Customer Reviews

Nathan Speed 2 Waist Pack with Two 10 ounce Nutrition Flasks (Large, Royal)

5 star:		(128)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I've struggled with many different hydration packs over the years and have never found one that is right. Prior to purchasing the Nathan Speed 2, I was using the Fuel Belt Endurance 4 Bottle Fuel Belt, which was a pain because the bottles sloshed around and the belt wasn't a true fit. Additionally, it required the use of two hands to remove a bottle. That might not sound like a big deal, but the sloshing (the bottles bouncing around) can be incredibly annoying on a 1 mile run, much less after 14. And using two hands to grab a water bottle that is behind your back throws your balance off and tires you out much more quickly. A good analogy would be to say it was like stopping and doing a jumping jack every half mile. While a single jumping jack is no big deal, any endurance runner realizes that a change in your natural running motion after such a long distance will really throw you off.

The Nathan Speed 2 is designed to be worn so that the bottles are on the front of the belt (although you can wear it reversed with no problems). It holds two 10 oz flasks for a total of 20 oz of water. The front pouch has ample room for cell phone, energy gels, keys, etc. Additionally, the pouch is compartmentalized, so you can put your sticky energy gel trash in one pocket and your cell phone in the other. There's also a clip on the inside pouch so you can secure your key ring. While it's very unlikely anything will come out of the velcro-secured pouch, this gives added peace of mind for those who may be doing rigorous trail running or wading through a stream for some reason (I am always checking my keys to make sure they haven't fallen out).

As to the flasks, it would be nice if they could carry more water, but 20oz is usually enough to get me through a 13 mile run. If you're looking for more, try the Nathan Speed 4 Waist Pack with Four 10-Ounce Nutrition Flasks. The flask holsters are made of molded plastic, which means they are strong and don't move. They sit slightly away from my hips, so I don't have to deal with them banging against my hips and thighs the entire run. The flasks fit securely in the holsters, so no additional securing is needed. With my old Fuel Belt I had to use two hands to remove a flask, one to remove the elastic band holding the flask in place, and the other to take out the flask. The Nathan holster is just tight enough where the flask will not come out accidentally, but isn't too tight to slide right into the holster. The lip of the flask is easy to open with your mouth. Unlike the Fuel Belt, which I had to pull open with my teeth, the Nathan lip easily opens up with gentle pressure from my lips, and closes just as easily to form a tight seal.

The belt is one of the best parts about this product. It is stretchable elastic, which is a must for me after trying to use nylon belts with clips. The velcro forms a strong connection, and the belt fits snugly against my hips. I've found the belt is more comfortable if I wear it very low on my hips, right over the hip flexor muscle. This may seem weird at first, but I suggest anyone to try it for a couple miles and see what you think. The belt will not ride up easily, and it will not slide down your legs either. Try to put it as low as possible, and right on top of your butt. Lastly, the belt is made of breathable moisture-wicking material, so it will not hold sweat easily and is easy to clean. A great product.

Update - January 2012 - I've tested several other water belts since writing this review, not because I have problems with it, but just to see if anything better has come out since. The Nathan Speed 2 is still the best in my opinion. Also, I have changed my running form so that I lean forward now when I run, which makes the water bottles on the front a much better option for me.

I just bought this belt and love it. I decided to go with the 2 water bottle because I usually don't go over 15 miles, so I figured two was enough. The belt is so comfortable and very breathable. I love the bottles and they slip in easily in the holder. The pocket is perfect for keys and a gel pack. The sizing seems a little off. I picked a medium and it fits perfect, although on the sizing chart I should have been a small. I think the small would have not fit right. So you may need to go up a size.

After much research (including trying on 2 different brands) I finally decided to go with the Nathan and am very happy with my choice. Here's a summary of what I found (via the internet and from road testing):
1) The Nathan Speed 2 gets consistently great reviews.
There are three 3-star reviews on amazon (2 are critical of the sizing recommendations and one thought it should hold more water....go figure). The rest are 4 and 5 star. If you google Nathan 2 reviews, you will find some independent reviews that are all positive. Also, it seems to be the concensus choice on running forums (see Slow twitch and others).

2)Its closest competitor (Fuel Belt) doesn't have as many positive reviews. The main issues seem to be difficulty in getting the flask back into the holster with one hand and a leaky cap. When I tried the Fuel Belt at the store, I verified that it is extremely difficult to replace the flask with one hand because the elastic bands that hold it secure collapse (they don't stay open). This is not the case with the Nathan, which has a plastic holster. It is very easy to put the flask back in the holster with one hand.

3)There is no bounce, even with the bottles full. This was my main worry about hydration belts. I wear it just below my navel so that it doesn't migrate up as I run. If you wear it low, I think it may slide upwards during your run. Also, I tighten it so that it is snug (yet still comfprtable).

4) The pouch isn't huge but it's big enough to carry my cell phone, keys (there's a clip for the keys so that it is very secure), a gel pack, ID, and a little cash. Plus the puch cover closes securely with velcro.

5) As far as sizing, I think it is a good idea to go to the store and try on the different sizes. I am about 5'8" and 153 lbs (male) and my pants/shorts are usually about 30-31". I tried both the medium and the small. Believe it or not, the small fit a lot better. I know everyone is saying that this item runs small and to get one size up, but this advice would not have worked for me. When deciding which size to get, some important points to consider are what is your TRUE waist size (not what can you squeeze into or what do you wish your size was). But it would be best to just go and try them on. Also, consider the possibility that your waist will decrease is size (especially if you just started running) and/or that the elastic may stretch a little over time.

6) Two 10 oz flasks might not sound like much but it's more than enough for me (my longest runs are about 7-8 miles....for now). I think most would agree that it should be fine for the 10k range. Also, having two smaller flasks as opposed to one large bottle is preferable because it's more balanced, less sloshy, and you can have 2 different drinks (eg one with water and the other with sports drink).

7) Easy to clean. The opening is about 1 3/8" wide which easily fits a regular bottle brush (i have an oxo bottle brush I bought at the grocery store).

This is an excellent product that I highly recommend. Just make sure you screw the cap on tight. Happy running!

I just bought the SpeedBelt 2, deciding that the 4 bottle belt would be more cumbersome for me. So far, the 2 bottle belt has worked well for me in the 5-10 mile run range. It fits 2 gels comfortably and 10 ozs of water in each bottle. For longer runs, I'd suggest the 4-bottle belt, but this one is great for the intermediate range. The belt fits comfortably and I didn't feel that it bounced around much at all. Recommended.

I purchased this Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack several months ago and have been using it on long training runs for a marathon in December. I definitely agree with the others who have commented here about these packs running small. Mine fits very snugly and I would recommend that anyone buying one consider sizing up. The design of the pack is great and the bottles fit nicely in the two plastic holders. The small storage area in the pack works well for a phone, ID, keys and gels.

My biggest complaint is that the nozzles on the bottles constantly leak. This is incredibly annoying on a run and is a problem that should be looked at by Nathan. I have carefully hand washed the bottles/nozzles and have also experimented putting them in the dishwasher (manufacturer says it is okay). The seals on the bottle nozzles simply do not work well. I also went to 3 very knowledgeable and reputable running shops in our area (which are also Nathan dealers) looking for alternative nozzles and everyone acknowledged the problem (one even said that future Nathan bottles would have different nozzles). What was funny were the unsolicited comments I received from runner/customers who shared my frustration over the leaky nozzles.

Good luck!!

I just moved to a new area and couldn't locate any water fountains on my 9 mile run so I went on a search for a hydration running belt as I am training for the chicago marathon.

I've researched alot of belts and read TONS of reviews for every belt out there. This belt had the best reviews on all of the websites that I've searched and it was recommended by all the top running websites.

I waited to run my 12 miles before I wrote a review on the product. So here it goes:

- Size: My main concern was fit since the biggest problem with this belt seemed to be the sizing issue. I read through all 73 reviews before deciding to get a medium. I am 5'4 120 pounds -- measurements 34-24-34 - size 0 (Female). Naturally I thought I should get a small, but another reviewer (with the same physique) said she got the small and returned it right away for a medium. When i first got it(before running with it), it felt perfect and comfortable. I wore it under my navel--- around my hip. When I started running with it, I realized that I had to tighten it more because the belt was migrating up. SO now I have at least 2 1/2 inches of the velcro belt hanging off. I still have about 2 1/2 inches left of velco that is keeping it together. I don't think that reviewer tried running with it before writing her review (or else she wouldn't have been able to return it). I probably would have gotten a small because it has to be snug to prevent it from riding up. When it rides up, you can really feel the water bottles sloshing and bouncing. I also know that I'm gonna lose more weight as I continue training for the marathon (which is something that should be considered as well).

- Comfort while running: Since this is my first time wearing a belt, I noticed the difference at first because it was technically an additional 1.5 pounds around my hips (20 fluid oz of water and then my key and iphone). After a while, I forgot about it. The belt stays on snug and the water bottles didn't leak or slosh around.

- Accessibility of water: The water bottles were really easy to pull out and put back in. All the competitors seem to have a problem with this factor. I didn't even have to stop to pull it out and get a drink. It was really easy to open and close the bottle as well.

- Pouch: The pouch has two compartments and a ring hook for your keys. One of the compartment is closed off by velcro. SO i put my credit card and ID in there and then I put my iPhone in the mesh pocket in front. I liked the mesh pouch because I was able to connect my iphone to my headphones through the mesh. Nothing fell out.

Overall it did it's job and I was well hydrated and happy after my 12 mile run. I'm very satisfied with it.

On the side note: For some reason, I got a bruise where the compartment was resting on my spine. I wore the belt so that the water bottles were resting on my lower back because that's how it was displayed in the picture on the tag (plus it felt more comfortable on my back). I'm gonna have to play around with it some more (maybe wear it in front), but I'm still satisfied with the belt.

I have never owned a water belt before and did a lot of searching and reading reviews before purchasing the Nathan Speedbelt. After taking it out for a couple of runs I am really happy with both the secure and comfortable fit of the belt. As I don't do super long runs, I am glad to just have the two water bottles. The weight is distributed evenly across the waist and the compartment for holding keys, Ipod, etc. is really nice as well. I am really pleased with my purchase.

I have tried a few belts before, all with one large bottle sitting at an angle centered in back. They all bounced, rode up, and drove me crazy. I bought the Nathan belt based on reviews on Amazon. The belt works great. There is the slightest feeling of movement right at first but I didn't even notice it after the first minute of running. The belt stayed snug and didn't ride up and flop. I wore the belt low on my hips as that is more comfortable for me and had the bottles in back. I found them easy to access and replace while still running. I made sure they were pushed well down in their holders (another review said they had fallen out) and I had no problem at all. The bottles themselves are easy to grip and drink from. I had no water leakage from the bottles.

I run about 4-5 miles in very hot/humid weather. I also sweat a lot! I found the 2 10oz bottles to be perfect for me.

The only snag was on sizing. Several people said to "size up". I measured my hips - 37.5 inches. I bought a large and was worried it would be tight. I wear the belt very tight around my hips to reduce bounce (and it has elastic). Worn this way it's almost too big on me. Maybe there is some variation in the production and they aren't all the same size, or some people wear them tighter than others, but I definitely would not advise anyone to "size up" from the medium to large based on my experience.

Overall, I've never been so pleased with a water belt before. I'll continue to use this product and will be getting the 4 bottle version once my mileage increases. Highly recommend.

This is the first time for me using this type of product, but it was just what I was looking for. As a beginner runner this product I feel helped me to run farther than I had before. I am no longer holding water and can freely move my hands to achieve better rhythm as I jog. Up to 6.5 miles now compared to 3.5 - 4 miles just a month ago.
The water bottles are a good size for short distance runners like myself, however you really have to insure you close them tightly after use. But they do slip nicely in and out of the holders so it isn't too hard to get a sip while running with a little practice.
The pocket is really nice for a small phone and chap stick. Has a lot of velcro, so a little tough to open while running but I keep an extra napkin inside and that helps to keep it from being as hard to open, and with time I am sure will get easier still.
Sizing I think is pretty good. I am a little larger than I am usually, with a 38 inch waist and I got the medium, but I wear it a little lower on the hips. With the velcro that holds nicely I could have been maybe a couple of inches larger and still been able to wear it and it will shrink with me at least 4 or five inches.
Another nice thing that sold me is it fits snuggly and does not move or bounce around as you run. The bottles are kind of flattened out so they are not in your way. They don't hold much, about 1 regular bottle of water fits into both bottles divided.
I would buy again and would recommend to anyone! Specially if you were looking for a pink colored one that is functional and pretty.

I LOVE this belt. I'm a beginner distance runner and it's safe to say I look utterly ridiculous wearing this thing around when I run like a turtle. However, wear it I do and it has SAVED me on every distance run I've attempted. The belt does not budge, the water does not leak, and aside from a little extra weight from full water bottles, I hardly notice a difference on my run when I'm wearing it.
Excellent product!