Fitsip - anyone tried it?

I mentioned this in the drinks pouch thread, but I think it deserves a thread of its own.

http://www.fitsip.com/buy-fitsip/front-page/fitsip-hydration-pack/

In theory it sounds perfect for what I need, as my bottle-carrying hand starts to seize up on my long runs after an hour or so. It's basically an arm-strap that holds 200ml, and has a built-in nozzle for a quick sip.

There's a couple of blog reviews of it, which are generally positive. Anyone taken a punt on one?

I'm a month away from my first half-marathon and might try and get my hands on one beforehand.

Comments

  • if its only carries 200ml.........the liquid would get very hot in this weather very quickly.....also wouldn't be enough liquid  to make much difference at all....and would be fiddly to refil in a a race.....

     

    so i can't see any advantage for the half....unless you like to carry a little warm water around with you............the race itself will provide drink........

  • Agree with Seren - 200ml is not a large amount of water at all.

    You'd need to have two on each arm in order to carry a reasonable amount of liquid, which adds up to just shy of £100.  You can get a top spec hydration vest for that, which will have a much greater range of application.

    Failing that, a 500ml bottle of evian will cost you a quid and you can then re-use the bottle.

  • Swap hands with your bottle ?
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    I don't really see the point for such a small amount.

    If 200 ml is the difference between completing the run in a decent state then you are probably doing something wrong with your hydration in the hours before the run.
  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Seems to me that the target market are runners, usually female, who go out jogging for maybe half an hour or so with one of those doughnut water bottles in their hand. I guess 200 ml is fine for that but I doubt it'll satisfy those of us who go harder and longer, especially in warm sweaty weather.

     

  • and it would really spoil you running stride if you had to try and run with your arm againgst your mouth.......

  • I wouldn't be carrying a bottle on raceday anyway, so it's mainly that I like the idea of having the option. Obviously there'll be water stations, but sometimes it's good to have a little swill around at a time of your choosing.

    It also gives a bit more flexibility for when to top up on gel or sweets, as I'm increasingly finding I need to chase them down with a quick gulp, and as I'm upping my distances I'm constantly getting myself into uncharted territory.

  • For ??24 I'll run alongside you offering you a selection of beverages !
  • Yeah, but every time I run?...

  • When I was getting ready for a half I bought the Salamon XR energy belt. It's one of the best purchases I have made. It is very comfy, holds 400ml of drink and has a big pocket for phone, keys, money etc. 

    Do remember that sweets and gels will dehydrate you if not taken with plenty of fluids.

    Ultimately an accessory needs to meet your needs, not mine or anybody else's. 

  • in summer it will taste so disgusting with the warm water ivor that you will end up spitting it out.........

    you would be much better getting a waist pack like the camelbak that holds a bottle as the larger amount will keep cooler longer.espescially with some ice........ and you can carry other things...and you can run further as it will contain more than 200 ml which is not enough to do anything useful.........

    I realy think that the people who designed that can't do much running.maybe a big of treadmill running and think that this is useful.

    But if you think it could meet your needs and have spare money to spend then go for it....but there are so many other options out there already

  • so with delivery nearly £30........and they recommend you buy cleaning tablets to clean it..and then if you look after it properely then it should last you a year......a year.....

    not a long lasting product them.........what market could they possibly be aiming at

  • I got one and its remarkably good. It is very comfortable to wear and the neoprene keeps its contents cool.It is very much more comfortable than carry any sort of bottle and the only drawback is that 200ml is a huge amount.

    An excellent product IMO  

  •  

     

    thank you for joining the forums to give such an idependent unbiased view........

     

    200 is a huge amount is it.hahaha..I take it you do run then Graeme.....image

    even 200ml of vodka isn't a huge amount

  • Excuse me seren nos are you having a go at me?On what grounds?

  • Gotta agree with the other comments. Whilst I dont have first hand knowledge of the product - I can say for certain.

    200ml is not much. If you need to drink then you will need at least a pint. Otherwise just wait till you get home.

    It is expensive. considering you can get good bottle belts for that amount.

    I can also imagine the liquid would get warm as would your wrist!

    Looks very gimmicky

  • I'm from FitSip..thanks for the comments & I hope you don't mind me joining in. Of course 200ml isn't enough fluid for a marathon (I wear my bottle belt for those) but if, like me, you but don't like wearing bottle belts unless you really have to, FitSip is good for an hour or so, and gives enough fluid to stop your mouth getting dry - you don't have that pulling up of the bottle top with your teeth or the bending around putting the bottle back after you've drunk, or the belt constricting your waist. You can freeze the FitSip water pod beforehand in warm weather, to keep it cool, if you like. We know a few ultra runners using FitSip to help gels go down - and then stopping at drinks stations for more fluid.

    A couple of bloggers' reviews might be of interest - one in Arizona, where it's pretty warm (male, marathon runner) and one in England (female, marathon runner) - so here are the direct links to those reviews, warts and all: http://mrcarlosbc.tumblr.com/post/51484176413/fitsip-product-review#tumblr_notes and http://cotswoldclaire.com/2013/03/03/fit-for-it-fitsip-fitsip/   Links to a few other blogs are already there, too. There's also a brief review in a French running magazine just posted on our Facebook page - by the editor of the gear section who has just done the Prague marathon.  A long and detailed review from a pretty serious Spanish triathlete is coming soon - it is in Spanish, but I'll put the link on the FitSip Facebook page in due course, in case anyone is interested!

    Hope that this helps, and Ivor, if you're reading this, drop me an email at belinda@fitsip.com and we can talk!

     

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    I don't think I'd pay £23.99 plus postage for a special armband, but I don't necessarily agree with some of the comments above re. amounts of water - I don't normally take any out for runs shorter than 15 miles but if I am on a longer run I might like the odd sip and wouldn't drink more than 200-300ml. But I would just take my bottle belt and not fill the bottle up all the way. To the OP - you might as well have a bottle belt if you also want to carry gels/sweets, because most of them have a little pocket for those. Just don't put much water in the bottle and it won't be heavy.

  • FAO Belinda - many thanks. Email sent.

  • it really looks like one of the power ranger gadgets my boys used to have  years ago.in that picture I imagine that you are powering upimage

  • Fitsip HQ fixed me up with one also.

    I've got a lengthy review waiting to go up on a blog that doesn't currently exist.

    Basically though, I really, really like it, save for a handful of very minor kinks which I've fed back to the company to bear in mind for potential updates. For example, I'm not sure on the amount of velcro on part of the strap, as after a while I can see that fuzzing up and struggling to adhere. No problems with that so far, however.

    For runs of 50-80 mins on hot days, it's great. The bladder is freezable, which helps massively. Inevitably, after a while it all warms up however and becomes quite miserable to taste, so for 90 mins onwards you may need an alternative and/or additional solution.

    I did feel a bit of a tit wearing it at first, but people are massively fascinated by it, and I've had several Sunday runners quiz me on it while I've been out.

     

  • To those who actually own a Fitsip...

    I live in Australia, it gets very hot even for early runs - therefore I want to know:

    1) Does it get warm (too warm to drink) during a run that's about 1 1/2 hour?

    2) Does your arm get annoyingly hot/sweaty (I can't imagine it being breathdable where the bottle is)?

    3) By any chance have you tried one of those smaller bottles with a hand strap to compare with the Fitsip?

     

    The Fitsip seems perfect for me. I don't drink to re-hydrate as I don't run far enough yet.  I drink because my mouth gets soooooo dry.  I hate to stop to drink out of a fountain as it interupt the rythm and I can't stand the thought of a belt, rucksak or carrying a bottle in my hand.

    However it's quite a bit of money to buy and ship to Australia esp. if I get the cleaning bits etc to go with it.

    So signed up to ask if anyone can address my 2 first questions and possibly the 3rd too.

  • As I said above, starting from frozen, above the 80 minute mark it's unpleasant. Unfrozen, I'd say you're looking at nearer an hour, which is what they recommend in the blurb. Up to these points it's perfectly drinkable, and for the most part cool.

    I tried it on hot days and it actually served the dual purpose of keeping me cool via my arm. It would serve people very well just from this perspective.

    In terms of hot and sweatiness, I must admit I do fiddle with it a bit, mainly the strap that's furthest up the arm to recheck that it's secure. It's very comfortable.

    My water bottle is this, so certainly not small...

    http://images.nike.com/is/image/emea/PDP_P/Nike-Lightweight-Running-Hand-Held-Water-Bottle-JR0214_010.jpg?fmt=png-alpha&

    Of the two I prefer the Fitsip for hour-plus runs. Beyond an hour and a half, I'd go with the bottle, and I'm now in the market for a fuel belt as well.

  • +1 to everything Ivor said really. Spookily enough, I just found out yesterday that they're in the process of launching a new version that's more breathable and lightweight, and features a coin pocket and rocket launcher.



    I may have lied about the rocket launcher.



    I've tried the strappy-bottle things, and found that my hand still instinctively gripped a little, which in turn tightened my shoulders over the course of the run. Good luck with whatever you choose.



    J



    www.borntoplod.com
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