KOALA Super-Grip Smartphone Harness Review

Pulling that $1000 smartphone out of your pocket on a chairlift is always a nerve-racking proposition. Everyone’s worst fear is dropping it onto the slope below to never be seen again. Vacation photos, important texts and those Slack messages from your boss are now lost in a snowbank. With that in mind, KOALA made the Super-Grip Smartphone Harness. This simple device can keep your smartphone from taking an unexpected plunge.

KOALA Super-Grip Smartphone Harness Features:

• Locking clip attaches securely
• Rubberized holder fits most phones (with or without a case)
• Selfie-length coiled tether
• MSRP: $25

Janitors are onto something

Yup, that high school janitor you saw wandering the halls of your school with those keys dangling from their belt. It turns out that they were onto something with that retractable key clip after all. KOALA has taken that concept and developed a harness that’s built to keep your expensive smartphone safe from precipitous drops or loss while out adventuring into the wild places we love.

The concept is simple, really. The Super-Grip Smartphone Harness wraps around your phone and then it’s tethered to a hydration pack, jacket hem or pocket. Installation is easy as the rubbery holder stretches onto just about any smartphone and allows full use of the device. Note that it will cover some camera lenses or flash bulbs (like on my iPhone SE).

Luckily, phones have gotten more and more durable by the year, but a full-on drop to pavement or down a precipitous ledge is still really, really bad — no matter how much Gorilla Glass your phone has. The Super-Grip Smartphone Harness does come in handy and prevents such accidents from happening.

I’ve found a few good ways to attach the locking clip. My favorite this winter is the hem of my jacket. It locks in place and the cord stays relatively out of the way when the phone is tucked inside a pocket. If your jacket has a key loop or a pass clip inside a pocket, that’s even better. Obviously, checking that text message on a chairlift becomes much less worrisome with the Super-Grip Harness. Intentional drops have yet to dislodge the clip. I’m sure a Randy Johnson fastball may unclip it, but it’s pretty bomber.

So, for science, I loaded up a bar of Irish Spring and proceeded to toss it around as hard as I could. Aside from some awkward near misses to sensitive areas, the Super-Grip did its job. I couldn’t get it to unclip from my pants pocket with the soap toss test.

The Good

• Inexpensive insurance against drops
• Allows you to use your phone (for the most part)
• Inexpensive
• Stretches to work with all phones and cases I tried (and bars of soap)

The Bad

• Loop and clip can seem a little clunky
• Added bulk
• It will cover some camera lenses, flashes and such

The Bottom Line: KOALA Super-Grip Smartphone Harness

Yes, janitors are onto something and KOALA has come up with an ingenious and simple solution to protecting your phone from certain death. Clip it onto your pack or clothing and your phone will remain secure should it slip through your butterfinger hands.

Buy Now: Visit Hangtimegear.com