The KOALA is the smartphone leash for life on the go! Created to be a crucial piece of gear for epic adventures on the slope/crag/river/trail, as a indispensable assistant at the job site, and as a trusty sidekick for everyday activities, its simple, secure, and compact design slips over any phone, case or not, to protect your device from damage and loss.
Our KOALA testers have depended on the clasp while skiing, boating and rock climbing and it hasn't let us down through two full seasons to date! However, to ease your mind, we demonstrate testing the clamp on a pair of jeans which held on up to 50 lbs of force - the harness loop itself hung in there up to 40 lbs.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
We are not yet accepting wholesale orders, but would love for you to connect with us through our wholesale page so that we can be in touch once we are ready for that step.
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.
Known compatibility issues include the iPhone 11 Pro (the KOALA covers a portion of the third lens), as well as with the horizontal band of cameras on certain Samsung Galaxy phones. In both of of these cases, the KOALA provides full protection and the camera interference issues can be avoided by adjusting the harness while taking pictures.
The KOALA stays clear of the cameras on most iPhone and Android smartphones. If there is minor camera interference, the harness can usually be adjusted to resolve the problem.
A couple of notable exceptions are:
iPhone 11 Pro - The KOALA does securely fit around 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 slip one corner of the harness off when taking photos to eliminate the interference.
Samsung S10 - The KOALA is not ideally suited to phones with a horizontal band of rear-facing cameras, such as the Galaxy S10 or the Note 9. That said, adjusting the straps around the lenses or slipping off one corner of the harness while taking photos can solve this issue.
The KOALA harness fits right around the buttons of most phones, leaving your phone fully functional AND secure! There are some phones with buttons that the harness straps may cover in its natural position. In these cases, adjusting the straps to sit between buttons is often effective, and adding a phone case can often help keep the straps in place once adjusted.
We designed the KOALA for rugged outdoor use (fishing, climbing, skiing, etc) where typical access needs are the camera, the occasional text, and maybe some tunes. However, one design cannot accommodate every phone layout and we are happy to assist with adjustment tips and tricks!
International orders are handled by local shipping providers after leaving the U.S. and may take up to 4-6 weeks for delivery depending on your location.
Yes! Our distributor is still shipping out your KOALA orders. Although shipping is unpredictable these days, with each country and state reevaluating their individual safety protocols day by day, as of now, HANGTIME is maintaining our order system. We do ask for patience & understanding that orders may be delayed for many reasons during this time.
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.
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.
