Please accept my apologies, hoddlers. But I have to do a second running hoddle this week.
And this is also my third post this summer on running water bottles. It’s hot out there, and I bought the Nathan 14oz handheld soft flask to keep me hydrated and fresh on all my runs. I was excited to have something that would get lighter the more I would drink out of it.
After a couple months of running with this bottle, I would like to offer my review. The short answer is: I HATE IT! I HATE THIS WATER BOTTLE.
I HATE LOOKING AT IT. I HATE DRINKING OUT OF IT.
Now, please see the reasons below for why I hate this stupid thing.
- Sweat: The bottle claims to be moisture wicking, but the sweat actually clings to the fabric that wraps around the bottle itself. Firstly, the fabric makes your hand warmer than it should be. But the sweat becomes a serious problem because you should be washing the outer part after every single use (and by this I mean throwing it in the washing machine). Who has time to run the washing machine every single use for a bottle? You can go a run or two without doing this, but then you have to breath in the stench while you drink out of it.
- Putting together: And then you have to put this stupid thing back together. I have wasted way too much time struggling with this. There are two different points at which the detachable outer has to connect with the bottle itself. It’s annoying to squeeze it in there and it takes too much time. I count the miles I could have completed by the time I’m done.
- Weight distribution: Yes, it gets lighter the more you drink it, but that’s not the best thing because the weight of the water becomes unevenly distributed. This makes it awkward to hold when there is a noticeable different in weight with the bottom and the top, so it becomes more of an effort to hold it.
- Gripability: And that leads to my next problem. It isn’t the easiest bottle to hold. You want the bottle to slip easily into your hand without requiring an effort to squeeze it and have that added stress with the grip. A relaxed hand is good for running. But there isn’t a single way to make this easy to hold.
- Squeezability: Water bottles should be easy to drink out of. This one isn’t. It’d be nice to be able to simple squeeze the thing and have water come out. But not. You have to bite down on it to loosen the nozzle for the water to come out. This is very inconvenient, especially so during the summer. There’s no way for me to squeeze water on my neck or wrists if I’m trying to cool off, so the next best thing is the hose by the beach volleyball courts.
I’m back in the market for a running water bottle. I don’t know what direction this journey will take me, but I hope it frees me from the hell that is the Nathan 14oz handheld soft flask water bottle.
Rating: 0.25 out of 5 Fitzies
Fitzie’s track of the day: Here’s The Thing, by Sports Team
And now for your links:
The Athletic ($$):“Roberto De Zerbi interview: ‘Tottenham need to bring in top players to be competitive’”
Alasdair Gold: “Roberto De Zerbi admits he sent angry text to Tottenham transfer target and gives Kulusevski update”
BBC: “Infantino sorry for errors but stays Fifa president”
The Guardian: “‘Dream come true’: Eva Olid delighted after being named Manchester United’s new head coach”
ESPN: “Wrexham make Preston captain Ben Whiteman 2nd summer signing”
The Northern Echo: “Delano Burgzorg and Kaly Sene set to leave Middlesbrough”
