Product Review: ifitness belt and hydration add-on.

Obviously not me wearing it. Picture is from ifitnessinc.com

So last August, Detroit Runner did a giveaway for an ifitness belt (edited on 8/15/2013 – the company name has changed to fitletic) which I was fortunate enough to win.  I have worn it several times on runs and in races, although I haven’t said much about it. Well, today – that changes!

This is a running item I didn’t even know that I needed.  I always found a place to stash my car-keys at races, and then just hoped they would still be there.  Now I was fortunate and they always were, but it never stopped crossing my mind that it might not remain that way.  I was able to pick from any of the colors of the single pouch neoprene running belts, and went with black/grey (it goes with anything after all.)  I have found it to be wonderful for stashing my car-key in, carrying id or even some cash on longer runs, so I could buy refills for my water.

ifitness belt with the hydration add-on

I never felt it while I wore it, it didn’t chafe or ride up.  It gave me a way to carry items (even my cell-phone if I had misplaced my armband) with no side effects!  Yet, while running with a belt, and an arm-band for my cell phone I was still carrying my water bottle by hand.  I had seen on their website, and at the Marine Corps Marathon Expo, that ifitness sold  “hydration add-on” options for it.  They had a three sizes of bottles, 4 oz, 6 oz and 8 oz.  I decided on the 6 oz bottles as 8 oz might be to big, and 4 oz might be to small.

I folded a piece of paper and stuck it through the loop for easy visibility

When they arrived, my first question was an obvious one.  How hard are they to put on the belt?  The answer was – not hard at all!  All one has to do is slide the clip through the loops.  The loops are fairly tight which keeps the bottles from sliding around – but not too tight to get them on!

When I first took the lids off of the bottles, I had a problem getting them to screw back on.  It seems there is a slight trick to it, and while I can’t describe it – I have it down now as I have no problems getting the lids on.   Speaking of lids, I know that some of the hand-carried bottles I have

Once the lid is on, no leaking or dripping!

tried have a tendency to leak.  When I tried out the ifitness belt with the hydration bottles, I felt a light mist on the back of my legs (I wear the belt backwards so the pocket/bottles are behind me).  The closest comparison I could give, is that it felt like I had stepped into a puddle and my shoes were now spraying water off of them.  It seems that I hadn’t closed the lids all the way!  After tightening them, I found no leaks at all.

This is the loop that holds the bottle in.

I had to tighten the belt a little bit with the bottles on it, but still did not find it very noticeable.  You could feel the bottles, but the 6 oz size seemed to be nice as it wasn’t annoying, and the bottles didn’t bounce much.   The bottles are held into their holsters with little loops that go over the top – so there is no concern with them falling out!  The loop was very easy to open to remove the bottle, and also easy to put back after drinking.

Overall, I find the ifitness belt to be a nice addition to my running gear.  For shorter races (5k) or running away from home it is a convenient way to carry my keys, and the capability to add two 6oz bottles for longer runs is great!  While a total of 12 oz may not seem like enough for a long run, with the pocket in the belt – I can bring money to stop at a convenience store along with Gels. it!

If you are a looking for a convenient way to carry cash, Gels or other items, I would consider the ifitness belt.  It comes in different sizes, and different options as well. If you need a way to carry water for those longer runs, or for ill-setup races – the Hydration add-on is a nice feature!

This review is my opinion, and I was in no way paid to provide it, nor have I received any compensation to do so.  I won the belt, and purchased the hydration add-on.

About Robinson

I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.