CamelBak Zephyr Pro Review: Should You Wait for the Apex Pro?

Introduction

The CamelBak Zephyr Pro has been with us for around a month of testing on both short, quick efforts and longer runs carrying a full load of kit. It sits at £140 in the UK, directly competing with vests like the Salomon Advanced Skin 12 set, the Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest and the Inov-8 Ultra Pack Pro. At the same time, CamelBak has been showing off its upcoming Apex Pro vest, which appears to address several of the Zephyr Pro’s weak points. Here is how the current vest stacks up, and whether it is worth buying now or waiting for what comes next.

Construction and Fit

The bulk of the vest is built from an engineered knitted mesh arranged in two layers with a cavity in the centre, which slightly lifts the vest away from the body to help airflow and breathability. It is a very similar approach to the Salomon Advanced Skin 12 set.

The fabrics and finishing are genuinely excellent. The attention to detail in the manufacturing is some of the best we have seen on a hydration vest, and it looks durable enough to hold up to the wear and tear these packs take over a season of racing and training.

Front Storage and Pockets

On the front, two large pockets hold the included 500ml soft flasks, each with a bungee loop inside to stop the bottles slipping down as they empty. That alone solves one of the most common annoyances with soft flask pockets, but CamelBak goes further with an additional bungee that cinches down over the top for extra security.

Above the flask pockets sit two zip pockets, one of which includes a handy key clip. They are secure but not generous, and squeezing in a mobile phone is a tight fit even with a smaller handset. A lined stuff pocket handles empty gel and bar wrappers, and below the flask pockets are two large stuff pockets with rubber grippers and side access points that make grabbing items on the move easier.

Pole Carrying Quiver

The standout feature is the pole quiver, which comes included with the vest rather than as a paid extra. It attaches with a couple of press studs, unclips at the top, and stows away in an internal pocket built into the vest when not in use.

The opening is noticeably larger than competing systems, which makes stowing or retrieving poles while running far easier. Compared with quivers that need to be clipped and tied on in an unclear way, this is a well thought through design.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Zephyr Pro is a one-size-fits-all vest, adjusted via straps on the sides and front. CamelBak has done a good job with adjustability and the vest ran comfortably, but dedicated sizing usually delivers a better fit and performance. The side straps also eliminate the large accessible side stuff pockets that many runners rely on.

Storage is tighter than the claimed 12 litres suggests once the soft flasks are loaded. On a 16-mile trail run with just two flasks, a couple of gels and a phone, accessible space was limited. The narrow opening to the rear main compartment is the other sticking point: fitting a cinched dry bag inside was awkward, and refilling a bladder at a race checkpoint would be tricky with the current zipper placement.

The Upcoming Apex Pro

CamelBak’s Apex Pro, previewed ahead of launch, looks like a direct response to these complaints. It gains a wide diagonal zip across the main compartment for far easier access, moves to specific sizing rather than one-size-fits-all, adds two large side pockets for more accessible storage, and keeps the excellent pole carrying system. On paper it addresses every major issue found with the Zephyr Pro while retaining the strengths.

Buying Advice

The Zephyr Pro remains a genuinely well made vest with superb materials, secure flask storage and the best-in-class included pole quiver. But if you are not in a hurry, the Apex Pro looks like the smarter purchase: better access, better sizing options and more usable storage at what should be a similar position in the range. Waiting for its launch is the recommendation unless you find the Zephyr Pro at a significant discount.

Conclusion

The Zephyr Pro proves CamelBak can build a premium, thoughtfully finished hydration vest, and its pole carrying system is genuinely excellent. The one-size fit, limited accessible storage and narrow rear opening hold it back, though, and the upcoming Apex Pro looks set to fix all three. For most trail runners, the new model is worth the wait.