Jenny Jurek “Handy 10” by Ultimate Direction
Scott Jurek is my running idol. Knowing that his wife, Jenny Jurek, has created a collection of products for women runners, I was uber excited to get my hands on any of the products that she developed. Ultimate Direction, a well-known company in the running and ultra running scene, has released a number of Jenny’s products, including the product I had a change to try out, the “Handy 10”.
Hand held water bottles are a must have for me when I am running, whether it is for training runs or racing. Aid stations are great when you are racing; however, sometimes just knowing that you have a spare bit of water or electrolyte is a comforting feeling. It has made my racing so much nicer (and comfortable!).
The “Handy 10” is very stylish, sleek, and flashy. The beautiful, vivid coloring really makes it pop. With reflective taping, it also helps you be seen in the dark. Us runners can never have too much reflectivity that is for sure. The bottle holds 10 ounces of fluids. And the bright purple mesh portion can hold a small key or gel. Some gel packets may need to be squished in for it to fit, but I found Gu brand gels will slip in with minimal issues. I attempted to put both my Subaru key and gel into the mesh holder, and that was too much bulk for the holder to handle.
The bottle itself is clear, and has ergonomically shaped marking on the side for your fingers to grip. Additionally, there is a strap that allows you to tighten or loosen the strap around your hand. I have a smaller hand (palm), with longer fingers and found the strap would not get tight enough, or stay tight during the duration of my runs. This product seems to be ideal for a medium to larger female hand.
The spout of the bottle is the type where you need to use your teeth to open it, or pull the spout out with your fingers. I am partial to the type where you just put the spout to your mouth and squeeze, without having to do anything else to get your liquid. The style on the “Handy 10” might be better for folks that don’t want to lose any liquid on the course due to accidently squeezing your bottle prematurely, however.
Overall, the “Handy 10” is very stylish, and does a solid job as a small hand held water bottle for your runs. It is light, weighing in at a tiny 2 ounces, and should work well getting you through your trainings runs or shorter races.
