The Best Running Gear of 2023

Aug 11, 2023

Running is a refreshingly uncomplicated way to get your heart pumping. You can do it nearly anywhere, and you don’t need much to make it happen (other than the motivation to go).

That said, functional gear that speaks to your specific needs can enhance your experience.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing over the past seven years, enlisting the help of a collegiate track coach (and former podiatrist), a former Runner’s World editor, and several of the most passionate runners on our staff. Here are our recommendations for the best gear to get you up and running.

Comfort is key. If a shoe feels off when you try it on, it most likely won’t feel much better when you’re running.

Layer according to the weather with comfortable, well-fitting pieces made of breathable fabrics.

Items like a runner ID tag, a reflective vest, or a headlamp can help you feel more secure—and seen—on the run.

A GPS running watch or a fitness tracker tracks your miles and training, but you don’t need tech to enjoy a run.

Choosing a definitive “best” pair of running shoes is an impossible task. The right shoe for you depends on a variety of factors, including the size and shape of your feet, how often you run, and your training goals. A staggering volume of options are available. To help you find your go-to shoe for everyday running, we’ve tapped a variety of experts, researched hundreds of shoes, and run more than 4,000 miles over the course of five years. We recommend trying on several different pairs, either at your local running store, where you can leverage staff expertise to help you find the ideal fit, or in your home, if you prefer to shop online.

To help inspire your search, below are four shoes that rose to the top in our testing. They include the Brooks Ghost 15, a go-to cushioned neutral trainer (women’s, men’s); the New Balance Fresh Foam 880v11, a cushioned neutral shoe with some pop (women’s, men’s); the Asics GT-2000 10, an all-purpose stability shoe (women’s, men’s); and the Saucony Guide 14, a pick for cushioned stability (women’s, men’s). For additional details on each pair, plus more recommendations and advice, check out our full guide to choosing the best running shoes for you.

Stable, soft, and light, this shoe checks most of the boxes for runners’ everyday training needs.

Stable, soft, and light, this shoe checks most of the boxes for runners’ everyday training needs.

Across our six years of testing running shoes, the Brooks Ghost continues to stand out for its comfort and versatility. The stretch upper on the Ghost 15 is forgiving and the shoes feel “broken in” right out of the box. In our testing, the Ghost 15 has held sturdy in a variety of conditions—in rain, on tracks, and even on trail terrains.

This fun-to-run-in shoe pleased our testers with its energetic feel and comfortable, secure ride.

This fun-to-run-in shoe pleased our testers with its energetic feel and comfortable, secure ride.

Soft and responsive, but not overly cushioned, the New Balance Fresh Foam 880v11 (women’s, men’s) proved both functional and fun in our testing. The 880v11 has a less-padded tongue, but it was still comfortable and delivered a nice fit.

Functional and unflashy, this shoe provides mild overpronators a lower-key stability than firmer stability shoes we’ve run in.

Functional and unflashy, this shoe provides mild overpronators a lower-key stability than firmer stability shoes we’ve run in.

We like the Asics GT-2000 10 (women’s, men’s) for daily maintenance runs or the occasional long run. Testers with mild overpronation appreciated the bit of support this “workhorse” of a shoe provides, but noted that it can feel a bit stiff. The GT-2000 10’s traction inspired confidence on wet roads. The laces, which run through the tongue at several points, remained securely tied with no issue.

A plush collar, tongue, and even laces surround an effective stability component, though the shoes felt heavier and firmer than most others we tried.

A plush collar, tongue, and even laces surround an effective stability component, though the shoes felt heavier and firmer than most others we tried.

The Saucony Guide 14 (women’s, men’s) packs effective support into a streamlined profile with a sleek fit. In contrast with its structured underfoot support (a piece of thermoplastic polyurethane called a “guidance frame”), which feels firm, the rest of the shoe is plush (the collar, the tongue, and even the springy tubular laces). That combination will speak to those who want some support but don’t want to sacrifice a soft, comfy feel on the foot.

A running belt provides the most convenient, lowest-profile, and most ergonomic means of carrying your stuff when you go for a run. As much as you may like to run free, hitting the road without a smartphone, keys, and ID isn’t always practical. And during longer training runs or races, you may want to carry water or nutrition, too. A running belt that fits securely and provides easy access to your stuff can take care of that.

Minimalists will likely appreciate this zippered pouch, which holds essentials and stays put with a comfortable, stretchy band that tidily adjusts to fit most waists—no dangling tails.

If you’re looking for a convenient, comfortable, affordable way to bring must-haves with you on everyday runs, we recommend the SPIbelt Large Pocket. The single stretch-fabric pocket can hold a large phone (the SPIbelt website says that includes an iPhone 13 Pro Max and a Samsung Galaxy S20+), cards, and keys. With the adjustable band tightened snugly, it doesn’t bounce during runs. You can adjust the belt from about 25 to 47 or more inches, and it has no annoying dangling straps. The pocket’s synthetic fabric wicks sweat well, which should keep you cooler, but it isn’t water resistant—contents can get slightly soggy. And it keeps everything squeezed into one stretchy pocket, which means that if you need to pull something out mid-run, there’s a chance other things might fall out too. The SPIbelt Large Pocket also works with a belt extender (sold separately).

If you want to carry more than just a phone and keys, our upgrade pick, the Naked Running Band, stayed securely in place in testing—even when its three pockets were loaded with a smartphone, cards, keys, and two gels, and either of Naked’s soft Running Flasks (350 ml or 500 ml, sold separately). (The Naked Running Band can be used with other brands’ water bottles, though we didn’t try any.) Read more about all our picks in our full guide to the best running belts.

Overall, we think running belts outperform running armbands, which have the potential to alter your running form. But an armband is an option if you want to carry your phone and nothing else, if you find running belts uncomfortable or ill fitting, or if you want to give Bluetooth waves a clear path to your headphones.

This affordable and reliable armband provides a better combination of comfort, stability, and ease of use than any other armband we tested.

The Tune Belt AB91 Sport Armband has a straightforward design and is intuitive to use. It felt great around the arm and barely budged during our runs. The Tune Belt comes in a number of slightly different sizes for different phone models, but if you have sizing concerns, you can take a look at the company’s device fit guide. The whole thing is simple to set up, and once you’re off and running, it’s possible to forget you’re even wearing the Tune Belt. (For more information on running with an armband, check out our full guide to the best iPhone armbands for running.)

A proper-fitting sports bra can significantly reduce breast discomfort during high-impact exercise. After putting in more than 40 hours of research and testing, talking to eight experts over nearly seven years, comparing hundreds of bras, and evaluating feedback from a total of 25 testers, we know that there is no one-size-fits-all sports bra. We recommend the compression-style Champion The Absolute Workout bra, plus several encapsulation- and combination-style bras, including the Champion Spot Comfort, the SheFit Ultimate Sports Bra, the Panache Sports Wired Bra, and the Elomi Energise.

We chose to separate our picks into categories based on cup sizes: DD+, D/DD, C/D, and A/B. That’s not to say that someone with a B-cup size doesn’t want the support or enhancement of an underwire sports bra, or that someone with DD+ cups won’t feel comfortable in a basic compression bra. Your choice will come down to personal preference. Our full guide to the best sports bras outlines the pros and cons of many worthy bras.

This encapsulation bra with underwire offers full coverage and extra lift, as well as deeper cups and wide, comfortable straps.

This underwire encapsulation bra offers additional support and has easy-to-adjust straps.

For DD+ wearers, we like the Elomi Energise bra for larger band sizes, and the Panache Sports Wired Bra for smaller band sizes. The Elomi comes in 61 sizes, has deeper cups, and comes up higher on the chest and sides than the Panache, making it a full-coverage bra that should help prevent spillage during vigorous workouts. The Panache comes in 70 sizes, and the underwire offers additional support.

This comfortable, high-support bra has a zippered front closure. Its straps and band adjust with Velcro.

For D/DD wearers, we like the SheFit Ultimate Sports Bra. A combination bra that relies on both compression and encapsulation to reduce breast movement, it offers a high degree of customizable adjustability: The inch-wide shoulder straps adjust at the front with Velcro, the band adjusts at the back with Velcro, and two internal hook-and-eye clasps bolster the front-zipper closure. Despite its complex construction, the bra moves with the body and feels lighter than its initial look lets on. It comes in 10 sizes (XSmall to 6Luxe), and although SheFit’s proprietary sizing might result in more trial and error when it comes to finding the right fit, our testers all got it right on their first try.

The Spot Comfort provides cup definition while still keeping breasts snug to prevent movement, and it’s relatively easy to adjust and to put on and take off.

For C/D cup sizes, we recommend the Champion Spot Comfort. The Spot Comfort has cup definition to prevent the uniboob look, and ample side and front coverage keep larger breasts secure while running. With padded, adjustable, vertical straps and a back clasp, the Spot Comfort is easy to put on and take off compared with a traditional pull-on racerback.

This medium-support compression bra for smaller cup and band sizes is comfortable and supportive, and has a sturdy band that is unlikely to ride up.

Our favorite sports bra for people with an A/B cup size is the Champion The Absolute Workout. It hits the sweet spot of stretchiness—you can easily get it over your head, but it’s still supportive enough to prevent bounce for smaller cup sizes. The material is comfortable and wicks sweat well, and the Absolute Workout is more affordable than much of the competition.

For people of all cup sizes, if our picks don’t work or are unavailable, we have additional options in The competition and Other good sports bras sections of our full guide.

Running with a water supply can help prevent dehydration and make longer runs a bit easier. We’ve found that the ideal water bottle for runners should hold at least 16 ounces of liquid, which in our experience is enough for up to two hours of running in moderate temperatures. (Hydration needs depend on factors like individual sweat rate, workout intensity, and weather; however, for long runs or races, experts recommend consuming 16 to 27 ounces of water per hour.)

Choosing between waist- and hand-mounted options is a matter of personal preference. Many people prefer a handheld bottle because waist packs can ride up or shift position during running. However, a waist pack can usually carry more water than a handheld bottle, and some people don’t like carrying things in their hands for an hour or more. We’ve tested nearly 20 different water bottles meant for use on runs.

If you’re looking for regular-sized water bottles for after a run (or any other time), take a look at our full guide to the best water bottles.

Incorporating two 10-ounce water bottles, this belt lets you carry your water and sports drink separately. It was also the most stable and comfortable two-bottle belt we tested.

If you want a waist-mounted bottle, the Nathan TrailMix Plus is your best bet. It has two 10-ounce bottles—for carrying both water and Gatorade, for example—that you can easily grab and replace while running, and its compartmentalized pack holds an XL phone, cards, keys, and gels. But with all that weight to the back (or front), the belt can bounce or slide up unless worn snugly around your body’s smallest circumference. It adjusts from about 26 to 44 inches, though the long strap ends can flap around on smaller waists.

If you’re running for less than an hour, just drinking water is totally fine. But to sustain peak performance and boost endurance during long runs (from 60 to 90-plus minutes), nutritionists recommend that runners consume additional hydration, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. Fuel for runs falls into one of two categories: sports drinks, or water paired with energy bars, chews, blocks, or gels. After speaking with doctors, nutritionists, trainers, and marathon runners, we think gels offer the most portability, consistency, and convenience for daily training or competition running.

Sports drinks offer nutrition similar to gels, albeit in a less-portable package. “A gel is essentially a sports drink without the water,” said Matt Fitzgerald, certified sports nutritionist, coach, and author of numerous books, including How Bad Do You Want It?: Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle and Run Like a Pro (Even If You’re Slow). “Functionally, they’re not that much different, but obviously a sports drink, it’s high volume and it’s heavy, and so it’s harder to carry.” A 12-ounce bottle of Gatorade has 21 grams of carbohydrates, about the same as a single gel packet. But if you’re following the recommendation to consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during high-intensity efforts lasting longer than 60 minutes, you’d have to drink nearly three bottles of Gatorade an hour, which for many runners is a lot to consume.

These ubiquitous gels are available pretty much anywhere and sold in 30 flavors. They’re a great starting point.

Gels, when consumed with water, offer an easy-to-digest combination of electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) and carbohydrates (in the form of sugars like fructose and maltodextrin, a type of glucose). The best gel for you is a matter of personal preference, but we’re confident in recommending GU Original Energy Gel as a good starting point. GU offers the best overall nutrition, variety of flavors, availability, and affordability (around $1.50 per packet). That means you’re likely to find a flavor you don’t abhor (none are particularly delicious), and it’s likely to remain easy to find so you can train with it—an important factor for preventing gastrointestinal surprises on race day.

The original GU gel comes in 16 flavors, and you can start with a variety pack if you’re curious enough to try a bunch. The company even sells a Tastefully Nude variety that has no flavor.

The gels contain a blend of maltodextrin and fructose, which is key to sustaining nutrition while you’re exercising. Fitzgerald explained to us why this is important: “Different types of sugars are processed or absorbed through different channels,” he said. “You can actually absorb more total carbohydrates if you have different types of carbs going into your body through different channels, because your body can multitask or parallel-process to get more sugar in.”

Some people have digestive issues with specific gel brands, but usually they can keep trying other brands until they find one that agrees with them. If GU doesn’t work for you and you want to explore the huge variety of gels out there, Jonathan Savage, a runner and blogger who helms the website fellrnr.com, has an extensive chart detailing all the nutritional aspects of gels. Ultimately, the nutritional differences from gel to gel are pretty slight, and GU gels are solidly in the middle of the pack. GU also has a line of gels called Roctane Energy, which have additional sodium and amino acids beyond the standard Original Energy Gels, but they’re nearly twice as expensive as the regular ones.

A GPS running watch can be a game-changing tool to inform your training and track your miles. After putting 18 watches through their paces since 2014, we recommend the Coros Pace 2 for people who are focused on finding the ideal watch for running, and the Garmin Forerunner 245 for those who want a running watch that also offers plenty of smartwatch features.

Flush with features that will please runners of all levels, this lightweight watch has quick GPS acquisition, a long battery life, and detailed metrics, all at a reasonable price.

If you want a super-lightweight watch with a longer battery life than most—and you don’t care as much about extra smartwatch features—we think the Coros Pace 2 is your best option. The lightest watch we’ve tested so far, the reasonably priced Pace 2 packs a raft of run-specific features and metrics to please a variety of runners. Its GPS acquisition time (about 13 seconds) was speedy, and its GPS distance and route-tracing precision were largely dependable (though not perfect—GPS rarely is). The robust battery life (20 days in standby mode, 30 hours with continuous GPS) outdoes that of the Garmin Forerunner 245 by days.

A digital dial and a separate button steer the Pace 2’s navigation. The Pace 2’s heart-rate tracking stumbled a bit (to improve accuracy, it can be paired with a heart-rate strap). It offers 17 activity modes, including indoor run and track run, but unlike the Forerunner 245, there’s no trail option. The Pace 2 shows notifications of your choice, but it doesn’t offer other smartphone features, like onboard music capabilities or the ability to sync to your calendar or local weather report. But if those extras aren’t critical for you, the Pace 2 delivers lots of value.

This well-rounded running watch offers dependable on-the-run data and handy smartwatch features. But compared with the Coros Pace 2, it has pokier GPS acquisition times.

We like the Garmin Forerunner 245 for runners who want a trustworthy, traditional running watch with enhanced smartwatch features (such as notifications, the ability to sync to a calendar, and local weather). The Forerunner 245 is customizable, from its on-the-run data screens to watch faces. It uses a quintet of buttons, and its interface is easy to navigate. It has a less robust battery life than the Coros Pace 2, though. In our heart-rate tests, the Forerunner 245 performed slightly better than the Pace 2, though it struggled a bit (a separate chest strap can help bolster precision).

The 245’s median GPS acquisition time (44 seconds) was sometimes slower than that of other watches we tested. This model’s GPS accuracy was prone to the mercurial ways of GPS signals, tracing routes accurately on some runs and bobbing and weaving on others. But we experienced several runs with less than a 1% deviation from the control or measured distance. The Forerunner 245 is available in a version that has onboard music capabilities (typically for about $50 more than the non-music version), which the Pace 2 does not offer.

Check out our full guide to the best GPS running watches for more details on the Coros Pace 2 and the Garmin Forerunner 245.

If you’re more concerned with monitoring how and how much you move throughout the day, and less interested in the run-specific data and features of a GPS running watch, a fitness tracker may be a better choice for you. (Admittedly, the lines that separate GPS running watches and regular smartwatches from fitness trackers are blurrier than ever.) A wearable fitness tracker can help you monitor your steps, sleep, and workouts—including your runs. It can also dole out doses of motivation along the way, which might nudge you toward a specific goal. Although in our tests no tracker perfectly recorded every metric it attempted to, we recommend the feature-packed Fitbit Charge 5 for those wanting to monitor their movements and take steps toward improving their health.

Sleek and feature-packed, this tracker records a range of activities accurately and automatically, includes built-in GPS, and has an app that makes it simple to use and customize.

The Fitbit Charge 5 is among the most accurate for measuring steps and heart rate (although accuracy isn’t everything). It reliably detects, nearly always correctly identifies, and automatically begins to record workouts—running, walking, biking, swimming—after about 10 minutes of activity. The color touchscreen display is vivid and clear, even in bright sunlight. But the tracker’s interface and mechanics (no physical buttons) aren’t as run-specific or runner-friendly as those of a dedicated GPS running watch, and though Fitbit’s concise, straightforward app lets you parse daily activity data with ease, it lacks the run-specific data caught by dedicated GPS running watches, such as cadence (recorded on the Coros Pace 2 and the Garmin Forerunner 245) and power (tracked on the Coros Pace 2).

The Charge 5 has about 20 activity modes, six of which you can add to your on-device favorites list via the app. Within the app, you can also determine which smartphone notifications you’d like to buzz on your wrist. The Charge 5 has on-wrist ECG (electrocardiogram) and built-in GPS, which allows for real-time pace and distance data without requiring a phone connection, though it was susceptible to unevenness, as GPS often is. The tracker’s heart-rate monitor performed well on steady runs, but it struggled a bit on interval sets of walking, jogging, and running. Unlike our recommended GPS running watches, it is not compatible with chest-strap heart-rate monitors, which are typically more accurate than wrist-based models. Its battery life promises up to seven days in watch mode. After wearing the Charge 5 for two days and two nights, which included several recorded workouts and auto-detected activity, 69% remained.

Check out our full guide to the best fitness trackers for more details on the Fitbit Charge 5, as well as some alternative picks that might better suit your goals or style.

If a good playlist is the motivation you need to get going, earbuds are an essential piece of running equipment. Our conversations with runners—from casual beginners to marathoners—have revealed that different runners value different headphone features. Our recommendations here come from the research and testing we’ve conducted for our full guide to the best workout headphones, for which we’ve tested more than 250 sets of headphones and considered many more. That guide looks broadly at sweat-resistant headphones and earbuds for a variety of workout activities; the picks highlighted here are specific to runners.

Outdoor runners will appreciate how this pair fits securely and allows you to hear your surroundings for safety. However, the sound lacks low-end presence, so music lovers may be disappointed when the bassline fails to kick in.

Cleer Goal earbuds are designed to let you hear noises in the world around you, which is key for runners who are concerned about outdoor safety. The ear tips are funnel-shaped and rest inside your ear, but they don’t close off your ear canal completely, so you’re better able to hear and locate the sounds of cars, animals, and people. This design is also beneficial if you are annoyed by the footstep-amplifying occlusion effect that traditional sealed ear tips create; with this pair, you’ll feel less like Godzilla stomping through your jog (though, admittedly, pretending to destroy a city while getting in your cardio is kinda fun).

The Goal design’s stabilizing wings keep the earbuds in place rather well, which we love for smaller or harder-to-fit ears. Although this pair doesn’t produce deep bass notes, it does offer crisp detail in the human vocal range, so it’s great for listening to podcasts and audiobooks or hearing the verbal cues of navigation software. Unfortunately, most touch-based controls are finicky, and those on the Goal earbuds are no exception. You’ll need to practice the pace of the tap-and-hold sequences before you can perform them consistently. Additionally, the battery life of six hours per charge is middling, and while the charging case offers 14 additional hours of battery life, the case is too large to fit in a shorts pocket. Most running belts should accommodate it, though.

This pair reduces gym and street noise, sounds great, and has easy-to-use controls. The hear-through mode is good for conversations but isn’t ideal when you need to hear your surroundings for safety.

If you prefer to shut out the world when you run, we recommend the Beats Fit Pro. The Fit Pro’s sealed design with active-noise-cancelling capability effectively blocks sounds, but this pair also has a convenient hear-through feature that gives you the option to be aware of your surroundings when necessary. The earbuds have flexible, stabilizing wings that hold them in place securely, which is key for people who run outside and worry about losing ill-fitting earbuds. If you prefer to jog with only one earbud, you can use either Fit Pro earbud independently.

The physical button controls are easy to use, and you can customize their functions in an iPhone’s Settings app or, if you have an Android device, in the Beats app. Apple users will especially appreciate the Find My feature: Whereas most of the lost-earbud location trackers we’ve tested are clunky and less than pinpoint accurate, the Find My function on Apple devices is truly stellar. If you’ve seen how AirTags function, you’ll be familiar with the process, which combines GPS, Bluetooth proximity, and speaker chirp. It’s really the only system we’ve tested that’s useful enough to merit consideration when you’re choosing to purchase one device over another. The Fit Pro’s battery life of about six hours (longer if you don’t leave the noise cancellation on) is middle-of-the-road but long enough for most runs. The quick-charge capability comes in handy; five minutes in the case (which offers 18 additional hours of battery life) gives you an hour of play time. The case is larger than we’d like, but it should fit in the pockets of most gym shorts or running belts.

For budget-conscious runners, the affordable Aukey EP-T32 offers high water resistance, has hooks that hold the earbuds in place, and delivers solid audio quality. But it doesn’t let you hear your surroundings, and the set has no volume controls. For more details on these, as well as the Cleer Goal and Beats Fit Pro headphones, visit our full guide to the best headphones for running.

This vest is highly visible from any angle, versatile for all conditions, and easily adjustable.

After extensive testing by a crew of three runners and an automobile driver on two dark stretches of pavement, we found the Amphipod Xinglet Vest to be a highly useful piece of reflective running gear. Its minimalist construction provided excellent ease of movement and didn’t get too sweaty on a hard run. Our testers, who ranged in height from 5-foot-4 to 6-foot-2, found the vest simple to adjust for different height and waist sizes. And the front latch is intuitive and quick to use.

Although you can get away with just a set of ankle bands and be quite visible, our experts agreed that adding more reflective material on your torso or hands is a smart choice. We like reflective vests because they’re visible from all angles and light enough to wear over any nonreflective clothing you already own. And unlike any other single layer (such as a reflective shirt or jacket), it doesn’t require frequent washing because it doesn’t come in direct contact with your skin.

If you want to be especially visible at night, or if you run in areas where the streetlight coverage is less than ideal, we suggest running with a headlamp to see and be seen. The Black Diamond Sprinter 500 is a great option. It’s nearly twice as bright as its predecessor, the Sprinter 275, which provided decent trail illumination during our long nighttime runs. You’ll need to charge the Sprinter 500 every few days (according to the manual), but we used the Sprinter 275 for 13-plus hours without any problem (you can use AAA batteries if you prefer). The Sprinter 500 has an adjustable strap that keeps the lamp secured to your head while you run. Its rear blinker provides an important safety component. It also has a lockout mode, which keeps the light from turning on in your bag.

When you’re heading out for a run, a medical emergency or a trip to the hospital is the last thing that comes to mind. But accidents and medical events can happen without warning. Without access to your ID and health information, first responders and emergency medical staff won’t be able to adjust treatment to your specific needs. A dedicated identification band can take care of that, providing information about your past medical or surgical history, medical conditions, medications, allergies, or emergency contacts.

This band puts all your important medical info on your wrist in plain writing, where first responders (who always check your pulse) are most likely to see it.

After 10 hours of research, including interviews with first responders and ER doctors, we recommend the Road iD Wrist ID Elite Silicone Clasp safety band. This adjustable identification band displays personal and health information on a replaceable stainless-steel tag that you wear right where first responders are most likely to notice it. “We’re always going to check pulses, so an ID band placed on the wrist is hard to miss,” said Dr. John Sillery, assistant medical director of the emergency department at Highlands Medical Center at the time of our interview. In our tests, runners liked the Road iD’s comfort, fit, and low-profile design.

The lightweight traction on this pair is provided by 10 small, tungsten-carbide spikes that stick into the black ice and mixed snow typically found on winter asphalt.

If your winter activities are strictly limited to city streets, you may want to wear a lightweight pair of spikes to keep you steady when the asphalt gets treacherous. Our favorite spikes for road runners are the Kahtoola NANOspikes, which offer a lot more grip and stand up to more wear and tear compared with a simple metal coil. They are also lighter underfoot than the chains and steel spikes found on backcountry models. Though the 10 spikes are made from a material much harder than stainless steel, they are short, so you won’t severely damage the ground or your spikes when you walk off that ice and onto dry pavement.

We’ve interviewed 11 dermatologists for our full guides to sunscreen and facial sunscreen, and they all agree: Avoiding the sun—plus wearing protective clothing and/or sunscreen when you can’t—is the best way to protect yourself from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation. Because bundling up in the shade isn’t always practical, particularly when you’re headed out for a run on a sun-soaked day, everyone should use sunscreen as a second line of defense. Many sunscreens meet our basic requirements, but we like the two below. However, if you’re satisfied with what you already use, and it’s not past its expiration date, continue using it. You ultimately know which sunscreen is best for you, particularly if you developed an allergic reaction to a given formula in the past.

This physical sunscreen lotion absorbs easily and is free of added fragrance. Though it can feel greasy and leave behind a white cast, it’s less visible than most physical sunscreens.

We think Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, a physical sunscreen that earned top marks in our testing, will suit most runners. It offers adequate SPF and broad-spectrum protection and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It’s easy to apply and comfortable to wear, while still being affordable.

This easy-to-apply lotion lives up to its name, as it rubs in with a dry, transparent finish and appears colorless on most skin tones. It has added fragrance, but not an overpowering sunscreen-y scent.

If you prefer a sunscreen that’s even easier to rub in and that you might even forget you’re wearing, we like Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+. It appears near colorless on most skin tones and is, as the name suggests, ultra lightweight. Like the Blue Lizard formula, this sunscreen is water resistant for up to 80 minutes and provides broad-spectrum protection.

Popular among athletes of all types—runners included—foam rollers are seemingly everywhere. A growing body of research as well as bodywork pros (physical therapists, massage therapists, and personal trainers alike) extol the benefits of self-massage for improvements in muscular flexibility, mitigation of knots, and reduction in stiffness (and even pain). The ultimate efficacy of foam rolling remains blurry, but many runners find that it feels great. Our top pick is the AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller (36″), which we think offers nice quality for the price. For something softer, we recommend the Gaiam Restore Total Body Foam Roller (36″); for a textured, deeper-tissue experience, we like the TriggerPoint Rush Roller (13″).

So, once you have a foam roller, what should you do with it? Here’s a good total-body guide to using a foam roller, from a Southern California–based physical therapist. For runners, this guide from Runner’s World demonstrates six ways to use a foam roller for warming up and cooling down. (For an alternative take on self-massage, check out our guide to the best massage guns.)

The AmazonBasics roller provides the firm density experts recommend—with a slight surface texture to prevent slipping—at a very affordable price.

For self-myofascial release (SMR, aka massaging your own muscles) as well as for use in certain exercises, the AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller does the job. The cylinder has a slightly rough surface texture that keeps it from slipping against clothes or the floor, and the 36-inch size allows for techniques that smaller rollers don’t, such as stretches that involve lying along its length. The only caveat is that sensitive people might find the very firm density—as with any black roller made of expanded polypropylene (EPP)—to be too intense.

For rolling newbies (or those looking for a softer touch), this medium-density roller has a bit more give than a firm EPP roller but still maintains its shape under pressure.

If you’re a beginner, you might prefer the softer Gaiam Restore Total Body Foam Roller. The polyethylene foam in the 36-inch Gaiam roller is more yielding than that in black rollers, giving the feeling of a moderate-to-medium massage. This is especially important for beginners, said Jonathan E. Gallas, a physical therapist at Rockford Orthopedic Associates in Rockford, Illinois, as “the firmer ones are tough to adjust to.”

More expensive than our other picks and available only in a 13-inch length, this very firm roller nevertheless delivers thanks to a diamond-shaped pattern of ridges that allows you to address knots with precision.

If you prefer a firmer touch, the textured TriggerPoint Rush Roller is great for targeted, deeper work on areas like your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. At just 13 inches, it isn’t as versatile for spanning the length of larger muscle groups, such as the upper back. But as a complement to a longer, smooth roller—or a compact option that allows for both rolling and sustained trigger-point work—its pattern of diamond-shaped ridges addresses knots with a degree of control (and an intensity) that we struggled to access with other highly textured rollers.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends icing acute soft-tissue injuries (like sprains and strains)—as long as you do it right. And although icing has garnered some criticism from a recovery standpoint, it is still many runners’ go-to treatment.

The Accurate Manufacturing gel pack is affordable and holds its temperature well. Be sure to keep the pack inside a covering or to wrap it in a towel before use.

The Accurate Manufacturing Comfort Gel Pack is the best and most affordable cold pack for most situations. It is still fairly pliable after freezing, with a small, microbead-like gel filling that we could mold more easily than a liquid that freezes into a solid brick. Plus, the 6-by-10-inch pack holds its temperature well—its surface temp remained nearly constant when we exposed it to air for 15 minutes, even when we placed it in a microfiber pouch.

Raphael Brion, Lauren Dragan, Peter Flax, Jenni Gritters, Chris Heinonen, Jim McDannald, Eve O’Neill, Anna Perling, Amy Roberts, Michael Zhao and Seth Berkman contributed reporting.

This guide was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.

Ingrid Skjong

Ingrid Skjong is a supervising editor on the appliance team, focusing on the likes of ranges, refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers. She previously covered fitness for Wirecutter and has been an editor and writer at various lifestyle magazines. She is an avid runner and lives in New York City.

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