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Janine King’s Etsy shop offers a wide variety of handmade, cross-body bags, from cell phone holders to larger bags. The MeCo member who recommended her bags said they stay out of the way when you’re moving about, and can also hold cash, keys, and other incidentals. The smaller bags generally retail for under $30.
This $9.80 cross-body pouch from Tapp Collections, available in several colors, is made of soft leather and closed by a magnetic button. It also features a back pocket for credit cards, room keys, IDs, and cash.
For those who want to stow multiple devices or want a second layer in a chilly convention hall, the SCOTTeVEST comes in a variety of styles and sizes, including the pictured $135 women’s Featherweight Vest, which features a whopping 14 pockets.
The $60, glazed-leather Sydney zip phone wallet from Fossil is designed to hold handheld devices, cards, and cash, and is large enough to hold an iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S4.
The Totty Belt, a belt that can be configured with several different holsters, comes in leather and canvas, and several styles. The original Totty Belt (shown) retails for $179.
Pocket wallets, like this $16.95 wrist wallet from The Grommet, can be good solutions for those who don't mind wearing their cell phones on their wrists.
Etsy has a wide range of colorful, functional neck wallets for about any taste and style, including this $21 cross-body iPhone 6 wallet.
Etsy also has an assortment of fanny packs that are much more interesting than the style you used to see tourists strapping around their waists, including this $29 handmade canvas wallet that can be worn around the hips or as a cross-body bag.
This clippable keychain and mini-purse fastens to pants, shorts, a skirt, purse, or pretty much anything else. It features an open pocket on one side for easy access to a cell phone and a zippered pocket on the other side for cash and cards. Each pocket comes standard with two Klips, and they come in a variety of colors and sizes. Price varies, but most are under $30.
Belt holsters, such as this rugged iPhone 6 cellphone case belt clip holster pouch with metal belt clip, also were recommended, with a caveat that they are more comfortable when clipped to the back, not the side, of your belt. Most retail for under $10, though higher priced options are also available.
Brighton carries a full line of cross-body bags, such as the $165 Nancy Cross Body, which is dressed up with an embossed leather strip and silver embellishments.
Buxton bags offers a range of cross-body and mini-totes that look like good meeting planner options, including the Adrienne Landau double-zip cross-body, which retails for $24.99.
Several female planners admitted to doing a quick tuck into their bra strap and hoping it stays for a quick fix—but only while wrestling with boxes doing pre-conference preparations, never in front of attendees. Several people chimed in that not only was this not a very secure way to hold a phone, it also could be harmful to your health to keep the phone that close to your body for long periods of time.
Also not recommended: Temporary adhesive pockets that adhere to the inside of a jacket, which were reported to be not big or sturdy enough for the job.
