Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket Review

During the winter season of 2013/2014, cold weather has been no stranger to most parts of the country.  Living in Colorado, cold weather and snow are given’s at one point or another, but this year we’ve had some very cold temps and the Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket kicked in to high gear and performed.

Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket Performance

Whether you’re running 5 miles or 15 miles, there are two main things you want a winter running jacket to do for you.  First, you want a jacket to keep you warm.  The Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket keeps you warm through the combination of windblocker material up front and around the shoulders and the fleece material on the sides and mid to lower back.  During one of the cold spells in Colorado this season, I tested the Kinvara Nomad down to -5F which is close to my low limits.  The coldest I ran in this winter has been -10F.

Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket Inside Out

The second thing I look for in a winter running jacket is allowing my body to breath.  Even when it’s -5 or -10F out, I still tend to sweat and the last thing I want to happen is to build up a lot of sweat on my body and clothing which can chill you even further if you start to slow down or stop for a little break or at a stop light.  For breathability, the Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jackets fleece back allows the back to breath with ease.  This doesn’t mean that your back won’t be sweaty when you’re done running, but it helps keep it from being a complete sweaty mess.  As you might imagine, much of this depends on the temperature you’re running in and how hot old cold your body runs while running.

Thin fleece material on back of jacket

One of the best features I found on this jacket that you don’t see on a lot of other running jackets is the additional zipper on the bottom.  This allows you to unzip from the bottom allowing you to went with ease while not allowing the jacket to hang too loose on your shoulders.

Jacket Fit

A running jacket can have all the technical fabrics and bells and whistles, but if you don’t get a good fit in a running jacket, performance goes downhill fast.  I tested out a size medium and I found the Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket to be pretty spacious.  I am 6’0 tall, and 173lbs without a whole lot around the stomach and chest area, but I have broad shoulders.  I found in the mid section that this jacket has a little extra room.  If you are on the skinnier side, you may want to size down.  If you are on the heavier side, you have a little extra room in this jacket for that extra weight.  While this jacket is a little generous on it’s sizing, I didn’t find it to reduce much on the performance side.

Visibility in the Dark

While it might be getting a little lighter each day right now, many of us 8-5 ‘ers are still running in the dark, whether it’s in the morning of after 5pm, it’s incredibly important to stay visible to cars.  As you can see in the pictures, the Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket provides plenty of reflectivity when you’re running in the dark.

Final Thoughts

With cold weather temperatures abundant this winter, it’s nice to have a running jacket that can keep you warm and moving this winter without having to stick to the treadmill.  The Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket is a great option for runners of all levels and retails for $115.  For more information, please visit Saucony.com