Review · by Greg
Freetrain V2 review
The original movement vest with a central flip-down phone pocket.
The V2 is the vest most runners should start with. It carries your phone flat against your sternum, where it doesn't bounce or swing, and the pocket flips down so you can read the screen without taking it out.
How it carries your phone
The phone sits in a central chest pocket, held between two shoulder straps and a chest strap. Because the weight is centred on your upper body — the part of you that moves least when you run — there's very little bounce compared to a waist pack, and none of the arm-swing imbalance you get with an armband.
The pocket flips down to show the screen. That's the feature I use most: checking pace, skipping a track or reading a map at a junction without stopping to unzip anything.
Fit and comfort
Adjust the shoulder straps first, then the chest strap. You want it snug enough that the pocket doesn't lift when you bounce on the spot, but loose enough to take a full breath. Once set, I rarely touch the straps again.
It's light enough that on a short run you stop noticing it within a few minutes. Over a long, hot run you will notice a little warmth behind the pocket — that's true of any chest-mounted carrier.
What fits
A modern large smartphone, a key and a card or two. It's not designed for a jacket, gels by the handful or water — if you need those, look at the Hydro 2.
What I like
- Phone stays still — no bounce, no swing
- Flip-down pocket lets you use the screen on the move
- Light, simple, quick to put on
Watch out for
- No hydration
- Limited room beyond phone, key and card
- Standard visibility for dark winter roads
Verdict
If you mainly run 5K to half-marathon distance and just want your phone secure and usable, the V2 is the one to buy.