“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskin
Your mind may be willing to endure the climate, but your body may need a little help. When the elements conspire to keep you indoors, you need a running jacket ready and willing to serve as your armor. The Speed Jacket from Helly Hansen is ready to take on the weather and help you chart a course to your destination.
On Performance …
Helly Hansen has a heritage spanning over 150 years of designing performance apparel to protect sailors and mountaineers from some of the toughest weather conditions on the planet. So when Helly Hansen decides to produce a lightweight and breathable run jacket, you can expect dependable durability and innovation with a flair for style and performance.
The Speed Jacket is constructed using a highly breathable, water resistant 2-way stretch shell fabric. That means this run partner not only protects you from the rain and frosty gusts, but refuses to restrict your body’s natural movement.
Running through frost covered trails of the local foothills in the break hours of dawn, the Speed Jacket comfortably guarded our runner’s body heat in temperatures down to 50 to 55 degrees. Using the Speed Jacket on mornings colder than 50 degrees may require the addition of a baselayer or thermal protection garment.
Even the coldest of mornings, however, can be transformed by rays of warmth emanating through once heavy clouds making your run a bit toasty. To help the runner regulate their body heat, the Helly Hansen design team included strategically placed venting ports in the back of the Speed Jacket. An adjustable cord at the bottom let’s you batten down the hatches and lock in the heat so you can make the most of your jacket.
Should your runs take you into the wee hours of the evening or the first glimpse of dawn, the 360 degree reflective details will keep you visible for added safety. And, if space is a concern, the Speed Jacket is packable into its own zippered chest pocket.
Room for Improvement …
Light on weight and heavy on performance, the Speed Jacket lives up to the traditions of Helly Hansen. While the Speed Jacket performed as expected, our field tester had one suggestion. In future iterations, he would like to see the addition of an earphone cable guide and a pocket specifically designed to protect an ipod, cell phone or similar device from the elements.
Bottom Line…
Run hard, run fast, run protected. Lightweight, simple to carry, and easy to wear, the Speed Jacket is ready to help you set sail on your next running adventure.
Available from Helly Hansen and other reputable retailers.
*Gumption Gear Review received the product samples featured in this review from Helly Hansen. The items featured were provided solely in exchange for testing the products and providing our honest views and opinions. We received no other form of compensation for this or any related review.