KOALA is the smartphone leash for life on the go! On the slopes, rivers, job site, or trail our simple, secure, and compact design slips over any phone, case or not, to protect your device from damage and loss.
In most cases the harness straps can be adjusted to not interfere with outdoor phone use or do not interfere at all.
We designed the KOALA for rugged outdoor use (fishing, climbing, skiing, etc) where we typically need access to just a few phone functions: the cameras, the occasional text and maybe some tunes. However, many phones are a little different with their button, microphone, and front camera placement and we couldn't solve for all of them.
If you have any issues try adjusting the harness placement slightly or drop us a line with questions.
Simply rinse your KOALA with some warm water and you should be good to go. Better yet, take it with you in the shower to save some water! Tip: Don't forget to remove your smartphone before giving it a wash.
Before our Indiegogo campaign we had over 200 prototypes out in the world being tested by climbers, skiers, parents (and kids), travelers, boaters, etc in real time. Back in the lab our testing included prolonged stretch testing, extreme temperature stress between heating and freezing as well as "break tests" to test the limits of the KOALA components themselves: the harness broke at 40 pounds of force and the clasp released at 50 pounds. In short, the KOALA has been put through the mill!
Our KOALA testers have depended on the clasp while skiing, boating and rock climbing and it hasn't let us down through 2 full seasons to date! However, to ease your mind we demonstrate testing the clamp on the a pair of jeans which held on up to 50lbs of force and the harness loop itself hung in there to 40 lbs. You can see gifs of the testing on our main page at Hangtimegear.com
Pretty darn grippy! The KOALA is designed with a matte silicon harness that helps give it traction and will still grip as long as at least three loops are hugging your phone. However, if you find a rebellious corner, it is always a good idea to stretch your KOALA back into shape to keep your smartphone safe and secure at all 4 contact points.
We've designed the KOALA to last a lifetime with the philosophy in mind that durable products make for happy customers and less SH*T in our landfills over time.
Certain locations offer a better grip than others. The best spots we've found are:
The edge of a sewn seam, like on your jeans pocket.
The edge of a zipper, like on the pocket of ski jacket.
Nylon straps, like on a backpack. On the other hand, some locations that aren't quite as secure are very thin fabrics, and fabric edges without a sewn seam.
The tether is what we found to be the "Goldilocks length," in that it is just right. If you need to let go of your phone for a second (like when someone is passing you a beer), your phone will hang down about a foot. On the other hand, the tether can stretch up-to 4 feet for those selfie worthy moments without detaching the KOALA clamp.
Absofreakinlutely! The KOALA comes with a 100% Lifetime Warranty. If your KOALA ever breaks or stops working as you expect it to, send it back and we'll replace it for free. Feel free to drop us a line with questions or concerns.
The KOALA has several parts made from different materials. The harness (the part that stretches over your phone) is made from silicone. The clamp is made from polycarbonate HD plastic. The tether is made of urethane and crimped with an aluminum swage.
Early on, the founder took several naming options to his teenage daughter and the name KOALA was the big winner. She and we love the idea of the KOALA being a hug for your phone.
The KOALA stays clear of the cameras on most iPhone and Android smartphones and if there is minor camera interference, the harness can usually be adjusted to resolve the problem.
A couple of notable exceptions:
iPhone 11 Pro: The KOALA fits the iPhone 11 Pro but one of the straps covers the edge of the wide angle camera lens. This is less of an issue on the iPhone Pro Max due to the larger form factor. Depending on which lens you primarily use this may not be a concern for you. Some users have opted to flip that corner up for their photo as well.
The KOALA clasp is extremely grippy yet non-marring. It's designed to work with outdoor fabrics like Cordura, denim, Gore-Tex, fleece, cotton, etc. without leaving a mark.
The KOALA fits nearly every smartphone from an iPhone 6 (without a case) on the small end to the Galaxy Note10+ (encased in Lifeproof armor) on the large end as examples of harness fitment for size.
You may also want to check our other FAQs on camera compatibility and phone feature compatibility.
