As the days get shorter and shorter it becomes inevitable that some runs will be started or completed in the dark. At night, or in early morning hours, running on sidewalks or on the street can become a major safety hazard. For many years, runners who wanted to be safe in the dark had to wear yellow or orange reflective vests, similar to construction workers. Times have changed; with the integration of the LED and with new reflective technology (such as 3M Scotchlite), standing out in the dark has become a lot more stylish and a lot more fun. I’ve assembled a list of some of the coolest visibility products on the market today; many of these would make great Christmas gifts!
IllumiNite Women’s Nocturnal Jacket
IllumiNITE – Unique reflective apparel for runners
New to the market this year is this cool gear from a brand new company, IllumiNITE. The full line of running clothes and accessories for runners features unique reflective designs that appear in the dark. For example, the Women’s Nocturnal Jacket (pictured) reflects a bunch of swirly patterns when worn at night. You can browse through their collection here.
Brooks Running Nightlife – Apparel featuring 3M Scotchlite technology
Brooks has a neat line of running apparel for all weather that integrates 360 degrees of 3M super-reflective Scotchlite fabric. The Brooks’ Nightlife line also features bright colors for added visibility. There are tons of options for both men and women.
Brooks’ Nightlife collection features bright colors and 3M Scotchlite material
Lite Belt 100 by GoMotion – For the long distance night runner
Lite Belt 100 by GoMotion
For those runners who have to kick out long miles in the dark and want to integrate gear storage with a light system, the Lite Belt 100 by GoMotion is perfect. The belt is designed to be ultra-light, breathable, and comfortable riding on the runner’s waist. The Lite Belt is also a great option for trail runners or hikers who are out at night and want to see the trail in front of them.
You can purchase and check out their other light systems here.
How cool are these?!
Nite Beams LED Shoelaces – Light up your feet!
Now these are cool. Lace up your running shoes with a pair of these shoelaces that feature LED lights and a switch that lets you turn them on or off or lets you blink them. They also come in a variety of colors. These would be really fun for a night race. You can take a look at them here.
Amphipod’s Microlight Flashing LED Armband
Amphipod Microlight Flashing Armband – inexpensive and easy lighting
Available in pink and yellow, the Amphipod LED armband is made of chafe-free material that stretches to fit around your leg, wrist, or upper arm. The battery is a simple watch battery and features 4 flashing LEDs. You can take a look at all of Amphipod’s visibility gear here.
SlapLit LED Slap Wrap Bracelet – run Old School style
I had to save the best for last. Similar to the Amphipod Armband, the SlapLit is an LED bracelet that, just like the old school 90’s version, coils around your arm, wrist, or leg when you slap it on. The SlapLit is also waterproof and has extra reflective designs on the bracelet itself. It runs on a watch battery and unlike the Amphipod version, you can set it to glow or to blink. Some of my friends may be getting these for Christmas. You can buy them here.
Getting hit by a car or bike is no fun, so when you head out for your run on dark winter mornings and evenings remember to be safe and be visible! Happy Winter running!
Ashley is a geologist at Schlumberger, specializing in geologic modeling software. She completed her Masters degree in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an avid runner, cyclist, and rock climber. She will pretty much race anything and everything. You can find her hanging out on White Oak in Houston, TX or climbing and running in Austin.