220Triathlon Edição 334

85 / 132

FEBRUARY 2017 I I 85
TEST
CENTRE
FINAL
VERDICT
The best here are excellent.
But which one ticks the
most winter run boxes?
THE QUALITY OF the run jackets
tested here is generally high, and
we’d have no qualms about
recommending half a dozen for
running this winter.
THE HAGLÖFS PUTS the hard
into hardshell and for serious
trail runs in heavy rain or snow
(with a heavy duty base layer
below) we can see the appeal.
But for the day-to-day runner,
that price is prohibitive and
there are other hardshells
here – the Brooks, Saucony
and Inov-8 – that offer
water-resistance at half the
price. Of that trio, the Saucony
and especially the Brooks
suffer with breathability, but the
Inov-8 is ideal for both warmth
and windproofing. We’d pass on
both the Pearl and North Face for
their lack of versatility.
ALTHOUGH ITS USP is the
reflectivity, the Proviz is a
hard-to-fault and well-crafted
creation that performs well in a
number of conditions. Likewise, the Asics
ticks nearly every box apart from superior
warmth, and ditto the stylish Odlo, which is
the jacket we’ve worn more than any other
on test but will require more warmth for
low single-digit runs.
THE TITLE CHARGE is led by two jackets
that can handle the cold, wind and water.
The Gore, like most of the brand’s output,
is understated, high-performing and
well-crafted. If the price seems high, we
can vouch for their durability over time
and we know this’ll last a number of
seasons. At £45 less, the Zoot just edges
the Gore to the post. It’s slightly leaner for
a wider variety of temperatures and also
does everything you want a run jacket to,
with the surprising waterproofing the icing
on a very fine cake from the tri pioneers.
FROM THE EXPERT
86%
Maintains your warmth on the run and
swats away the winds. Stylish if pricey
›› VERDICT
65 %
Stylish and excels in the wet but with
niche appeal and a sky-high price
››VERDICT
86%
Not the warmest but huge reflectively
adds to the winning features
››VERDICT
Inov-8’s entire range is tested in
Cumbria and it shows; their trail
shoes have the best traction of any
we’ve tested. For preventing the
cold and winds, the Thermoshell
replicates this fine form, swatting
away Storm Angus and keeping us
toasty on a 90min trail run. The
effectiveness of the double zip
became clear on the run for venting
purposes and preventing wafts of
air from entering down the neck.
Given it’s a harder shell, we’re
surprised the Thermoshell wasn’t
touted as being water resistant as it
handled a severe downpour before
minimal ingress on the sleeves. If it
looks fairly large, the 223g jacket
stashes into the chest pocket so you
can slot it into your backpack. We
would’ve liked some lower pockets
and we’re not sold on the half zip
length (for weight-saving and
stashability, say Inov-8), but it’s
among the best here for daily use.
INOV-8
THERMOSHELL
£130.00
Haglöfs’ Gram Comp reminds us
of The Simpsons’ scene where
Bart folds his starchy PE kit into
a paper aeroplane. On all our runs,
it sounded like Gary Lineker was
chasing us with a crisp packet.
Noise pollution aside, and the
Gram Comp comes top of the
class in swatting away precipitation,
with the 100% Polyamide Gore-Tex
construction and front zip combing
to produce a Fort Knox of the
waterproof world. Breathability
is surprisingly adequate for such
a hardshell and wind protection
is superior, helped by the
elasticated cuffs, hem and peak
hood. But the giant elephant in the
room is that £250 price tag. For
that outlay we’d demand more
warmth and comfort, and
additional pockets to the single
chest compartment. The result?
One for hardcore mountain runners
(with a thermal base layer) only.
HAGLÖFS
GRAMCOMP
£250.00
As ever with Proviz, the USP of the
PixElite is the brand’s hugely
reflective fabric that makes this a
potential life-saver for night
running. The lean 222g weight
makes it just a tad heavier than the
Saucony, and the winning features
continue with a full-length zip
buffer, elasticated hems and a duo
of easy-to-access pockets. Onto the
urban run loop and high-intensity
efforts were rewarded with
impressive ventilation, with the trio
of large rear vents keeping air
circulating throughout.
Windproofing is only satisfactory
and, like the Odlo and Asics, a
long-sleeve base layer will be
needed for single-digit sojourns.
The water-resistant fabric also bats
away the aqua to complete a
recommended package at a
wallet-friendly price, even if it’s a
jacket unlikely to be worn away
from the run routes.
PROVIZ
PIXELITE
£74.99