Ultimate Direction FastDraw 600

This is a cool product, although I soon realized I actually want to carry more water than 600 mL for my runs. Anyway, the little pouch to carry stuff is nice (although it definitely can't fit my Galaxy S8+ in a Lifeproof case) and I like the bottle now that I'm used to it. It took me a full five minutes to figure out that you're supposed to yank up the mouthpiece to open the bottle. Then, while running, it took me some time to get used to the spout. If the bottle is sideways you will get a mixture of water and air coming through the spout, which is annoying to say the least. I discovered that if I turn the bottle almost fully upside down, because the air is then nowhere near the spout, I get great water flow.Also, you don't want to let air back into the bottle as you drink the water, because the more air there is, the harder it is to keep the air away from the spout. A little counter-intuitive, but I got the hang of it quickly enough.A less-resolved issue I've had with the bottle has to do with screwing on the top (and this is why it only gets 4 stars). Unfortunately, the way the fabric hangs around the bottle, it gets in the way of the top being screwed on. And if the fabric gets caught between the bottle and the top, which has happened to me many times, that causes all sorts of problems! This means that you have to very carefully position the fabric on either side of the top as you screw it on. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts, even after you fully understand the issue. This would surely be a problem for someone who needed to be able to tighten the cap on in a hurry. Fortunately, I'm not using it in any competitive settings, so it's just an annoyance.

Leaks, leaks, leaks. The lid has to wrenched down tightly, more so than ANY other bottle I have ever used. The fabric is constructed as such that is impossible to take the lid off, refill, recap, and get running again, without a leak. You have to take the time to pull the fabric down out of the way, and firmly tighten. Otherwise, it will most definitely leak. This is illustrated in the attached pics. The pouch is big enough to carry an iPhone X, if you choose to do so, and some nutrition. The conch strap doesn’t hold firm though, so if you like it firm around the back do your hand, this may not be the bottle for you. I’ve always ran with Nathan bottles, but wanted the bigger pouch this offers. I think I’ll stick with my Nathan bottles from here forward, because the leak issue really sucks. I feel like the rubber gasket should be twice as thick as it is, and maybe this wouldn’t be such an issue. And the the valve on this bottle requires the user to bite it to open it, whereas Nathan bottles can be squeezed to expel the liquid. I could deal with that, but that leak, though .... too much trouble. Has to be “just right”. And if you do carry your phone on the pocket- it’ll be drenched.

This is far and away the best running bottle I've found. Great balance of size and portability, and easy enough to carry. Note that the pouch definitely does fit an iPhone 11 (and therefore iPhone XR) with 3 credit cards in a wallet case. The pouch on this is actually slightly bigger than the one on the last iteration of the FastDraw 600. The nozzle is also new and improved. The old one would stop closing automatically after a few months of use, so I had to remember to push it back down after each squirt. Not so with the new version.I'm docking one star because, as other reviewers have long pointed out, it is frustratingly easy to cause the lid to leak. As far as I can tell, this results from cross-threading the lid, the tiny rubber gasket inside the lid slipping out, and/or catching the edge of the pouch/hand-strap in the threats when screwing the lid on. These are all totally avoidable, but you definitely do have to pay attention and be deliberate each time you close the bottle.

I was looking for a handheld water bottle to use for trail runs lasting less than two hours. This unit has a zipper pocket for your phone and a sleeve for two packages of Clif Blocks. The Ultimate Direction gets the job done, but there are a couple of items I would improve.First, the proprietary water bottle leaks (others have commented on poor seal design) and is very annoying as it soaks my phone, keys etc. Second, the adjustable hand strap loses its hold when wet.. Lastly, the phone pocket barely holds my iPhone XR with slim case. It zips about halfway is all.

I've had 5 or 6 UD handhelds. This one is by far the worst. It leaks when you tighten the lid down because the fabric gets stuck under the lid. The bottle spins around in the case all the time and will not sit still. This matters because the bottle isn't round, so it gets wedged sideways in your hand. DONT waste your time and money on this bottle, search for one of the older ones. Also, the valve is difficult to drink from if you don't bite it at the right angle. Trust me, don't take a chance on this bottle it isn't worth it.

This is a great handheld. Light and with good storage. The major issues is that it can be tricky at aid stations. The cloth handle can get trapped under the lid and the bottle will leak. If you are careful this will not happen, but it is very easy to do. It became enough of an issue that I no long use these bottles on race day.

I bought this with spare bottle for a 30hr race. Barely used during race. Continued to use on training runs after race. But once I started to drink from bottle, water would leak from under cap and soak the handheld strap and everything in the pockets. Ware and tear ripped the pockets too. But by the time I learned all this, it was too late to return because return window expired. My own fault for not using consistently right after receiving, but I took care of properly and product, both bottles still leak after I start drinking from them and the netting on handheld ripped after very little use.

Cannot exchange for other UD water bottles (old school ones with wide mouths-better for pouring in supplements compared to this bottle model). Has great storage space and the water bottle top pours well.