Running Gear 2018 | Best Products for Runners 2018 – Runner’s World

Have your eyes on a new pair of shoes, a GPS watch, or some shades? Well, have a look below before you click buy on anything else, because we’re certain these 15 products will stand above anything else out this year. Our choices here come after a year of extensive testing of hundreds of shoes and more apparel and gadgets than may have known existed. After careful evaluation and discussion among our team of test editors, these exceptional Gear of the Year items rose to the top.

Suunto 9 Baro GPS Watch

Charge your watch just once a week, worry-free.
Price: $599
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Trevor Raab

Three things will remain at the end of the world—Twinkies, cockroaches, and this watch. The huge GPS watch has an equally large battery that lasts a mind-blowing 120 hours when you set the GPS sampling to “Ultra” mode, which records your location every two minutes. (When you need more accuracy, you can set it to ping every second.) The self-aware watch will remind you to recharge when the battery reaches 20 percent and, if you let it dip below 10 percent, the watch deactivates phone notifications, vibrations, and heart-rate measurements. How long does the battery last? One tester ran 106 miles over 30 hours at UTMB this year with the watch set to record at its highest accuracy. At the end, the Suunto 9 still had 13 percent of its charge left. That’s unheard of.

Untapped Lemon Tea Mapleaid

Because sometimes you crave something other than another fruit drink
Price: $8.95 (4 single-serve packets)

Trevor Raab

This is the clean alternative to sports drinks full of chemicals you can’t pronounce. Untapped’s new powdered mix contains pure Vermont maple sugar, lemons, black tea, and sea salt. That’s it. The tea gives you a little caffeine boost, and the beverage tastes even better when you toss a few ice cubes into your bottle before heading out. Feeling adventurous? Try the company’s , which has a spicy kick. Comes in a 1-pound bag or as single-serve packets.

Oiselle Bae Bra

Soft against skin but durable enough for the washing machine
Price: $52
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Trevor Raab

Oiselle’s newest sports bra has a smooth, downy feel that you’ll love and moderate compression that’s best for A- to C-cup runners. We liked the Bae’s adjustable straps and its Nyelle compression fabric, which hold your breasts in place and provide some extra lift. The soft material gently hugs to deliver an excellent fit. Another detail that stands out: the labeled removable cups, which are uncommon and incredibly helpful. Because when you’re doing laundry or changing quickly for the gym, you don’t want to waste time fiddling with bra cups to find which one fits where.

Salomon S/Lab Ultra Trail Shoes

A shoe with an elite pedigree, built for us amateurs
Price: $180; Weight: 10.8 oz (M), 9.5 oz (W)
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Trevor Raab

Salomon’s S/Lab trail shoes are the brand’s high-performance trail shoes for competitive runners and pro athletes. They feature premium materials—and a premium price—and have typically been bare-bones models for running fast. This Ultra, however, is the trail shoe for the rest of us. It has all the features you want, like an internal sleeve that wraps the foot in a snug cocoon and detached “wings” to secure your midfoot, but with extra cushioning and protection for technical terrain. The moderate lugs are a consistent height, helping the shoe cruise on a variety of terrain, even hard-packed dirt or stretches of asphalt.

Jaybird Run Earbuds

Comfort for the long run, with a battery to match
Price: $180

Trevor Raab

The smallest, most secure pair of totally wireless headphones we’ve tried is also a solid bargain. The Runs sit comfortably in your ear thanks to a lightweight body plus round and oval ear tips that let you dial in a secure fit. The buds seemingly never go dead—they run for four hours on a charge, and the case holds another eight hours of juice. Top them off for just five minutes before you dash out the door to get a full hour of runtime. The buds seal out sound, but you can increase safety by wearing just the right bud.

Black Diamond Icon Headlamp

Leave it on full blast, the lamp will outlast you
Price: $100

Trevor Raab

Few things derail dawn-patrol mojo as abruptly as reaching for your headlamp and discovering that its rechargeable battery is dead. That won’t happen with the Icon, which runs on four AA batteries. Black Diamond smartly positions the battery pack on the back of the head strap, balancing the load perfectly so you’re more comfortable. Best of all, the Icon cranks out 500 lumens for up to 70 hours before you need to replace the batteries. Plus, the Icon’s case is completely waterproof.

Reebok Floatride Run Fast

The fastest shoe you can actually buy in 2018 is a Reebok, seriously
Price: $140
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Trevor Raab

We named this our Shoe of the Year in the September/October issue for one category-crushing reason: It mixes low weight and superb cushioning better than any other shoe we’ve tested. It weighs as little as feathery racing flats (just 5.6 ounces for women and 6.9 ounces for men), offers a softer platform than those paper-thin racers, and still lets you turn on the speed. The secret is in Reebok’s new exceptionally bouncy Floatride cushioning foam paired with a lightweight, snug-fitting, breathable upper. This is the shoe you’ll want to run in every day—while everything else collects dust. Runner’s World international editors also named it the best shoe in the world.

Gore R7 Gore-Tex Shakedry Hooded Jacket

A paper-thin rain jacket that really keeps out the wet
Price: $300

Courtesy of Gore

This is possibly the best jacket ever made. Instead of requiring a protective layer around its waterproofing fabric to make it durable (which would add bulk and make it less breathable), Gore’s new Shakedry fabric is strong enough when used as a paper-thin shell by itself. That results in a featherweight jacket you can crush into a backpack and pull out whenever you need real rain protection. Water beads on the surface and rolls right off. Pat Heine, our ultra-running video producer, wore it for every step of the unseasonably cold and wet 106-mile UTMB ultra-marathon this year. His take? “Best jacket I’ve ever worn.” The close-fitting hood has a small lip in front to keep water out.

Goodr BFG Sunglasses

We prefer to use the word “affordable” for these rock solid glasses
Price: $35

Trevor Raab

The original Goodr sunglasses impressed with their good quality, polarized lenses, fresh style, and insanely low price. This new version has wider frames, larger lenses, and longer arms than the OG—and that makes them more comfortable for runners with big noggins. The new frames, plus upgrades like gradient lenses and silicone inserts in the nose and temples, have pushed the price up (by a whopping 10 bucks), but these glasses are still a bargain. And just like the earlier model, they come in a ton of fun colors.

Tracksmith x Article One The Charles Sunglasses

Hit the track, café, or beach in these do-it-all shades
Price: $255
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Trevor Raab

These are for runners who want shades that are even more on trend. Boston-based Tracksmith partnered with upstart eyewear Article One to develop these sunglasses that totally fit the running brand’s throwback style. Named after the river that weaves its way through Boston, the Charles has a lightweight, crystal-like plastic frame and spring hinges for an accommodating fit. The adjustable silicone nosepiece and grippy pads behind the ears keep them clamped in place on even the sweatiest runs. They come in navy, gold, and wine. An anti-reflective coating on the backside of the lenses cuts glare.

Maurten Gel 100

Rocket fuel unlike anything you’ve tasted before
Price: $43 for 12

Trevor Raab

That gel you’ve been carrying in your pockets during marathons and long runs: It’s more like a syrup. Maurten’s offering (they call it a hydrogel) is less runny, which allows it to deliver more carbohydrates per hour without causing GI issues. The consistency may seem weird at first—it’s like the unflavored inside of a gummy bear—but you don’t need to chase it with water like you do with some other gels. And there are no added colors, preservatives, or flavors. Eliud Kipchoge used it while setting the marathon world record in September, by the way.

Hyperice Hypervolt

Sore muscles have met their match with this power tool
Price: $349
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Trevor Raab

Slide over, foam roller: There are faster ways to aid recovery. The newest—and perhaps most intimidating, admittedly—is this handheld massager, which looks like an impact driver you might find at Home Depot. Dial in your desired level of massage, select one of four attachments, and let the motor go to work. It oscillates at speeds up to 3,200 rpm, way faster than even the best masseuse. And the quiet operation gives it a big advantage over its jackhammer-loud competitors.

Path Projects Brim FT Short and Tahoe CL 5″ Base Liner

Dudes, flimsy liners are a thing of the past
Price: $49 shorts, $27 liner

Trevor Raab

This new apparel brand promises an exceptional fit by making separate shorts and liners, so you can mix and match to create your ideal pair. The Brim FT Short is super comfortable and can be worn for everything from running, to CrossFit, to biking to the beach, and going out for beers. For running, try pairing it with the Tahoe CL 5″ Base Liner for plenty of long-run chafe protection.

Gore-Tex Invisible Fit Liner

Dry feet, without the bulk
Price: varies by shoe
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Trevor Raab

Gore has radically changed how it waterproofs footwear, which is great for runners. Unlike previous Gore-Tex footwear that used a waterproof bootie, the new Invisible Fit barrier is bonded directly to the shoe’s fabric. That creates a more comfortable fit and better waterproofing because the material won’t bunch and collect water the way a bootie does. Finally, you can buy a waterproof shoe that you will want to run in anytime and not just save for soggy days. Right now the Invisible Fit comes in shoes from Inov-8, Merrell, Saucony, Salomon, and others.

Helly Hansen W HH Active Bag 2

A sleek bag that carries its weight in essentials
Price: $60
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Trevor Raab

This deceptively small gym bag hauls your running gear and so much more. Its slim build and chic design look great when slung across your body—it’s shaped more like a tote than a traditional duffel. It has a ton of runner-friendly features, like heavy-duty zippers, a separate waterproof shoe compartment, and durable interior fabric. One tester easily fit a change of clothes, two Tupperware containers, and four cans of coconut LaCroix. Plus, the bag stuffs into its front pocket for easy packing if you want to take an extra bag on a trip. The handles are long enough to carry over your shoulder.