New Balance NBx Windblocker Tight Review
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Wind, rain, cold, snow, mud, darkness. None of those are a good reason to skip an outdoor workout with these New Balance NBx Windblocker Tights. The NBx Windblocker Tights protect from the elements while keeping you dry and comfortable.
Like many women, I get very cold very quickly, but I don’t like to miss out on my workout or fun, so finding gear that keeps me warm and dry is really important. In my experience even the most feature-filled, and often expensive tights, aren’t quite enough to wear as a single layer and keep the chill out. While I haven’t had the chance to wear these tights in single-digit temperatures yet, I expect that they’ll stand up to the challenge.
The NBx Windblocker Tights feature thermal wind block with polygiene (read: odor resistant) fleece and a brushed fleece interior. These two features combined really attack cold, damp weather. The wind blocking material covers the front of the thighs from the knee all the way to the waist and the front of the shins. The interior of the wind block material is brushed waffle patterned fleece, while the interior of the other sections was just brushed fleece.
In near freezing temperatures with wind and snow, my legs never caught a chill running, hiking, or cycling in these pants. I have found that other wind blocker material keeps the wind out, but I can usually still feel the cool of the wind. With these tights, the brushed waffle patterned fleece interior kept the chilled feeling out.
A feature that isn’t even mentioned in the product description, but I thought was exceptional was that the wind block panels on the front of the thighs and shins were also water resistant. I discovered this on a misty trail run when I looked down and the water was beading up and rolling right off of the pants.
The knees do not feature the wind block material which allowed plenty of mobility, but they still had a brushed fleece interior for warmth. I understand the reasoning behind not putting the wind block material over the knees, but this specific material ample stretch, so I don’t think it would prohibit mobility if the whole front was constructed of the wind block material.
Although these are “running” tights, I always try to find gear that can do double (or triple) duty, so I pulled them out for a day on the mountain bike. I wore these tights for a mellow ride on a very chilly, windy day and they made for a great cross-over item. I can see myself wearing them quite often for winter cycling.
In addition to the functional materials the NBx Windblocker Tights feature flat lock seams, reflective details, ankle zippers, front interior stow pocket, and a drawstring elastic waist.
The NBx Windblocker Tights run true to size and the size chart on the New Balance website is very accurate and helpful.
If you’re eager to pick these up for yourself, they are a little tricky to find on the New Balance website. They don’t appear when you filter for pants and tights, you need to find them in collections then NBx Running.
For more info on the NBx Windblocker Tight and other New Balance products, visit www.newbalance.com or www.amazon.com/newbalance.
