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When it comes to running safety, not a lot can go wrong. There’s no contact with other runners and the worst you can expect to experience from a big run is usually an injury or two. However, let us not forget the fact that running in a safe environment means taking a few basic but important precautions.
One of the most important of these is ensuring that we are visible at all times, but especially when we’re running in the dark. To achieve this, reflective running gear is a must-have for anyone who plans to run in dark and sight restricting environments.
Reflective running gear is crucial for those who are running in environments where they may come into contact with still or moving obstacles. Examples include cars or other people. Making yourself as visible as possible gives others a sign that you are there so they can stay out of your way.
Although we know that reflective running gear is important, there are still a number of questions that need to be addressed before making an informed decision on whether you need reflective running gear and, if so, what kind is right for you. To help you get started, check out this guide on reflective running gear.
Do Runners Really Need Reflective Running Gear?
Whilst reflective running gear can be great for keeping you safe, there may be many occasions when you don’t need it. You’re not going to be worried about staying as visible as possible when you’re running on a treadmill, for example.
Rather than listing all the times when you wouldn’t need to wear reflective running gear, it’s better to consider the specific occasions when it would be a good idea to get reflective.
- Snowy Conditions – Apparently, one of the criteria for falling snow to count as a blizzard is when visibility is decreased to around ¼ of a mile. Typically, the average human eye can see up to three miles away. So it’s impressive and threatening that snow can decrease a person’s visibility by so much.
In general, any amount of snow is a good indicator for arming yourself with some reflective gear. In addition to making you visible enough for others to stay out of your way, running in reflective gear is also great for people spotting you. The snow can increase your risk of falling and getting injured, so making yourself easy to find may also be a necessary step.
- Rainy Conditions – Just like snow, rain is something that can seriously reduce visibility, so it’s important to make sure you stand out. Apparently, rain can scatter light as it falls through the air, which decreases the effectiveness of artificial light and increases the need for reflective gear.
A big advantage to using reflective running gear in the rain over other kinds of visibility aids such as battery-powered lights is that they aren’t easily damaged by water. Many reflective clothing is even made to be waterproof. Examples include high vis jackets that have been made with waterproof seams that effectively stop water from penetrating the coat. Whilst these coats are mainly designed for workwear, they are worth bearing in mind.
- Late At Night Or Early In The Morning- On many occasions, it may not be difficult weather conditions that mean you need to arm yourself with reflective clothing. Running when it’s dark is often enough to require that you arm yourself with some reflective gear. Although it’s always best to run in daylight hours, that isn’t always possible with our busy lives. Many people even prefer to run first thing in the morning or last thing at night depending on if they are preparing for their day or winding down from it.
How Does Reflective Running Gear Work?
Apparently, reflective clothing uses a principle known as retro reflection. This is basically where a material reflects light back towards its original source. There are several different components and kinds of technology behind reflective running clothing. However, it is glass beads that actually give the clothing its reflective quality. These beads are designed to reflect light directly back to the source that emitted it. So if you were to be running in front of a car late at night, it would be the car’s headlights that would be reflected from your running clothing and the light would head directly back to the driver.
How Do I Take Care Of Reflective Running Clothing?
There is plenty of advice available on how to wash regular running clothes. In fact, I wrote an entire article discussing the do’s and dont’s of when to wash your running clothes, which you can find here. Unfortunately, manufacturers don’t seem to have provided much advice on how we should be looking after the hybrids of the two.
When washing reflective running clothes, my advice would be to do the following:
- Wash Without Fabric Softener- For two reasons. The first one is that fabric softener can significantly damage the reflective tape on your clothing. Fabric softener is also known to trap in bad smells. If you’re like me and you tend to build up a sweat when running, chances are that your running clothes are going to smell a bit.
- Don’t Use Bleach- Again, bleach is something that can significantly damage the reflective tape on your clothing, leaving it more or less useless.
- Wipe Down Stains First- If you have been on a particularly muddy run and your reflective running clothing has become stained, wipe it down first gently by hand.
- Avoid A Dryer- If you must, then use a dryer at the lowest heat setting. Ideally, the moment that your reflective running clothing has been washed, then place it on a hanger to air-dry in the sun.
- Wash On A Cold Or Delicate Setting- While it’s true that running clothes made of things like cotton should be washed at a higher setting to remove bad smells, synthetic materials generally need to be washed below 30 degrees. Again, a high-temperature wash is also something that could damage the reflective material on your clothing.
What Are The Best Kinds Of Reflective Running Gear?
Luckily, reflective running gear is a big market, so there are plenty of products available to choose from.
The list below should help give a pretty good idea of the things you should consider when it comes to finding reflective running gear that’s right for you:
- Comfort- If you’re going to be running for long periods, you’re going to want to remain as comfortable as possible during your workout. That means picking reflective running gear that isn’t too tight or restrictive.
- Weather- If you’re running in rain or snow, why not kill two birds with one stone by looking for something that is both reflective and protects you from getting wet?
- Weight- Remember, reflective clothing is something that you’re going to have to be carrying with you. So it pays to pick something lightweight.
Check out the running gear below for an example of the kinds of products that runners should look for when trying to stay visible at night:
- Hats- Running hats equipped with reflective material are a perfect choice for runners in the winter. The head is arguably the thing we want to be most visible when running, so it’s a good idea to protect it with some reflective gear. Aside from that, running hats are great for keeping your head warm as well as protecting your vision from things like rainfall. I think that running hats can be such a great piece of kit that I’ve written an entire article about them, which you can find here.
If you’re in the market for a reflective running hat I would recommend picking something like this one (affiliate link). It was recommended by runners world amongst others. Also, this running hat has been designed with sports in mind and can also be used for cycling and skiing. This hat is equipped with a reflective strip, which should do the trick when it comes to getting seen. However, if you’re looking for a hat with a little more reflective material, or you plan on running when it’s a little hotter, I’d recommend wearing something like this (affiliate link).
- Vests- Commonly worn amongst outdoor workers as a part of their active workwear attire, reflective vests are slowly making their way into the world of running. As they don’t come with sleeves, reflective running vests are a great option for runners who don’t like feeling too constricted, this allows for extra breathability too.
Whilst it’d be easy to simply pick up a standard workwear reflective vest for your run, you may miss out on a few of the perks that a specially designed vest would have. For example, this running vest (affiliate link) is highly lightweight and breathable. Its thin mesh also means that it can dry quickly. Most importantly, Amazon’s description boats that you can be seen up to 800 feet away.
- Bands- I often think of reflective bands as being the pathway of least resistance for runners because they can be fitted around multiple areas of the body with ease and simultaneously cause the minimum amount of discomfort or inconvenience for a runner. Typically, runners will use reflective running bands around the ankles or wrists however the possibilities can be endless!
When it comes to finding the right reflective running bands, I’d recommend picking something like these (affiliate link). Available in multiple sizes, these running bands are perfect for fitting around runners’ wrists and ankles.
Another product that I thought was pretty cool is the reflective sash, which takes principles from both running bands and running vests and combines them to offer runners a brilliant alternative. This one (affiliate link) is a great example of this.
Will Running In Reflective Gear Make Me Safe?
Although running in reflective gear can offer you a great advantage in staying safe when running in conditions with reduced visibility, it’s still vital that you follow all the right practices to keep yourself completely safe.
Some top tips to keep yourself safe when running in reduced visibility include:
- Keeping Your Phone With You- If the worse should happen and you become injured you have a means of contacting someone. It’s also a good idea to keep your phone tracking on, as it could be harder for people to find you when they can’t see as easily. Phones are also useful as many of them are equipped with a torch also.
- Run With Lights- Reflective running gear can be a huge help, but bringing a high powered torch or flashing light can also improve your visibility. There is even some running gear such as clothes and sash’s that is equipped with flashing lights that are perfect for being seen. Check out these (affiliate link) for example.
- Be Aware Of Your Surroundings- If you’re running on a road, remember to follow the highway code. If you’re running on trails, keep a map with you. Your chances of getting lost are probably higher with reduced visibility.
Check out the video below for some more helpful advice on getting seen at night.
Is Reflective Running Gear Comfortable?
One of the top concerns of most runners who are considering buying reflective running clothing is whether or not it will fit properly and not get in the way of their overall performance
When picking reflective running clothing, look for something that will make you visible but not constrict too much of your movement. An example of this would be potentially choosing a reflective running vest over a reflective running jacket that comes with sleeves.
A few other basic principles to think about when wearing reflective running gear is similar to that of normal running clothing. Choosing some reflective clothing that is highly breathable, lightweight and the correct size can all contribute to a minimum impact on your overall performance. When it comes to gear such as reflective straps, consider what material is on the underlayer of the straps and whether or not it will rub against your skin. Alternatively, it might be a good idea to place the straps around the outer layers of clothing.
