Ungrip Phone Strap Review

For better or worse, our phones are getting bigger. Our hands, unfortunately, are not. That’s where the Ungrip comes in—this nifty little apparatus can do what your tiny, insufficient hands can’t. It’s simply a small fabric ring that adheres to the back of your phone, allowing you to slide your finger through and “ungrip”—leaving your phone hanging securely with minimal effort on your end.

The Ungrip has two main components—a bumper and strap. The bumper is a little over an inch wide and sticks out about a quarter of an inch from your phone. The strap extends down about two inches. One of the company’s videos says it weighs “literally nothing” and this is, of course, a lie—three grams isn’t a lot, but it’s literally something.

This handy little device is available in a variety of design options for both the bumper and the band (we went with a white plastic base and sushi strap because, well, sushi). In addition to plastic, bumpers also come in wood, chrome and aluminum for those with more sophisticated taste. The straps can be easily swapped out, so your Ungrip can match whatever mood you’re feeling that day. We’ll probably leave ours as is, we’re usually feeling sushi.

Now, Ungrip either doubts our intelligence or they are just so obsessed with their product they felt the need to make multiple tutorial videos on how to attach, operate and remove this thing. We appreciate the concern, but we’re pretty sure we can handle it.

The only thing that may not be common sense is placement. It’s recommended to place it in the center of the phone for larger hands, and a bit lower down for smaller hands. We like having it right in the middle, so the weight is evenly distributed. You only get one crack at it with the Ungrip tape (3M VHB), so you’ll want to get it right the first time. If you have a fear of commitment, you can be like us and attach it to a case instead of directly to your phone. Once adhered, slide your finger through the nifty little fabric loop and “ungrip” your hands. Removal is easy—just slide some dental floss under the bumper (both we and your dentist know you aren’t using it for your teeth anyway).

In addition to all the how-tos, Ungrip also has a video showing the seven (yes, seven) different ways to hold your phone using the Ungrip—all of which they cleverly (or not so cleverly) named. Please excuse us while we list every single one of them.

1. Ungrip: portrait mode
2. Rotation: landscape mode
3. Gamer: same as rotation, but only for people who play Fortnite
4. Twist: for tiny fingers that can’t handle the standard loop
5. Nighty-night: for those accustomed to dropping their phone on their face while laying in bed
6. Lanyard: can you say phone necklace?
7. Hang Time: use your finger as a hook and let your phone dangle—Ungrip says it “looks cool” and we think that’s a really lame and inaccurate description

Now, this isn’t the only device on the market providing assistance in the phone-holding department. PopSockets (see our review here) will also do the trick while also offering a nifty kickstand feature but, if you’re looking for something a bit more malleable than spherical plastic, we recommend giving the Ungrip a go.

In regards to how the Ungrip has been working for us, we’re overall been pretty pleased. Ungrip says their product “looks hot in your hand” and “doesn’t look dorky or utilitarian”—we’re not so sure about that, but we do like that they offer both low-profile and colorful, trendy design options. The strap did get dirty after about a month, so we’re going to have to wash it, switch in a new one or just continue living in our filth. It’s a bit more conspicuous than the PopSocket and fits more effortlessly into your pocket. The fabric feels nice and it doubles as a fun little fidget device. We’ve also found the Ungrip to be a bit more secure than the PopSocket, though it takes a little more work to remove as it can get twisted around your finger.

We should point out that the website does show the Ungrip supporting the weight of a laptop—we can’t see any reason to attach one to ours, but you can apparently do it if you’re so inclined.

You can get yourself into the Ungrip game for around around ten bucks, depending on the design. This price is on par with PopSockets so, if you can’t decide between the two, you could always be a baller and get both, then run your own tests to determine what’s best for you.