My Review of Mizuno Breath Thermo Gear

By: Elise Yanover

I won’t lie and say I love to run in the winter. I prefer to run in the summer and spring, when the light of day happens early (I am an early runner, usually out by 6 a.m or slightly before), the dressing is quick and easy and I get to sweat from the heat. But if I want to keep up my run training then I must find a way to be warm.

I have suggested that we move to California, but so far the rest of my family is not coming with me. I guess this means I am here to stay in Toronto at least for now so finding good cold weather run gear is of paramount importance!

Enter Mizuno Breath Thermo……..

My very first Mizuno purchase a few years back was a Breath Thermo base layer top. From the very first wear I was in love with this top. I told everyone I came in contact with to buy this top for their base layer. I remember running in – 14 C  on one particular day with just the Breath Thermo and a light jacket. I was so toasty. Toasty in a good way. Not overheated toasty, just comfortably warm. Following is my review of the new Breath Thermo and other Mizuno gear available for 2013 Fall/Winter Season.

BG 3000 tights

These tights fit great. Not too tight, not too loose, just right. Flexible through the legs so there is good freedom of movement. I wore them on a day that was 4C, but felt like I could go as cold as just below zero before using the Breath Thermo lined tight (which I have not yet worn as it has not been cold enough, but I am sure they will function great too.) The BG 3000 is a Dry Lite wicking (non Breath Thermo) tight,. They exude heat from the outside in. This is one thing I can say about all Mizuno gear whether Breath Thermo or not, you feel warm without being wet. It feels like the wind, and cold just slide past you. There is also a great back zip pocket below the waist band. It is big enough to fit my old version IPOD Nano without having to shove it in. There are zippers down at the bottom of the ankle for ease of getting in and out of the tights. The tights have some stylish stitching on the leg as well. The stitching comes in pink, purple, or grey on the all black tight.  On the Mizuno website, the tights are listed as having anatomical knee support which just adds to the great fit and functionality of these tights.

Breath Thermo Wool V- Neck top (Base layer

As stated before this is probably my favorite piece of run gear for cold weather running and over the years the design has gotten even better. Wearing on it’s own, or under another top for colder weather it just is so comfortable and warm without being bulky or causing overheating. I don’t like being overheated when I run, so I look for lightweight but warm gear. I tested this first on a 3C day and wore it under a race tech T-shirt. It was perfect again, feeling like the heat travels from inside out. It was a nice tapered fit and long enough to tuck into tights or leave un-tucked. On a cold day below 0C, it could easily be worn under a thicker top, vest or lightweight running jacket.

Breath Thermo Wind Top

New FAVORITE top. Is it a top? Is it a jacket? This was my first question to my Mizuno fairies when I received it. The answer: it can be both! It has a windstopper front and a breath thermo inside. I would think that if it was snowy or rainy it would just repel the drops vs. soaking through.

For me to put on a jacket to run in, it has to be below -5C or so.  I just layer tops usually and may wear a vest if windy. I put this top/jacket on for an early morning run in -2 C (windchill -4) and it was perfect. I got slightly over warm for a brief time not going into the wind, but then as all good wicking material works, it then goes from being warm to being perfectly comfortable . This top did the trick. Not to mention it looks great! It can be worn over a light long sleeve, or if it is very cold over a breath thermo layer. It is so attractive in fit and color, that it could even be worn as a fashion pieceJ. Did I say I LOVED this top?

Breath Thermo Head Pip (hat)

One key feature of this super comfy hat is that it stays on ! One issue I have with hats especially since I still wear a ponytail when I run in winter is that the hat does not always stay on my head and covers my ears during a run. I have worn other hats and each time I stop at a stoplight I need to pull it back over my ears. Not with this hat. It is loose enough to not feel constricting, yet snug enough to stay on with movement, even with my ponytail. In keeping with the Breath Thermo model it keeps your head warm without overheating and needing to rip it off mid run. I would even wear it as a fashion hat on non – running days, except I am picky about that stuff and tend to keep running for running. It is also because I am afraid I will misplace my key run gear if I wear it outside of running!

Breath Thermo Gloves

So many people I talk to about fall/winter running,  say their hands get so hot they have to take off their gloves. Me, ……. I need gloves when it is 13C and below and once it gets to 2 or 3C, I need ski gloves! So I am not the best judge of what will keep your hands warm. However, I will say that on the days that the Breath Thermo Gloves were worn (again, for me this is 8 C or above) they did a great job of keeping my hands warm. The nice thing about these gloves too is they have a wind protector on the outer shell. Like all other Breath Thermo products, they heat from the inside out and wick the sweat perfectly. They also have a reflective logo on the outer portion for visibility on darker runs. These gloves fit very comfortably and could also be worn under another warmer layer as a liner as they fit tightly enough to do so. Hmmmm…I think I can wear them under my ski mitts!!!

So there you have it.  My review of some fantastic cool weather gear. Check out the Mizuno website’s apparel section for further details and the full product range.

There is no reason to hit the dreadmill when the weather turns colder. Mizuno Breath Thermo is available to keep the heat in and the dampness out and look great. What more could one ask for? Get out and embrace cool weather runs!!

Now about that move to California? ……… 🙂

***

Elise is a long time competitive amateur triathlete and Physiotherapist with 20+ years experience treating runners and athletes of all kinds. She also has an online coaching business for runners and triathletes looking to reach that next distance goal or PB.  She is very passionate about biomechanics in running and does gait analysis and shoe recommendations as part of her practice.  Elise also has a self admitted running shoe and apparel fetish. She is mom to an active 10 year old girl and is married to a man who also runs and races.