Raide 2L Review: One year & 2,825 miles later.
I’ve worn the Raide 2L now on every single run for a whole year. That has included two 100 milers, a 50 mile, a 50k, a road marathon, a 24-hour, and numerous short trail and road races.
After all those miles, it has proven to be an excellent piece of gear. The 650ml soft flask with the locking mouthpiece is awesome. Throughout the year I’d debated getting a second, since you can ostensibly stack two on top of each other in the back pouch, but never found it necessary and instead ran with a handheld bottle when needed.
Retrieving and returning the bottle into the pouch mid-run takes some practice at first, but it’s no problem once you get the hang of it. The only issues I’ve run into is securing the snap closure. Especially during winter runs with gloves. Sometimes I’ve found myself really struggling to get it, but good news is that everything still stays in place relatively well even if the button is undone.
The small zip pocket within the back pouch is handy. Great for holding ID, cards, keys, good-luck charms, etc. Anything that you do not need regular access to, as it’s a little difficult to retrieve items from it when the flask is full.
I had heard complaints about the inner velcro straps losing their grip over time. While they aren’t as fresh as day one (and clearly I’ve neglected cleaning them out), they still hold on great most of the time. The only downside is when the front pouch is full of stuff and you’re constantly getting stuff in and out, the Velcro is likely to become undone. But it’s not really a hassle to reattach the strap when that happens.
Regarding the straps, you may notice that the design leaves two openings on either side of the front pouch. It is indeed possible for things to fall out, but over all my miles it’s only ever happened once (a rolled up bag of gummy candy). It sometimes requires some strategic placement of items in order to keep smaller items from potentially falling out. Placing bulkier items by those openings, and smaller things towards the center seems to do the trick.
The two inside pouches against the body are a great concept, but I have never really found a good use for them (except keys). If you are wearing the belt properly, they are somewhat inconvenient to access. I’ve heard people say they like to store their empty gel packets in there, but it’s always been easier to shove them in my shorts pocket.
I never run with poles, so I cannot vouch for the pole storage on the back. It seems like one of the major downsides to this design, as you’d likely have to loosen the cords in order to access the soft flask.
However, I’ve found another great use for the cords in the back. In times when I’ve needed extra storage for long races or run-commutes, I found a way to attach a “saddlebag”. I got a 3L roll-top dry bag and sewed a D-ring onto the bottom. I can secure the dry bag closed around the side of the belt, then use a small carabiner to attach the D-ring to the back cord. It has worked great with no extra bounce when filled smart and secured well. Still having plenty of access to the front pouch.
Lastly, it’s just such a comfortable piece to wear. No bounce, no chafe, and it’s simply a pleasure to use no matter the distance. I wore it for every single run for a year, and I would feel naked without it now.
To sum it up:
Pros: super comfortable, functional, no bounce, durable, easy to use, high-quality soft flask, possible to Frankenstein extra storage if needed, overall a smart design and high quality materials.
Cons: snap-button on back pouch can be a pain sometimes, pole storage could complicate flask access, Velcro straps can come undone if front pouch is overfilled/getting a lot of use, careful of openings on either side of the front pouch, and if you wear a race bib on your shorts, put the belt on first before attaching your bib. 😂
Overall: Definitely worth the investment and a valuable piece of gear to add to your inventory. The overall ease of use and convenience of this belt outweigh the downsides. I’ll continue to use this until it literally falls apart.