Introduction: Phablet/smartphone Strap for Single Hand Use

I have always have had trouble holding my Smartphone (Phablet-Size) with one hand.

Actually it is possible to hold it with one hand but then you need another hand to operate it. I decided to make it a little easier by adding a elastic strap on the backside that will then allow me to hold AND use it with one hand!

I have already tried different "versions" of this and this is the most discrete and useful.

Step 1: Prerequisites

The materials I used for this strap is

  • Elastic
  • Double sided tape
  • sewing yarn

I got the elastic from some package that got shipped to me and somehow was lying around. You can use whatever you want in terms of width, it just needs to be a proper length for the phone and your fingers to stick through.

The Double sided tape I used is the non foamy but still thick type. I am not sure but you can buy something at the shop that is labled tesa power strip that is this material (However those powerstrips are not sold roll-wise but precut pieces. These will also work.)

The sewing yarn is used to avoid delamination on the most charged part of the double sided tape connection. It is some kind of stress relief. you will see in the pictures.

Step 2: Apply Doublesided Tape and Yarn to the Elastic

Add a strip of the double sided tape on each end of the elastic band. Make sure that the elastic band is the right length. The right length of the elastic would be the length you want it to be applyed to minus some millimeters. If you need to cut it, it may be worth to scorch the ends a little with a lighter to avoid it from unraveling. While you have the protective layer on the double sided tape, use a needle to get the yarn through the elastic as shown in the picture. Once the protecive layer is removed, you can put the yarn ends on the surface of the adhesive tape that will face the phone. This is the stress relief and will assure that no delamination takes place.

This is my 2nd try with this kind of setup. the last one held without the yarn for at least half a year. This described here will last longer.

Step 3: Glue Strap to the Phone

Now glue the strap to your phone. Please make sure that you have it a little under tension (extend it by some milimeters before gluing it).

It might be smart to wipe the surface of the phone to remove dust and fat. Furthermore try to avoid to glue it to bends as this will weaken the strength of the glue (as you can see in the picture on the left side).

Step 4: Done

and there it is....

You can now use your phone with one hand, use it overhead, you could also use it to store some yarn rolls.... ;)

I truly find this very useful and decided to make my first instructable on this :)