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review
Bottles
Camelbak Podium Ice bottleCamelbak Podium Ice

Camelbak Podium Ice bottle

7
by George Hill
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jan 12, 2015

6
£21.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Keeps your drink hot or cold, but shape means it doesn't fit perfectly in a cage
Weight: 
140g
Contact: 
www.zyro.com
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The Camelback Podium Ice doesn't just carry liquid for you to drink when you need it, but also is designed to keep it cool or warm for up to four times longer than a regular bottle.

It achieves that goal. I found it kept water cold and tea warm for considerably longer than my other bottles.

I tested it against a regular bottle during a cold ride with a warm drink and where the regular bottle lost heat within around 30 minutes, the liquid in the Podium Ice was still warm around two hours later.

The bottle itself carries 620ml. This is certainly enough for a regular ride for me alongside another bottle.

However, I had some small issues with the bottle's other features.

Because it lacks the narrower section most bottles have for the top of the cage to grab, it does not fit as nicely in my bottle cage. Even though it did not slip out during testing, I did notice that it didn't quite fit properly.

The Podium Ice uses the same cap design as other Camelbak bottles, which the maker calls Jet Valve. A 90-degree turn of the dial locks it so that it can't leak if you're carrying it in a bag. On the bike you should be able to leave it open as water is kept in place by a valve that opens when you squeeze the bottle or suck on the mouthpiece.

Other road.cc staffers have used standard Podium bottles like this and found it works well. However, I found that because the bottle didn't fit snuggly in the cages I used, it would occasionally lose water due to the additional squeezing on the sides.

That meant I had to keep it locked on the bike, which made taking a drink a two-handed operation, which is certainly not ideal.

The Podium Ice does seem to be well constructed and I would be confident that it would be fine after multiple falls and refills. However, at £22, I am not sure that the price is justified.

In terms of keeping liquid hot or cold it certainly excels, but there are better cycling bottles if you don't need the temperature maintenance.

Overall, as a general-purpose water bottle to keep drinks cool or hot then it is fantastic. If it is specifically for cycling, then it works ok, but the combination of the Jet Valve and the lack of a narrow section to properly seat the bottle in the cage is certainly a drawback.

Verdict

Keeps your drink hot or cold, but shape means it doesn't fit perfectly in a cage

road.cc test report

Make and model: Camelbak Podium Ice

Size tested: Red - available in January

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The product is for cyclists or athletes who want to maintain the temperature of their drink. This works for both hot and cold drinks.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

- Aerogel Insulation keeps water cold four times as long as regular sport bottles

- 21 oz (610ml) water capacity

- Innovative, self-sealing Jet Valve™ eliminates splatters and spills.

- Lightweight, easy-squeeze bottle delivers the right flow to quench your thirst

- Removable nossle for easy cleaning

- 100% Free of BPA and BPS

- TruTaste™ polypropylene with HydroGuard™ lets you taste your water, not your bottle.

- Positive lockout for leakproof transport

- Wide-mouth opening is easy to fill with ice and water and a breeze to clean

- Also keeps warm beverages warm during cool weather rides

- CamelBak® Got Your Bak™ Guarantee: If we built it, we'll Bak it™ with our lifetime guarantee.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Seems to be well made and would survive multiple drops, falls and years of use.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

The flow is good and a small squeeze gets a good amount of liquid out of the bottle. However, it is worth noting that the twisting aspect of using the bottle and lack of a ridge to keep it securely in a cage are a drawback in terms of cycling specific use. It also works well in terms of keeping liquids at your desired temperature.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

I would be happy to say that this is a bottle that would last for a long time and with the lack of BPA and BPS, would be safe to use for the foreseeable future.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

At £22 it would be acceptable if it had some slightly easier to use features. Having a lateral cap release mechanism would be a benefit for cycling and it lacks the narrow band that many bike bottles have to keep it in the cage.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It kept drinks warm/cold and had a good flow of liquid, however in terms of cycling use, it could be better.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked the temperature regulation and maintenance as well as the amount of liquid that could flow once you squeezed the bottle.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The lack of cycling specific features, particularly the lateral twisting of the cap release.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, but for off the bike, more for other sports than for cycling.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, but for other sports.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,

 

Camelbak Podium Ice
Camelbak
George Hill

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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6 comments

Avatar
Luther Blisset | 9 years ago
0 likes

Love the bottle, but I too have the fitting problem with my Elite cages. It's just that little bit too big for a perfect fit. I've never had it fall out, but the bottle doesn't slide fully in.
Other features do make up for it, such as the nozzle you can take apart to clean.

Avatar
Airzound | 9 years ago
0 likes

£22 for a plastic bottle! That would certainly give me the hump.

Avatar
DavidC | 9 years ago
1 like

I've been using these for years in very hot desert conditions and their insulation is great, definitely worth the trade-off of lower water volume.

Unless there has been a redesign of the bottle shape, it is hard for me to imagine this bottle cage issue. The bottle in the photo is a bit different from the ones I have, and I've never had a single issue, nor heard of one from anyone else.

Even if it is necessary open the valve before a drink, it is easy to reach down and turn the valve before extracting it from the cage, all with one hand and just taking an extra second.

Avatar
normste | 9 years ago
1 like

I've got 3 Camelbak podium bottles, two of them chill versions, and they definitely keep drinks cooler .... were perfect during the summer .... although not sure I would like to have paid £22 each for them? I'm sure the two of them cost about half the price of one of the Ice bottles? I've never had any issues with them in my (cheap) XLC cages but I usually only take drinks once stopped, so have never had to release or replace them on the move? Find the nozzles tend to leak slightly on the move when the bottles are full, small price to pay for an excellent bottle though!!

Avatar
massspike | 9 years ago
0 likes

What type of bottle cage were you using? I've used the previous version of this bottle and have noticed that I need to periodically adjust my cages to accommodate them. This is particularly so after a summer of freezing 1/2 full bottles before rides (ice takes more space, widens the bottle, distorts the cage). I use cheap Zefal cages which can be pressed/pulled to fine tune the fit. I have often though that more expensive, more rigid, CF cages would be problematic.

Also, how soft did the bottles get when you added hot liquid? The originals got dangerously soft...the cap could be popped off if you squeezed them too much...not something you want to happen with very hot tea or chocolate. I now use a Stanley One Hand Vacuum Mug...heavier but more practical (imho).

Avatar
arrieredupeleton | 9 years ago
1 like

Never had a problem with the cage gripping the bottle personally. I use the ever dependable Elite Ciussi Gel bottle cages.

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