Running Tights - Recommendations please!

[HairyBeast]

After reading one of MGBG's posts on winter running, i've decided to bite the bullet and start looking for some tights to see me through the winter. I can't seem to find any decent guide from a google search so I'm a bit lost. I see that prices range from about a tenner up to about £60 (probably more!), so I am interested to hear feedback from anyone who has experience with tights and any recommendations you might have.

 

[sloutre]

Last year I bought the

Last year I bought the cheapest I could find, $10 and it was fine. On really cold day I was wearing a pair of sweatpants over them or sometimes a skirt or a pair of shorts to keep my upper legs warmer. I will use them again this winter. There are not enhancing my performances or making me fast or pretty but they do the job just fine. I had no chafing issues, and they still look like new. The only down side is that they were probably manufactured by young slaves using non ecological materials and manufacturing methods...but that's what you get for $10.

I'm curious to read other runners advice in case I need to buy an extra pair this winter.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I don't know.  Should a hairy

I don't know. Should a hairy beast be wearing tights? I mean, wouldn't that itch?

 

[HairyBeast]

I wore green tights a few

I wore green tights a few years ago for halloween and most of my leg hair just poked straight through, I ended up looking like a human cactus!

I didn't mention in my original post that my main priority is keeping warm throughout winter, style is definitely not an important factor

 

[Paleo]

[Edited]I am a big fan of

[Edited]

I am a big fan of 3/4 tights (stops just below the knee). They work great down to about 8-9 degr. Celsius. After that, I put add a pair of 3/4 longjohns, which gets me down to 4 degrees. After that, I get out my long tights. At about 0, I put on longjohns underneath. All of this assumes similar layering with the upper body clothing, which is absolutely essential if you are going to go fully barefoot through the winter. A wool hat is also essential.

I have 3 pairs: aisics, north face, odlo. All good, but the odlos are losing it in a seem. I can usually find them discounted at outlets or on sale (not in the Fall, of course). I have paid between 20-40 Euro (all discounted). [Edit]: I tend to avoid cheap no-names, because I want quality--since they last longer and is cheaper in the long run. But, note a brandname is not a guarantee of quality. I actually hate having logos everywhere, and will remove them where possible.

My long tights are odlo, and they are great. They usually come in two different weights. Mine are heavier, i.e. a fuzzy, thin fleace inside.



I am very anti-cotton when it comes to sports gear. If it gets wet, as I trust is an issue for you in the UK, you'll be miserable. All of the above, including the longjohns, are various sorts of polypropelene, capalene, polyester, nylon--whatever the heck all that is. It all works quite well, whether the wetness comes from outside or from in.

One important thing: when you wash them in the machine, remove them immediately. These fancy nylon-based fibers start to get a musty smell if they are left in the machine too long. Observe the drying instructions.



Best of luck

Paleo

 

[Barefoot TJ]

HairyBeast wrote:I wore

I wore green tights a few years ago for halloween and most of my leg hair just poked straight through, I ended up looking like a human cactus!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

Go cheap!  No need to get

Go cheap! No need to get expensive with tights. I bought a pair of Nike running tights at Dicks Sporting goods 5 years ago, still have the same pair with no wear and tear. REI has these new outdoor athletic pants, they are not tights but they are super comfy, and you can go down to the single digits in them. If you don't want to wear tights, and have more of a loose feel this are fantastic. They are pricey though, $70.

 

[NickW]

I wear the athletic pants

I wear the athletic pants when it gets too cold for shorts, but I also don't feel comfortable in tights. I like the looseness of the pants.

 

[Paleo]

Tights are definitely a

Tights are definitely a matter of taste. As I started my sporting life racing bicycles, tight-fitting clothing is for me second nature.

But, the advantage of tights has nothing to do with speed (for a runner). It's all about warmth. The tight fit adds a layer of "trapped air"--a basic principle of insulation--right next to the skin.

Cheers

Paleo

 

[dmcchesney]

Depending on how cold it

Depending on how cold it gets, like Paleo said in his post it'll only get down to 0C/32F, in Michigan I've been out in -15C/5F without a problem in just my Brooks insulated running pants. They snug through the leg and I wear compression shorts under to prevent caffing.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

dmcchesney wrote: I wear

I wear compression shorts under to prevent caffing.

Same here, compression shorts are a great combination with the tights. Keeps the marbles from freezing as well.

 

[dmcchesney]

Exactly! I just have a pair

Exactly! I just have a pair of Under Armour ones that I wear, so nothing running specific

 

[The Ramzev]

I got a pair of insulated

I got a pair of insulated pants, kinds like tights but loose and insulated, so I guess nothing like tights. I wear running pants over them to prevent traffic jams. I got them at Walmart a couple years ago for probably $15-$20. I got a shirt too. Keeps me very warm.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

dmcchesney wrote:Exactly! I

Exactly! I just have a pair of Under Armour ones that I wear, so nothing running specific

Same here, love the under armour ones.

 

[NickW]

Barefoot Gentile

Keeps the marbles from freezing as well.

Oh man I laughed when reading this! I used to bike and never felt comfortable in public in tights or my bibs, but I wore the gear for the padding. I was never warm in the tights, even insulated tights and that was here in the PAC NW where we don't usually get below 32 degrees very often. For me the insulated athletic pants keep me warm AND I'm not uncomfortable to be in public in them.

 

[HairyBeast]

Thanks for the replies

Thanks for the replies everyone, I went to a running shop today and tried on a few pairs. Some had an inner fleecy lining and others felt the same inside and out (mostly the cheaper ones), would the lower thickness suffice for around 0 degrees C or the low negatives? I'd like to keep running as cheap as possible!

Paleo, you mentioned layering up on top as well, what kind of clothes do you wear up there?

 

[SoleSolace]

I think warmth is a

I think warmth is a completely personal thing.

Last December, I ran a 5k where it was 19 degrees F at the gun with 25mph winds off the nearby water. I wore shorts, some UA cold gear up top, and hat. I was nice and toasty. I saw other people running in pants, hoodies, gloves, etc. and still complaining about the weather.

I think it depends on how much heat your body is putting out once you get rolling. I'm usually a bit chilly during the winter just walking around/hanging out, even with proper clothing. But I've never been cold when I've been running.

 

[NickW]

SoleSolace wrote:I think it

I think it depends on how much heat your body is putting out once you get rolling. I'm usually a bit chilly during the winter just walking around/hanging out, even with proper clothing. But I've never been cold when I've been running.

I would have to agree. Although I have been cold even once I've been running for a while. There are some temps you just don't really warm up at.

 

[Tristan]

Is there any rule of thumb on

Is there any rule of thumb on sizing? I've never had tights before but also never ran in temps that were less than t shirt and shorts. Lets say if I fit in L sweat pants (but they fit normal, I mean not tight) do I need to go down a size for tights to be 'tight' or are their sizes already adjusted to fit tight. I suppose this might better be solved in a store (do they let you try tights on?) but now-a-days I do most my shopping online. Its like a two hour round trip to anywhere that has anything... Return shipping would probably be a lot cheaper than gas for the V10.

 

[Paleo]

Nothing special about the

Nothing special about the sizing (in my experience). If you wear L, then L will be usually right for the tights.

The tightness of the tights is built into the design. You want them to fit to the skin, but they shouldn't feel constricting. Watch especially for anything constricting in the crotch area or in the knee (especially the back of the knee).

If you have never purchased them before, I would recommend trying them on first. But, Tristan, you have travel considerations, so it might be worth just taking the risk of an online purchase.

Best of luck,

Paleo