I picked up the Nathan Speed 4 Hydration belt from running free last week. I’ve never been a hydration belt type of guy. They always bounce too much for my liking. So it was with a bit of trepidation that I started out with this one.
My first impression where good. I liked the idea of the wide elastic belt. Narrow belts seems to allow the bottles to bounce a fair amount. There also was a decent sized pocket that was built into the belt this seemingly reduces the bounce of anything that you are carrying.
Fit: It is quite comfortable. Even when loaded with 4 bottles it didn’t feel to heavy, and as my run progressed it got lighter :>
There was a bit of friction where the belt ran over my shorts waist band, but this was eliminated when by shifting the belt up or down when it became uncomfortable.
Capacity: I did a 23km run (2hrs) without needing to refill. The four 10 oz. bottles had all I needed and the pouch easily accommodated the 3 gels I had with me.
Overall impressions: It is the best hydration belt I have worn, and it will be replacing the old camel back that I have been using. It is well made, and seemingly very durable. The bottles fit very well into their holders with no hint of trying to escape. With four full bottles it was a bit heavy, but that just inspires you to hydrate properly!
Great belt, give it a try!
