I love the belt itself it fits tightly and I barely notice it''s on me, even on my longer runs (15-20 miles). The front pouch is small, OK for keys but not more than two packs of gel, which is just enough for me.The problem I have are the bottles themselves. I think in the effort to make them flexible and easy to empty, the area where it connects and seals with the cap are porly made and/or the caps themselves aren''t the best. I had one cap crack within a few weeks of use, and one that doesn''t seal properly between the cap and bottle, making it leak a little.
Because of this I use it for easier runs where I have a second source of hydration (ie, water fountains somewhere on my route), but I wouldn''t rely on it for long distance runs where I must reply on them 100%.
Overall I think the belt itself is one of my favorite items to use, it''s only a bit of a shame that the bottles aren''t of better quality.
The bottles however do not seal well and can be very difficult to use while actually running. The lack of gaskets within the caps, combined with the soft bottles, mean that you can easily end up squirting sticky sport drinks on yourself while trying to combine running and drinking. I''ve found that I really need to stop or remove the cap to effectively use the bottles. Finally, they can be somewhat difficult to clean.
A good product, and much better than many of the alternatives, but not perfect.
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I love my Fuel Belt. It''s light and flexible. If I have one complaint it''s that the belt tends to fit snuggly. The small is REALLY small, so order up one size. The velcro belt will ensure a snug fit. The bottles tends to slip from your hands when you perspire, but overall it''s a great training tool.Read Best Reviews of FuelBelt 4 Bottle Belt Here
I used the 4 bottle fuel belt for the entire training season for a marathon including on a half marathon race as a beginning runner. I got a medium, when I''m normally a small in running shorts, but that is because I like to wear it down on my hips. The small bottles are nice because they spread the weight more evenly. I usually use the front two to drink from, and when I finish those, I bring the two full bottles to the front. The pocket is expandable, and I can shove three gels and a chapstick in there. I''ve never had a bottle slip out as I''ve seen happen to many other people at races, but it does require two hands to put them back in, which I''ve gotten used to. The little elastic holder isn''t really necessary. Over time, my bottles have begun to leak, but they still don''t leak when I''m wearing it on a run, just if I put it on the ground without propping everything up. I''m not sure if I have the old or improved bottle.I''ve found this is perfect for a half marathon since I load it with a little more concentrated sports drink and drink water at some aid stations. Since I don''t want to carry more bottles for the next marathon, I''m going to buy a second set of bottles and have my family give me the second set at the half way point.
I''m a little lazy and haven''t cleaned it promptly after a few runs, so a few of my bottles have a permanent sports drink smell, but they clean reasonably well just by putting a dish cloth inside and using a utensil to move it around in the bottle. Archaic, but they''re still being used over a year later.
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As others have indicated, the bottletops leak . . . which is annoying. BUT Fuel Belt has changed their bottle design. I''m not sure if the new bottles are any better, but I recommend that if you buy this product, you make sure you get the new 8oz. bottle style . . . because it can only be an improvement.
