I can usually live without my phone glued to my ear; I have even been known to turn it off for brief periods of time. But because of a family thing (you know, a thing), I haven't wanted to miss any calls for the past few days, so I've been toting my cell phone everywhere I go. Fortuitously, my tester CellKeeper case arrived Monday, so I haven't had to carry the phone in my jeans pockets or (shudder) on a belt clip.

The strap is adjustable, so you can wear the case across the chest or around your waist. This works better for me than a cell phone case that goes around your neck only, like a necklace; those are awkward and swing around too much. The case also incorporates a wallet-like section and a clip, for keys or to attach the case to a bag or whatever.

The model I got is called the Professional, and it accommodates Treos, BlackBerries, and even smaller digital cameras. It's made of brown faux alligator and comes in several other materials and colors (I'd opt for another material; this one is pretty, but the strap holds creases and looks a little funky). The company also makes the Original (for smaller devices) and the Sport (washable nylon and reflective stripes). Any model is $29.99.