Warm Up Your Winter Running Routine With This High-Heat Cold Weather Gear
A guide to the best (and best-looking) jackets, hats, pants, layering items and more for your cold-weather runs.
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No matter how frosty winter weather becomes, die-hard runners will still venture outside to heat up the streets or the trails. After all, single-digit temps are better than the single-digit percentage of enjoyment you’ll get sweating through your miles on the dreadmill. Cold weather running is a very particular activity that requires a precise cocktail of internal fortitude, a proper warm-up and mindful breathing, all seasoned with a dash of delusion — and, of course, topped with the right clothes.
If you want the best possible winter running experience, you must do more than throw on a hoodie and sweats and hit the streets. There are layering options, waterproof considerations and windchill resistors, all of which can be mixed and matched to keep you warm, dry comfortable and focused on your run instead of the lingering suspicion that you’re losing feeling in your extremities.
But where do you start? There are hundreds of options from dozens of brands, so to make sure you stay warm — and look cool — on your winter running excursions, Hypebeast has rounded up some of the best winter running gear (not shoes) on the market. These are pieces that ascribe to a “look good, feel good” mindset, meaning many can effortlessly shift to an après-run ‘fit as well, and all are from either independent or boutique brands like Satisfy, Ciele, Bandit, Tracksmith, MILER RUNNING and more, one item per company. From outerwear to layering items and accessories, see ‘em all below.
Satisfy SilverShell Modular Thermal Vest
Satisfy
Satisfy
Why You Need It: No sleeves? No problem. Keeping your core warm is one of the most important parts of a cold-weather run, and Satisfy’s SilverShell Modular Thermal Vest lets you do so in an extremely adaptable fashion. It’s lined with four removable Primaloft pads, so it’s adaptable to a wide variety of temperatures, and is also reflective, abrasion-resistant and water/wind repellant thanks to a mixture of textiles sourced from Switzerland and France. If that’s not enough, it can even be packed into a stow bag. Who said vests were for tech bros and harried suburban moms? Not Satisfy, that’s for sure.
Where You Can Get It: Satisfy, $610
Bandit Duetto Convertible Jacket
Bandit
Bandit
Why You Need It: Figuring out how to layer up for a cold weather run can often feel like a tricky math equation. Thankfully, the Bandit Duet Convertible Jacket makes the addition and subtraction of pieces easy. Just imagine the product design meeting: “Do we want this to be a shell, a cropped jacket, or a vest?” “Yes.” The modular garment is composed of two key parts: a quilted vest and a weather resistant crop jacket. They can be worn independently, or when combined via easy-to-use snaps, as an ultra warm jacket for those especially frigid or wet days. The thoughtful addition of a two way zipper on the vest makes it easy to catch a breeze when you inevitably realize that all those miles made you way warmer than you anticipated.
Where You Can Get It: Bandit, $248
Ronhill Tech GORE-TEX Mercurial Jacket
Run & Become
Run & Become
Why You Need It: Where the two pieces of outerwear above this GORE-TEX Ronhill jacket on the list are more customizable than a game of Minecraft, this Ronhill running jacket is a down-and-dirty waterproof shell. Thanks to its taped seams and aforementioned GORE-TEX construction, it can get you through the snowiest, slushiest and rainiest days with nary a drop on your under layer. Use it over any other other tops on this list, and though we can’t guarentee you’ll be faster we will guarentee you’ll be impervious to elements and haters alike.
Where You Can Get It: Ronhill, £270
SOAR Merino Run Trouser
Soar
Soar
Why You Need It: Running pants are going to be slim-cropped. That’s how they are, and how they should be — if they’re too wide, they won’t properly retain heat or modulate temperature. However, just because a slim fit is called for doesn’t mean that you putting them on needs to be your own personal Friends Ross-in-leather-pants moment. SOAR’s Merino Run Trousers are closely-cropped but not too slim, and leave a little room above the ankle to prevent bunching. The thermal properties of the merino wool keep your legs comfortable in low temperatures, but if it starts getting hot they’ll wick sweat away too. No baby powder necessary.
Where You Can Get It: SOAR, £180
Balmoral St. Ambroise Insulated Legging
Balmoral
Balmoral
Why You Need It: If the skin contact fit is indeed what you’re looking for, Balmoral’s St. Ambroise Insulated Leggings are a top choice. They’re cut like classic running leggings, but discard the standard poly-and-spandex blend most use in favor of advanced Tekseries fabric with a DWR coating, making them insulated, waterproof and wind-resistant, and all with enough discreet pockets to bring your whole life along with you on your run if you so choose.
Where You Can Get It: Balmoral, $111
Ciele OTFInsulator Shirt
Ciele
Ciele
Why You Need It: Wearing a short-sleeved shirt in the cold weather may seem like an oxymoron at first glance, but Ciele’s OTFInsulator shirt is, in fact, a clever solution to a common problem. When you’re bundled up for a winter run, you go from Jack Nicholson at the end of Psycho Jordan Peele in his “Clear Browser History” skit in just a mile (maybe less). That way-too-cold-to-way-too-hot conundrum is solved by the OTFInsulator’s combo of Polartec Alpha insulaton and AirBeam venting: it’ll keep your core warm, but not overheat every inch above your torso. Wear it as an outer layer with a long-sleeve underneath, or, if you’re feeling brave, rock it out solo.
Where You Can Get It: Ciele, $280
Tracksmith Fells Waffle Layer
Tracksmith
Tracksmith
Why You Need It: You don’t have to wait until after your winter run to have your waffles — you can have ‘em during too. Tracksmith’s Fells Waffle Layer is a long-sleeved merino wool shirt designed to keep you warm and wick moisture. Its waffle pattern isn’t just for taste either, as it helps trap air against the skin for insulation while also allowing extra space for excess heat to creep out. It’s also soft and smooth to the touch — which certainly doesn’t hurt — and serves as a perfect base layer option for any of the above-mentioned jackets and shirts.
Where You Can Get It: Tracksmith, $128
Unsanctioned Running 3/4 Tee
Unsanctioned Running
Unsanctioned Running
Why You Need It: A perfect transitional piece for slightly warmer days as well as an apt base layer for the chillier ones, Unsanctioned Running’s 3/4 tee brings a little bit of baseball style to the trails. Your wrists are out so your watch won’t be hidden, and you can feel good about the construction: it’s made of recycled BottleKnit performance fabric that the brand describes as “not quite a solid knit, not quite a mesh.” Be sure to size up too, as it runs a little slim.
Where You Can Get It: Unsanctioned Running, $109
District Vision Junya Racer Sunglasses
District Vision
District Vision
Why You Need It: Ever find yourself shedding tears when you’re running in the cold? No, you’re not getting emotional because you love running so much (actually, maybe you are, and that’s lovely if so, but unlikely). It’s because your eyes are trying to protect themselves. With District Vision’s Junya Racer sunglasses, you’ll prevent the steady stream of tears and look like a character in Blade or The Matrix (the first two, not the terrible third one), a winning combo enabled by the Junya Racer’s sports frame and high-speed precision lenses. Essentially, you’ll never need to pause when asked if you’ve got the “vision” again.
Where You Can Get It: District Vision, $295
Miler Running Reflective Saftey Vest
Miler Running
Miler Running
Why You Need It: In the figurative sense, standing out while running is a good thing — who doesn’t want to cut an impressive figure? In the literal sense, standing out while running (especially in the winter) can be life-saving. When it gets cold it often gets dark, and when it gets dark the risk of collisions with pedestrians or automobiles increases. Thankfully, Miler Running’s Reflective Safety Vest helps you do both. It’s done up in shimmering 3M Scotchlite, reflective from 360 degrees and feather-light. There are even three pockets on the back for extra storage if you need a little extra carrying space.
Where You Can Get It: Miler Running, $90
Fractel L-SERIES “Blizzard” Edition Winter Legionnaire Hat
Fractel
Fractel
Why You Need It: An item that kills two (or more) birds with one stone is hard to beat, and Fractel’s “Blizzard”-edition hat does just that. It’s warm and largely windproof thanks to its Polartec Wind Pro fleece construction, and also comes with extended ear flaps that provide face and neck coverage as well, eliminating the need for any sort of hood or neckwarmer. Don’t need ‘em? You can just pin them around the top of the hat as well on the less-chilly days. For runners with longer hair, there’s even the option to have a pony tail hole as well so you don’t have to give off a frizzy-haired Albert Einstein vibe after your run is over.
Where You Can Get It: Fractel, $65
GOREWEAR Windstopper Baclava
Zalando/Gore-Wear
Zalando/Gore-Wear
Why You Need It: Alright, alright. We’re bending the rules of this list a little bit here as GOREWEAR is far from an indie or boutique brand. As you could (hopefully) imply from its name, it’s a subsidiary of GORE-TEX, purveyors of the world’s most famous waterproofing technology. However, it’s not as well-known that GORE offers a wide variety of weather and waterproof garments through its own label, so, to us, this counts — and more importantly, the GOREWEAR Windstopper Baclava is a top choice for winter’s nastiest days. It’s built from windproof GORE WINDSTOPPER fabric to keep your dome piece dry, warm and insulated from chin to forehead, and even features a ventilated mouthpiece to ensure your warmth doesn’t come at the price of discomfort. And be honest: who wouldn’t enjoy startling unaware passers-by by running in a sheisty?
Where You Can Get It: GOREWEAR, $55
Craft Sportswear ADV Lumen Fleece Glove
Craft Sportswear
Craft Sportswear
Why You Need It: Your extremities getting cold is the first step to having an ice box where your chest used to be, to misquote Omarion. However, you can’t run in regular gloves as they’re often far too bulky or don’t expel excess heat well enough. Enter running-specific gloves like Craft Sportswear’s ADV Lumen gloves. They’re made of cozy, comfy jersey fabric, serve up a reflective print for enhanced visibility and even include a clever palm pocket that you can store your keys in. It really is all in the palm of your hand.
Where You Can Get It: Craft Sportswear, $40
