I decided to try this product as I have never found a hydration delivery system which is comfortable for me. I have tried pretty much every waist bottle system available and find that certain aspects of each don’t agree with me as a runner. Having said that, I approached the Handheld bottle with some doubt but quite a bit of hope.
Overall, the product delivered some very positive results. As promised on the packaging, this accessory is best suited for shorter runs. I took it on several 5 milers towards the end of the summer and found it to be the perfect amount of water for warm runs of that distance. While I don’t necessarily drink on runs of this length usually, the ease of this product made taking a bit of water all that much easier for those warmer days.
The flask itself holds 10 oz of fluids. The strap allows you to slide your hand in and not have to actively ‘hold’ the bottle during your run. This is great because gripping anything bothers me during a run and seems to detract from my stride. With the Nathan Sprint bottle, it seems to be just a natural extension of your hand. I love the fact that the strap is adjustable (via velcro) allowing you to keep the connection between you and the bottle as loose or tight as you wish. The strap itself is made of mesh so it does not become too warm/sweaty on your hand.
The nozzle on the flask is also noteworthy. It is touted as a ‘high-flow, one-way valve’ and it truly is. Even when the flask is full, no liquid drips out (even when held upside down) and you don’t need to ‘fiddle’ with any nozzles when you want a sip during your run. I haven’t used the product in colder temps (yet) but imagine that this will be a much welcome change to drippy waist bottles which freeze your kidneys when running!
I would suggest this product to any runners who enjoy taking water/drink with them on shorter runs or those who regularly run shorter distances in very warm weather. It is particularly good for runners such as myself who don’t like wearing waist belts. Overall, the product delivers exactly what it claims to and is well worth the investment.
