Elite Nanogelite water bottle review

Getting a drink at the right temperature is a difficult task when you are out riding. On a hot summer day it can be a bit unpleasant drinking tepid energy drink, while during the winter it’s a definite shock to the system to take a slug of freezing liquid – or slush. So the Elite Nanogelite water bottle is potentially a godsend, as it has an insulating layer of “nanogel” between the outer bottle and its inner container, which is claimed to be the lightest solid insulation in the world. It’s also soft enough to be able to squeeze the bottle to get the liquid out faster.

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I’ve tested the Nanogelite’s cold weather performance over the last few months and it definitely helps keep the contents above ambient temperature for several hours. I have been filling it up with tepid water from the kettle before setting out – it can’t take temperatures above 40 degrees. Taking a small swig from it every hour, the contents were still warm after an hour and still above ambient after three hours. By four hours they were pretty much down to the outside temperature.

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It helps to have a fullish bottle though, as the larger volume will take longer to cool down and will not slosh around as much as you travel, reducing mixing and cooling. Taking less measured slurps during rides resulted in much quicker cooling. So if you’re going to set off with two bottles, this would be a good option to save until you’ve finished the first, to make keeping your fluid levels up in the latter part of a ride a bit more comfortable.

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Of course, with the insulation layer the volume of the bottle is reduced. So although the Elite Nanogelite water bottle is the same size as a 750ml uninsulated bottle it only has a capacity of 500ml. There’s an even larger version available too, with a capacity of 650ml. The two parts are sealed together so there’s no risk of getting fluid between them or of the insulation escaping. The bottle comes with a secondary cap, which I like during the winter as it keeps you from having to drink through a layer of road muck.

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I’ve not had the chance to test the bottle’s insulating properties in hot weather yet though – roll on July!