Article by Renee Krusemark
Compressport Free Belt Pro ($53)
Renee: The Free Belt Pro features a single mesh compartment all around the belt and is meant for up to about 6 hour storage on the trail according to Compressport
The front has two “bib number toggles” to avoid safety pins. While the belt is one, large compartment, the top is sewn in three areas, once in front and twice in back, to prevent large items from falling out. The front has two “grab” loops and the back has one, which helps to open the compartment space to grab items.
The belt has two silicone loops for poles in the back, although I thought the loops were too large/loose for my Leki poles.
Compressport states the loops are for “less-technical” sections. I had too much bounce to keep poles there, but large diameterr poles might be more secure.
I have a size small in the belt, the same size I wear for apparel/shorts/pants. The belt is snug and secure. I wear it at my hips. At my natural waist, the belt starts to bunch.
I did shove my Gorewear WindStopper jacket in the belt along with my phone and a flask. It was bulky, but it fita. I have an older version of the same belt from (maybe?) 2020. This version has more stretch and bunches less, likely because of the stretch in the fabric.
For storage, the belt works great with a 500ml flask in the back, my phone in the front, and gels/food items along the side. While the compartment is one area, I had no issues with items shifting. My phone stayed in the front and the flask in the back. On cold days, I had issues grabbing the loops to open the compartment, otherwise when running I often forgot I had a flask and phone around my waist. While two flasks could fit, it’s not my preference to have that much around my waist.
I wore the belt with the Trail Racing Shorts because I was testing both items, although I prefer the belt with tights. The belt causes my shorts to bunch because I wear it at my hips. When wearing tights, no problems.
The belt is a great alternative to a vest when less capacity is needed. I recommend the belt for shorter efforts when 500ml of fluids are needed along with small items (phone, gels, gloves, hat, etc...).
Tester Profile
Renee is a former U.S. Marine journalist, which is when her enjoyment of running and writing started. She isn’t that awesome of a runner, but she tries really hard. Most of her weekly 50-60 miles take place on rural country roads in Nebraska, meaning mud, gravel, dirt, hills, and the occasional field. She has PR’s of 1:30:59 for the half marathon and 3:26:45 for the marathon.
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