As cold, winter weather creeps in, many outdoor lovers shut themselves inside their heated homes. Lucky for us runners, the chilly months can be the ideal time for long runs. But we too like to stay warm, so it’s great to have jackets like the Salomon Swift Midlayer Hoody that keep the fingers of icy air at bay, but breathes enough to wick sweat away during extended training runs.
Last spring and winter, the Salomon Swift Hoody was my trusted running partner as I trained for the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay. This fall, I’m pleased to see the hoody is back because it’s the ideal layer for running in super cold weather.
Breathability is the biggest issue when it comes to cold-weather running gear. Warmth doesn’t generally factor in as running creates so much body heat, I usually get away with just a long-sleeved shirt. But there are days when the mercury drops to “burrr,” and frozen sweat against the skin is a direct path to cutting a run short. The Salomon Swift Hoody saves the day by keeping things toasty and dry with a stretch-knit fabric lined in a comfortable fleece interior.
The stretch fabric also keeps unwanted moisture out. I went on several runs in snow, sleet and even light rain. For sure, I thought I’d get wet as the fabric doesn’t feel water resistant. But to my happy surprise, my base layer was still dry when I got back to the house, even though the outer layer was saturated.
The fit of the hoody is a bit tight, but the stretch fabric takes care of that as well. The garment conforms to the body, yet stretches enough to allow a full range of motion without any part of the jacket getting in the way. Overall, the hoody is extremely comfortable, almost as if you don’t even notice it’s on.
Other smart features make the Salomon Swift a winner, such as long sleeves that extend over the back of the hands for added warmth, thumb loops and integrated mittens for when you forget gloves and the weather gets really nasty, a half zip front for ventilation, and reflective branding on the front and back of the garment so you can be visible to passing cars on dark evening runs. The Swift also has a hood that stays on tight when pulled over the head, but doesn’t flop around when not in use. However, I didn’t like wearing the hood because it made me look like a speed skater (didn’t want to rock the Apollo Ono look on Salt Lake City’s streets.)
But perhaps the smartest feature that I really dig about the Swift Hoody is the watch window. You know this is a garment made for runners, by runners when it seems they’ve thought of everything. No longer do you have to pull your sleeve up to check your heart rate or pace, or wear your watch on the outside of your jacket. The watch window makes it quick and easy to check vitals, yet is stitched so that cold air doesn’t get through.
I only have one gripe with the Salomon Swift Hoody, and it’s this: the fabric stinks to high heaven after a run. As is typical with technical layers made from polyester blends, sweat-stink permeates the fibers and the stench just won’t go away. So the hoody went into the wash after every run… a pain if you train every day. I’d say that makes to case to buy more than one!
So if you’re a runner that’s dreading the onset of winter, fear not. All you need is a technical running layer like the Salomon Swift Hoody to keep you pounding pavement no matter what the weather throws at you.
Visit Salomon at www.salomon.com