1BandID Review and GIVEAWAY

When I first got an e-mail from Joe at 1BandID, I almost brushed it off. "Oh, another 'RoadID-like' product... is that really necessary?..." I thought.

A RoadID
(NOT the 1BandID that I'm about to be talking about)

But I read further. I actually read this part out loud to Pharmie because he made a good point - especially in this second paragraph:

I surely don’t need to give you the hard pitch about training with ID and helping your readers understand that too. However as you probably know, in the past the only things available were separately worn bracelets and dog tags. [...]

I've had other ID bracelets but too often I would forget to put them on before heading out for a run (once is too often). And then it dawned on me – why not design ID differently so it could securely attach and display ID on your watch, GPS or HR monitor wristband...so the wearer doesn't have to think about another thing before he or she heads out the door...so it's unforgettable.

That actually makes a lot of sense. A LOT. Pharmie and I both agreed that it IS different than a RoadID, and that the 1BandID idea of attaching to something you'll ALWAYS be using when you're out is great! Here's a photo from the 1BandID website showing people wearing their ID in different (more PERMANENT) ways:

Secured on a running shoe, attached to the band
of a watch, and placed on a strap of a bike shoe.

He let us both place an order for our own 1BandIDs. Here's what we got:

2 little bags

Unrelated Side Note: The uncropped version of that photo looked like this:

Yep, that's Henry's fingers in the lower right. I had him in the Baby Bjorn yesterday morning as I took that photo.

VERY Unrelated Side Note: Shortly after taking that last photo, we headed outside to shovel the 2 inches of snow we got overnight. Henry was still in the Bjorn under my coat:

Awesome.

OK, back to the 1BandIDs... Here's what they looked like out of the bags:

Pharmie's pink 1BandID and my yellow 1BandID


Showing Pharmie's velcroed together

It looked a little bulky when it was fastened... how would it feel on my watch band? I tried it out:

My "naked" watch without the 1BandID on it


My watch WITH the 1BandID on it


A slightly closer (and slightly hairier) view

PROS:

So as I mentioned right away in this post, this 1BandID is a bit like a RoadID. Yes, I have a RoadID bracelet. But where is it? It might be on my dresser under some junk. It might be in the basement next to my extra running shades. It might be in my workout bag in my car. Seriously, I DON'T know where it is off the top of my head. That's the whole point of the 1BandID! You strap it to something you'll ALWAYS be using, and you'll ALWAYS have identification on you without having to hunt something down pre-workout.

CONS:

There's no CON to working-out with an ID. It's a smart idea. But the one CON I could see is that my watch that you see in those photos above is my watch I wear for everything. Heading out on a workout? I wear that watch. Heading to a fancy-schmancy dinner party? I wear that watch. So, oddly enough, the PRO of always having the 1BandID handy is also it's CON.

(However, I think I'm in the minority here. I do NOT train with a HR monitor or a GPS - I just wear that watch for EVERYTHING. If I were like a "normal" endurance athlete [I say that kind of tongue-in-cheek], I'd have something else that I'd be putting on for JUST my workouts.)

MY THOUGHTS:

It did NOT interfere with wearing my watch "normally" (I did NOT even have to loosen my watch by a hole or 2). It was totally out of the way. There's no way it's going to fall off. It's laser-etched and easy to read. You get to choose from a list of colors, and you get to customize 6 lines of text. You can get a thicker velcro band for larger GPS watches or Nike+ bands. I like it. There's really no issue with wearing it. Being I'm not biking right now, I could see attaching it to my running shoes and just letting it "live" there through the rest of the winter. I love the idea of the 1BandID always being attached to something you'll always be using. Love it.

FINAL WORDS:

I almost feel bad that I keep making RoadID and 1BandID comparisons, but they ARE similar. One isn't better than the other. It just depends on what might work better for you. If you always grab that one piece of gear for your workout (HR watch, GPS, stopwatch, etc), then the 1BandID is a GREAT (and SAFE) idea for you!


ON TO THE GIVEAWAY....

There will be THREE WINNERS in this giveaway! The people at 1BandID have 3 IDs they are giving you guys, so you have a better chance at winning!


HERE’S HOW TO ENTER TO WIN A 1BandID:

All you really need to do is to leave a comment on this post to be entered to win 1 of 3 1BandIDs. But if you fan 1BandID on Facebook and / or follow 1BandID on Twitter, you can get your name in the hat MULTIPLE times, which better you chances at winning.

Follow these steps to enter:

• Step 1 (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: follow 1BandID on Twitter and send out this tweet:

ALWAYS have an ID when you workout. Enter @SteveinaSpeedo's giveaway for a @1BandID - http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/

• Step 2 (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: head to 1BandID's Facebook page and become a fan! Simple.

• Step 3: (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: click the "LIKE" button at the bottom of this post. All it does is post the link to your Facebook wall saying that you "liked a link." It's a way to share the love and to let your friends know about this relatively new company. And it's super easy.

• Step 4: comment on this post to be entered and tell me how many entries you "earned!" If you sent out that tweet and / or fanned on Facebook and /or "liked" this post, make sure to tell me that you did in your comment so I can throw your name in the hat 2 or 3 or 4 times. For example: “Hey Steve, this John Smith from Topeka. I followed 1BandID on twitter and sent out the tweet, and I clicked LIKE at the bottom of the post, so put my name in the hat 3 times! Thanks!”

• Step 5: check back to see if your a winner! I'll announce the winners in just over a week - sometime around Thursday, March 1st. It's EXTRA important to stop back if you’re not a blogger, because I have no way of contacting you! The contest is open for a week: NOW through midnight (central time) on Wednesday the 29th (yes, it's a leap year). At that point, I'll print out all the entries, give extra numbers to those who earned extra entries, and then choose one at random by a random number generator, drawing numbers out of a hat, or other random selection process.

Pseudo-legal stuff:
- Contest is open to anyone in the WORLD. Sorry Russian cosmonauts on the space station; 1BandID can't ship to you.
- You may comment now (on THIS post) through midnight Central time on Wednesday Feb 29th.
- The winners will be chosen through a random number selection. If you’ve earned multiple entries, you will get multiple numbers, thus bettering your chances at winning.
- Check back sometime around next Thursday (March 1st) to see if you won! (Especially if you don’t have a blogger account because I have no way of contacting you.)
- If I can't get in touch with a winner(s) within 2-3 days, I'll choose a new winner(s). So check back!
- As with all of my reviews/giveaways, 1BandID has NOT asked me for a favorable review. All these opinions are mine.

Thanks 1BandID for the giveaway!!

So comment NOW on THIS POST to be entered! They'll be 3 winners picked next week!