The brisk winter air certainly does not make us flock to the trails to go for a run. At least that’s what I used to think as I would run in the middle of the afternoon sweating buckets in the swampy, high-temperature July days. Under Armour’s IntelliKnit Sweater and Run Pants have redefined what “running weather” is for me.
Under Armour focused on the details with these and I’m a fan. The ribbed piping on the pants as well as the reflective lining on the shoulders of the sweater were both excellent design touches. I went running multiple times with these products, one time it was below 20 degrees F with moderate winds and the other was a bit sunnier and was just above freezing. These pieces kept me as warm as I needed to be as I ran for about half an hour and then did a cooldown walk which was about equally as long. Even in heavy winds, I was as warm as I needed to be for each step. One drawback to both of these pieces is because they are 100% polyester they cannot be used for trail running or for any activities where they might catch. The knit design is not made for heavy use and wear. This shouldn’t be an issue for most winter runners, but something to be mindful of when considering which activities you’ll be doing in these.
Both products ran smaller than I was expecting. While like most running products these pieces are naturally designed to be a tighter fit, the sweater specifically was tighter than I expected. I still felt comfortable wearing both products but important to note when considering sizes.
With their Intelliknit technology and their new running shoes, Under Armour is attempting to redefine their athletic apparel lineup by putting themselves head to head with brands like Lululemon, Fabletics, and Nike who have led the charge in the running apparel scene for some time now. If you’re looking for cold weather running gear, the IntelliKnit Sweater and Run Pants provide the comfort and warmth needed for a cold weather run. While I do not love each item’s listed retail price of $120.00, Under Armour currently has both pieces marked down to $84.00. If you are a committed runner (or a runner who’s working on becoming more committed like myself) these two pieces are worth checking out this winter.