5 of the best WET WEATHER RUNNING TOPS
IT MAY seem counter-intuitive, but when choosing your wet and cold weather running kit, you should steer clear of waterproofs. Why? Because once you get going, you’ll sweat – and no matter how breathable manufacturers make them, anoraks will basically act like a greenhouse, trapping moisture inside.
Fitness blogger Poppy Cross (poppycross.co.uk) also advises runners to avoid cotton and instead opt for a synthetic, ‘flash-dry’ fabric.
A spokesman for fabric experts SATRA explains: ‘Flash-dry fabrics have been around for a
NIKE AEROREACT
PULLOVER, HYPER ORANGE
£90, nike.com/gb
Nike invented its Dri-FIT range more than a decade ago. This is the latest twist, which the sports giant claims reacts to body heat, allowing more air through when you’re hot and less when it’s cold, keeping you warm. We approached them to explain but they declined. Still, it’s snug, fast-drying, and you don’t
feel too hot once you get going.
WOMEN ADIDAS BY STELLA McCARTNEY
RUNNING TEE
£90, adidas.co.uk
I’m a big Stella fan and love wearing this top. Adidas has combined its Climalite fast-drying fabric with its TechFit technique, where the shape and thickness of the garment is designed to compress to provide muscle support (this also eliminates
any unflattering jiggles!). while but the newest development in this area is the advent of spacer fabrics. Essentially, these comprise three layers: a base layer of absorbent material next to the skin, a waterproof top layer designed to efficiently evaporate moisture, and a fairly rigid yet compressible synthetic pile layer which holds apart the base and top layers.’
This layering means moisture isn’t held within the fabric but travels quickly to the surface where it evaporates.
Here, Poppy selects her five of the best tops that should have you up and running in no time…
H&M SEAMLESS HOODED TOP, IN NEON PINK MARL
£19.99, hm.com
Fantastic value for money for something so functional. It’s made with fast-drying fabric and is seamless, which means you can wear it next to the skin without chafing. I like the hood, which maximises warmth. The colour makes me feel very autumnal, too.
LULULEMON RUN SWIFTLY TECH
1⁄ ZIP, HEATHERED 2 SAPPHIRE BLUE
£72, lululemon.co.uk
I wear this while doing high-intensity workouts – when I’m likely to sweat a lot – on cold days as it’s light, warm and fast-drying. The fabric is also treated with a solution designed to kill off bacteria and microbes, so you should stay smelling fresh and fabulous.
THE NORTH FACE WOMEN’S REACTOR HOODIE
£45, thenorthface.co.uk
The North Face’s FlashDry is one of the best fabrics I’ve tried – it really does take ten or so minutes to feel completely dry after a rain shower, and I love how soft it is. It’s warm, so I wear it over the top of my Stella Adidas top to warm up and cool down in on cold days.