Water Bottles for Runners

With so many water bottles for runners on the market, how do you decide which one is right for you? I’ve been asking runners of all types, from casual weekend runners to seasoned pros. And they all have something different to say about what kinds of water bottles they carry while running.

In the beginning, when I first came up with the idea for swiggies, wrist water bottles, I was running in the peak summer heat in Texas and ended up passing out from dehydration because I didn’t carry any water with me. I was running with my keys and music, so carrying a water bottle while running wasn’t possible. I knew there had to be a better way.

At the time the only alternative for hands-free water bottles was the old fanny pack. I tried running with one that had a water bottle in it and it bounced around while I was running. The harder I ran, the more it bounced. This is when I came up with the idea to create a water bottle design that was very simple to use and very readily accessible no matter how fast I was running.

It took a while to design a prototype that was light enough and didn’t have too much weight on my wrists, yet held enough water to last for a run under an hour. I also figured out that they could be frozen to lower body temperature while out in the heat. To this day, this is what many professional runners and other athletes use swiggies for when they do smaller training runs.

Since I invented swiggies, other water bottles for runners have come out on the market. It may be that runners need different types of water bottles for different types of activities. I use a Camelbak if I’m going for a long, extended hike. And a sturdy, regular bottle that you carry is fine for activities such as kayaking, where you have a place to store it.

Now it seems the front water bottles for runners, vests with pockets for water bottles in the front are coming onto the market. Again, a different type of water bottle to give runners more choices.

I have read through running forums and asked runners which they prefer. The answers are all over the map. But the bottom line is that you have to have enough water while running, especially in the heat. I learned this lesson the hard way.