The Lifeline Lightweight Carbon water bottle cage is the top-tier product from Wiggle’s own-brand range.
It sits above the Alloy bottle cage and Essential one-piece plastic cage, and is pitched by the brand as ‘ideal for anyone looking to shed some weight on their cycle’.
Lifeline Lightweight Carbon water bottle cage design
The cage is made from two different carbon weaves, using 3K on the inside and UD on the outside. UD – uni-directional – is typically used for its strength in a specific orientation, aiding the structural integrity of the product.
The material has a highly polished finish and is glossy and smooth to the touch, with well-rounded edges. The cage has no decals or markings to denote the brand or add decoration, but the cage shape itself is relatively aesthetic.
This design is only available in carbon – for both material and colour.
Lifeline says the shape of the cage allows for easy access from either side of the bike, and the design features a high front barrier to guide the bottle into the main body.
The top frame mount eyelet is slightly covered by the barrier but there’s enough space to allow for easy bolt access.
The eyelets themselves are small, with only the top eyelet slightly elongated, so there is no room for any height adjustment on the frame.
In hand, the Lifeline Lightweight Carbon cage feels flimsy and the carbon feels very thin, flexing a lot under little pressure.
Lifeline Lightweight Carbon water bottle cage performance
The Lifeline Lightweight Carbon cage had a very firm grip on the bottles tested, making bottle retrieval quite difficult. The overall shape worked well for bottle replacement, with the high, wide front barrier guiding bottles in well.
Despite the smooth finish and edges, the cage did scuff some of the bottles due to the tight fit, and the cage itself had several marks on the inside after use.
The cage came in at 19g on our scales, just 1g over the manufacturer’s stated weight, which sits it at the competitive end of the spectrum for carbon cages.
At ?26.99, it is also very cheap in comparison to other carbon bottle cages, however it should be noted that the performance does seem to suffer as a result.
Overall, the Lifeline Lightweight Carbon water bottle cage would work best for those determined to shave weight on a budget, but it definitely compromises on quality.
Want to see the best tried and tested bottle cages? See our full bottle cages reviewed buyer’s guide.
