After another freezing long run I’ve decided to renew by search for the perfect running jacket. I’ve yet to find what I want and was hoping for some pointers from the ST community.
Its NOT waterproof. I sweat. ALOT. Waterproof just means i’ll be cold and soaking wet.
Its not windproof. Well maybe the chest/frontal area. It is very wind resistant in the arms/body. Wind proof just means all still be wet.
Pit zips/venting.
Back should be vented and/or out of a more breathable material.
Basically something that cuts out most of the wind but not to the point of making a sauna. I had high hopes for my latest jacket, the Marmot driclime windshirt, but alas it still doesn’t breath enough and seems to lose all warmth once it gets wet.
Check out the Nomad series by Saucony. It’s all pretty sweet stuff. Might have trouble finding a running jacket with pit vents, I haven’t seen too many. What temp range are you looking for?
Maybe a softshell material? I have a Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Fly Jacket that is softshell. I layer under this based on temperature. It has a wind blocking front, with a lighter material in the back. I’m a moderate sweater, but I am able to adjust the front zipper and the pit zippers to keep it under control. FWIW, I typically am running 45-minutes tops these days in nothing colder than the mid 20’s.
Jacket I’ve been running all season is the Salomon Dynamics jacket. Meets all those needs and has been the ideal running jacket for me. I use it to bike too sometimes. The front is pretty windproof, but the sides and back are not. Really breathes well. Picked mine up for $185 early season but they’re on sale now for around $90 at REI apparently. Great deal. My last Salomon jacket lasted three years and then I sold it for about 30% of the original price.
I’m looking for something that can run from 0-25F or so. It been a pretty crappy winter for Front Range Colorado this year. Lots of cold, wet, and breezy…yuck.
I have a Pearl Elite softshell for cycling. It has thinner material down the sides but the back is still soft shell. I barely wear it because it doesn’t breath enough. Maybe the PRO version with the open back would be better.
After another freezing long run I’ve decided to renew by search for the perfect running jacket. I’ve yet to find what I want and was hoping for some pointers from the ST community.
Its NOT waterproof. I sweat. ALOT. Waterproof just means i’ll be cold and soaking wet.
Its not windproof. Well maybe the chest/frontal area. It is very wind resistant in the arms/body. Wind proof just means all still be wet.
Pit zips/venting.
Back should be vented and/or out of a more breathable material.
Basically something that cuts out most of the wind but not to the point of making a sauna. I had high hopes for my latest jacket, the Marmot driclime windshirt, but alas it still doesn’t breath enough and seems to lose all warmth once it gets wet.
for several years. The front is somewhat windproof, the back is breathable. No pit zips, but removable ( windproof ) sleeves accomplish the same goal. I usually run w/o the sleeves choosing armwarmers instead ( I hate running with any kind of flappy sleeve ). It is nice to have the option of sleeves for the bike or when it gets real cold ( < 0F ). The pockets are nice to stash crap, although especially heavy / hard stuff ( think mp3 player / phone ) can bounce out. They work best for gloves etc…
I really like the feel and fit of my 2XU running jacket. It breathes very well, is a good wind breaker, has good reflective material on it, but it thin and flexible, so I just layer under it. The key to staying warm is getting the right layers, and having the right weight of tights and good socks.
A lightweight thin breathable regular fabric jacket like the Brooks running jackets work about as well as you can hope.
The coldness issue is better solved with underlaying with either more/thicker baselayers, and if it’s really cold out, fleece vests in addition.
You’re probably like me - I sweat so much even on an aerobic-pace run in cold weather than I’ll completely saturate the jacket. If you layer well underneath, you’ll be totally fine. I honestly value the visibility factor of the jacket more than the warmth - the layering of baselayers is more important for warmth than the jacket itself.