HydraKlick Review

Running should be fun, right?  I have tried plenty of hydration products out there that look awesome, but you take them out for run and that’s when it happens.  The bottle doesn’t stay in the holster and falls to the ground causing you to stop and pick it up.  Maybe it holds the bottle in the holster, but you simply can’t get the bottle back into the holster easily. 

HydraKlick was founded by a long-time product developer and competitive runner who just wasn’t happy with the hydration products and running gear out there.  The Hydration belts didn’t stay in place and the bottles sold with the belts were difficult to remove and replace.   He tried the handheld bottles too, but they threw off his form.  HydraKlick make products that help you run better. 

First let’s look at the benefit of running hands-free.  According to Runner’s World Magazine “Holding a water bottle in one hand over the course of a long run could cause an imbalance, change your stride, and lead to injury (1). The extra weigh in a water bottle is enough to cause muscle discomfort in your upper body as you run (2).  For more reasons why you should run hands-free, go to the HydraKlick website (click here).  They setup a very informative page on the topic.

Now that you are ready to run hands-free, let’s look at some of the things that makes HydraKlick's products so good.  The Solo line of products have a proprietary sport clamp, which quickly and easily grips to your waistband or belt.  There is no sizing or adjusting required.  Another great feature is that you can take the products apart to easily wash the belts, mobile cases, and hydration sleeves.  It was extremely easy to take apart and put back together.  I wish it was this easy to clean other running products that I have.  Let’s look at each of the products.

Belt Intro:

The Belt Intro is more than just a running belt.  It offers a water and sweat resistant sport pouch so you can safely and securely carry your phone, ID, cash, keys or whatever else you need to take with you on your run.  The sport pouch is attached to a 1-inch high-grade elastic belt which provides a great fit and won’t bounce around or ride up while you run. 

The belt easily adjusts from 25” to 50” and there are no loose belt straps like many of the belts out there.  The pouch has a secure, top-loading zipper and reflective piping so you can be easily be seen in low-light conditions.  There is an internal compartment in the sport pouch so you can keep your ID separate from your phone.

A problem that I have had with many of the belts out there is that they do not fit larger phones like my Samsung Galaxy S6.  The HydraKlick Belt Intro fits phones that are up to 6” long including iPhone 5s & 6s, Samsung Galaxy S6, S7, and S7 Edge.  You can buy yours at the HydraKlick website for $17.99 and it comes in three colors (Black and Blue, Black and Orange, and Black and Pink).

Solo 8:

The Solo 8 is a hands-free hydration bottle and holster that you can use with the Belt Intro or just on your waistband.   It comes with an 8 ounce SureGrip bottle that clicks into HydraKlick's patent-pending easy access bottle cage.  There is even an elastic strap to make sure the bottle doesn’t fall out.  Using the holster is simple both in taking out and putting back the bottle.  I never had a problem with dropping the bottle or it falling out of the holster.

Like I mentioned above, it uses a sport clamp that can securely attach to your waistband or belt.  There is a contoured, washable pad that keeps the holster stable against your body.  The SureGrip bottle is BPA-free, has an ergonomic, full-grip design, and comes with a speed valve cap for quick access to water.  There is a hidden pocket for your ID, Cards, or a key.  There is also an ultra-reflective sticker on the front of the holster for running in low-light conditions.  You can buy the Solo 8 at the HydraKlick website for $17.99 and it comes in three colors (Black and Blue, Black and Orange, and Black and Pink).

Solo Mobile:

I regularly run with an armband.  While I like having my phone on me, armbands aren’t always the most comfortable way to carry your phone.   The Solo Mobile is a comfortable, easy to use, water-resistant carrier for your phone or music player.  It has a zippered pouch and a large display window.  The window is made with touch control technologies so you can easily use your phone while it is in the case. 

Like the other HydraKlick products, the Solo Mobile features the sport clamp that’s a one size fits all solution. It holds most phones (including my Galaxy S6 with a case) although it was a snug fit so anything larger than that might not fit.  It was designed to fit the iPhone 5s & 6s as well as the Samsung Galaxy S6 & S7. 

There is a headphone jack opening and reflective piping plus is an interior compartment for your ID, cards, or key.  Like the Solo 8, the Solo Mobile can be used with or without the Belt Intro.  You can buy the Solo Mobile at the HydraKlick website for $21.99.  It comes in one color, black)

Solo Sleeve:

The Solo Sleeve is a versatile, insulated neoprene pouch that hold most 8 to 10 ounce water bottles.  The compartment can be used for music players, gels, or any other small items that you want to bring with you.  There are pockets on either side of the compartment where you can put your gels or keys as well. 

The Solo Sleeve has reflective piping, a removable sleeve that you can use as a “koozie”, and it can be used on the Belt Intro just like the rest of the HydraKlick products.  It is mounted on a sport clamp and everything comes apart so it is easy to clean.  There is also a drawstring on the top to secure your items in the compartment.  You can buy the Solo Sleeve at the HydraKlick website for $19.99 and it comes in three colors (Black and Blue, Black and Orange, and Black and Pink). 

HydraKlick’s Social Media Links:

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HydraKlick has some awesome products that work well together or they can just be clipped to your waistband.  The ability to easily take apart and clean all of the components of each product means that you will have fresh(ish) smelling products from HydraKlick for quite a while.  You can either purchase them from the HydraKlick website or on Amazon, although the prices are the same.  Get yours and enjoy running hands-free.  Your body will thank you for it.

Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

Reference:

(1)    Runner’s World Magazine, May 2013

(2)    Fitness Magazine, February 2012

Newton Gravity V Review

Newton Shoes is based out of Boulder, Colorado.  Boulder is a hot spot for runners and outdoor enthusiasts alike.  Newton exists to make every stride better.  What makes them so special though? 

Their employee’s eat, dream, and sleep running.  They want to teach people how to improve their form, efficiency, and performance by recommending several small run technique tips that can unlock big improvements (more on that later).  At Newton, they have a strong drive to give back to local charities because they believe in the old adage “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Newton is a company that set out to create a running shoe that was different from all other running shoes.  There is a reason behind their desire to be different though; to make every stride better through new technologies.  Their Level Platform aligns with the human body and puts you in a position to run in your most natural state. 

Their shoes have lugs under the mid to forefoot area.  These lugs act like springs, which they call their Action/Reaction Technology (see the video below).  The active movement of the lugs creates a responsive, trampoline-like cushioning system that provide a quicker bounce-back and less loss of energy than most traditional foam-core running shoes. 

All of their shoes have full-foot cushioning.  You get the cushioning from the lugs in the front and you will find the same technology in the heel as well.  You get a nice, cushioned ride from heel strike to toe off.  The Level Platform that I mentioned earlier means that Newton shoes feature lower heel drops than most shoes, which is great, but can take a little time to get used to. 

Newton has three categories for their lugs. 

P.O.P 1: Prominent, powerful lugs with square corners deliver their most responsive, performance ride.

P.O.P 2:  Beveled lugs allow for a smoother ride and offer a great introduction to Newton’s Action/Reaction Technology.

P.O.P 3: Foam-backed and less pronounced lugs produce their softest ride.

Now about the form tips that I eluded to earlier.  Newton promotes three key principles of running that will help you to run more efficiently.  They are posture, position, and cadence.

Posture:

You should stand tall with a slight forward lean while you run.  Focus on leaning slightly forward and keeping your feet under your body at all times.  You want to focus on landing with your feet parallel to the ground, directly under your body.

Position:

Your feet should land level to the ground.  Start by looking straight ahead, keeping your head up and your core engaged.  Hold your arms at 90-degree angles, close to your body and pull your elbows straight back.

Cadence:

You want to take quick steps.  The most efficient cadence is 180 steps per minutes.  Cadence plays a big role in injury prevention.  Many runners have to shorten their stride a bit to get to 180 steps per minute, which is okay.  It will take less of a toll on your body.

I got a pair of the Newton Gravity V shoes to test out.  They are green and blue, which is awesome since I am a Seahawks fan (just had to throw that in there).  The Gravity V is a neutral training shoe that is built for runners who want a shoe they can use on their training runs, but still be able to use it on faster paced tempo runs or races.  This is their top of the line shoe when it comes to performance and comfort.

The Gravity V features the P.O.P 1 platform and has a 3mm heel drop, which I really liked.  It weighs in at 8.1 ounces, which is amazingly light.  The new seamless engineered mesh upper material and 4-way stretch mesh metatarsal panel not only feels and looks great, but is extremely breathable and will keep your feet cool and dry. 

All of the eyelets are reinforced so no more eyelets ripping, which has never been an issue for me, but is a great feature anyway.  The shoe also offers heel lace lock eyelets.  The new tongue design features a radial band to keep the tongue in place and it has a foam backing on the tongue that makes it extremely comfortable.  I have had issues with some shoes that have thin tongues because I tie my shoes tight.  It has caused metatarsal pain, but not with the Gravity V.  They also updated their pre-molded heel counter for the Gravity V and it now creates a better form and fit for your heel.

So I will be honest and say that I was skeptical because I had issues with Newton’s in the past.  I reviewed the Gravity III and because of an injury that I already had, the Gravity III made it worse.  I was worried that I would injure myself with the Gravity V (not that I had a valid reason to be concerned).  I took them out for my first test run and did 4 miles.  I was truly surprised how good they felt and I could definitely feel the extra responsiveness.  I was able to keep a fairly fast pace and really enjoyed both the low heel drop and the bounce back from the lugs.  A quick note: The lugs will not make you feel like you have springs under your feet.

I backed up that run with a few more tempo runs as well as a long run.  Each run, felt better than the last and today I ran my fastest pace in quite a while and I still had more left in the tank.  I really feel like the superior feel, fit, and functionality of the Gravity V had a direct result on my run going so well.

Pros:

Light weight (8.1 ounces)

Breathable engineered mesh upper

3mm heel drop allows for better form and posture

Super responsive

Extremely comfortable for all types of runs

Cons:

They are a little more pricey ($175 on the Newton website)

Newton’s Social Media Links:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Instagram

Newton has really put out an awesome shoe in the Gravity V.  While the price tag of $175 is a little on the steep side for running shoes, I think it is worth the money because of all the features it has.  While I was skeptical at first, my concerns were quickly squashed and I am a true fan.  I can’t wait to see what else they have to offer.  You can pick up a pair at the Newton website or at a local store near you (click here for locations).  Pick up a pair and let me know what you think of running on lugs.

Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.