fannies of all sizes.
[xrr rating=4/5]
