For runners, hydration bladders are undeniably better than having to stop and grab a sip of water through a bottle. One of the biggest drawbacks is not having a clue how much water is left. In many cases, it isn’t a problem but for more serious runners, the last they’d want to happen is to have empty hydration bladder with miles left to go.
The Hydrate Mate is a simple solution to what can be an annoying or even dangerous problem. It’s a small, Bluetooth-enabled attachment placed at the end of the hydration bladder’s tube and it’s opening that measures the pressure of the bladder itself, with an algorithm to maintain accurate readings no matter its orientation. These measurements are fed into its iOS/Android app to inform users of water levels through their run.
Weighing in under one pound and with a desert trip-worthy 3,888 hours of battery life, Hydrate Mate is a subtle but effective addition to a runner’s arsenal of goodies. Each goes for about $29 and is expected in July 2016. Its Indiegogo campaign is looking for about $17,300 by February 23rd, 2016.
While ideas like Hydras give runners another option when it comes to hydration bladders, it wasn’t well designed. Instead of being something brand new, the Hydrate Mate works with pretty much all bladders on the market, giving it a versatility other products can’t compete with. For those who really dislike hydration bladders, cool ideas like he REALJ might work instead.