The best waist pack / gel belt for women

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations for the best gel belt / waist pack for female runners.

I'm looking for something that I can store a small pack of tissues and 2-4 gels / packs of Shot Bloks in during long runs. I've been looking at the Hilly arm band (as recommended on another thread), but as I do like to use Shot Bloks, I think it may be a bit of a faff getting the packaging in and out of the arm band to take a sweet now and again.

I'd especially like to hear from any female runners who, like me, have a figure that goes in and out a lot image. My pet peeve with bum bags/ tying jacket round my waist is that I get it tight enough to sit just above my hips, but as soon as I start running it gets joggled and then keeps flapping around my waist. Is there a belt that stays put or will I have to wear it higher up?

Thank you very much!

Xine

Comments

  • Any of the gel belts have a pouch that'll take 2 packs of shot bloks and a pack of tissues. Cost about a fiver and you dont even notice its there.

    Other than that - look up the SPI belt - but its about £20.
  • I run in Ronhill capris, as they have a back pocket big enough for me to get 5 gel packs in. OK, that lot gives me a very strange profile, but you shouldn't be looking those closely at my bum. image 
  • Nathan trail mix belt for me - two little bottles and a pouch pocket big enough for half a dozen gels. (Or a flapjack and a bar of fudge.) I'm a female and I wear it on my hips and it always stays put!

    RRP is £35 but I got mine new on eBay for £18 inc postage... image

  • I bought a really small on, by Mizuno, in a sale on Sweatshop or Achilles Heel I think.

    It is about the size of a gel but stretches to fit an iPhone, or (as at the HM on Sunday) several gels and a packet of tissues).

    Is ideal and cost about £4 in the sale!

    Something like this would be ideal:

    Nathan Shadow Waist Pack (on ebay at about £6.99).

    Brian.
  • I got a sis go gel belt and I couldn't get it to sit on my hips but find it fairly comfortable on my waist.

    I did have to sew it a bit to get it small enough to fit my waist though.

  • Thanks for all the recommendations guys!

    Cougie - I'm looking at the SpiBelt website now, I love the size of the belt and the range of colours available. As long as I can be sure that it won't be a flapping nuisance I think that looks ideal, I might ask around my running buddies and see if anyone has a SpiBelt I can borrow for a training run.

    HelenLiz - my old Nike tights had a pocket on the back (just under the waistband) which was perfect for holding tissues and gels. But I've now switched over to Adidas capris and NoBalls full length tights neither of which have pockets image 

    Noanie and CaitlinBond - thank you for the feedback, it's good to hear back from other women about what works for our shape. It sounds like a silly consideration, but I know that if I get one that doesn't stay put I'll end up being so annoyed by it that I'll probably just chuck it by the side of the road somewhere! Also wondering about chafing if the belt moves a lot ... my next thread is probably going to be all about which is the best brand of runner's lube!

    WRXMANIA - do you have the Nathan belt? It looks good, actually pretty similar to the SpiBelt (but a bit cheaper which is always good!) but I'm wondering if the clasps would be really secure?

  • I have the Mizuno one but have various other Nathan things and I'd have no hesitation in buying anything from them.
  • As for runners lube - it has to be BodyGlide! Pricier than Vaseline BUT not greasy.
  • I have recently bought an iFitness belt.  It's similar to the Spi-belt apparently.

    There are several versions available and I bought the one with gel loops on. The loops are stretchy enough to cope with the larger gel sachets such as SIS Go and the pocket fits my mobile and ipod. It's quite stretchy.

    The waist band is stretchy and I found it comfortable to wear on my last 20 mile run and there was no chafing at all.

  • Thanks Anne, that's very helpful! I'll be buying a belt today and trialling it on Sunday at the Kingston Breakfast run.

    WRXMANIA - I've got Body Glide on order too! image

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