The UltrAspire Astral Vest is the most recent purchase I’ve made for my running kit.
By recent I mean *cough* a year ago *cough*.
I actually bought this vest just before Afterglow last year.
I know, it’s taken me far too long to do this review, but it’s here. FINALLY.
I loved my Salomon vest, and it served me well.
My decision to sell my vest came down to a few factors:
- It didn’t have the option to hold a water bottle in the front pocket.
- I got chaffing on my neckline if I didn’t wear a long sleeve top
- Didn’t see the point of having 2 hydration systems.
I sold my vest, and took the plunge into this hydration system, after falling in love with my Quantum Belt.
The UltrAspire Astral Vest is a women’s specific vest.
Designed in a way so it doesn’t squish the boobs, it’s a comfortable fit, simple style, and adjustable to fit all sizes.
Astral Features
- Weight: 243g (without Bladder) 384g with
- Capacity: 5.5L (not including Bladder pocket)
- Women’s design harness to fit your shape
- Boot Hook style attachments
- Big hoop zipper loops that are easy to grab and open
- Soft touch edging
- Left front sweatproof pocket with zipper
- The right front pocket has a stretch top opening and easily fits a small water bottle.
- Includes an UltrAspire 2L hydration bladder with graduated markings, a push/pull valve to deliver a high flow rate and a Plug-N-Play tube attachment.
- The sweatproof pocket on the right shoulder strap closes with a magnet
Astral Love
There are a few things that I LOVE about this vest.
The Fit
My first reaction when I saw pictures of the vest was “BOOBS”.
However, once you have it on, the fact that it doesn’t squash your chest makes up for it.
The Astral is soft, comfortable and moulds to fit.
The Bladder
UltrAspire has a winner with the design of this bladder.
The bladder hose has a plug-and-play feature, so you can fill your bladder up without having to plug the hose plugged in.
Another unique feature is the slide clip lid, which seals the bladder.
The Pockets
With two different style variations, they are both functional.
The left pocket is sweatproof and perfect for fitting your phone or camera.
The right pocket with its stretch top feature makes it easy to stuff in your rubbish or store another water bottle.
Astral Improvements
I would happily pay an extra $30-50 for this pack if it included the following:
- A clip or magnetic loop to hold the bladder hose to the vest at the front.
- A whistle
- A collapsible cup or bottle.
- A slightly bigger storage section.
Final Thoughts
The main difference between my Salomon vest and the Astral vest is the volume capacity.
If you are looking for a hydration vest and only need to carry minimal mandatory gear, then this is the pack for you.
The UltrAspire Astral vest is best suited for for middle distance trail runs from 20-40km.
Comfort, lightweight and stylish, it ticks the boxes for me.
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