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Brooks Canopy Running Jacket
Price: $120
Material: 100% ripstop polyester
Right out of the box, the fit of the Brooks Canopy Jacket was near perfect. It follows the contours of the shoulders, is drawn in beneath the arm and follows the torso to a point just beyond the waist, offering enough coverage without extending too far. There was no excess material, yet there was ample room to pair a base layer for added warmth and comfort. This reviewer is 6 feet tall and 140 pounds, and tested a men’s medium.
In addition to a fit actually appropriate to the relatively trim physique that is characteristic of many runners, the material is soft to the touch, light and breathable. Running jackets are important—added warmth for a few minutes’ reverie and reflection on a summit, or, alternatively, an emergency layer should weather blow in midway through a long outing—but some models tend to restrict movement, and the material is often scratchy .
The Brooks jacket is soft and resistant to wind and, to some extent, precipitation. On a long chilly morning run this spring, I paired the jacket with a light T-shirt and gloves, and found that I was warm and comfortable throughout. The jacket deflected the bite of the cold, but also dumped heat as my internal temp increased. During an overcast morning with spitting, halfhearted attempts at actual rain, the jacket was resistant to the intermittent droplets, and the material failed to saturate.
The navy color and subtle design make it an appropriate layer for a quick trip to the grocery store or the bar post run. Equipped with a hood spacious enough to fit over a climbing helmet, thumbholes and low-profile pockets, the Canopy Jacket will be an ideal layer for summit missions in the summer and fall.
—Casey Weaver began running cross country and track in high school, continuing into college at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. As an adult, Casey took to longer distances as a way to explore remote areas. He fell in love with the aesthetic and the cathartic self-awareness drawn from the process and typically runs 80-to-100-mile weeks.
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