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 jackets, sunglasses, watch straps and boxers. Enjoy.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
Kieran’s Picks
00:33 – Stance Performance Boxer Briefs
01:49 – The North Face 5l Vest
03:40 – Bliz Matrix Shades
Nick’s Picks
05:20 – Running Buddy App
07:33 – Silo Crew Drop One Bag
09:25 – Saysky Combat+ Rib Short Tights 8”
Tom’s Picks
11:05 – Asics Fujitrail Elite Waterproof Jacket
13:10 – ICOCOPRO LED Reflective Vest
14:43 – Bandletic Tough Strap
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers and Welcome back to the monthly Roundup this Is the video where we talk about all the Things that we've tested over the past Few weeks which we haven't been able to Tell you about in any of the other Videos right let's dive in and see what We all picked this [Music] Month so my quest to add excellent Running undies to my running kit bag Continues and I found another pair these Are the stance performance box of briefs They're inside out at the moment but I'll show you why in a sec now I love Stance socks they are Staples in my Running gear and these boxes I recently Tried these out for the first time and I Have to say I'm almost equally as Impressed they take all the important Boxes you've got good support thanks to What stance calls its holster pouch I'm Not sure if you can see here but there's This sort of super soft fabric pouch That kind of everything fits into and It's held there with good security and Support the fabric of the remainder of The shorts is really soft and stretchy Delicate it's kind of soft against all Your important bits offers a good Comfortable disappearing fit that's Decent wicking as well you've got a nice Soft waistband here that's pretty wide Doesn't cut in but crucially and this is
The real deal breaker for me these Haven't chafed on the runs that I've Done in them so far there is one caveat Though I haven't run over 90 minutes in Them I've gone up to about kind of 80 or So and for really long hauling I still Think that I would reach for my Virtually seamless cxp endurance briefs Just to be 100% sure there are some Teams here and that pouch make's chafing Over longer longer runs but for those Everyday miles I've sort of found myself Reaching for these just for sort of the Good basic staple Comfort now I'm not Long back from running the trans Grand Canaria marathon and I used this 5 L Running vest covering 48 km virtually Putting it fresh on I'd not running it Before hitting the start line which is Always a risk of course but I was really Impressed with this and a few things Really stand out for me as a like weight Kind of ultra hydration vest the first Is the adjustable fit I wasn't carrying A lot of stuff but it was easy to get The comfortable pack and secure you've Got an easy front bungee system you've Got a side cinching system that lets you Really dial in to keep things nicely in Place so you get a real kind of dialed In fit that can you can have it secure Without it being restrictive and there Was no bounce or movement even on some Steeper descents there's a decent
Balance here I think between it being Lightweight but there's some structure So it's not really really floppy like Some other sort of the Salamon race vest Can be the back panel here has a highly Breathable mesh there's a toggled main Back compartment that holds a decent Amount of gear it also has a divider in It so you can add things that you want To keep away from your sweaty back and Keep those more protected now when I Used it in the race for 6 hours that Didn't stop my jacket that I had to put In here the obligatory piece of Kit Getting soaked with sweat so that is a Bit of a drawback and you'd probably Want to use a dry bag or something to Keep things 100% dry but there are good Storage options elsewhere with stretch Mesh pockets and stash pockets you've Got a zipper front foam pocket there's a Tunnel pocket at the back here which can Holster poles or a jacket there's a Built-in whistle the thing I love most And it's the first time that I've seen This in a vest is this zippered bottle Holster sort of setup that makes it Really easy to remove your soft flask When you get into an aid station and Then get them back in and then secure Them really well where they don't bounce Uh makes going through aid station super Simple now the biggest compliment I can Pay to this Fest though is that I
Largely forgot I was wearing it and for Runs where you don't need to carry lots Of Kit and you want to go long hauling Or even sort of shorter runs I would Recommend it now summer will be here Soon enough and I got a little taste of That while at the trans Grand Canary Marathon where the temperatures hit 26° And I needed these Matrix Shades from a Sunny's brand called blizz I think I'm Pronouncing that right it's a new brand For me but one that has impressed me These shades are designed to be Multi-purpose outdoor shades for running Cycling and skiing I used them for that 6 and 1/2 hour run on the baking Volcanic Trails of Grand Canaria and They've been an instant hit for me Actually you get a good wraparound Protection with a wide field of vision Crucially no glare from the lenses and The other ultimate thing for me in Sunglass is there's no bounce thanks to The fact he's got a lightweight design There's good fit security without any Digging in from the arms uh and those Nose pads as well again after many hours Some shades if you're doing sort of Ultra six and a half some shades you can Leave kind of pressure points on the Nose pads and stuff the arms digging Those nose pads are adjustable as well And you can tweak each one independently So if you've got a big and awkward
Busted nose that's all wonky like mine That's really handy for getting good Non- wonky fit you can make them sit Right as I said they're pretty Lightweight so you can almost forget That you're wearing them other things I Really like the lenses can be changed if You damage them or you want to swap them For something slightly different I also Got no fogging up when I was busting Lungs up and down that 1800 M of Climbing in 200 Meers of descending That's something that can happen when I'm working hard there's nothing worse Than the lenses fogging up that didn't Happen here the other thing I like They're well under1 so that's not so bad If you're like me you kind of you often Break or lose your [Music] Shades first thing I want to talk about This month is the running buddy app Which is a strength training for runners App that's created by an Irish Physiotherapist and very keen Runner Himself Patrick Carol it's the app that I used for my strength training in the Buildup to the cevil marathon I talk About it in the Civil Marathon video as Well and it basically has some very Useful targeted workouts designed Exactly for runners hitting all the key Areas backed up by all the research that Runners need to do to try and improve
Their performance and in general their Resilience for running it also really Creates a very flexible program within The app that has the things I've been Using mostly in there are called micro Workouts which you can basically fit Around your run so you do a plyometric Move before your run and a couple of Strength training moves after your run Using weights things like you know car Phases or split squats that kind of Thing everything is very clearly Explained in the app and there are video Demonstrations from Patrick Carol Himself where he really shows you how to Do each move perfectly to get the most From it and as someone who's not been Very good at strength training in the Past I found that I was able to do these Micro workouts you know a lot more than I would have done if I was trying to do Two or three big workouts per week Although I did manage to fit in a couple Of those from the app as well to test Them out I've just been using the gear I Have at home which is a couple of Dumbbells and a kettle bell but there Are also gym based workouts if you have Access to heavier weights which will be Even more effective I'm sure and B as Doesn't like doing strength training That much and struggles to fit it in I Want the stuff I do to be as effective As possible purely for the purpose of
Improving my running and that's exactly What I feel you get with this app Because it is so backed up by the Research and Patrick was obviously a Really good expert in this area and just Gives you the information you need and The workouts to follow that just make it A little bit easier to hopefully improve Your performance like I did gain about a Kilo of weight over the course of my Civil Marathon block and usually I'm Testing my weight each day to make sure I'm not losing weight during marathon Training but I do think I added some Useful muscle performance on the day Obviously went well I ran a and Seville And I do think strength training helped With that so it also worth looking at Patrick Carol on Instagram because he Gives a lot of advice for free basically On there if you want to do that because The app itself is fairly dear it's $13.99 a month or €1 135 a year I think You can do a trial month for half price Using the code trial 50 but you know This it's a fair outlay but you're Basically getting access to very very Targeted and useful strength training Programs I know it's an area that run to Struggle with sometimes so I think it's Worth checking out if that's you second Thing I want to highlight this month Which I also use for my civil trip is The Silo crew drop one bag this is
Currently only available in the US where It cost $95 I think it's reduced at the Moment to $84 though maybe and it's Basically a small bag that has lots of Compartments with including one that's Dedicated for shoes and lots of other Little compartments so you can organize Your kit for a trip like Seville for me Where I was away for just you know three Three and a half days needed a bag that Was big enough to handle all my running Kit and keep it separate from the rest Of my clothes and other stuff like that But wasn't too big so the bag has two Zip pockets on the lid you got a Separate shoe pocket you've got a lot of Little pockets lining the side of it as Well Drop In Pockets so if you do like To keep everything very meticulously Organized like your gels toiletries all Of that kind of thing it's separate from Shoes and other kit then you can do that Very easily with this bag and the size Is good like it's a really lightweight Bag it's easy to carry now I when Traveling was able to put it in the Ryan A small cabin bag you know measuring Thing they have at the airport where They try and get you basically at the at The at the gate to see if they can Charge a bit extra so actually the Measurements of the bag would make it Too big for that and you know this is One of those things where it's going to
Be up to you you want to take the gamble If you so I actually had you know two Bags I paid for priority on Ry air and I Had you know that was my bigger bag it Was certainly fine but if you want to Just travel with one bag this has enough Room to take everything you need for a Weekend away running I found and you Probably can just about get it into that UND seat you know size thing even though It is listed as slightly bigger than That it's a soft bag and you can kind of Squash it in how much you want to gamble On that kind of thing like I don't like To gamble with budget Airlines cuz they Are trying to get you and they usually Do get you if they can but this bag I Think like I said did fit into the r air One on the way out me when I was testing It the Welling one was a little bit too Small though that is quite small these Air these Airlines do actually have Slightly different things which is Annoying typically annoying from them But yeah anyway it's a really good bag For a weekend trip running especially if You don't have to worry about those Baggage restrictions on those budget Airlines organize your gear really well Nice solid sturdily made bag with Pockets and all the right places to make It nice and convenient and it fit the Bill perfectly for my short trip to Seville over the weekend and the last
Thing I want to highlight I've been Using this month is the SEI combat plus Rib half tight 8 in half tight I'm a big Fan of SEI tights in general they're Half tights and their shorts they're Probably the shorts and half tights I Use the most throughout my training just Because they're really good for everyday Wear they last long time they've all Gone through tens maybe hundreds of Washes some of them and they've held up Really well to that so I do think They're really comfortable durable Shorts that work really well and I like The half tights the new combat ones are Now ribbed ribbed for all our pleasure Uh which improves the fit a little bit Just makes them feel a bit more Comfortable bit more breathable According to SEI and they've got all the Same kind of features you had on the Normal combat tires two Drop In Pockets One on either thigh and a smaller one at The back there so you if you're pretty Lightweight in what you carry for Something like a marathon you can get All your gels in there or for just General use you can slip a phone in There and a gel and just other little Bits like that they're a bit fluffy Right now I just put them through the Wash after using them and there was Something in the wash from the children That has wrecked a lot of my clothes
That I need to deal with now so Apologies there's a little bit of fluff On them in the cutaways but yeah really Comfortable tights they do come in at £85 $110 so not the cheapest tights but As I said all of s's gear for me has Stood up really well to testing and they Do have sales so it's maybe something to Look out for the future in sale I've Also been using a few other bits of sasy Kit over the winter that really Impressed me including the clean paste Vest which is a Gile nice lightwe Gile Which I really like in cold conditions And there's a woven mesh base layer Which again has been really warm even When worn just under a gayer in cold Conditions so yeah lots of impressive Sey gear I've used in the last few weeks I think the combat plus tights are my Favorite just because I really like Their half tights and I do prefer this New ribbed texture you get with these Ones the standard combat half tits are Also very good and they're a little bit Cheaper but yeah you've got little Upgrade here if you're prepared to pay The extra money for it My first pick this month is an expensive One I apologize it's the aex Fuji Trail Elite waterproof jacket this is a Running jacket um which is mentioned Trail in the title but you don't need to Use it for Trails I've been using it um
For lots of Road running over the past Couple of weeks uh this it's an Expensive jacket but it's a really Really good jacket it's been raining Constantly at the moment where I live um And I've been reaching for waterproof Jackets when I've been going out this One is absolutely great it feels nice And light on the body um it's got good Protection from the wind it's been quite Windy at the moment around here and this Jacket has just been dealing with it Perfectly uh it's a very comfortable Jacket to wear it doesn't make you too Hot but it's really good at protecting Against the Wind and Rain and I've Really been enjoying it for that uh I Really like the fit of it as well uh the Hood's really nice uh you can stick the Hood up very comfortably it's got a bit Of ventilation in the back of the hood As well so it feels uh relatively Breathable when you're out running in it Um but it um it's a very comfortable Want to to have on I ran um 25k in uh The marathon training run in this the Other day and it felt great the whole Way I wasn't too hot wasn't too sweaty And normally I like to take jackets off Pretty quickly after I started running Um there are some other features on it So it's packable into its front uh Zipper pocket um if you want to do that If you're out on the trails you want to
Stick it in your in your bag or Something like that uh it also has some Reflective details on it um nothing too Exciting U the usual sort of reflective Details you get on these jackets um the Main thing really comes down to the the The fabric so it's a very comfortable Nice um soft fabric uh to wear but also It's got a very good layer of um weather Protective uh qualities on it uh so all In all really solid jacket if you're Looking for something to you can use to The road and the trails and it you want Something that looks nice and you want An investment so it's going to last you A while this is probably a very good Option uh and I've been very impressed With it okay so as well as doing a lot Of running in the dark I also coach a Running club um in the dark a lot so I Bought myself this um HIZ uh well light Um which which I use when I'm out Coaching uh I also use it on my bike as Well when I'm I'm cycling on roads in The dark um because I was getting a Little bit worried around the country Roads where I live that I can't be seen So I picked up this I Coco Pro um LED Running vest or cycling vest uh and it's Only $1.99 I wanted something that um Wasn't just reflect I wanted something That was actually flashing so that People could see me uh the way that it Works is this like this is a couple of
Straps you put it over your head um You've got uh lights at the front and Red lights at the back that flash you Can change the flashing of them so you Can have them St like flashing or you Can have them just set to um ongoing um And you charge them by a USB c um I really for $199 I've been Really impressed with this it really Helps um when you're out running in the Dark can especially when I'm coaching so People can actually see where I am um But for 1199 that's it's absolute Bargain for what it does really um and It definitely helps especially when You're out on the road then for people To to see uh if you want a bit of extra Protection as well as as well as your Bike lights if you're cycling uh it's Very comfortable to put on straps up Really really easily I don't really Notice it when I'm out running it's not Very heavy um and it's well worth Picking up if you're keen on safety and You want something that really is quite Bright um out there um it doesn't take Very long to char up and it lasts for Quite a long time as well so yeah $199 Um for a bit of cycling safety in the Dark um which you can use for running as Well um well worth picking up my last Pick this month is from Amazon it's the Band letic Garmin fake strap it's not a Real Garmin strap uh this is I picked
This up because I I've actually had Three different colorways of this now I've had my um Phoenix 7 x for couple of Years now so sometimes I like to change The strap on it just to feel like I've Got a slightly newer watch This uh these straps are fabric I really Like fabric straps as opposed to um uh Plastic straps I find I get bit rubbing If I use um plastic straps rubber straps Uh this I've really enjoyed using these Um they're very very comfortable they're Pretty cheap 20 21 quid 22 quid um They're very easy use the quick the Quick fit strap um connectors that you Get for for Garmin um most of the Gins I Think um but they're really easy to put On you just stick them on and then you Put the loop around and you've got a uh Velcro that goes way around fits really Firmly never have any issues with it Coming off you can tighten it down quite Nicely so it's not banging around on Your hand um and I did find that with The rubber strap that I was using before It was quite hard to me to get the the Fit quite right this is really Comfortable because you just change the Velcro slightly I have bought various Velcro straps from um Amazon in the past And with many mixed um uh results some Of them I've got I've just hated Uh what one thing I found about this one Is that sometimes when you get a a strap
Especially the velcro ones they don't Have velcro over all the way way so you Really have to have the right sized um Wrist for it to work this has got velcro All the way around so you can it will Fit pretty much anyone and you'll get Quite a lot of coverage on that velcro So you can get a nice strap on it it's Also got this weird sort of uh I don't Know if it's like an army design on it I Don't know why um but it's really Comfortable looks really nice there's Lots of different colors you can get um And as I say I like to change my watch WP um once or twice a year just cuz so I Feel like I've got a newer watch but Very much enjoying these um easy to wash As well I've not had any problems with It getting Mankey or anything like that So yeah uh 21 quid for a strap which I've been very very pleased with that's It from us on this Roundup thanks a lot For watching don't forget to like Subscribe and click the little bell and If you go to the catching below you can Find a l to our podcast which comes out A couple of times each month thanks a Lot for watching catch you next time Oh
