Each month the Run Testers try out piles of running products, but there’s a lot of kit outside of shoes and tech that we don’t get a chance to talk about until we do a full round-up.
In this video, we cover a range of running tops, shorts, socks and bone-conduction headphones.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
Kieran’s Picks
00:30 – INOV8 TrailFly Ultra 7” Shorts
01:40 – ASICS Fujitrail 7” Shorts
02:35 – The North Face Summer LT Sun Hoodie
Tom’s Picks
03:32 – Buff Speed Cap
05:24 – Tracksmith Van Cortlandt Tee
07:30 – Lululemon Pace Breaker Lined Short 5″
Mike’s Picks
10:42 – Sivga SO2
13:03 – Darn Tough Micro Crew Lightweight Running Socks
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers with Another monthly Roundup this is the Video where we talk about all the kit That we've tested over the past few Weeks that we haven't been able to talk About in other videos so let's dive in And see what items we've picked this [Music] Month now I love a good twoin one sh but They can sometimes feel heavier than Your other kind of regular running Shorts now these innovate Trail fly Ultra 7in shorts manage to strike a Happy balance between giving you that Sort of longer Trail feel protected sort Of longer leg feel from a twin short That looks after your dignity but you've Also got a light comfortable really Flexible fabric and a nice simple cut Here the Lin of shorts inside aren't too Compressive but they stay put and they Give you that locked in bulletproof feel You can also get away with a smaller Sort of regular running brief underneath If you've got preferred running undes There's good storage too you got one Zippered rear pocket that will holster a Big kind of iPhone swallow as my 15 Pro You've also got a couple of sort of Stretchy mesh Side dropin Pockets I kind Of wish the stash belt went all the way Around it looks like it does but the Front bit isn't sadly not they've also Got a fluorocarbon free dwr coating for
Extra protection against the wet but They also dry pretty quick if they do Get wet or you get a bit sweaty I think The thing I love most is how they hang Though with a good length that's not too Tight not too baggy this is a great Versatile short for everyday runs where You need to carry stuff and for hitting The trails for longer Adventures Ultras Those kind of things another pair of Shorts I've been using recently really Loving a lot in training are these aex Fuji Trail 7in shorts these are Incredibly lightweight they're lighter Than the innovates the out are made from This really thin stretchy perforated Fabric that's really flexible that Freedom of movement is boosted by some Really quite big side splits that's all Good if you've got chunky thighs like me There's a line of brief here that I'm Not so fond of it's one of those kind of Pant like ones but I'll tend to layer These over my trusted running undies and They're nice and light so you can do That there's also a really nice sort of Toggle waist so you can adjust the fit And you don't have to worry about uh the Draw strings coming out that sometimes Happen in the water they disappear and You can't get them back the zipper Pocket is a little small it won't fit my IPhone 15 Pro but it will fit smaller Phones I like the fact that the zip on
This has a proper toggle to it there's No faffing with got of small sips when You got cold hands or tired brains and The rest of the waistband also has lots Of drop in stretch mesh Pockets here so There is plenty of build in stash Bas in A really really lightweight short Regular viewers of the channel will know That I hate being cold I've said that Loads before so I'm a big layers person I'm always on the hunt for Tops that can Kind of flex my warmth quickly and Easily in the UK's changeable spring Summer winter weather particularly light Layers that I can stick in a pack when I'm heading out on big day long Adventures that won't take up too much Space or weight and this North Face Summer LT Sun hoodie is one of those Versatile tops that can double up as a Run pack backup layer for longer Adventure on the trails or it also works Nicely for post-run protection from the Cold in fact or the sun it's actually Designed to protect you from the sun It's got fast wicking UPF fabric that Acts as a thin and Airy UV barrier it's Got long sleeves it's got a nice roomy Hood it's got a really baggy Airy fit That's made to layer on added warmth When the sunset CHS kick in this is a Good top to have at the ready when dust Comes on Ultras where you want a bit of Extra warmth but you're not ready to go
Full nighttime gear yet really good one To stick in a pack for that If you're a fan of the channel you'll Know that I wear a lot of caps um I Don't have a lot of hair so I tend to Wear caps in the summer to protect my Head from uh getting burnt uh but I also Wear caps in the winter as well to keep The rain out of my eyes so I've got Loads and loads of Cs I've probably got Like 40 caps which I use I've got to the Point now that I use different caps for Different type of runs and I know what Caps those are uh which I prefer so I Have caps for when it's cold in the Winter I'll have caps for race day that I want to be really light and sweat Wicking um and this cap from from buff So I haven't used a cap from buff for Quite a while uh they used to have a Really good one which basically rolled Into a ball and you could stuff it into Your pocket if you didn't want it on Anymore when you're out on a run but it Wasn't very nice looking cap it was um It bounced back into shape after you Taken out of your pocket but it looked a Little bit like a um a swimming cap it Was quite uh head hugging uh whereas This new one from uh buff is the buff Speed cap um and it is basically just a A really lightweight cap that um is very Comfortable ble to wear you can also Roll it up pretty well it sort of stuffs
Into a pretty small shape um but the Real reason I like this cap is because It really dries off very very quickly so If you're out running and you sweat a Lot um if you take this off it will dry Pretty quickly or if you leave it on and You stop stop running you'll you'll um It the sweat will Wick off it pretty Quickly and that is the sort of cap I Look for when I'm I'm running in the Summer it's a very light feeling cap on The head it's very comfortable it's got This sort of um uh it's not a cottony Design it's like a very papery feeling Design which is very very thin uh which Is presumably the reason why it is so Good at um wicking sweat off uh but it's Just a great all around cap very Comfortable well worth getting if you Want something really light for the Summer uh especially if you may be Racing um and you want something that's Not going to just clog up with sweat and Feel heavy so that is the uh buff speed Cap my next pick is the tracksmith van Cordant T now this has been around for a While track it's one of the tracksmith Classics that um is always on the Website there lots of different versions Of it um it's the first time I've tested It and um the reason why I I'm putting In this is because I'm really enjoying Wearing it um I have a lot tracksmith Kit um and what I'd say about some of it
Is that uh this sash design the um it's Like a classic sash design that they Have on a lot of their um their clothes Um sometimes it's a little bit too uh Noticeable for me I don't really like to Have a big bright Sash on my top um but This on this version it's really subtle So it's sort of a lighter blue sash uh Across the darker blue um so that's one Thing I like about it the fact that it's A more subtle color way but the main Reason I like this top is that I am Quite well built up top uh and I quite Often find running t-shirts quite hard To fit me from certain brands um I tend To have to get quite bigger sizes so if Things like saw I tend to get large and When I get large and sore it doesn't fit Me quite perfectly um this is a medium Um and I find that it's very relaxed Around the waist and the stomach area Which I like um but also it's not too Baggy around the arm sections so it it Holds on to the arms quite nicely it's Not too too loose uh and that's how I Like my uh t-shirts to fit and I found That this t-shirt really works well for That and I'm really enjoying it the Other um thing about this is that the Material that that uses is this sort of Lightweight material um and it really Does a good job at keeping you drive Just been out for uh a run up some hills And I was sweating quite a lot um and it
Dries off quite quickly um so it's quite A good performance level one but also It's a really nice looking one um it's Quite expensive but it'll last you a Long time and it's a really good quality Top and it comes in five different color Versions of these so you've got lots of Different options for it on the website As well so that's the uh tracksmith van Cordant te my final pick this month are The these Lululemon Pace breaker 5 in uh Lined running shorts now I've never Owned any Lulu Lemon running kit before Um and I was a little bit skeptical when I got them just because I normally Associate L with uh yoga uh and fashion Um but they over the years they have Increasingly moved into the world of Running and produced more and more uh Performance-based uh items so these Shorts are running shorts um there are a Couple of different versions of these so These are the lined versions so they Have a liner that goes all the way down The legs and gives you a little bit of Um support on your legs and basically Stops your legs from rubbing together um If that's a problem you have uh Sometimes my legs rub together and I get A little bit of uh soreness um and uh Bit it just rubs my skin a little bit And it's not very comfortable uh so I Tend to wear liners all the time anyway Um and I much prefer nowadays wearing
Twoin ones that have Liners in so I Don't have to worry about wearing liners Separately um so these shorts have this Liner in I would say that these shorts I've been using quite a lot for training Runs um I they're they're a little bit Thicker than what I would wear for race Day so normally I would wear the saw uh Race shorts for race day they're very Very light um the saw ones um but they Don't have any pockets in or anything Like that apart from a small pocket in The back these ones are much better for Training because you have two pockets Either side really quite Deep Pockets so If you go out for a run and uh I Wouldn't put stuff in these Pockets if I Was on the run but if you go out for a Run and then you stop running afterwards And you go to the shops and things like That you can put your stuff in these Pockets absolutely fine they're just Like normal shorts um but the nice thing I like about these is if I can find it It's also as well as those two uh main Pockets it also has a zipped pocket on The right hand side so you can put Things like keys and your credit card And stuff in those when you're running So they don't fall out um and I I found It to be very good there's there's Plenty of space in this pocket um and Yeah you can you can store a few little Bits and pieces in there um is also a
Draw cord on these so you can tighten Them a bit I don't really need to use That uh I find the elastic is absolutely Fine I've never had to tie the draw cord Um and it does have some like Ventilation bits in the back which um I've not really noticed it's quite Minimal it's like a line of ventilation In the back of the shorts so I'm not Don't think that's the most uh the best Feature of it but overall they are Really good um comfortable lul lemon kit Is very very good quality but they very Um they're just really comfortable for Those sort of training runs and things Where you just want something that feels Really nice uh and you're not Necessarily looking for the lightest Shorts out there for race day um so as a Training pair of shorts these are great And also I would say that a lot of the Shorts I've got running shorts I don't Tend to wear for things like the gym Because they're a little bit short or um That they're not as relaxed fit as uh I Normally wear at the gym I normally like To wear a bit baggier shorts in the gym Uh these are great for the gym as well I Think they're they're sort of a good Balanced training short that you can use For running in the gym and other stuff As as well um so yeah that is the Lululemon paast breaker 5 in shorts There are some longer versions as well
But I tend to always go for 5 in 5 in When I go for Shorts so my first monthly pick are a Pair of headphones now I have tested a Bunch of different running Sports Focus Headphones over the month and I think These are the ones that have really Stood out for me and I think ones that People are going to want to know about And I think I best describe them as a Little bit like the shocks open fit Which are pretty expensive But Ultimately these are going to give you a Similar kind of performance for a lot Less money um so these are the civa S SO2 and I've tested the ca s so1 really Really like them as I said really Affordable kind of alternatives to Something like the shocks open fit so They're kind of smaller truly Wireless Style um airbuds now in terms of what You're getting here you're getting an Air hook design it has slightly changed In terms of that design so they're no Longer kind of fully rotatable air hooks But I think in general the fit still is Very good it has shrunk a little bit Inside as well which I think was Definitely one of the criticisms I had Of the first one so they' gone a little Bit lighter and I think that is a Positive thing they have dropped the Physical controls so it's now touch Controls which I think if I was racing I
Probably wouldn't opt for these airbuds But I think in terms of General running The touch controls are good enough and Then that kind of overall sound as I Said it's an kind of open air style air Conduction style so wearable speakers Plac just beside your ears not inside of Your ears and I think personally I think The sound quality is up there there with What you get on the shocks open fit and Some of those more expensive open ear Headphones it's really balanced over Really enjoyable you don't have the Ability to kind of customize that sound But ultimately I think that sound out of The box is very very good and crucially When you're out battling winds when you Have got a lot of other noises around You I think it managed to retain that Very good sound quality as well now in Terms uh battery life you are getting Probably around kind of up to 10 hours I Found kind of an hour's worth of running And I like a lot of these kind of open Air headphones if you listen to them a Little bit louder the battery drop off Is a little bit more so I generally Listen a little bit louder I found the Battery life was probably kind of a drop Of 10% from an hour's worth of running So that kind of you know the battery Numbers do add up there so yeah Ultimately I think if you are looking For an alternative to the shocks open
Fit it's going to cost a lot less money Still give you that really good fit Reliable fit maybe slightly bigger than The open fit in general but gives you Really impressive sound I think know Open air aside you know I think they Just sound very good to R with then the Cka SO2 are well worth checking out so My second monthly pick are a pair of Socks now I find like discovering a good Pair of running socks are a biggie Because I think you know it's going to Be something that you know without much Thought you can throw on they're not Going to be beating up after a couple of Runs and you know these are a pair I Think are going to be ones that I can do That with so these are the darn tough And these are their kind of crew Lightweight running socks now what I Like about these first and foremost is That they just look look like normal Socks and I have been able to just wear Them casually and that's kind of a nice Little bonus there I guess if you're Going away you just want one pair of Socks to use then these feel like they Can be those socks now they're Predominantly designed for trail running And I get that because in terms of you Look at the materials it's predominantly Kind of Marino wall so something a Little bit thicker in in theory but I Think ultimately when I've used them and
I haven't really done any trail running I've been using mainly for Road running They've been absolutely fine I was Worried they might be a little bit on The thick side but it doesn't really Feel like that it kind of has that look But I Ely they work very nice and they Haven't feel overly tight wearing them With Road running shoes and there are Other materials in there to make sure You get those kind of elements of what You want from running socks so you know Making sure there's a little bit stretch A little bit of support in the right Places in the sock as well too and also That it doesn't sag as well and you know I put them through the wash and they've Been absolutely fine and the main thing For me is they don't wear the toes which Is generally what I find with some socks That's the first sign that you get a lot Of wear when you've kind of use them Regularly and I haven't really seen that In my month testing these socks so yeah A really nice find for me I think people Are going to like these socks as well as I said not predominantly while they're Predominantly for trail running I think You can use them for all types of Running they' be absolutely fine so These are the darn tough uh crew Lightweight running sock that's it from The monthly round up this month thanks a Lot for watching don't forget to like
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