Thursday, May 5, 2016

REVIEW: Nathan SpeedShot Plus Insulated Handheld

The AMAZING folks over at Nathan Sports sent me some new gear a couple weeks back and it's time to start spreading the word about my favorite pieces so you can give them a try if you are in the market for some new hydration solutions!

How sweet are they?! Look at all the goodies I received! 

First up is the Nathan SpeedShot Plus Insulated Handheld. To be honest, I have been using the Nathan SpeedDraw Plus Insulated Handheld for a while now and have loved it (I bought it with some money one of my grandmas sent me for my birthday last year) so I was stoked to try another one of the products from the handheld line.

There are multiple color options, but I was
sent the berry pink color.

I decided the ultimate test for this handheld would be how it would do during the Big Sur International Marathon. Normally I wouldn't carry a handheld for a marathon, but I didn't want to wear a belt so it was perfect for holding my PROBAR BOLT chews. (And figured if I could carry it without issue for over 26 miles then it HAD TO BE a winner, right?!)

In this picture I was holding the wrapper for my PROBAR BOLT chews
because I had just finished eating them a few hundred feet before.

The weather was less than stellar for the race (feel free to check out my recap if you haven't already), but because it wasn't super warm or sunny the 12 oz capacity seemed perfect. Big Sur tries to be as environmentally responsible as possible and actually offered BYOB {Bring Your Own Bottle} refill stations at every aid stop. As soon as I heard that I knew my handheld was perfect (and since you could technically fill your bottle at every station, even if it had been hot I think I still would have been fine with the 12 ounces). I ended up refilling around Mile 14 and then again around Mile 20.

Heading towards the finish line!

Refilled my bottle once I crossed the finish line and had to take a second to rehydrate before grabbing all my goodies!

Love the hi-viz reflective features on the pouch and bottle

I have also taken the Nathan SpeedShot Plus Insulated Handheld out on some of my training runs. I think that the size is perfect for runs between say 6 and 12 miles. If you have water fountains on your route and could top off your hydration, then you could probably go even longer {but obviously this is based on how much you drink, the weather, etc}.


Now that the temperatures are starting to rise I am stoked to have more handheld options! I love that I can store my phone in the pouch (I have a iPhone 5S in a wallet case) for safety purposes {and, let's be real, I've gotta have it handy for photo ops}. I can also throw my keys, fuel, chapstick, etc in without any issue (the expandable pocket holds a ton!).


And because I have been running with Nathan handhelds for a while I am familiar with the comfort, but in case you've never given this brand a try before let me tell you - it fits LIKE A GLOVE! The hand strap is fully adjustable, the fabric is super soft and there is a chafe-free thumbhole that enables grip-free running.



If you are interested in checking out the Nathan SpeedShot Plus Insulated Handheld or any of the other amazing hydration handhelds, you can visit your local run specialty shop. On the website there is even a search bar in the lower right hand corner that shows you where you can find the specific product nearby! #ShopLocal

Source

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, I'm linking up with Smitha over at RunningWithSDMom for today's "Try Out Thursdays". It's a LinkUp Post where you can review any new (to you) product, whether that be a race, food, running gear, coach, restaurant, etc. Head over to this week's post to see what everyone is sharing (and link up with us while you're at it!)!


At what distance do you bring hydration with you on a run?

8 comments:

Endure Run Conquer said...

I am usually SO BAD about hydrating on a long run unless there are water stops already set out along the way. I recently bought a Nathan Handheld (slightly different that the one you reviewed) and am excited to try it out!

SD Mom said...

I really need to look into a good handheld for shorter runs! I am a hydration freak though and tend to over drink on the run. so maybe it is better if I don't have it! Thanks for linking up!

*krystyn* said...

I love this review on the small handheld...I need to get one, not only for short runs, but I'm doing the Great Smoky Mountain 1/2 in Sep and they are providing refill stations, no cups, so I'll definitely need one by then. Thanks!!

Janelle @ Run With No Regrets said...

I like Nathan's products! I use their waist pack and also have Quickshot. Great stuff!

Kc said...

I'm in the market for a new handheld so thanks for sharing! Do you usually carry during your marathons or grab water at the stations?

Rachel said...

I haven't brought myself to get a handheld yet. I'm not sure I will to be honest. I run with pepper spray and one hand free is important to me. But if I did get one, it would be Nathan for sure!

Sandra Laflamme said...

This looks like a great handheld. A lot of room to carry the essentials and ove the color too!

Unknown said...

What is that waist pack bottle called? I cant find it on their website?