The 7 Best Men’s Running Jackets for All-Season Comfort

Balanced nimbly on the line between a lightweight, breathable layer and a harder windproof shell, the semi-soft Canopy is an outstanding do-it-all jacket that feels just as comfy atop a t-shirt as it does wrapped over three base layers. Sure, it may not feel the greatest at zero degrees (or 50), but it’s a safe choice to grab on your way out the door for an average autumn run.

Decide you don’t need it halfway through your run? No problem—you can pack this jacket into a pocket that lines the backside, and it comes with an adjustable waist strap that cinches down tight enough to not bounce around.

Premium running jackets can get expensive quickly. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend hundreds for reliable coverage in a variety of conditions. Take Columbia’s Glennaker Lake rain coat as a prime example: For less than half the price of many of the other jackets on this list, you can have a jacket that’s roomy, decently light, and totally waterproof.

On top of all that, this jacket has a moisture-wicking interior, which will help mitigate the swampy feeling you tend to get when sweating in rain jackets. It might be more than you need on warmer days, but it can also pack down small when you’re not wearing it.

Tracksmith’s Franklin Fleece delivers big on warmth and breathability. This full-zip layer is made with Polartec double velour fleece for exceptional comfort and warmth (seriously, it feels like a blanket).

At the same time, it’s highly breathable, thanks in part to stretchy nylon side panels that vent heat as you run. The fleece created good airflow on my test run and kept me from overheating, but on particularly frigid, blustery days, you might need another layer to block the wind.

Arc’teryx makes its Norvan jacket with a dense, circular-knit Gore-Tex fabric that’s less bulky and more breathable than comparable water- and wind-proof materials. The silhouette is also cut on the relaxed end of slim to allow maximum freedom of movement without feeling like too much fabric.

Although the Norvan is light, be warned that this jacket can still get fairly toasty if you’re booking it on the road or trail. That said, if you need to pack it away, it can collapse down small enough to fit in a small bag—we recommend wrapping it in a rubber band or hair tie for some extra security.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Storm Racer jacket is its strange zipper setup: Two zippers on the front, only one of which goes all the way to the bottom of the jacket. This system allows you to pull the jacket over a hydration pack and partially unzip it to access a water bottle or gels mid-run (or get some extra ventilation). With its taped seams and three-layer waterproof fabric, it offers dependable protection from the elements as well.

Merino wool is nature’s performance fabric. It keeps you warm in the cold but vents heat and sweat when you warm up, and it also resists odors.

This half-zip from Smartwool puts those qualities to work with a merino wool interior lining. That’s combined with a synthetic outer fabric for weather resistance and wool insulation on the top half of the jacket for extra warmth while running in cold conditions.

When you’re going for a proper run, you’d be surprised how little you need all the bulk and fluff of the majority of heavy winter jackets. This option from Brooks seeks to give you some insulation, but it’s pared down to keep you feeling cozy instead of sweltering when you’re settled into a higher heart rate zone.

The Shield 2.0 has puffy panels of insulation around the torso, but the arms and underarms are a thinner material that allows more heat to escape. It might seem underdone at first, but you might surprise yourself with how much heat your arms produce as they swing around.