Nathan SaferRun Collection Review
I had the opportunity to try the Nathan safety collection, and I was incredibly impressed. All of the gear is made of high-quality material, is super comfortable to use, and gives you the option of attaching the SaferRun ripcord siren for added safety.
I’ll walk you through the products I tested, including what I loved about them and the few minor disadvantages that I noticed about them.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a personal safety alarm (maybe you read our article about running safety tips for women), the SaferRun collection is definitely a great place to start.
SaferRun Ripcord Siren
All of the products in the SaferRun collection come with the ripcord siren. It has a smooth design that is easy to understand: pull away from the main part and the alarm will sound or push the cord back into the main part and the alarm will turn off.
It was extremely simple to turn on and off, and although I didn’t test it for 30+ minutes out of consideration for my neighbors, that’s how long the label says it can run. And I would guess that it’s true.
It’s good up to 600 feet and is as loud as an ambulance. When I tried it, the siren sounded like the chirping of a car alarm, and we all know how loud those can be. The first thing anyone does when a car alarm goes off is figuring out who can shut it off!
This is exactly what you want if you’re in a bad situation—drawing attention to yourself, which the SaferRun ripcord siren will do. I love that there is a clip on the back so that you can clip it to the arm phone sleeve or the waistpak or theoretically even your clothing.
The siren isn’t super large, so you might even be able to carry it in one of your pockets if you’re going for a run and aren’t planning to carry anything with you like an insulated flask or waistpak.
SaferRun Waistpak
Although this has the fancy name of waistpak, it’s a fanny pack in essence, and I wasn’t sure if I would have enough moxy to want to wear it. As someone in her 20s who doesn’t want to look stupid, I thought this might be too much.
However, when it came in the mail, I was so impressed. I thought, “If these are what fanny packs are like, I would totally wear them.” The design was so sleek, and it didn’t look outdated at all. It even looked cool.
When I tried it on, it was so comfortable. The inside that rests against your stomach has a little extra cushion, so it’s not rubbing at all. The fastener is super durable and helped everything stay secure. I was not worried about my phone falling out.
I loved the easily accessible touchscreen phone pocket. It folds up like a fanny pack, but the phone is in a zippered pocket, so even if the velcro detached during a run (which I don’t think it would), your phone will stay safe.
The only downside that I noticed about this waistpak is that it bounced some when I was running. I tried to tighten it as much as possible, but I do have a pretty slender frame, so that could be part of it.
The bouncing wasn’t too annoying, and I definitely plan on using the waistpak for long runs when it would be safer to have my phone or for early morning runs when the sun is coming up in order to be able to take pictures.
Even with some slight bouncing, it was super comfortable and didn’t rub at all. I felt like I could wear it forever. And I didn’t feel super goofy wearing it. Finally, it was great that you could clip on the SaferRun ripcord siren for added safety.
SaferRun Arm Phone Sleeve
I have never tried an arm phone sleeve before and have always wanted to, so I was stocked to get this one. Again, I was super impressed with the design. I loved the pouch that you put your phone in and that it had a touchscreen, which was super easy to use.
The arm phone sleeve had several different adjustable sizes both at the top and the bottom so that you could personalize to your arm size. The fasteners were durable, and once they were fastened, they stayed.
I was super disappointed to discover that my arms were just a little bit too small for the S/M size. This means that there was more bounce for me, even when I wore a long-sleeved shirt and put it underneath.
That being said, I don’t think most people would have any problems with bouncing or sliding. Even I didn’t have too much with my skinny arms, and it wasn’t annoying enough that I wouldn’t ever use the phone again.
Again, since it’s in the SaferRun collection, there’s a place for you to clip the SaferRun ripcord siren, and you might even be able to fit a key in there or in the phone pouch because it was pretty spacious.
Despite that it was a little big for me, I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an arm phone sleeve because it’s a great design, is very comfortable to wear, doesn’t bounce or slide, and gives you easy access to your phone through a touchscreen.
SaferRun Speedview 18oz Insulated Flask
This hydration option provided you with everything that you might need for a run: water bottle, phone pocket, and place to clip the SaferRun ripcord siren. Plus, the hand strap is adjustable so that you can make sure that it’s set to whatever is best for you.
The design is ideal for drinking. You just had to lift up your arm. Your hand was already in the right position. I also appreciated the thumb hole and the extra padding so that I didn’t have to worry about gripping my water bottle. I could relax my hand.
It was great that the flask was insulated, especially for hot days, and 18oz is a good start on how much hydration you’ll need depending on the length of the run.
Again, I loved that the phone pocket had a touchscreen and that it was zippered and separated from the flask, so you don’t need to worry about your phone getting wet from the water bottle.
If you like to listen to music and run, there’s also an opening for the cord for headphones at the bottom of the phone pocket.
I wasn’t too sure about having weight in one hand but not the other. However, it really wasn’t that bad. The design of this hydration flask is super comfortable.
I noticed two downsides with the flask. First, it sloshed around when I was running, but that really can’t be helped. No matter what hydration flask you pick (from any brand), if it has water in it and you’re running, it will slosh.
Second, I live in the South, and it gets hot here. My hand started to sweat when I used the hydration flask, and I could see the possibility of some uncomfortable rubbing and potentially blistering if you’re going for long runs when the weather is super hot outside.
That being said, I didn’t find the hydration flask a nuance to run with, and I think it’s a great option for long runs or runs in the summer when you need more hydration. It was comfortable and not too heavy even though I have small hands.
Conclusion
What I loved about the Nathan SaferRun Collection is that it seamlessly incorporates safety through the ripcord siren into its already incredible products like the speedview 18oz insulated flask or the waistpak.
If it’s time for you to get some new running gear, you definitely should select one of the SaferRun collection items depending on what you need. And if you already have enough gear but would like to buy a personal safety device, the ripcord siren is a great option!
Having had a chance to try these products, I’m a huge fan, and I’m guessing you will be too. Of the three products, the most useful was the speedview 18oz insulated flask because it’s just so versatile, giving you a place for hydration, safety, your phone, headphones, and keys/ID.
That being said, my favorite was probably the waistpak because it was extremely comfy to wear and it allowed me to carry my phone and access it easily through the touchscreen. It’s definitely a keeper for early morning runs and sunrises by the ocean.
