Best Running Gear (2023): Shoes, Clothes, Accessories

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The Best Running ShoesOn Running Cloudvista Waterproof

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The Best Fitness TrackerGarmin Forerunner 255

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Best HeadphonesJLab Audio Epic Air Sport ANC (2nd Gen)

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Best TightsPatagonia Pack Out Tights

Read moreI have given up on persuading people to take up running outside in winter. Gyms are fine! And if pulling on multiple layers of clothing and lights to run outside in the grim, freezing dark isn’t something that calls to you, a few well-meaning words probably won’t do the trick. 

But running in these long, dreary months is a chance to give cabin fever the finger and get some much-needed fresh air and vitamin D. Do you need some tips on how to prevent hypothermia while you trot along? I pulled together some of the gear that gets me out every day, along with a few starter tips. Be sure to also check out our Best Fitness Trackers and Best Running Shoe guides—and all the gear that helped WIRED’s former editor in chief run faster marathons in his forties.

Updated February 2023: We added our favorite cold-weather running picks, like Patagonia Pack Out Tights.

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Photograph: On 

The Best Running ShoesOn Running Cloudvista Waterproof

When the temperature is hovering around freezing, the last thing you want are squishy, squelchy feet. I am deeply skeptical of On Running’s claim that their signature sole bubbles cushion your joints in any significant way against hundreds of pounds of your body weight repeatedly hitting frozen asphalt. However, I do very much like these shoes, which are waterproof (the membrane is recycled). They feel stiff and supportive in mud and have a protective rubber rand around the outside of the shoe. The big lug soles offer lots of traction, but the shoes themselves are insanely light—only 17.6 ounces for the pair. Also, the laces never come undone! 

My other longtime favorites are the Altra Lone Peaks ($170). However, if you don’t want to go straight to a trail shoe just yet, you can always try Yaktrax ($35) and waterproof socks ($37) with your regular running running shoes first. 

Photograph: Garmin

The Best Fitness TrackerGarmin Forerunner 255

We regularly recommend Garmin’s Forerunner series to runners. If you’re a multisport athlete who also wants advanced sleep features, try the midrange Forerunner 255 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). (Do you want fewer features, or more? There’s also the Forerunner 55 and the Forerunner 945, and Garmin updates the line pretty regularly.)

The standout feature with Garmins is the company’s comprehensive (and free!) sports training program with Garmin Connect, which includes a Morning Report when you wake up. Morning Report gives you your Body Battery, a measurement of how ready you are to take the day’s activities, as well as the weather and a daily greeting. It includes multiband GPS support for greater accuracy with location tracking, a barometric altimeter and compass for when you hit the trails, and support for other sports, like cycling.

Photograph: JLab

Best HeadphonesJLab Audio Epic Air Sport ANC (2nd Gen)

As an iPhone owner, I am still pretty devoted to my Beats Fit Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends), but even I admit that it’s hard to spend more than $100 on a pair of headphones whose only purpose is to stick to your head and get crusty with sweat. Right now, my favorite out of the crop that I’m currently testing is the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC. JLab has consistently made some of our favorite affordable headphones. I have spent several weeks trying to run the battery out on these things with multiple walks and runs per day, but every day they continue to say “battery full” when I put them on. They come with around 70 hours of playtime, and the case can charge wirelessly (JLab’s signature charging cable is included). 

They’re rated IP66 against streams of water and are significantly thinner than some of the other earbuds I’m currently testing. For someone whose left ear is determined to spit out almost every earbud on the planet, JLab’s Cloud Foam ear tips fit securely and well. I hate, hate, hate fidgeting with an earbud midrun. Everything you wear should help you, not irritate you.

Photograph: Patagonia

Best TightsPatagonia Pack Out Tights

The rule of thumb is to dress for running as if it’s 20 degrees warmer than it is. For example, if it’s 40 Fahrenheit degrees, you want to dress like it’s 60. On those days, I like any leggings that are high-waisted or have a drawstring, so they don’t fall down, and are made from compressive and durable fabric, like Lululemon’s Fast and Frees ($98), which have reflective details and come in a few inseam lengths for short-legged folk. 

Once the temperature drops, however, the leggings slowly get thicker. Right now, I’m reaching for the Patagonia Pack Out tights. They’re technically a hiking legging, which means there’s a crotch gusset for additional mobility (I can’t be the only one who loves a good crotch gusset). They’re thick and insulated and have a wide waistband so they don’t roll over. For below-freezing days, I have a pair of these Smartwool sport fleece tights ($140), which have a wind-resistant panel on the thigh.