There is something oddly satisfying about drinking cold water, especially when you’re a few hours into a ride. As temperatures rise, so will the water/drink mix inside your bottles, so like most cyclists we use insulated water bottles in summer. However, by their nature, insulated water bottles are larger and heavier more than traditional bottles. If you’re a weight weenie who counts each gram but still wants to enjoy cold beverages, Elite has you covered with their latest NANOFLY insulated water bottles. Based on the popular FLY bottles, the NANOFLY utilizes ultra-light Nanogel structure to achieve upto 4 hours of thermal insulation. Elite claims the NANOFLY is the “world’s lightest thermal bottle” with a claimed weight of only 109g (note weighed 118g on our scales) with a 500ml capacity.
The Elite NANOFLY bottles can keep your liquids cold for multiple hours without the weight of traditional insulated bottles.
| Rating | 8.2/10 |
| Retail Price | $39.99 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 118 (500ml) |
| Likes | + Lightweight construction + Easy to clean cap and nozzle + Squishy and flexible design |
| Dislikes | – Premium price – Only available in solid color schemes – Simple push-pull valve |
| Where to Buy (US) | Todson |
UNBOXING
If you are looking for some unboxing therapy, you’ll be disappointed with this one. We received the three (note, the 500ml size is the only size) color variations currently available for the NANOFLY. Each bottle came with a simple cardboard tag with some basic information about Elite which is easily removed by popping off the nozzle from the cap.
FIT & FINISH
Elite has kept the design of the NANOFLY bottles quite similar to the FLY bottles it’s based on. That means the NANOFLY has simple and straight lines with a constant diameter around the main body with a indentation near the center to match the tabs on standard water bottles. The bottle also features the standard 74mm diameter which means it fits snug and securely on most water bottle cages. In addition to adding style, the vertical ridges in the main portion of the bottle help make the NANOFLY slip less when being held. What’s impressive is the Nanogel insulation material that keeps the bottles light and nearly as soft and squishable as the FLY bottles.
In terms of nozzle and cap, the NANOFLY utilizes the same basic push-pull mechanism as the FLY. Color matched with the body of the bottle, the cap has a flat top and thin design. The large diameter nozzle for high-flow is surrounded by soft rubber surround. One of the big perks of this design is that it’s easy to clean and only has two parts: the removable nozzle tip and the cap. It lacks some of the features of the multi-piece and complicated membrane style caps of the CamelBak Podium or Polar Breakaway but makes up for it by being very easy to clean and drink from. Note, there is no locking mechanism on the cap so while you can close them by pushing down the valve you should pack them carefully to prevent them from opening.
While we’ll have to come back in the summer to do a proper thermal comparison against other insulated bottles, we found the NANOFLY lived upto its multi-hour insulation claim. Even after multi-hour rides, the fluids remained cold and refreshing. While the NANOFLY is a light bottle, don’t expect to win any PRs just because of them. They tipped our scales at 118g (a few grams heavier than claimed) which is only 6g lighter than the ICE FLY we’ve previously reviewed. Taking into the fact that the NANOFLY has double the thermal effect of the ICE FLY, it is an impressive achievement.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found that the Elite NANOFLY water bottles have great insulation properties yet still remain flexible and squishable. Although we don’t know if the NANOFLY really is the lightest insulated bottle in the world, it’s lighter than similar insulated bottles we’ve reviewed. It’s only available in a 500ml capacity currently, but with the three color variations and simple branding, the bottles look great on any bike. While the retail price would suggest there is gold leafing or perhaps a crystal bedazzled Elite logo on the bottle, at least at the time of this review it’s available for nearly half price at many retailers. At a discounted price, the NANOFLY is a great option for those looking for an insulated water bottle that’s still squishable and doesn’t add too many grams to your bike.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Elite. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.