Chances are you’re not going to bring out the full-packed Fuel Belt for a quick recovery run or even when you’re competing in a 5K. However, if you’re anything like us, you likely find yourself wishing you had some kind of hydration option for those shorter distances—even just something to wet your whistle after a few miles. Enter the FitSip, a 100% hands-free, ergonomically designed hydration solution that you carry right on your wrist.

We’ve never seen anything like the FitSip. And for our repeat readers, you know how truly water-bottle-obsessed we are here at AG. We’re also paranoid about dropping a bottle. Needless to say, we knew we had to try this.

The FitSip concept was conceived on the Pentland Hills in Scotland by two business partners and runners, Christine Manson and Belinda Goldsmith. It consists of a sports armband made from a material called “airprene,” which houses an interior waterpod that can hold up to 200 ml of liquid. To dispense the liquid, the FitSip features a soft-feel bite valve.

Upon receiving our FitSip, we washed the waterpod and bite valve and immediately took it out for a run. First, we noticed that the waterpod was easiest to fit into the armband before slipping it on an arm. Once the waterpod was zipped up nicely in the armband it was very easy to get on and adjust. Second, we would recommend washing the waterpod and bite valve very thoroughly before its first use (trust us on this one). Due to the nature of the material the first few sips had a very strong plastic flavor. However, the plastic flavor dissipated once we’d washed the bite valve well and rinsed a good amount of water through it.

On our first run with the FitSip we did feel a little uncomfortable with the armband secured snuggly around our wrist. However, we soon forgot about it after the first mile, which was nice since we could depend on the FitSip to stay put. It wasn’t going anywhere—ever. Drinking from the FitSip was as easy as drinking from any water bottle with a bite valve. However, don’t expect to gulp. Remember that this is not meant to be a primary source of hydration for runs longer than an hour or so—especially depending on your climate. For us here in South Florida, we would typically use the FitSip as a secondary source of hydration since runs in 90-plus heat simply require more liquids than normal.

We especially loved filling the waterpod with ice-cold liquids right before we headed out on the road. This provided a little extra cooling for at least the first 20-minutes of our run. And again, we’ll take any cooling help we can get when running in the heat!

Overall, we thought the FitSip was a great option to have on hand for those times when you’re looking to get in a few quick miles. It allows you to keep your hands (and hips) free while still providing some hydration when you need it.