Any repeat reader of AeroGeeks knows that we’re what you might call, well….water bottle connoisseurs. Not only is the AG garage stocked with various bottle options, but a good amount of cabinet space in our editors’ very own kitchens is also taken up by various bottle options. Simply put, when we find a bottle we like, we hold on to it (and ensure we have multiples on hand).

We first received the Fire and Ice bottle in a large shipment from Nathan a few months ago. And at first we weren’t quite sure what to make of this flashy bottle. Most of the colors were beyond bright. However, what really surprised us were the reflective qualities of this bottle. While this was one of the more obvious product specs, we were still shocked at just how reflective these bottles were. To give you an idea, a stray bottle actually startled one of our editors who happened to be in the AG garage late at night with a flashlight. This is all thanks to Nathan’s integrated, never-wear reflective fabric, which offers 360-degree visibility.

A squeezable, double-walled bottle, Nathan’s design holds approximately 20 oz./600 ml. We’ve found it to be easy to drink from and comfortable to hold. While we’re partial to the Jet Valve design commonly found on CamelBaks, Nathan’s Push-Pull cap was not difficult to use. We could easily open and close the cap while on the run or pull the cap open with our teeth if we needed to keep a hand free. However, definitely remember that you should always close the cap when not in use. Let’s just say we had an unfortunate (and quite wet) incident in the car when we forgot to push the cap closed and let the bottle roll around on the passenger seat.

One downside to using this bottle on the bike, however, was its circumference. The Fire & Ice bottle is about 10mm smaller in total circumference than a 21oz CamelBak Podium Chill. And while that may not seem like a lot to some of us, anyone who has launched a bottle mid-ride will attest to the fact that 10mm can make a big difference. This is why we never conduct our first tests with a bottle out on the road. We’ll use a bottle for the first time while on the trainer in order to get a feel for just how securely it fits in our cage and how well we can grab it when in the saddle. It was during our first test ride on the trainer when we noticed how easily the Fire & Ice bottle could slip from our cage. Because of this, we never attempted to use the Fire & Ice bottle on the road.

The bottle’s slimmer circumference did make for a great bottle for the run or leaving by the side of the pool, however. In fact, we found ourselves selecting the Fire & Ice bottle more often for our early morning runs knowing that its reflective qualities would help us stand out to motorists before the sun came up.

Finally, cleaning the bottle was simple since it’s dishwasher safe (top rack only). And even after numerous washes the bottle and cap still function just as well as they did when they were brand new.