Price: $90
The right tights for: Runners who need a block against the wind’s chill
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s More Images
To run comfortably all year round, you need awesome tights. Thanks to über-cozy features like wind and water-blocking fabric, a wide waistband, and reflective accents, the Craft Women’s Urban Run Thermal Wind Tights fit the bill. They’re a little looser than other tights I’ve worn, with some space around the hips and knees. But they don’t look baggy on, they just feel like you can move more easily in them. (No falling down, which is my biggest pet peeve with tights!) And the wind-blocking fabric is excellent. It kept my legs warm on sub-freezing nights, but didn’t feel overly tight or stiff.
A Nice Fit
On the front of these tights are wind- and water-resistant fabric panels, which have a polyester face with a polyurethane backing. That combo keeps wind and water out, and warmth in. The back of the tights is made of stretch polyester for moisture wicking and stretch. Both sides have a brushed interior lining that helps trap body heat and feels oh-so-cozy. And they wick well, too—even when I wore these in temperatures that were a little too high, I didn’t get overly sweaty.
The tights have a wide elastic waistband, with a drawstring inside—but I didn’t even need to use that part. Unlike other tights where I have to cinch the drawstring down until it’s cutting into my waist, these tights have no problem staying up where they belong.
There’s a small, mesh-lined pocket built into the rear waistband, as well. It’s not very large but it can fit a chapstick and credit card in case you need either. There’s a good bit of reflectiveness, too—the right shin and left calf are both covered in reflective accents, making it easier to be seen by cars at night.
Verdict: OMG, They Really Work—And, No Slipping or Sliding
You know how, on really cold runs your butt can turn into a complete block of ice? Not so with these tights! My tush stayed toasty, even though the temperature was in the 20s. And the fit is lovely—I loathe pulling my tights up every four steps, but with these, I didn’t even have to tie the drawstring and they stayed in place. With that combination of fit and warmth, these are the tights I’ll reach for on frigid runs all this winter.
Second Opinion: These are the tights for the days you maybe shouldn’t run—it’s too cold, snow is blowing, there’s a chance of freezing rain. But the Urban Run Thermal Wind Tights is your armor against the winter elements. The front adds an extra layer to protect against the wind and water. And the soft, fleece-backed body of the tights is surprisingly warm. As in, you may be surprised by how your jacket or hat are lacking in warmth by comparison. They’re ideal at near- or below-freezing temps. But should the sun shine and you begin overheating, the tights wick and dry quickly. —Matt Allyn
Taylor Rojek is an associate features editor who has been writing, editing, and testing gear with Bicycling and Runner’s World since 2014. She was nominated for an American Magazine Award in 2017 for her work on the information-packed feature “How Cycling Works.” She has a depth of experience in both sports—she’s split the last two decades between racing on foot, with distances ranging from 800m to 26.2 miles, and on all kinds of bikes, including road, mountain, and cyclocross. This year, she’s moved away from the starting line to focus on training her dog Rosie to join her on the trail. She balances that activity with her current quest to bake—and eat—perfect homemade bread.
