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Waist-mounted fluid carrying systems have been around for decades, but the standard design has been revolutionized over the past couple of years. Runners no longer hassle with hard-sided bottles that take up space, hard-to-access cargo compartments and uncontrollable bouncing that causes chafing and discomfort. Modern fluid belts have been re-designed to carry leak-proof soft flasks, include 360 degrees of easily accessible storage and keep significant loads of gear and fluids stable when running at high speeds. Here are a variety of belts we recently tested that were comfortable and easy to use while running long miles out on the trails.

Raide UL 1L Running Belt ($119)

*Includes 500ml flask

Raide’s initial product launch was focused on their breakthrough LF 2L Running Belt which was designed to replace a standard hydration vest. The UL 1L is a minimalist belt that utilizes similar design aspects and is intended as an all-purpose trainer for everyday workouts and shorter distance racing. Fluid capacity for the UL 1L is a 500ml Hydrapak soft flask (as opposed to 650ml on the 2L Belt) that has a locking cap and is stored in a rear compartment with snap closure that’s easy to open or close while on the move. The pocket has a 2mm layer of foam with ventilation holes and adds structure and some weight to this belt, but also improves comfort and stability while keeping the fluid insulated from body heat. Even with the foam layer, this belt is incredibly lightweight at only 3.4oz for a size medium.

A primary innovation in Raide’s belts is a suspension system that utilizes pull cords on either side of the body to tighten the fabric and eliminate bouncing of back pocket contents. The streamlined version employed on the 1L belt works just as effectively as the more robust version on the 2L. The top circumference of the belt is 4 inches smaller than the bottom, creating an anatomic fit that further improves stability against the body.

Storage areas are contiguous throughout the circumference of the belt, with one very small zipper pocket and two small stash pouches separated by an extra fabric layer, while bungee cords on the back provide attachments for poles or jackets. We found the overall system to work very well at keeping the entire load secure for efficient movement. Available at www.raideresearch.com.

UltrAspire Mountain Racer Waist Pack ($125)

*Includes 800ml flask

A new addition to UltrAspire’s extensive lineup of running belts, this model is distinctive for its large carrying capacity and robust construction, giving it high durability and versatility. It is the heaviest belt in our test group at 4.8oz, but it has an impressively lightweight feel in comparison to the amount of fluid and gear it can transport. The belt’s total carrying capacity is 3L, and it comes with an 800ml soft flask with locking cap which is easily stored in an expansive rear compartment. The rear compartment has two padded panels, and two additional large side pockets have compression straps and cord locks to fasten gear securely. Removable external cord attachments can fasten poles or jackets to the outside of the belt.

The Mountain Racer has the most expansive front storage of any belt we tested, combining a massive kangaroo-style pocket with a separate internal phone sleeve and a layered zippered pocket for efficient organization of items. One design element we love with this belt is its compatibility with UltrAspire’s line of Lumen waist-mounted lamps which are sold separately. All Lumen waist lamps come with a bracket mounting piece that can be placed on the Mountain Racer belt, so users can combine lighting and storage in one piece of gear. Although there aren’t any adjustment mechanisms here, this belt has a lightly compressive fit that rides comfortably and keeps bouncing to a minimum even when fully loaded. Available at www.ultraspire.com.

Osprey Duro Dyna Pro Running Belt ($60)

*Flask sold separately ($20)

Osprey typically separates genders designated in their Duro men’s and Dyna women’s product lines, but this belt is a rare unisex model from the company that just combines their names to indicate that it fits every body. The belt is part of a series-wide update to Duro and Dyna models that features lighter and softer material construction, as well as the Pro series that incorporates additional design elements in collaboration with Osprey’s professional athlete team. It has a very comfortable feel with soft airmesh material and light ventilation patterns on the sides. The belt is distinctive in that it is open in the front section, with only elastic closure cords crossing the midline. This design provides a smaller footprint around the waist, maximizes front ventilation, keeps weight low (3.2oz for size M/L) and provides a large range of adjustability for different body sizes. The Duro Dyna belt only comes in two size options, but each of these is adjustable to accommodate multiple waistlines.

Versatile storage options include removable bungee cord attachments that allow you to carry poles or a jacket across the front or back, in a horizontal or diagonal direction. There is impressive capacity for a belt that is not fully wraparound, with four drop-in pockets on the sides, and rear options that include a flask compartment, large secure zipper pocket and a full pass-through layer accessible from either side. Osprey has innovated their Hydraulic 500ml soft flasks to include internal (and removable) stabilizers to maintain structure and prevent bouncing on the move, with a high flow bite valve and large twist-top for efficient drinking and refilling. Available at www.osprey.com.

Salomon ADV Skin Seamless Belt ($45)

*Flask sold separately ($28)

If you’re familiar with the fit and feel of Salomon’s ADV Skin vests, you understand how this belt is designed. It utilizes a soft and highly breathable mesh fabric that hugs the body for a secure fit and even weight distribution, with a seamless interior surface against the body to eliminate friction. This belt has the softest feel of any we have tested, rests comfortably against bare skin and also has very efficient ventilation and moisture-wicking capacity, with an overall sense of barely noticing it unless it is fully loaded on all sides. The fabric also incorporates X-Shape technology that combines a mix of high-stretch stretch and high-support materials in an X formation, similar to having diagonal support straps across the cargo areas to stabilize the load and minimize bouncing. A small measure (13%) of elastane helps provide stretchiness in key areas while maintaining overall tension to keep the pockets secure.

Layout of the cargo areas is quite simple, as the belt is essentially a double layer of fabric, fused along the entire bottom circumference along with a few stitched connections on the top rim. This results in 360 degrees of continuous storage, with the connection points on top designating a few access points in lieu of traditional pocket or pouch configurations. Aside from dual bungee attachments on the back side, there are no extraneous construction elements, which helps keep the ADV Skin remarkably lightweight at just 3oz. Normally we prefer at least one zipper compartment for securing valuables, but the 6-inch height and overall compression of this belt put us at ease for cargo security. Because it’s a continuous storage compartment, hydration flasks can be easily positioned anywhere you prefer. Compatible 500ml flasks are sold separately. Available at www.salomon.com.

Black Diamond Distance Run Belt ($30)

*Flask sold separately ($20)

This is another sleek, minimalist belt that feels almost weightless and is the lightest in our test group at only 2.8oz. Engineered mesh fabric has 35% elastane content for a large degree of stretchiness that allows users to stuff the pockets with larger items. This belt also has an innovative “foldable” construction, like one continuous piece of fabric folded vertically onto itself, which completely eliminates a bottom hem line, effectively improving comfort while decreasing weight and material utilization; Black Diamond claims this process also makes the belt more sustainable to produce.

The Distance Run Belt offers storage capacity all around the body, with cargo areas separated by vertical seams into four compartments: larger pouches in the front and rear, either of which can accommodate a soft flask, with slightly smaller pouches on the sides. Inside the left hip pouch is an internal key leash, and the exterior of the rear compartment has elastic attachments for Z poles. This belt is distinctive in that the pole straps are stitched down in the center, which is ideal for storing two poles separately but limits the ability to use these external attachments for a jacket in the same way bungee cord attachments might do on other belts. The recommended flask size for this belt is 500ml, sold separately in the Black Diamond website. Available at www.blackdiamondequipment.com.