Disclosure: I received a box of reflective/lighting gear from Nathan Sports for free in return for an honest review of their products. I am not being paid to talk about or advertise their products. All opinions of the product are my own. Link marked with * is an affiliate link. See my policy page HERE for more detail.

The nights are darker - the days are shorter and will be getting even shorter! - This means that it's time to break out the High Viz gear if you're a very early morning runner or a night time runner - though it won't be long until it's dark in the mornings and at night.

Original Image Source

If you're the type of person that would rather wait until it got light out before you started running, I must encourage you to at least try it! It's pretty fun running out in the dark - you just need to be prepared with the right gear!

I must admit, I really wasn't a fan of running in the dark until around Christmas last year and it was around the same time that I got my first piece of lighting gear for running; a head torch. Prior to getting that, I hated going out when it was dark and put it off at every opportunity.

It's so imperative that runners get reflective and lighting gear for running in the dark so that you can be seen by other users of the pavement and even car users on the roads.

Studies have shown that runners who wear multiple points of light on their bodies can be recognized by drivers from 6 times further away than those who don't. There's a great video HERE and Infographic HERE from Nathan about distances with and without reflective/lighting gear.

A while back, I was sent a whole load of reflective/lighting goodies from Nathan Sports to aid with my dark, winter runs. I've been using it all for quite a while now as I tend to run pretty early in the morning, so was definitely needed.

I'm going to share with you some pieces that I received that can help you to see and be seen when it's dark!

Be Seen:
Bandolier Vest - I actually had a tough time with this to begin with. When I went out for the first time wearing this, I spent more time pulling up the straps after they'd fallen down my arms and it was a nightmare.

I'm not one to just give something one go and have that single opinion, so I decided to go out with it again. This time, pulled the vest down as far as it would go and tightened it pretty tight - it seemed to stay on and in place for the majority of the run - unless my t-shirt rose and I had to adjust.

It comes in Yellow and Red(though it looks more coral/pink) - there's reflective strips all over the vest which is great when cars are oncoming and the vest reflects the light back.





Fire & Ice Bottle - As always, it's important to stay hydrated whilst running, even in the winter! This is a double walled 360-degree reflective bottle and keeps liquids cooler for 20% longer than other insulated bottles. It has easy-squeeze and comfort grip.

I loved this and how bright it is when light is shined on it!





Hyperbrite/Pulsar/Strobelight Strobes - There are a couple of different strobe lights available from Nathan.
They have clips so they can be put wherever you want, On your t-shirt, clipped to your shorts or even on your shoe. They're pretty handy and have constant or flashing modes available depending on your preference.

Light Spur - The light spur is a handy little light that can be used for running and cycling. It attaches directly to the back of your shoe and has a pretty secure fit.
Again, it has multiple settings available to choose from, either constant or flashing and has over 40 hours of battery life before it needs replacing!

To See:
Orion Strobe - This actually covers to see and be seen. The orion strobe is their most powerful clip light and can be recharged via USB. It has over 30 lumens of LED visibility. There is a crystal white LED which illuminates the path ahead of you along with red LEDs that allow you to be seen by others. You can clip the strobe to a belt provided in the pack for a perfect fit over clothes.
There are different light settings on this one, you can change the LED sequence so that both can be on at the same time, one can be on at a time, they can be constant or flashing - it's great depending on your needs. I've used this both on the front and on the back and it works like a treat.

Zephyr Fire -  This was quite possibly my favourite item out of all of them as it was so multi-functional. This flash light features a 24 degree downward projection which means that you don't have to be twisting your wrist downwards or at an awkward angle to get visibility. There is also a flashing red light at the back of the torch so it provides visibility from the back too and allows others to see you.
There is a strap on the torch to allow for easier holding and also means that you don't drop it whilst running - it's so light weight, you don't really even realise its there.

The last function it has on it is a siren. I think it's supposed to be like a panic alarm if you get into trouble as it's pretty darn loud and will definitely do it's job in a sticky situation. I thought maybe it could be used to alert people in front of you that you're coming rather than shouting at them - but I thought twice about this as I'm pretty sure I would scare the sh*t out of someone if I set this off! xD

--

I got some other little bits and pieces from Nathan too which included a bright yellow t-shirt, some Feetures Socks and some Nathan Lock Laces(that come in reflective colours too).

I've been a massive fan of lock laces for years now, I would never have any other laces than these. They are an elastic locking system for your shoes so that you don't have to worry about your trainers laces coming undone on a run. They are very popular with Marathon Runners and Triathletes.

The socks have become my favourite socks EVER to wear for running - They're really cushioned and fit well. There's nothing worse than a train sock that falls down half way down your foot whilst you're out running or gives you blisters - I've had none of that with these.

I highly recommend both the laces and the socks!


I've actually had so much more fun running in the dark since I've gotten some reflective/lighting gear and it's quite entertaining to be lit up like a Christmas Tree - you definitely get noticed whilst you're out wearing them - I got a few stares.

Here is a quick 2 video showing the products on when running in the dark - you can see the visibility of the lights in really dark conditions from quite a way back. My other half was filming, so blame him for filming in portrait instead of Landscape :/

You can visit www.nathansports.com to find out more about their products and what other types of products they offer. They actually have a huge range of lighting and reflective gear at affordable prices.

You can find Nathan Sports gear on Runners Need, Sweatshop and other good sports stores. Nathan are also stocked on Amazon, you can find a bunch of their products HERE* (I've seen Nathan is available on Amazon for US peeps too!)

Please, if you don't have any reflective/lighting gear and you run at night, go and get some, be safe! Don't put yourself or others in danger!

Question: Do you enjoy running in the dark? How do you fire up your run?

Like this post?

Follow me on Bloglovin' OR Subscribe for Email Updates

Other places to find me:

** Twitter ** Instagram ** Pinterest ** Facebook ** Google+ **