It’s definitely getting chillier. The joy of throwing on a t-shirt and shorts and heading out into the sunshine has been replaced by standing by the window deliberating over appropriate attire for chilly, windy, drizzly and everything in between. But let’s face it - runners love kit! And the Autumn and Winter months gives us great opportunities for indulging that love.
With this in mind we’ve picked out a few highlights from the warm kit available on the market now, to give you a few ideas.
Long sleeve tops and base layers
Above is the 2XU Tech Vent Long Sleeve top. Best known for their compression wear, 2XU also do a great range of non-compression kit. This is a really lovely top - light, soft and tailored but slightly loose fitting. It’s perfect for those Autumnal days when you need a little bit more than a t-shirt. It also has really nice detailing with a series of grids on the back, apparently designed to keep you cool but it also just looks cool. £40 from www.2xu.com/uk
You expect quality from Odlo and FALKE and these tops don’t disappoint. The Odlo Tebe long-sleeved top (above left) is made of a very soft jersey sort of fabric, but it’s also technical. The material absorbs and wicks away sweat and it’s perfect for those slightly chilly days when you warm up quite quickly. It has got a scoop neck, which won’t be for everybody, but this may be one for the fashion-conscious runner. £45 from
www.odlo.com/uk
The FALKE Tight Fit Warm Base Layer (above right) is great when you’re looking for a warmer base layer. It’s stretchy and feels very snuggly when you put it on. As it’s a tight fit it might be good motivation for keeping the muffin top under control over the winter too. It boasts ‘double layered insulation in the kidneys where heat loss is most common’ which sounds like a good thing too. Definitely a great option for colder days. £39 at
www.falke.com
Mid layer tops
The AT/C inov-8 Merino LSZ mid-layer top (above) has the comfort and warmth that you'd expect from merino (it's extra-fine merino, so it's really comfortable next to your skin). However, it also has lots of nice detail such as cuffs which become hand mitts - proper mittens really, not just like a thumb loop - and a snug hood which you can pull up instead of putting a hat on. It's a really versatile for use in different conditions. It's £90 from
www.inov-8.com
The Pearl Izumi Pursuit long-sleeved top (above left) is for cool, dry conditions, and it’s a lightweight top. It has nice little foldover bits on the cuffs to make make-shift gloves out of (apparently the technical term is ‘fist mitts’). It’s £39.99 at
www.pearizumi.co.uk.
dhb has a great budget option - the long sleeve quarter zip run top (above right). It’s warm, quite close-fitting and it has thumb loops, a zip pocket and some reflective detailing. It also boasts polygiene anti-bacterial treatment, which might be good because, let’s be honest, while in summer it’s ‘one wear and in the washing basket’, it’s a different matter with winter attire. Only £25 from
www.wiggle.co.uk
Saving the warmest for last, the inov-8 AT/C Softshell Pro FZ (above left) is more of an outer layer but as it’s one of the best bits of kit we’ve found this year we thought we’d include it. It’s very lightweight but substantial enough to keep the wind out and it’s made with pertex to keep you warm in cold conditions. It’s got a snug-fitting hood which won’t blow off your head, a high neck to zip up when you need to keep the wind out and nice tapered cuffs with a thumb loop. A great all-purpose jacket for cold/windy conditions. Priced at £99.99 at www.inov-8.com
The Saucony Run Strong Sportop (above right) is also a very warm top. It’s like a fleece material, but more stretchy. They use their ‘Total Run System’ to grade their clothing - run dry, run warm and run shield - and this is classed as a run warm. It’s probably more for those dry, crisp winter days and it incorporates reflective bits, thumb loops and a zip pocket. It’s £56 from
www.saucony.co.uk
And something for your legs and hands...
For those days when you need a bit of leg cover but it isn’t freezing (I know a lot of people would argue that’s shorts weather, but I’m not one of those people) the Montane Trail Series Long Tight fit the bill. They’re form-fitting but not super-tight and they’re a nice, light, fast-drying material. They have a decent-sized zip pocket at the back and a couple of gel pockets at the side. They’re priced at £70 from
www.montane.co.uk
And for when it really starts to bite, a decent pair of gloves are a must. You might be familiar with Extremities if you’ve ever bought super-warm gloves or hats for mountain adventures. They’ve just launched running gloves - Windy Dri Lite Gloves - which have Windstopper material on the back, a wicking palm to keep your hands dry, reflective material to keep you safe, and a touchscreen finger and thumb (because no mid-run selfie is worth getting frostbite for). Available for £25 at
www.extremities.co.uk
