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 month’s video, we cover running caps, socks, fuel and sunglasses. Enjoy.
Check out The Run Testers podcast:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
Nick’s Picks
00:43 – Zenni Optical Zunnies
02:13 – Vaga Feather Racing Cap
03:35 – Sayksy Blaze Running Mittens
Kieran’s Picks
05:25 – Strykr Bar50 Energy Bars
06:15 – New Balance Running Bottle Pack
07:40 – adidas TERREX Agravic Trail Running Leggings
Tom’s Picks
09:00 – New Balance 5 Panel Pro Run Hat
11:00 – Stance Performance Socks
13:40 – Soar Winter Anorak
Subscribe to The Run Testers for more running gear reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRunTesters?sub_confirmation=1
Hey Tomy from the r Chesters and welcome To the monthly Roundup video this is the Video we talk about the things that We've been testing over the past few Weeks that we haven't been able to Mention in other videos we're a bit Behind this month because it was Christmas and everyone was busy uh so This is the December guide but moving Into January right let's dive in and see What we picked this month [Music] So the first thing I going to pick out I've been testing out this month is the New Z range of running sunglasses from Zeni Optical it's a us-based brand I Think they do ship to the UK obv have to Pay a bit extra for that but this is Probably more one that's going to suit People who are in the US so they've got A new range of running sunglasses they Are lightweight you know all the stuff You expect for running sunglasses good Grippers on the nose pads and on the Side of the kind of arms to keep them in Place on the run and they do Prescription glasses as well and they're All pretty reasonably priced I think is The really important thing here so these Are classic wraparound sports sunglasses That cost like $24 for the base model And even if you get prescription they're Going to cost about 130 150 depending on Things like the lens tint you choose
Things like antifog antis scratch all Those kind of options you can but even Still if you put in all the most Expensive options they are pretty good Value running sunglasses for sure with Prescription I've been using them quite A lot on the sunny days we have had here Occasionally in the UK winter and They're great yeah you put the on you Forget about them they grip quite Tightly but not so tightly they put any Your pressure on the size of the head Which I sometimes get with sunglasses They don't move all all on the run I've Used them for lots of fast runs you know Fit comfortably around headphones this The way the arms sit quite close to the Side of the head so yeah there's Different options in the range as well If you want something less sporty these Are also available in the Z range which Are kind of more classic sunglasses in General they're not prescriptions I Won't be able to see now but yeah They're quite big those you can see so Yeah that's the Z range from Z Optical I Think it's a nice new option to have on The market you know they're coming in a Lot cheaper than stuff like Oakley or Roko which obviously make very good Running sunglasses you get a lot more Kind of options in terms of lenses and Stuff like that if you look at those Brands and customization from Brand like
Su God but this Sunny's range I think is Really good value all around from Zen Optical and then the next thing I want To pick out this month is the Vara Feather racing cap which is a Lightweight hat I actually bought when I Was at The iness Lochness Marathon Festival I bought it the day before the 10K and then wore it for the 10K the Next day cuz I hadn't taken any hats up And just a really nice lightweight hat With quite a small brim so I think That's kind of the key feature here I Tend to wear it down but you can flick It up people like to do that I know as Well well but basically you got a really Lightweight hat all the usual stuff Crushable easy to pack you can wash it In the machine stuff like that usual Vara stuff nice range of styles and it's Really lightweight and you got the Smaller brim which I do like because Mainly if I'm wearing a hat in a race I'm probably mostly using it as for Sweat absorption rather than for Protection from the Sun cuz I race so Often in the UK and that's what you get Here you get you know all the kind of Absorption you need for long hard runs I've used it for a lot of Long training Runs as well as that race while having This you know very small and lightweight Design see the downside of the shorter Peak is you get less protection from the
Sun if it is a very sunny day obviously The angle uh it protects you from is a Little bit less uh kind of effective and Widespread as with a hat with a longer Brim but like I said for the most part It doesn't matter too much for me here In the UK and I just like the fact it's A really nice lightweight hat like the Color like the fit so yeah that's the Vaga feather roac capap it's fairly Expensive it's £34 which is obviously a Fair amount for a hat but you can Probably find a discount code somewhere I know these are very popular with lots Of running instagrammers and influencers I think get discount code so you might Be able to find one of them but yeah Firm it's a very good hat and one that I've enjoyed using since I bought it up In Scotland and then last pick this Month are the sey blaze mittens we Actually got these at the back end of Last year's winter we didn't have too Much cool to use them because by then it Had warmed up a bit uh but I've been Using them recently in the UK and it's Just really dropped again in temperature Here and they are very warm cozy mittens For running they are cost £49 or $62 so Again fairly expensive but these are Basically the gloves I use all the time You know during an outside of running so The cost is offset of it by the Lifestyle use as well they are wind and
Water resistant they're not fully Waterproof but you know they do shrug Off showers quite well and by not being Fully waterproof they are a bit more Breathable than some other running Mittens I've used so if you don't want Sweaty hands then these are a good Option because they have kept my hands Really warm I also took them for a few Runs in Poland when I was there in December and that is very cold Especially in the winter and they were Really good yeah they're warm enough for Me and I get really really cold hands so They are a good option because for a Mitten that is quite a you know bulky And warm thing they're not as bulky as Lots of other ones you can still kind of Handle things as well well obviously You're not able to use your phone or Anything like that very well but you can Get into a running belt and get out of Gel kind of with these a bit better than With other mittens if you don't want to Take them off but they're also very easy To get on and off even though they've Got you know a fairly good seal around The wrist there they're not so tight It's really hard to get them off again Sometimes can be a problem with very Warm gloves I find so that's the sey Blaze mitts a really good set of gloves For the very cold period that is coming Up now for us runners in the northern
Hemisphere uh they'll keep your hands For it basically warm in any kind of run It will still be a little bit warmer Than very thin lightweight gloves Obviously for you know if you're looking At hard sessions or races but they do Have a relaxed enough fit that you can Put on you know a very tight you know Thin glove underneath so you could use These as an overlayer and then take them Off when you do start to overheat Taps On the run and just use the gloves Underneath I've been doing a huge test Of hundreds of different gels bars Shakes and all sorts of running fuel for Runners World which will be out in the New year that test when I took some of These ster bars I think that's how you Pronounce it stier bar 50 endurance Energy bar With me on a solo Marathon test of the No blast 5 that I did that'll be on the Channel somewhere around here and these Were excellent they've got a nice Rice Crispy bar texture that's chewy but not Too chewy the day almond and sea salt Was delicious sweet but with a nice Salty Edge to it really kind of melting The mouth as well but there's chocolate Chip and apple cinnamon and caramel Flavors too the flavors I really like They're not too artificial they don't Have that running fuel kind of fake Thing going on which you can get with
Sun bars really like that and the 50 g Of carbohydrates you getting what is Essentially really quite a light bar is Actually really great now most Runners Won't want to pack these for faster runs But for your long slow meanders where You don't mind going down a gear to be Able to chew and eat they're really Great this is definitely a new snack for My ultra efforts as part of my big fuel Test I've had to use a lot of carb drink Mixes Morton Tailwind sis better fuel That kind of stuff and so I've gone back To a running belt design that I've not Used for a long time and that's this New Balance running bottle pack it comes With a 500 milot bottle that s holstered Here it's great for fuel mixes but Obviously it also offers another way if You want to to carry water in a hard Flask which I also quite like when I First ran marathons and Ultras I'd have A belt like this strapped to me in fact I ran the marathons a saw with one which Gave me a third water bottle in addition To the two that I had in my sort of Chest so you can you know basically go Over a liter of water I tend to swing The pack around to the back to have the Bottle at the back rather than the front Just because I feel like it's out of the Way and a bit more balanc and you can Just pull it out I've forgotten how nice Is to run without having bottles up on
Your chest sort of bouncing around as Well now I wouldn't choose this form Factor for Ultra necessarily but for Runs around a couple of hours where you Want a little bit of stash space and an Easy hard bottle here to carry this is a Good solution there's a big pouch here As well on the front that's big enough It's got a nice zip pool that's large And easy to get to there is this kind of Bungee extra bit out the front but I Didn't find it too years even my lighter Jackets sort of would work their way Loose but if you're looking for a bottle Belt this one I think works really Nicely as an alternative way to carry Water and fuel now it's that time of the Year again the leggings runs back and a Pair I've added to my regulars these Adidas terx leggings they are built for Taining Trails really they're like a Trail type but they're just as happy Helping you eat the road as well I found Them to be an excellent utility type With great versatility combines bucket Loads of storage space that you don't Normally find actually in a lot of Tights but also a comfortable flexible Fit they've got a midweight fabric it's Nice and silky does a great job of Boosting warmth without being Overbearing it's good in kind most Conditions actually um the waistband Packs three stretch mesh compartments
There's a small zippered pocket as well Rear that's good for the odd gel or the Headphones case there's a zippered thigh Pocket that will holster your phone and Pole Loops if you're tackling serious TRS the ventilating mesh knee panels Here as well that give a little bit of Flexibility got nice secure elasticated Cuffs on the bottom reflective strips as Well for a bit of safety um yeah a lot Of clever details in what I think is a Really good comfy versatile Tip so I'm a big fan of running caps I Buy them all the time and every time I Go and do a marathon I'll always buy a Running cap from the race as a souvenir Uh and I've got far too many I've got About 60 or 70 running caps now and they Do vary massively on uh how good they Actually are um some of them are a bit Too thick some of them are a bit too Rigid um some of them don't manage to Sweat very well so there are certain Running apps that I use a lot and some That I just keep as souvenirs from races That are never to be used for running Again um this is a really good one this Is the New Balance five panel cap um now One thing that I look at when I buy Running caps is the fit some running Caps can be really um shallow on the Head don't really like that I don't like Them too rigid as well I like them to be Quite flexible um because I tend to ruin
Them a bit if if you get one that has Quite a rigid um tip I tend to sort of Scrunch it up and then it gets ruined And I can't wear it again cuz it doesn't Look right so this New Balance five Panel cap um it has five panels which is How the fit looks it's the more Fashionable style of running caps that Um people tend to wear now it's really Really comfortable um very flexible you Can stuff it in your bag and it's Absolutely fine it's got these Perforated um holes in the top for Breathability but the material is really Thin as well so it handles sweat really Well if you're sweating this um it it Dries off quite quickly um and I find That I can wash it really easily as well And it dries um quite quickly after After rinsing under the tap or anything Like that very comfortable to wear very Easy it's got little plastic Buckle at The back which can tighten up quite Simply uh and it has a bit of a visor Around the the top section which is used For absorbing sweat so it doesn't drip Into your eyes um when you're out Running uh there are some different Colorways of this I couldn't find this Exact colorway on the New Balance Website um but you can find it cheaper On some other sites if you put New Balance five panel uh performance cap in Into Google um but yeah it's really
Solid running cap if you're looking for A running cap for the summer or the Winter this is a great option and isn't Too expensive so socks we always have Socks on this video and we try a lot of Different ones out we've mentioned Stance a few times but I've recently Been testing a few different versions of Stance and I've learned a little bit More about the different types of socks That they have so stance as you if You're a runner you'll probably know About stance because they're one of the Biggest sock Brands out there and for Good reason I have St socks that I've Had for absolutely ages uh we wearing For years and years and they haven't Ever perished or haven't had any major Problems with them uh but it's always Nice to pick up some new ones um because They do feel a bit nicer when you get New ones so these are uh St performance Socks um and they're pretty much the Same as I've got already but um there Are lots of different colorways that Stands do so if you go to the website You can find all the different versions Of the socks in loads of different Colorways loads of great designs and Some really interesting ones they have Like Star Wars and stuff on there um but One thing I I hadn't tested before with These socks is that they have different Um thickness uh levels of the socks so
The ultra light version is um really Good for running if you're wearing race Shoes so um if you're if you're running In really tight Ray shoes you can I I Tend to avoid wearing thick socks um Because they can rub or feel a little Bit too um restrictive in the in the Shoe so you get the ultral light version Which are very comfortable they still Have plenty of support on them around The toes and the ankle and the um heel Section of the sock very comfortable to Wear very breathable uh the ultra ultra Light version uh and where we're picking Up if you're looking for a good race Sock uh they also have the light version Which um is a little bit thicker has a Lot more um support around the uh heel Section of the foot uh and around the Toe section so you get a little bit more Of that um padding in the shoe makes him A little bit more comfortable to wear um But they're still very breathable as Well uh and they these ones that I wear Are the slightly longer ones the mid the Mid socks that uh I don't tend to wear The the shorter socks um just cuz I Don't find them very comfortable but you These really hold onto the the ankle Comfortably very well and don't fall Down and then I've also been testing the Uh the midlevel uh cushioning which is Gives you a lot more padding across the Whole of the sock um definitely good if
You're looking at running in a shoe Maybe a a cush a big cushion shoe that's Quite plush and you want a little bit of Extra padding um still quite breathable But I definitely wouldn't use these out In the heat um just because uh they They're a little bit too thick for me if I'm wearing big shoes so then I'd go for The midock so there's some great options From stance at the moment uh when it Comes to running socks uh they're pretty Standard priced around 16 16 17 which is Sort of what you're going to be looking At uh if you're getting a pair of good Quality socks but it does make a Difference getting good quality socks uh If you're doing a lot of running I used To run in normal socks quite a lot got a Lot of blisters didn't find them very Comfortable um so I always use running Socks now and stance is one of the best Options out there and they have all These different versions that you can Get my last pick this month is an Expensive one so I apologize um I'm sure Some of you will get annoyed in the Comments because often do when we Mention saw but this is the saw winter Anarak now this is a Powerhouse when it Comes to the winter I don't tend to wear Really thick jackets that much but it's Got down to 0 degrees now and going out For a run is really really difficult Especially if you're going out for an
Easy run um when you're going out when I'm doing intervals in 0 Dees I'm fine I Get quite hot I can wear a t-shirt um And I start sweating regardless of the Temperature but when I doing a long easy Run in those kind of temperatures I like To wear a really good jacket uh Especially if it's raining if it's Snowing anything like that the winter Anarak is a jacket from Saw which is Very expensive um but it really really Does a good job it is designed to be Water Repellent um it also has this really um Tightly woven exterior so it really Keeps the uh really keeps the warm in Doesn't feel like it would it feels like A relatively light uh jacket but when You got it on it really warms you up It's really good for those long runs um If you especially if you really don't Want to go out in the cold uh it has a Hood on it as well as this front section The zip goes um really high up over the Face you sort of cover your mouth a Little bit with it uh which works really Well if it is uh really bad conditions It has a pocket in the front which is Useful for things like your card or Maybe a key uh and in the back you also Have a much bigger pocket which you can Put gels in and things like that um so There's plenty of storage in it Especially for such a lightweight jacket
Quite often with some of the lightweight Jackets you don't get any storage in at All so it's good to get that on it um But also the other thing about it is That it's nice and breathable as well so Um despite the fact that it's really Does keep you warm this um it it does Feel relatively allows you to sweat Comfortably um without feeling like You're wearing a plastic bag on you Which lot of the um waterproof ones can And finally um it has thumb hooks in the In the arms which is essential for me I I'd always want I always want um thumb Hooks on my jacket so really really Comfortable what I would say about it is Saw tenter size for the uh more slight Um person so um I always get a large I Don't normally wear a large in um any Other brand but with saw I always buy Large tops um just because they don't Really fit my shape perfectly that's it From us on this belated uh monthly guide Thanks a lot for watching don't to like Subscribe and click that little bell you Into the catch below you can find into Our podcast which comes out at the end Of each month thanks a lot for watching Catch you next time [Music]
