MindShift Gear Phone Holster Review

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The MindShift Gear Phone Holster is an accessory phone holder that’s designed to be attached to the shoulder strap or waist belt of your photo pack. It sells for $24.99.

The pouch is designed to hold even the largest of today’s smartphones in the main zippered pocket, and an external stretchy pocket on the front can be used for batteries or a memory card wallet. I have been using a prototype of the Phone Holster for several months on my Rotation 180 packs, and I liked putting my Think Tank Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket card holder in there.

mindshift gear phone holster
My Phone holster with the Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket card wallet.
A small security loop has been provided so that you can secure your card wallet.

The holster can be attached to your camera bag in two different ways. Firstly you can attach it to a waist belt or other Think Tank Photo accessory belts, and secondly, you can attach it to the shoulder strap of your backpack. Either option works well, although the waist belt placement is not as practical on the Rotation series backpacks because it causes an issue when using the Rotation mechanism. I know in the photo it is shown mounted in this way to a Rotation Pro, but that is purely out of convenience when I was taking the pics.

Attachment mechanisms.
Waist belt attachment example.

The interior of the holster is nicely padded, but it’s also fairly tight. I was able to use my phone (iPhone 7 Plus) with its official Apple bumper-style rubber half case on it, but I don’t think you would get a big chunky phone case in there like one of those big armoured Pelican ones or a Lifeproof case.

Overall, I like this as an optional accessory, although I must admit that I didn’t always use it for a phone. In some cases I found myself putting my phone in my pant pocket out of habit, but then using the phone pouch to store my Garmin InReach, headphones, batteries, energy snacks or a small Anker USB battery pack that comes with me everywhere.

If you don’t think you’d use it for a phone, consider some of those other scenarios. Especially with the stretchy front pocket, this is a very versatile accessory that can make all manner of small items easily reachable while hiking. And even though it’s styled to match the latest MindShift bags, there is, of course, no reason why it couldn’t work on any other camera bag or backpack that you might have. Don’t forget that we have a ton of other MindShift gear reviews on this site.

Where to Buy

US Customers spending over $50 in Think Tank Photo’s online store can get a free gift at checkout after following one of the links to the store from this review–like this one. If you have any issues, please follow the instructions on this page.

Unfortunately, the Think Tank MindShift Phone Holster has been discontinued. Still, Think Tank Photo continues to sell an incredible range of camera bags and photo accessories, including various outdoor photography bags in its MindShift range.

It’s always appreciated when you use my links for your purchases, so I’m including links to the latest Think Tank and MindShift products below. You’ll also find a huge range of Think Tank and MindShift reviews in the site’s archive, including their latest camera bags, backpacks, and accessories.

Photo of author
Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull.

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1 thought on “MindShift Gear Phone Holster Review”

  1. Will your iphone 7 plus with its case on (or similar sized iphone pro max phones) fit in the external neoprene sleeve area? I know the top may be sticking out and the velcro strap would be tucked behind the phone. I’m just wondering if width wise it fits in there. I’m thinking of using it as a makeshift GoPro POV cam in a pinch with the iphone lenses sticking out the top of the external sleeve. I’m not sure how secure it’d be but it seems like it might be fine for a short hike. Thanks

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