AdventuresNW
I have never owned a hydration belt that I used regularly. I have found the cheap ones to be uncomfortable, bouncy and an extra place to accumulate sweat and itchiness. Most of my runs nowadays are less than 5 miles, so the need for hydration in the Northwest is limited.
Along comes a new hydration belt from iFitness. This is a different animal. I was looking at this primarily to hold my iPod with certain running shorts that I use. Some of my shorts have really deep pockets and anything in them rumbles around. The first thing I found with the iFitness belt was that the neoprene pouch in the front opened very wide to be able to easily put my phone into. There are some inner pockets as well and even a key in a 3rd compartment. The zipper opens the entire width of the pouch and made it quite easy to access. On either side of the pouch, there are a couple of 6 oz water bottles. For shorter distance runs (or extra water between stations) these were easy to get out and use.
Some of the other features that are nice are the built in reflectors. Around here, it gets dark so early in the winter, that it really is nice to have some extra safety built in. It’s not much and may not replace a vest, but it is helpful. There are a couple of elastic loops that can hold gels and make for easy grabbing on the run. Also, there are a couple of toggles in front to attach your running bib to…no more safety pins. Lots of color combinations available as well.
The strap was one of the highlights. It is fully adjustable (the belts come in 2 sizes. (Small/Med (24in to 36in comfortable). Large (29in to 42in)). The straps are elastic and allow a snug fit. I thought this would be uncomfortable at first, but found that I forgot the belt was on after the first mile. One of my fears with the belt was that I would have pools of sweat surrounding it. That didn’t happen and in fact it was virtually dry after use even if I was able to wring out my shirt.
To wrap up, this is a nice belt to use where you don’t need a large quantity of water. Nice fit and extra features that are well thought out. Check out more info here. http://www.ifitnessinc.com Also available with 2-8 oz bottles.
