It’s inevitable. At some point, probably soon, we’re going to be running out there in the dark with cars and trucks and all kinds of vehicles bigger than us.
Nod your head if you prefer to be seen. I agree.
Some clothing manufacturers also, thankfully, agree – taking our safety to heart and designing some very good, high-visibility running jackets to help us stay safe when the sun goes down.
I’ve spotted four standouts in the crowded hi-viz jacket field:
- Pearl Izumi’s Fly Jacket
(4 / 5)
- Saucony’s Sonic Reflex (4 / 5)
- Craft’s Men’s Brilliant 2.0
(4.5 / 5)
- Sugoi’s Zap (4.5 / 5)
All of these jackets are engineered for high visibility at night and they’re all great jackets, but they’re not created equal.
So let’s zoom in for a closer look.
Pearl Izumi Fly Jacket
Price: $56 to $88, My Rating: (4 / 5)
Pearl Izumi, the company behind the screaming-yellow running jacket, have designed a line of jackets that incorporate not only vibrant fluorescent visibility for daytime running, but also a unique visibility system for night.
Their BioViz system takes advantage of the way we drivers perceive human movement. Strategically placed reflectors on the jacket combine with drivers’ own recognition of human motion to quickly alert them to a runner in their field of view.
It sounds a lot like science, because it is. And it’s effective.
What I Like
There’s a lot to like about the Fly jacket.
Although not as completely lit up as some of the other jackets reviewed here, Pearl Izumi has designed their Fly jacket to be visible by a motorist from a distance of 70 m at night. That distance provides enough time for a driver at city speeds to bring his or her car to a stop on all road surfaces except shear ice.
With all the hype around hi-viz, Pearl Izumi is the first company to spell out exactly how well their high visibility clothing works. If the label says high visibility, at Pearl Izumi this is the performance standard it has to meet.
The Fly jacket, in the screaming yellow colours, also gets high marks for daytime visibility.
I like the jacket’s fist mitts and high neckline – great attributes when you make the turn for home into a biting wind.
Because it’s only water-resistant (not water-proof) I would expect breathability to be good. The vents are adequate to keep air circulating inside.
What’s Not So Great
Women’s sizes of the Fly jacket are form-fitting and men’s are semi-form. The women’s sizes fit snugly and the men’s more loosely. Women have commented about tightness at the hips with the Fly jacket. The consensus for women thinking about purchasing is to order a size up from what the size chart says.
And it’s a conservatively styled jacket. Like some other manufacturers, Pearl Izumi could use a little more design flare. Finding another solution for elastic cuffs and perhaps adding a zipper garage would be nice adds.
The Facts
Visibility – 360-degree visibility at 70 m, excellent retro-reflective banding, Bioviz reflectivity with specific reflective placements for running motion identification
Reflective Material – 3M Scotchlite
Material – Shell: 100% polyester, Fist mitt: 92% polyester 8% Elastane
| Price – | Women’s: | $72 to $84 (depending on size, on Amazon.com) |
| Men’s: | $56 to $88 (depending on size, on Amazon.com) | |
| Fit – | Women’s: | Form fitting, runs small (order one size up) |
| Men’s: | Semi-form fitting, fits as expected |
Ventilation – Armpit vents
Wash – Machine washable
Features – Wind and water-resistant, zippered back pocket, internal fist mitts
| Colours – | Women’s: | Screaming Pink/Screaming Yellow, Deep Lake/Gumdrop (Buff Green), Purple Wine, Black |
| Men’s: | Black/Smoked Pearl, Green/Screaming Yellow, Blue Atoll/Black, Black | |
| Sizes – |
Women’s: | XS, S, M, L, XL |
| Men’s: | S, M, L, XL, XXL |
Overall Rating: (4 / 5)
A decently priced, very good jacket for high visibility at night and, in fluorescent colours, during the day.
Saucony Sonic Reflex
Price: $76 to $135, My Rating: (4 / 5)
Saucony takes high visibility seriously with their Sonic Reflex reflective jackets and pants. Bolstered by highly visible patterns of 3M’s Scotchlite, this running gear is designed to keep you safe and seen.
Saucony Reflex Jacket
What I Like
First and foremost, this jacket lights up at night. The reflective bands make it easy for drivers to tell what it is they’re seeing. It’s a good reflective design.
It also looks decent during the day. The reflective patterns aren’t obtrusive or bright in daylight.
And it looks and feels smart.
It has a full front zipper and Flex Mesh liner which make it easy to slip on and off, especially if you like to layer with t-shirts and long-sleeved tees underneath as the temperature drops. And the liner keeps your arms off of the polyester shell, also nice. Overall, the Reflex gives you plenty of room.
I like the full front pockets. The back right hip pocket seems well thought out though I didn’t get a chance to try it.
And the jacket has ample side venting for cooling.
What’s Not So Great
I would have liked to have seen some reflective patches or bars at the cuffs – anything to reduce motorists’ recognition time. It also lacks a zipper garage at the neck and I found it fit tightly around the hips with the drawstring fully open. Other purchasers found it to be wide in the waist but narrow in the arms – restricting their movement. I found it actually offered plenty of room.
The Facts
Visibility – 360 degree visibility, no distance visibility information
Reflective Material – 3M Scotchlite
Material – Shell: 100% polyester, Liner: Flex Mesh (80% Polyester, 20% Spandex)
| Price – | Women’s: | $76 to $130 (depending on size, on Amazon.com) |
| Men’s: | $135 (best price on Amazon.com) | |
| Fit – | Women’s: | Slim |
| Men’s: | Slim |
Ventilation – Mesh panels under arms
Wash – Machine washable, hang to dry
Features – Water resistant (not waterproof or windproof), extra back length for coverage, back right hip pocket
| Colours – | Women’s: | Black, White |
| Men’s: | Black, Vivid Orange | |
| Sizes – |
Women’s: | XS, S, M, L, XL (limited to XS, L and XL on Amazon.com) |
| Men’s: | S, M, L, XL, XXL |
Overall Rating: (4 / 5)
A mid price-range, smartly designed, highly-visible jacket
Craft Brilliant 2.0 High-Visibility Running Jacket
Price: $96 to $110, My Rating: (4.5 / 5)
In the Craft Brilliant 2.0 I felt like an elite athlete. At least I feel dressed like one.
This jacket is a style experience as much as it is an exercise in personal safety.
What I Like
The style.
Craft pays attention to detail in design and it shows, beautifully.
I have an average build (I could stand to lose a few pounds) but I found it fit well all over – in all the right places.
With enough reflective material placed strategically on the jacket, the visibility, from our limited test with an iPhone flash, was good. It is not as reflective at first blush as the Saucony Reflex or the Sugoi Zap, but where you want the jacket bright, particularly when viewed from behind, it performed.
I wasn’t able to try the jacket in cold weather, but I’m assuming that Craft applies their athletic ski-wear know-how to make this jacket work against the cold – with you in it. I certainly liked the fist mitts.
What’s Not So Great
Lacking a full-length front zipper, and because it fit me so snugly, it took some wrestling to get the Brilliant 2.0 jacket on and off.
Cotton or polyester undergarments might make the trip into and out of the Brilliant 2.0 easier, but I would have to re-think layering under this jacket. Again, it looks to be built for active use in nordic climates so layering might not be necessary.
Like all the other jackets, I’d like to see a cuff reflector to help motorists better identify you.
The venting isn’t overly generous, and the jacket is water repellant, but not waterproof.
The Specs
Visibility – 360 degree visibility, no distance visibility information
Reflective Material – not available
Material – Shell: 100% polyester, Liner: 90% polyester 10% elastane
| Price – | Women’s: | $96 (best price on Amazon.com) |
| Men’s: | $96 to $110 (depending on size, on Amazon.com) | |
| Fit – | Women’s: | Form fitting |
| Men’s: | Form fitting |
Ventilation – Ventilation panels at sweat zones
Wash – Machine washable, hang to dry
Features – Wind resistant, water repellant, front pockets with integrated music and key pockets
| Colours – | Women’s: | Black, Shock (pink/orange), Deep (blue)/Shock |
| Men’s: | Black, Flumino (fluorescent green)/Black, Deep (blue)/Gecko (light green) | |
| Sizes – |
Women’s: | XS, S, M, L, XL |
| Men’s: | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL |
Overall Rating: (4.5 / 5)
A stylish, form-fitting, well-priced jacket that offers very good reflectivity.
Sugoi Zap Run Jacket
Price: $93 to $160, My Rating: (4.5 / 5)
Sugoi’s promotional material for the Zap jacket says “don’t be seen, be noticed”. In daytime, the jacket scarcely merits notice, but it’s impossible to miss the Zap shell at night.
What I Like
During the day all you see is a fairly innocuous looking, attractively patterned running shell.
But at night the Sugoi Zap jacket bares its fangs.
Micro-glass beads applied to the shell material – visible as the attractive pattern during the day – reflect all available artificial light. The entire jacket lights up. It is incredible at night. It’s everything advertised and more.
The jacket fits comfortably: it’s a reliable, solid shell easy to get into and out of.
Ventilation appeared appeared about as good as it gets for a jacket built for the wet going. Water resistant (the women’s jacket includes a hood), it’s got everything it takes to turn a wet night’s run into a safe, fun adventure.
What’s Not So Great
The shell doesn’t have a liner. Although I didn’t try the jacket in the rain, I got the feeling that with my bare arm against the shell, it could steam up inside after a while. Because of the feel of the shell alone, I would wear a long-sleeved tee underneath.
As I mentioned, in the daytime it’s an innocuous looking, serviceable shell. Like the Pearl Izumi Fly, Sugoi went with big elastic cuffs. With a little more attention to styling, the Zap could be a jacket that looks, all the time – not just at night – like the rare piece of clothing it is.
The Specs
Visibility – Excellent, no distance data
Reflective Material – Micro-glass beads
Material – Shell: Polyester-polyurethane (Hydrolite)
| Price – | Women’s: | $93 to $109 (depending on colour, on Amazon.com) |
| Men’s: | $96 to $160 (depending on colour, on Amazon.com) | |
| Fit – | Women’s: | Semi-fit, comfortable |
| Men’s: | Semi-fit, comfortable |
Ventilation – Side vents
Wash – Not available
Features – Water resistant, media management system on collar to secure headphone cords, women’s jacket (not the men’s) comes with a hood, shock cord waist adjustment, two hand pockets
| Colours – | Women’s: | Coal Blue, Black, Ice Blue |
| Men’s: | Black, Coal Blue | |
| Sizes – |
Women’s: | XS, S, M, L, XL |
| Men’s: | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL |
Overall Rating: (4.5 / 5)
An expensive, but top-shelf jacket for visibility at night, the Zap is worth every penny.
I hope this review helps you out. I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment in the Comments section below.
See you out there!
Hello,
thank you for sharing article about high visibility running jackets. I love running and I often tend to go running at night. I believe that it is very important to have visible jacket, specially if you running on the road. I will definitely consider to get one for me.
Have a good day
Karlo
You bet Karlo. Anything you can do to be seen and arrive home alive – is good with me. Have fun out there! All the best!
Larry,
I have found your reviews to be very helpful. I like the look of the Craft Brilliant but not having a full length zipper would be a minor concern.
It gets dark so early this time of year. The other day I saw a runner with red blinking lights on their shoes. I thought that was a great idea for running in the dark.
In general do you know how long a jacket like this would last under normal use?
Scott, thanks. These jackets should last at least 5 years under normal use. I don’t wash my running jackets that often, a couple of times a season, so they’re not going to get worn down that way. But it’s a very good question, particularly about the Sugoi Zap – and I couldn’t find an answer to how long the micro-glass beads would be expected to last without degrading in the wash. The reflective material on the other jackets is 3M aluminum-based material which retains its effectiveness for years – through many wash cycles. It lasts. Couldn’t find out about the Sugoi’s Zap material.
I’ll get hold of the company and update the post when I find out.
Thanks for this Scott.
This is such a helpful post! I’ve been meaning to update my workout wardrobe and now I’m heavily considering the Sugoi Zap Run Jacket. I very rarely think about the practical aspects over the physical attributes, but I love the shell material, which is both practical and attractive. I think I can assume your answer from your wording in the post, but which is your personal preference?
I’d take the Craft – but only because of vanity. Anything that makes me feel remotely athletic or is somehow form flattering, but still age appropriate – I’m a sucker for that sort of thing. 🙂
All the best out there!
I think it is so important for people to have a jacket that keeps them visible at night and is even more important for bikers. That’s so cool that some of these jackets can be seen from 70 M away!
I’d feel so much safer wearing one of these jackets on. The interesting thing about these jackets is that they look similar to any other winter jacket with the benefit of keeping you visible at night.
My favorite one is the Craft Brilliant 2.0 High Visibility jacket. Definitely the kind of style I could see myself wearing. Thanks for an awesome post 🙂
Craft definitely has a way with style. I liked them on too Peter. 🙂
Hi,
As of late, I started enjoying running by dark, not necessarily at night, sometimes during the first hours of the day. And I noticed the dangers lurking in the surroundings, especially speeding trucks and lack of visibility.
One of these high visibility running jackets is definitely going to be of great help to me!
Thanks for this exhaustive guide.
We’re pretty much all forced out into the dark at one time of year or another. Good for you Zed.
Keep on keeping on!
I love the Pearl Izumi Fly Jacket. I like the color and style better than the others. I don’t like a snug jacket when walking or running, so I would probably by the mens version, as I think it would still look great and be a much more comfortable fit. I actually think the style of the jacket is perfect and it is interesting to note that the men’s jacket is less expensive, a win-win for me!
I like the Pearl Izumi as well. Too bad it’s not the greatest fitting jacket out of the crate for women, but still nice styling, and high visibility. And the men’s is (relatively) cheap and pretty similar looking. Like you say Matt’s Mom, a win-win. All the best in your running too!
Larry