The best way to carry a phone while riding: Road to Tevis Post #32

I’ve been meaning to blog about the best way to carry a phone while riding a horse for a long time now. Then my Road to the Tevis Cup post series distracted me from all other topics. Monday however, my much-loved phone case broke. Replacing it has thus become part of my Tevis journey, because I absolutely cannot ride without a way to safely carry my cell phone.

To be more precise, the strap on my cell phone case broke. I’ve tied it back on, but that won’t last. As soon as I got home Monday, I tried to order a replacement. I’d bought it nearly two years ago on Amazon (for only $11!!), so I simply looked for the order. Very unfortunately, it’s no longer available, and thus far I have not found a good substitute.

Jump to:

What was special about that case?
The best way to carry a phone while riding.
Phone cases with straps
Other ways to carry a phone while riding
Tights
Holsters
Around your waist
In a saddle bag
Backpacks or hydration packs
Suggestions from other riders

What was special about that case?

Other than the fact that it fit my relatively rare phone (Sony Xperia XZ2 compact)… It had a lanyard! (aka strap) I bought it thinking about the many times I had taken a picture with my cell while sitting on my horse in a lake. I figured I could loop the strap around my wrist and thus prevent dropping the phone in the water. The Sony Xperia XZ2 is also waterproof–yes I have tested it–but it would be hard to find in muddy lake water. The strap would be of further use when I leaned over cliffs or off huge rocks to take pictures, something I did regularly on hikes.

I had never dropped my phone while taking a picture–yet! And as it turned out, I rarely put the strap around my wrist to take pictures from a horse (but I do it every time I lean over a precipice). The strap was even more useful for another purpose however. After having the phone fall out of my pocket and nearly into a deep ravine, I attached a carabiner and started clipping that to my belt loop on my jeans. That became my preferred method of securing my phone while riding and hiking.

In fact, I now automatically clip the carabiner to my belt loop as soon as I stick my phone in my pocket, no matter what I am doing. Since I wear jeans 95% of the time I am dressed, I have become very dependent on the carabiner, strap, and case that allows me to do this.

See popular similar posts: Let’s talk underwear! Bunching, blisters, comfort, and incontinence and Best bras for riding horses: What to look for and where to find them

Back to the best way to carry a phone while riding horses

I prefer to carry my phone in my jeans pocket. If I were male–or wore men’s jeans–this would be less of a problem. Men’s jeans have deeper pockets. I have no idea why, but women’s jeans tend to have very shallow pockets, out of which a phone can easily slip. Especially with a big-moving horse! This may not be the same for all brands–I wear Levi’s. If someone has a suggestions for comfortable jeans with deep pockets, please let me know in the comments!

I’ve also carried my phone in coat pocket, in a fanny pack, in my hydration pack, and in the pocket of stretch tights. Those are all good methods, and I will talk more about them below, but they are all less accessible than my back pocket. The thing is, I like to take pictures when I ride. Or videos. All the time. That’s why this blog is fully illustrated 😉 Yes, I also answer phone calls and check text messages, sometimes. Much of my riding is done out of cell phone service, so this does not happen as frequently as it could. Besides, I don’t really like to talk on the phone while riding.

I used to use my phone to navigate, and I still sometimes record tracks with GAIA. Since buying my Garmin Fenix, however, I let it do the tracking. It syncs with MapMyRun and Strava, my two other preferred tracking apps. I still occasionally use Equilab when I ride, but for it, I don’t need to access my phone other than at the beginning and end of a ride. So it’s mainly photography that makes it essential that my phone is easy to get out.

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Other phone cases with straps?

Part of my problem is that my phone is uncommon. My next phone is likely to be the iPhone 12 mini if I can afford it. (I buy for size–small). I’ll probably get something like this case with strap for it. If you’ve got a relatively common phone, chances are you can find a case with a strap. Then all you need to do is snap on a carabiner.

Phone harness and lanyard options

If you cannot find a case with a strap specifically designed for your phone, there are various products that offer harnesses and lanyards. These are supposedly compatible with a wide variety of phones. This one, which claims to fit phones with screen sizes from 4.5″ – 6.7″, is the best reviewed on Amazon. The Koala Super-grip Harness was also recommended, and promises to fit most phones. Some incompatibilities arise from camera blocking, but both these products seem likely to secure your phone well!

This product sticks to your phone case (or I suppose you could stick it to your phone). It looks like a great option if you cannot find a case or harness that fits your phone. I’ve bought one, along with a new case, for my phone. Might try a harness too.

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Other ways to carry a phone while riding

If you don’t like to carry your phone in your back pocket (and don’t worry about dropping it when you take pictures), there are many options that don’t require straps.

If you like to ride in tights, these frequently come with phone pockets.

I ride in jeans almost all the time, or old breeches. I’ve just now ordered some tights from Performaride, mentioned below. I might review them soon. In the meantime, here are the two most popular choices with my friends:

Irideon

Kerrits

Performaride was recently recommended on Facebook. See my blog post about these tights.

And a page-full at Riding Warehouse.

Some breeches have pockets that are big enough for a phone. I have one pair of corduroy winter breeches with huge pockets with zippers. I sometimes carry my phone in them, but it’s not ideal. It rubs against my upper thigh. This is why I worry that tights won’t be a good fix for me either.

Holsters for calves, arms, belt loops…

The Horse Holster can apparently be attached to your leg, belt, or waist, or worn across your body. (The Distance Depot has some cheaper closeouts in pink.)

There are many options of calf holsters, such as the Cashel ankle safe at Statelinetack or this Woofhoof available on Amazon.

Armbands to carry phones can be found in any running store (or on Amazon of course, e.g., this very well-reviewed one). Here is one from Riding Warehouse.

You can carry your phone around your waist…

Here is a waist band phone pack designed for riding at Statelinetack.

For years I carried my cell phone in a fanny pack aka bum bag (I can hear my British friends flinching or laughing, depending). I got my first mobile phone when we were living in Managua, Nicaragua, precisely in case of emergencies-while-riding. None ever happened, and that Nokia didn’t even have a camera, but it did get introduce me to carrying a phone. I carried it in an old leather fanny pack which I still ride with when I don’t carry a hydration pack (and sometimes when I do). It’s too big and bounces around too much for endurance riding, though. I will probably get something along these lines soon.

Or in a saddle bag

I can’t recommend saddle bags, because I’ve never used any. I need to purchase one soon (thinking cantle will be best), and will be asking for recommendations on the Facebook AERC page. In the meantime, here is a page full of them available from the Distance Depot.

Or you can stick it in a backpack or hydration pack.

I like to have my phone accessible for pictures and videos, but if you don’t need that, it can go in the body of a backpack. I do sometimes put my phone in the waist pockets of the lower strap of my Miracol hydration pack. My other hydration packs don’t have such convenient pockets though.

In winter, coat pockets may be an option. Many are larger enough and close with velcro or zippers. In summer, however, your clothing is unlikely to have secure enough pockets.

Suggestions from comments on Facebook (mainly endurance riders on the AERC page)

1. Wear soccer socks and stuff it down one leg. This is a brilliant idea for re-using soccer socks. Now I wish I hadn’t given my sons’ away (or turned them into cleaning rags…)
2. Put it in a front pocket of a hydration pack… I did mention this, but the suggestions were more precise. Vests designed for running have more holders/pockets in front. You can put water bottles in them. I don’t have one (I’ve been considering buying them for running, but never got around to it). But it’s a great idea. For example, this CamelBak was suggested (and looks great)
3. Put it in your bra (inside a sandwich bag).
   • On that topic: Best bras for riding horses: What to look for and where to find them
4. Amphipod Airflow Runners Belt
5. Specific tights recommendations:
   • Baleaf
   • Wild Side
   • Ride Boldly