Brooks Nightlife Jacket III Review
Cold weather and early nights are here which means it’s time for an outfit change for many runners. What used to be warm temperatures and rain for many are starting to change to freezing temperatures and cold rain or snow. One of the best pieces of gear for almost any runner is a good cold weather running jacket such as the Brooks Nightlight III Jacket.
There are a few things you want to look for in a winter running jacket. First, you want it to be wind and water resistant to keep out the elements. Wind and rain can be tolerated in warm weather, but when it’s cold out, you start to risk your health and safety. Next, staying visible at night is a must when running in the dark. Most winter running jackets have either reflective material, super bright material, or both to keep you visible while running in the dark. In the case of the Brooks Nightlife III, it has both. The last thing you want is venting. Since you often build up a sweat while running in almost any temperature, being able to vent some of the heat is important. A popular place for venting is usually along the side of the body or on the back just under the shoulder blades.
The Brooks Nightlife III is made from a couple different materials. First, this jacket incorporates wind and water resistant nylon material that is good for weather protection. This material does not stretch a lot, so having a good design and fit is important. In the Nightlife III, this material is along the front, back, shoulder, and part of the arms. In the places where you want a jacket to stretch, the Nightlife III has a softshell fabric that goes along the side and underneath the arms of the jacket. This allows your arms to move easily which make running more much enjoyable. I found the Brooks Nightlife III Jacket to have a perfect fit. I tested out a medium and it was not super snug, nor was it super baggy. I am 6’0 tall and 175lbs.
Throughout the jacket, there are reflective accents which is good for running in the dark. These are strategically placed on the jacket to get 360 degrees of reflectivity. If you find yourself running down a busy road at night or a place where you want make sure you can be seen, there are two flaps that are tucked in the bottom of the jacket that you can unbutton for added visibility. The Nightlife III comes in bright yellow, orange, and green. I tested out the bright orange and found it to provide plenty of visibility on both semi dark and dark runs.
For warmth, I usually run in a tech tee shirt and the Nighlife III and I am comfortable on top for temperatures 30 and above. Below 30 degrees I usually wear a long sleeve tech tee or a heavier baselayer when it is really out. One nice feature of this jacket is that the cuffs come with stretch hand covers. This typically doesn’t substitute completely for gloves, but they come in very useful if you can’t decide whether to wear gloves or not. As far as water resistance and wind resistance goes, I was running in a steady 35 degree rain and the jacket kept me completely dry for 30 minutes and then it started to wet out a little after that. The rain never soaked completely through, but I could start to feel it get a tiny bit wet in places the longer I ran. This is not a downfall in my book as I don’t like to run in jackets that are completely waterproof. That usually means the jacket won’t breath all that well and I will start to sweat a ton.
Overall, I have been super happy with the Brooks Nightlife III Jacket and I am happy to recommend this jacket to any fellow runner.
MSRP $115
