Truth be told, I enjoy my winter running. It’s cool, ok cold here in Northern Illinois. But so peaceful and beautiful when a layer of snow insulates me from the rest of the world. The snow sparkles when the sun hits it just the right way. Yeah, maybe it gets uncomfy when the wind is testy, but I’ll take a bracing cold run over a sweltering hot one anyday.
To stay warm when the mercury dips and make the most of winter running, you need some good gear. What runner doesn’t love some gear? If you want to know exactly what layers to wear in what temps, see my posts for colder and coldest weather. Here I’m sharing some of my winter favorites.
Yaktrax: I’ve been running for 18 years and this is the first season I’ve used Yaktrax. Previously I wore a trail shoe for wind resistance and better traction on the snow and ice, but I’d have to say goodbye temporarily to some of my routes, especially trails, because they were just too slippery, even in a trail shoe.
When the kind people at YakTrax sent me a pair to test, I was curious. They’re made of high-strength natural rubber with steel coils and 1.4mm carbide spikes. I slipped them over my trail shoes and closed the Velcro. Easy peasy. Be careful where you put them on though because you’ll ruin the floors in your house and you really shouldn’t walk or run on pavement with them at all, you’ll break the spikes.
We had an ice storm here in the Chicago area then got snow on top of it. It never melted. I was amazed how great my traction was on this super-slick surface. Since getting Yaktrax, I’ve been able to keep running (upright!) on trails all winter so far. Something I’ve never been able to do.
Balaclava. When it gets down to single digits, a hat or headband isn’t enough. I love the complete head/face/neck protection of the Ninja Balaclava from Be Free Gear. I can put it up over my nose to start out then lower it as I warm up. I can’t imagine winter running in the Chicago area without it. On super cold/windy days I’ll throw a fleece hat over the balaclava for extra head/ear warmth.
Gloves. I’ve had the pair you see in the pics above from aGloves since the beginning of time and even though I’ve tried several other brands, these are still my favorite. Note: I’m a very hot runner and it has to be below 25 degrees before I’ll wear any gloves at all so you may want to layer with a mitten or something heavier based on your preference.
Trail Shoes: I succumbed to the Hoka One One buzz several weeks ago and bought myself the Challenger trail shoes. In the first mile they felt a little odd but I warmed up to them quickly. Since then we’ve become fast friends. They’re comfy, cushioned!! and my feet and legs have been very happy in them up to 1o miles so far, on technical trails, snow-covered trails and icy/slushy roads. Of course everybody’s feet and taste in shoes is different so find a pair of trail shoes that’s right for you. These get two thumbs up from me.
Thermal tights. I can’t lie, on really cold days my bum can get pretty chilly. I guess the phrase “freeze your ass off” applies. A great pair of tights is worth it’s weight in gold. There are many good brands of thermal tights out there. Under Armour Cold Gear, Nike Pro and Spandits are some of my favorites.
Jacket. I hesitate to make specific recommendations here because there are so many great ones out there and it depends on your local conditions and your preferences as well. I’ve got two that I especially love. A high-viz jacket from Nike (above) that’s water repellent yet vented to breathe. It’s great in wet, windy conditions. The Firewall 220 from Sugoi (not shown) is engineered to regulate body temps as your body heats up or cools down. I shelled out upwards of $200 (and nearly choked when I did so) for the Firewall but I’ve worn it for years so worth every penny.
Sunglasses. When it’s super cold/windy and/or there’s lots of snow cover, you definitely want to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes both from the extreme cold (they’ll water like a mofo) and from sun/snow glare. Again I won’t recommend any specific brands because there are tons of good ones out there. Sunglasses with lenses that darken/lighten based on light levels are especially nice. I found mine at a bike shop of all places.
Your turn: Favorite winter running gear? How low (temperature-wise) do you run outside?
I have a North Face Animagi jacket that is my absolute favorite for winter running. I keep telling myself I don’t need to buy it in a second color.
If it isn’t too icy, I’ll run until the temperature drops below zero. I have to draw the line somewhere 😉
WHAT!!! You are wearing my love of Hoka!!!! You know they saved my exercise life & been wearing the running oes since my feet crapped out on me! I wear the Cliftons for my running on treadmill and just regular road.
I can’t do a balaclava, it just feels like too much to me! I like the smart wool stuff by Icebreaker, and I have an awesome warm pair of leggings I got from Title Nine that have been great this winter. I think I went out last month when it was 10, feels like 0?! That was pretty darn cold LOL
I have an Under Armour balaclava and it is hands down my favorite piece of gear for winter!
You already know about my love of Yak Trax. Although with that snow blast in November, they aggravated my PF badly. Ugh. Now I’m afraid to use them again…
And you also know that I love that Ninja Balaclava. Looks like it will be getting some use this week!
Your winters are a bit colder than ours. I am loving my new Athleta vest – it’s just what I need over a long-sleeved thermal top for our weather so far – mostly 30s!
Luckily it doesn’t get that cold here. A hat, neck warmer & gloves with a couple layers of clothes usually does it for me.
I got my first pair of Taktrax for Christmas this year! I haven’t had to try them out yet but I hoping they will allow me to keep running outside even it if snows or gets icy this winter.
My favorite necessity for winter running is a puffer vest….I hate the bulk of a full jacket. I sometimes wear a layer of fleece-lined tights under my “pretty” tights if it’s REAL cold. I’ve never used a balaclava, but almost always have a scarf or neck warmer that I can pull over my nose. Yak trax…never tried them. If I was exclusively on a snow-covered trail, that would be a different story. I’m always on city streets (well, mostly), and there’s always patches of cement along with the snow and ice…..I have just learned to use more of a “step down and grip” stride instead of my usual “step out and go” LOL
Love my yaktrax but hopefully won’t have to use them much. I can very warm when I run except for my hands – need to find warmer gloves and a Balaclava for when it’s windy.
Those Yak Trax look really good. They look easy to put on and take off which would be ideal for when I have to run on the pavement to get to the trails.
I was given a pair of Under Armour Cold Gear leggings for Christmas and they are keeping me nice and toasty.
This post made me so grateful that our winters are mild. I’d have to buy so many more clothes for yours. And I already have enough problem fitting my active wear in my dresser.
So true about a good running jacket! I LOVE my underarour infrared cold gear. It’s so warm I sweat even in negative windchills! Worth every penny! I was able to get mine for $93 on clearance! Couldn’t pick the color, but that’s ok! 🙂
I don’t have any winter gear!! I just got a pair of fleece lined tights from Oiselle that I’m anxious to try out!
I feel so unworthy of even commenting on this. We don’t usually have a lot of cold cold weather. But I do get cold. It is weird but I do warm up a lot faster than I would think because I hate being cold. But I also know I hate to run when I have on too many layers. I need a good pair of running tights, some are pretty expensive but so worth it. This is a great list!
I got even more cold reading this post. 🙂 Definitely important to have the right gear in this cold weather. I am looking forward to spring!
I don’t have any favorite gear but I love mine Under Armour Cold Gear pants, TrailHeads Hat, and Brooks Vest. So far they’re kept me warm during my long runs outside.