Skratch Labs CamelBak Podium Waterbottle

Compared with a simple bottle, the Skratch Labs Camelbak Podium has a host of clever additions, including a Jet Valve nozzle for fast delivery, a sealing twist-lock mouthpiece, and a wide top for easy filling. The overall width means it's not great with all bottle cages, though.

• Pros: Jet Valve nozzle, twist-lock stops any leaking, wide mouth for easy filling
• Cons: Doesn't fit in all cages

There are so many little nuances to the humble bidon that can either elevate one to greatness or sink it to the average. Camelbak's Podium has a few key features that make it stand out, mostly revolving around the technology in the nozzle.

> Buy this online here

The design means that a squeeze of the bottle delivers a jet of fluid, allowing you to get liquid fast without needing to suck at the bottle or tip it excessively to get some flow. Sure, it's a bit of a marginal gain, but when there's little to differentiate products in the bottle market, it makes quite a difference.

Another key feature of the nozzle is that the mouthpiece can actually be pulled out in order to clean it effectively, meaning that you can actually drink your chosen fluid and not some gunge that has accumulated in the mouthpiece. The wide opening also helps with cleaning, as you can get a brush or sponge into the bottle itself easily if washing up by hand.

And the nozzle-tech goes on, with the twisting valve closure. A simple twist of the nozzle seals up the mouthpiece, preventing any liquid escaping. It works really well; when the nozzle is locked, there's absolutely no chance of you losing any precious liquid. Personally, I find this slightly unnecessary for when you're riding – I've never experienced a bottle that leaks water from the nozzle as I pedal. However, it does come in super-handy for transport, when you're travelling to an event or the gym and throw some filled bottles in a kit bag.

The Skratch Labs bottle is 710ml, bridging the gap between typical small bottles of around 500ml, which I find a bit too small, and 800-1000ml bottles, which feel too big. The see-through plastic is useful for seeing how much liquid you have left – I dislike bottles where the outer is filled in with colour and you cannot truly tell how much is inside.

> How to fuel right for sportives and long rides

You can pay a lot less than £7.95 for a water bottle, but I'd say it's a fair price given the technology and the Podium's robust build. It's not alone at eight quid – it's virtually the same as the Zefal Z20 at £7.99 – and there are plenty more expensive ones.

However, there is one major flaw to the bottle: the extra width of the main body is great for cleaning, and easy filling with fluid and powder, but it doesn't agree with all cages. I tried the bottle in a few different bottle cages and in some – the worst case being the Elite Vico – it was simply too wide. So before investing in one of these otherwise extremely good bottles, I recommend you check that you can actually transport it.

Verdict

An excellent bottle with great technical features, and robust build, just a few mm of width from greatness