Thursday, November 12, 2015

The 6 Best Running Jackets: Which One is Right for You?

Buying Guides

With the weather about to turn lung-shreddingly cold, it’s time to invest in your outerwear

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For the Man Who… Has a Brilliant Beard

We’ve heard plenty of excuses for ditching an evening run, but “I can’t, running hurts my beard” has got to be one of the best. The experts at apparel giant Ashmei have clearly heard that one before, and consequently developed this, a jacket that prevents mid-exercise beard irritation by incorporating a offset zipper. You’ll be pleased to know there’s some far more impressive tech in this jacket than just a face fuzz-saver, such as stretch merino wool to help regulate your body temperature.

Ashmei Nightrunner, £200 ashmei.com

For the Man Who… Burns Up Mid-Run

The weather’s been all-out bonkers these past few years, with warmest Novembers on record here and wettest ever summers there, so the likelihood of getting your running layers totally right is pretty slim. If you regularly feel the heat mid-route, a super-light but super-resistant jacket is what you’re after. There’s no need to hang your excess layers on a tree if you start to burn up: this one neatly packs into a bundle for you to pocket when conditions change.

Nike Enchanted Impossibly Light, £80 store.nike.com

For the Man Who… Likes to Be Seen

The last thing your jog needs is to for you to make it to the hospital in a personal-best time, so with these darker nights comes the needs for better, motorist-friendly visibility. This jacket is Saucony’s “ultimate in visible protection”, with 360° high reflectivity when the lights are low, but no-nonsense stylishness when the lights are up.

Saucony Sonic Reflex, £100 saucony.co.uk

For the Man Who… Prefers to Keep Things Simple

As he cheapest of the bunch, it’s no surprise that the Brooks LSD focuses on basics – and it covers them pretty darn well. Impressively lightweight, effective against the elements and with the unexpected bonus of a media port zipper pull (you’d be amazed how many jackets still don’t have one), this has all the important stuff nailed.

Brooks LSD, £75 brooksrunning.com

For the Man Who… Runs to Work

A filth-caked, ill-fitting jacket never helped anyone win a boardroom pitch, so if you jog to work in the mornings you’ll need a layer that’ll maintain your image as a business boss. As with all Iffley Road garms, the cut of this smart piece is paramount, ensuring you’ll look as slick as your suited-up colleagues. Oh, and even if you’ve just sprinted through a dirty farmyard, this deep black colour won’t betray your clean-cut image.

Iffley Road Storm, £185 iffleyroad.com

For the Man Who…Listens to Hip Hop While Exercising

It looks like it’s just fallen out of Kanye’s wardrobe, but this sleek layer is more at home in the great outdoors than on the stages of sold-out arenadomes. Adidas has fixed this jacket with “ultrasonic seams” and while we have no idea what that means, it sounds proper impressive.

Adidas Adistar, £105 adidas.co.uk

Chris Sayer
11 Nov 2015

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