gear review: Road ID

Staying safe on the road or the trail is just as important as getting out there and running. Whether you’re running through a city at night, or on a trail by yourself, it’s important to take safety precautions like, no music, watch for traffic, run with a friend, tell someone your course and when you’ll be home, etc. But taking safety the extra mile can give runners a lot of peace of mind. That’s why having tools like Road ID are helpful. So we thought we’d take a closer look at this runner’s safety device.

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*Disclosure: these products were media samples provided free of charge by the manufacturer.

Our reviewers:

• Brodie W.
• Jay P.
• Chaz H.
• Matthew L.
• Kristen F.
• Samantha
• Thomas N.
• Mike L.
• Kristin K.
• Peter L.

Question: Fit
Average between 1 (way too small) and 5 (way to big): 3
Comments:
Brodie W. “I thought for my body size it was perfect, if I was a bigger person, I think I would have issues.”
Jay P. “I got the RoadID Wrist ID Elite, so the fit is configurable, but only by slicing the rubber to the desired length. I was able to get it to fit just right! If I get any fatter, though, I’ll be in a bit of trouble.”
Chaz H.“I got the Elite which can be custom fit to your wrist… So no problems at all… Although if you cut off too much of the band there would be no going back!”
Matthew L. “I purchased the ID Elite which you have to cut to fit your wrist. Although I really liked the idea, I was nervous at first to cut it with fears of doing it too small. The way i would have liked to wear it was in between 2 sizes. One felt a tad too big and once i cut to the next one, it ended up being the slightest bit too tight. With the way it works, there’s no way to preview how the next cut will fit, and obviously, there is no way to reverse it once it’s cut. (aside from buying a new band.)”
Kristen F. “I ordered the Firefly® Wrist reflective bands. ( I have had a Road ID for the last 2-3 years.)
These come with Velcro that is very adjustable, which is important with the change of the season. In the winter I have to wear 2-3 top layers so the ability to adjust to compensate for the lack of a “naked wrist” is much appreciated!”
Samantha “I loved that the Road ID Elite was adjustable—just cut the band to size! I have tiny wrists and I was able to get it to fit perfectly.”
Thomas N. “The RoadId Elite is a perfect fit, totally customizable.”
Mike L. “The Med/Lg size fits me perfectly. I barely notice that it’s on my wrist when I run.”
Kristin K. “I tested the shoe ID, which easily straps onto my running shoe laces. The fit is perfect and barely detectable on my shoe. I think the best part of the shoe ID is that you never have to remember to put anything on…it’s just there every time you run. But if you run in multiple pairs of shoe, you’d need to switch the ID over or buy IDs for each pair. And if you do other activities – for example, I also bike, I’ll need a different type of system. I’m planning to purchase the ankle strap for cycling. I think the ankle strap would also work well for swimming (similar to the feel of a race chip strapped to your ankle). There’s no denying how great this product is for safety…as someone who has been involved in two bike crashes (luckily not terribly serious), it’s important for emergency respondents to be able to identify you and alert your family and loved ones ASAP. It’s also a very affordable product. A great investment. I’ve definitely purchased them as gifts for family and friends.”
Peter L. “Got the Road ID elite – fits perfectly after trimming as described in the instructions.”

Question: Durability
Average between 1 (will totally disintegrate after only a handful or runs) and 5 (this thing will last longer than my longest of long runs!): 4.6
Comments:
Brodie W. “I can’t see this wearing out but due to the wrap I can see that not sticking long term.”
Jay P. “The appointments of the Elite were nice. The texture of the rubber reminds me of the old IBM Thinkpad, remember those? It feels really nice. Although I haven’t had it for very long, it feels like this thing will last forever.”
Chaz H. “I’m not really sure how you would wear this thing out exactly…”
Matthew L. “Great build quality. It’s one of those items that I’ll wear 24/7. Even in the shower.”
Kristen F. “The material the bands are made out of seem very strong and durable. I washed them once since I started wearing them – I washed them by hand and let them air dry and they felt just was strong and durable afterward.”
Samantha “Because this is easily cutable my scissors, I’m not sure how it would fare up if I crashed on my bike…hopefully I’ll never find out (though I have heard of them flying off people during a certain someones spectacular cross country bike accident) By normal “wear and tear” standards, I think the band will last years.”
Thomas N. “I wear out before my RoadIDs ever do. This is my third from moving not because of wear.”
Mike L. “I’ve gone on a few long runs with my RoadID already and it shows no signs of wear/tear as of yet. Only noticable quality is that it absorbs sweat may need to be washed occasionally to get any salt residue out of it. I don’t know how dried sweat affects the durability of the wristband.”
Kristin K. “These things last forever. I’ve used my shoe ID throughout countless training runs in harsh conditions and over extreme terrain. ”
Peter L. “Looks to be rock solid.”

Question: Style
Average between 1 (built for the running nerd) and 5 (I could wear this to the clubs!): 3.2
Comments:
Brodie W. “I will only wear this when I run, I can’t see putting this on around town.”
Jay P. “The brushed aluminum of the elite makes it a bit more stylish, and it’s appearance is a bit like a thin wrist cuff. It’s still a bit of a running nerd accessory in the end, though, isn’t it?”
Chaz H. “The Elite is clean looking enough… But it’s still run-only in the style category.”
Matthew L. “The solid black band looks great on my wrist. No one has even noticed that it has my personal information on it.”
Kristen F. “I am half and half on this – I think there is FAR MORE nerdier running gear out there then this – for instance, as an early morning runner, I often wear a reflective “safety” belt/sash over my top layers and admittedly I know I look like a member of the safety patrol.”
Samantha “I hate the metal closure of the Elite band. It reminds me too much of a men’s watch. But I love the rubber band part and think that makes it “cooler” looking than the fabric ones. ”
Thomas N. “I wear my RoadID all the time. It has become my signal to other runners. Check any picture on dailymile and you will see that I am wearing the RoadID.”
Mike L. “This is definitely built for runners. I wouldn’t tend to wear it unless its during a workout.”
Kristin K. “Most of the ID systems are made up of a simple silver charm and a strap of your color choice. You can personalize the text to make it what you want. I love the simple look. Nothing fancy, but it serves a very functional purpose.”
Peter L. “The ID Elite is pretty slick looking – much classier than the traditional RoadID.”

Question: Chaffage
Average between 1 (totally had to lube up to protect my skin) and 5 (didn’t feel a thing!): 4.6
Comments:
Brodie W. “There is no cotton, no chaffing!”
Jay P. “Nope, no chaffage here. I had to get used to wearing it, though.”
Chaz H. “No problems”
Matthew L. “This could be my fault, but it fits a bit snug. Doesn’t really chafe, but it leaves some nice designs on my wrist when i wake up in the morning.”
Kristen F. “It’s the winter here now, so I am wearing these atop a few tops layers – thus the bands are no touching my bare wrists. However, based on the feel of the material I do not see that these bands would cause any chaffage without the layers.”
Samantha “Wore this under a jacket/long sleeve and didn’t realize I was wearing it. ”
Thomas N. “No comment, no chaffing.”
Mike L. “No issues with chaffage during any of my workouts with the RoadID. I’d likely be more concerned with tanlines though.”
Kristin K. “I keep mine strapped to my shoe laces and have never felt a thing. It’s totally undetectable.”
Peter L. “No problems at all.”

Question: Legibility
Average between 1 (is that even English?) and 5 (runners in the next town over will know who I am!): 3.9
Comments:
Brodie W. “Very easy to read, I am not sure how it will last long term but fore the short amount of time I don’t see an issue. The letters are in black on a silver surface.”
Jay P. “The print is pretty small, but with 5 lines, I could get a lot of info on there. I opted for the original rather than the interactive. My thinking behind this was: “if I’m lying by the side of the road unconscious, do I want the EMS people to have to call an additional phone number to find out m contact info”. The answer to that question was no, no I don’t.”
Chaz H. “Text is small… I can see it fine, but somebody with less than perfect vision could struggle with it.”
Matthew L. “Super discrete text. Stylish yet functional.”
Kristen F. “Doesn’t apply to the bands.”
Samantha “Large letters, clear font.”
Thomas N. “You can read it without bifocals.”
Mike L. “Hard to read from anywhere outside of 2′ away. Is legible enough to convey the info it’s meant to though.”
Kristin K. “The font is a little small, but the text is clear and readable.”
Peter L. “Perfect – been wearing an older RoadID for over a year and still reads perfectly.”

Question: Value
Average between 1 ($) and 5 $$$): 3.8
Comments:
Brodie W. “Inexpensive, there isn’t much value. It is a armband made for running.”
Jay P. “This item really brings a lot of peace of mind to my wife while I’m out on the roads. Quite simply, I can’t put a price on that.”
Chaz H. “$30 retail for the Elite does seem a bit on the pricey side. $25 seems more accurate to me.”
Matthew L. “Well worth the money. I was actually surprised to see that it was more durable than how it looked on the website.”
Kristen F. “For $10, this is a great purchase! The reflectives work great – I am finding cars start moving out of the way MUCH quicker when I wear these. In fact, they have me convinced I won’t need to wear my safety belt as much.”
Samantha “In a perfect world, we would never NEED a Road ID. Yes, you can carry ID with you, but for $20 this is really invaluable, especially if you have a medical condition, or are severely allergic to certain medications.”
Thomas N. “Great value. It makes my wife feel better when I am out on the roads. How much is that worth?”
Mike L. “You never realize the true value of a RoadID except in dire circumstances, which can make it seem somewhat like a $20 wristband. It could save your life but one would be hopeful not to be in such a situation. ”
Kristin K. “We’re talking $20 for a product that can potentially save your life. What cheaper/better insurance can you buy? The value is definitely there.”
Peter L. “Can’t put a price on safety, especially when you have kids. This is one item that is well worth the price paid.”

Question: How easy was it to purchase your Road ID from the website?
Average between 1 (monkey could have done it) and 2 I needed a PHD to figure it out): Unanimous, a monkey could have done it.
Comments:
Brodie W. “It was simple, selecting the product was the hard part. I would simplify the product names to make it easier to search/select.”
Jay P. “RoadID handles the whole customer experience with professionalism, lots of quality, informative communication and a great sense of humor. An absolute pleasure to do business with.”
Chaz H. “No complaints.”
Matthew L. “The website was easy to navigate, put in info and purchase. The text and descriptions were humorous which made it seem like such a cool company to purchase from and even work for.”
Kristen F. “RoadID’s website is great – it was easy to navigate and “shop.” I had no trouble finding something to purchase and look forward to testing.”
Samantha “Super easy. Love the preview function that shows you how your type will look on the actual bracelet.”
Thomas N. “Great site easy, check out.”
Mike L. “Super-easy. Even entering info on myroadid.com was simple.”
Kristin K. “Super fast and easy. Loved how simple it was to customize. Also like the fact that they proofread your text…you know, just in case!”
Peter L. “No problems.”

Question: Anything else?
Brodie W. “Nope.”
Jay P. “Nope.”
Chaz H. “Nice accessory, glad I have one… Although not sure I would have ever bought one otherwise.”
Matthew L. “Overall, I was very pleased with the process of ordering and the final product. It came in a very nice hard metal case, (similar to Fossil watches) which was an added bonus. A+ company and product plus it could even save my life one day.”
Kristen F. “Nope.”
Samantha “Nope.”
Thomas N. “I love my RoadID.”
Mike L. “Nope.”
Kristin K. “Great product – excellent gift idea.”
Peter L. “Love RoadID – it’s one piece of gear that every athlete should have.”