Home Tech Winter running clothes: our best training essentials to help you beat the cold

Winter running clothes: our best training essentials to help you beat the cold

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Winter running clothes: our best training essentials to help you beat the cold

YoIf you’re tempted to give up winter running or retire to the gym, think again. Whether it’s getting outside for fresh air and daylight on crisp, blue-sky days, or shaking off the cobwebs in the dark and rain after work, running outdoors can make winter more bearable.

With a few changes to your clothing and some clever accessories, you can stay warm and dry and stay safer. You won’t need all of the following: It depends on where you run, how far, and what time of day you go out. Everything presented is unisex or available in women’s and men’s versions.


The best clothing for running in winter.


Crash helmet

Arc’teryx Norvan balaclava

£65 at Arc’teryx

DryFlx Reflective Buff cap

£21.07 at Amazon
£21.95 at Buff

The right helmet can save a race when the wind is blowing hard or temperatures are very low. The Arc’teryx Merino Balaclava can be worn as a shield around the neck, placed over the mouth, or as a balaclava that wraps around the ears and forehead; The top is open for ventilation. If you want to have your head completely covered, also wear a Buff hat. Both are reflective, breathable and quick-drying.


chest light

Proviz chest light

€29.99 at Proviz
£34.99 at Amazon

Wearing a chest light gives bikes, cars, and people a chance to see you in the dark long before they reach you, especially important in areas where there are no street lights. It has front and rear lights (full, medium, or low-beam white on the front; slow-blink red on the back) with a super-bright 500 lumens, and the USB rechargeable battery lasts three hours. The elastic, adjustable straps also have Proviz 360 reflectivity, which dazzles when shined with a light.


Bone conduction headphones

Shokz OpenPro2 headphones

£169 at Shokz
£169 at Amazon

If you can’t live without music or podcasts while running, but don’t want to lose awareness of your surroundings in the dark, bone conduction headphones are a great solution. Sound is conducted through the temporal bones at the side and base of the skull, so you can still hear traffic, bikes, and people while you’re immersed in your listening. It also eliminates the problem of headphones falling out of sweaty ears.

If you’ve never tried them before, you’ll be amazed at the magic of hearing music as clearly as you would with headphones, and the sound quality of this wireless pair is excellent.


Backpack cover

Proviz backpack cover

€34.99 at Proviz
£45.50 at Decathlon

If you run and travel, you could invest in a high-visibility reflective backpack for dark mornings and evenings, but this reversible cover is a more affordable hack, stretching over your existing backpack and lighting you up like a Christmas tree with its excellent reflectivity. . It will also keep your bag and its contents dry in case of rain.


Technical base layer

Rab Ridgeline women’s long sleeve undershirt

£59.99 at SportsShoes
£59.99 worth of basecamp gear
Rab Ridgeline men’s long sleeve undershirt

£59.99 at SportsShoes
£60 at Amazon

Winter running is all about layering. For those first few miles, a high-quality technical base layer combined with a midlayer (and possibly a running jacket if it’s wet or windy (see below)) will keep you warm but not sweaty. You can then get rid of either of the first two if necessary.

These base layers are designed for mountain running, but are just as practical for urban runs. They’re made from a breathable fabric with small vents in the right places, wick away sweat and moisture quickly, and have a deep chest zipper if you get too hot.


Running jacket

asics metarun waterproof jacket for men

£142.99 at SportsShoes
£151 at Asics
Asics Metarun women’s waterproof jacket

£120 on direct sports
£151 at Asics

If you go for a fast 20-minute run in the rain, you can probably get away without a running jacket. However, if you run longer distances, a flexible, breathable technical running jacket is a good investment for wet or windy days.

This well-designed jacket packs into its own chest pocket, so you can easily store it when you don’t need it. It’s completely waterproof, so you can stay outside during the longest downpours, and it zips around the bottom and hood to seal you in. It’s also made from 50% recycled materials. Good running jackets will last for years if cared for properly.


running gloves

Limbs Maze Runner gloves

£22.95 on outdoor action
£25.50 at Mountain Warehouse

Sealskinz Wolferton running gloves

£40 At Sealskinz

Cold extremities can ruin a winter run: hands will usually get cold in the wind even when the face and body are warm. Regular gloves will be unwieldy and leave your hands sweaty, while running gloves are breathable and flexible.

These Extremities gloves have good insulation and reflective details; The Sealskinz are water-repellent and have a nifty retractable mitten that you can put over your fingers on especially cold days. Both are touchscreen compatible, so the gloves can stay on while you use the phone.


warm socks

Sealskinz Hilgay running socks

£18 At Sealskinz
£18 at Amazon

For the other extremities, merino running socks will keep your feet toasty without overheating and will quickly wick away moisture if they get wet. They are thicker than a summer sock and reach mid-calf; bare ankles will never do in winter.


Tracking device

Professional tiles

£34.99 on Tiles
£27.99 at Amazon

Running before or after work inevitably means running in the dark, and this Tile Bluetooth tracker can offer some peace of mind. Tile has partnered with life360a safety app that shows your loved ones exactly where you are, so now you can use your Tile to discreetly trigger an SOS alert. By pressing the button three times, your contacts will request to verify your location. With Gold or Platinum Membership From Life360, emergency services can be sent to your exact location.

The Tile is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, so you can run holding it or keep it in your pocket, and it has a range of 500 feet. The extra tiles could also save you countless hours trying to find your keys or phone before you go for a run.


Hybrid running shoes.

Merrell Morphlite Gore-Tex women’s road to trail shoe

From £86.60 at Amazon
£130 at Merrell
Merrell Morphlite Gore-Tex men’s road to trail shoe

£85 at Nevisport
£130 at Merrell

If you run on a mix of pavement and trail, such as around a park, you may slip and slide when the ground is wet and muddy. Trail shoes are too clunky and structured for pavement, which is where a road-to-trail shoe comes into play.

They have the flexibility and cushioning of a road shoe, combined with tacky rubber soles and lugs (small raised rubber dots) that provide additional traction but are not as deep as those of a trail shoe. They also have a Gore-Tex membrane, so you can cut through mud and puddles with abandon.


Lisa Buckingham is a health and fitness journalist who has been testing equipment and technology of all kinds for two decades. She is a runner who has participated in over 25 triathlons, a climber, a swimmer, a snowboarder and a cricketer, and loves nothing more than being outdoors, rain or shine.

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