Running: Great Gear For Keeping You Visible

Choosing the right running gear for the darker months of the year can be tricky… On the one hand you want to avoid danger, but you also don’t want to look like a luminous traffic cone running down the road. So how do you stay safe and retain the cool factor?

Out on my usual route the other evening, I realised just how easy it can be to get involved in a nasty accident in the twilight hours. But it’s not just in the dark evenings that we runners need to be careful. Apparently 34%* of pedestrian fatalities in October-December in Greater London happened between 3pm and 7pm. Sorry for the downer, but it’s important to be aware.

I’ve also come to realise that there’s no point raging against those cyclists who don’t use lights, as I’m sometimes just as invisible to them. But here’s the good news… It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to get kitted out. So I tested a couple of pieces of gear from SportsShoes.com and here’s what I thought…

Ronhill Vizion Contour Women’s Running Tights — £19.99

Pros

Super comfy, good looking and lightweight
Handy phone/iPod/key back pocket under the waistband
Elasticated ankle bands with zips stopped the legs riding up
Reflective strips on the side and back of legs made me visible to passing cars and cyclists. Having the reflective strips on the moving parts, as opposed to on the torso made me easier to see
Ronhill’s Power Mesh on the lower back and behind the knees is great for breathability

Cons

I found them a bit chilly on very cold days, but as long as I kept running, it wasn’t a problem. Great incentive actually

Saucony Drylete Women’s Long Sleeve Running Top — £24.99

Pros

Seriously comfy, stretchy and lightweight
The high zip neck helped keep the elements out when the weather got nasty
Saucony’s FlexFilm stretch fabric works to transfer heat and moisture, so I felt a comfortable temperature throughout my run
The rear pocket was great for keeping my phone safe, and if like me you hate headphone cables dangling about while running, the pocket has a sneaky little slit inside to transfer the cables underneath your top
I love the thumb holes too, as I always get cold hands
The fluorescent pinky/orange colour is actually more reflective than your typical neon yellow sportswear
This piece of attire also comes with a handy little rechargeable clip-on USB LED light which you can set to flashing or constant

Cons

The top only has a couple of small reflective strips, but the colour makes up for that
Unfortunately the LED light clip broke after only a couple of wears, but I found the light actually fitted inside the little pocket on the arm. I’m informed they’re working on improving this
On really cold days I’d still recommend wearing another layer underneath

Ronhill Running Headband — £7.19

Pros

A fusion of merino wool and recycled polyester, the Thermalite fabric is ridiculously soft and comfortable
The reflective strips work really well for visibility
I loved how much warmth this headband gave me — great for keeping your ears snuggly and stopping your headphones from falling out

Cons

Nothing

If you like what you see you can find more Ronhill and Saucony products on the SportsShoes.com website. Newer versions of the reviewed products should also be in stock soon.

All photography courtesy of LJM Photography

*According to a Transport for London report in 2009