My Favorite Cold Weather Gear to Keep You Outside and Active All Winter Long
I absolutely hate being cold. I’ll take a heat wave over below freezing temps any day. I have learned that in order to make cold weather activities actually enjoyable, proper cold weather gear really does matter. I used to not run outdoors November through March. A few years ago while training for the Philly Half, I had no choice but to run outside. As soon as I bought the right clothes and cold weather accessories, running in the winter was a pretty awesome and exhilarating thing. Now I actually look forward to those brisk chilly runs (I am about to take one in a few hours). I even picked up a new winter sport (paddle) and began to ski again.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some shopping research to find the best cold weather gear from some of my favorite activewear brands. The function and style of these technical winter pieces are on point! Due to supply issues, a lot of stores don’t have all of their cold weather clothes in yet. But most have inventory available online. And, I’m just in time with this post because we said good bye to those fall summer-like temps to welcome 40 degree days this week!
I’ve been posting my Fitness Finds all week long on Instagram and my LTK page and I am highlighting a bunch of my favorites here:
Lululemon made me a winter runner. My all time favorite winter item is the Down for It All Jacket. If you are only going to invest in one cold weather piece this year, it should be this jacket. I got mine years ago and the style has been updated a little since. My version of the Down for It All Jacket is very similar to the Another Mile Jacket, which has a removable dickie and costs a little more. Both jackets are made for cold weather running. They are lightweight and very warm without being too hot. They are water repellant and will keep you warm when they get wet. Both have a large hood that snaps in place. The style is slim fitting but the jacket is not at all tight or restrictive. The fabric is actually stretchy for full range of motion. It’s designed for running and that’s why I originally got it, but it is also great to move on the paddle court because of the flexibility in the fabric.
The Swiftly is the original activewear laying top. I own every version of this top — tank, short sleeve and long sleeve, but the long sleeves are my most used. What makes this shirt special is that it is seamless so there is no rubbing or chaffing when you move or if you wear this shirt under other layers. It’s lightweight and sweat wicking. The updated Swiftly has technology to prevent stinky sweat bacteria from living in the fabric. And this shirt comes in so many fun colors and prints now. I love this navy floral print.
In my opinion, Lululemon has some of the best cold weather accessories on the market. These pieces are so important. If your body is warm but your fingers are freezing, what’s the point! The ear warmers, gloves, socks and hats are great for running or any activity that you sweat because they are moisture wicking and made to keep you just warm enough in the areas that tend to get the coldest.
These gloves have a mitten shield that you can use to keep in the heat or flip over for a glove option.
While I love some of Lulu’s clothes, in full disclosure, I did not have a great shopping experience. The store in Wayne was where I used to shop. Shopping there was always enjoyable, personal and informative. When that store closed, I stopped shopping at Lululemon, probably out of sheer lack of convenience. I hate going into the mall, especially over the past 18 months. I know how good Lulu is for cold weather gear so I wanted to be sure to include the brand for this post. Thus, I had to visit the mall store. That store is enormous and packed with so many products that it’s hard to know where to turn. The store was crowded and messy. It felt more like outlet shopping which is fine but not when you are paying Lululemon prices. But, what I missed the most was that one on one, educational shopping experience that I had at the Wayne store. I couldn’t find one sales associate in the mall store to answer my more technical questions, or to even point me in the direction of a favorite running legging or layering shirt. So I was on my own to shop. Luckily, the pieces that the women in the Wayne store helped me with years ago are still some of my favorite winter items.
Athleta continues to impress me. And the shopping experience is always top notch at the Bryn Mawr store, to juxtapose my recent Lululemon experience. Athleta’s cold weather gear is also really good and growing. They have a bunch of outerwear that is good for sport, but they also have a huge selection of every day options. My favorite Athleta finds are the Rainier Tight and the Cold Weather Baseball Cap.
When choosing a legging for cold weather activities, you want to make sure it is full length. The Rainier Tight comes in regular, petite and tall sizing to get the right inseam for your body. You do not want any skin at the ankle exposed. I recommend ditching the ankle socks in the winter and pulling on crew socks under or over your tights. I love the price of the Rainier Tight (it’s $30 less than the comparable Lululemon cold weather tight that I wear). The Rainier Tight does feel thicker than some of Athleta’s other tights, but it is still breathable and has that soft, brushed interior. I appreciate the reflective details for those dark, early morning runs. These tights are made for high impact so they are good for running but I would wear them for any outdoor winter activity, even if its just sitting by the fire pit, sipping on a Hot Toddy.
I love the idea of a Cold Weather Baseball Cap. It looks like a normal cap but it’s lined with just enough fleece to keep your head warm. It’s water repellent, moisture wicking and reflective. What a fun and functional addition to my winter hat collection.
There are so many jackets and vests available at Athleta right not. I love the Inlet Jacket and the Inlet Vest, the Rock Ridge PrimaLoft Vest and the Tugga Coat. And, how fun is the Downtown Metallic Vest?
While I don’t need another athletic outwear jacket because I have my favorite Lululemon Down for It Jacket, I can always use a new layering piece for running. I fell in love with the Flurry Force Insulated PrimaLoft Jacket when Michelle, the manager at Athleta, put it in my dressing room. It’s just thick enough to add a good layer of warmth but thin enough to fit under a jacket. I love the look of it, too. This color (Palermo Pink) and the mixed textures are just so pretty.
Sweaty Betty could be best known for their stylish base layers. Every year, they come out with new prints, and I swear I need more. But, they are so well made that my one set will last me forever. If you have never felt the base layers, they are substantial. They are thick and work great to keep you warm alone under your ski pants and jacket. But there are so many other uses for the base layers even if you don’t ski. Since they are my warmest layering pieces but also look so cute on their own, I wear them often in the winter. Yes, I wear them on the paddle court in January. Yes, I wear them when we visit Longwood Gardens for the holiday lights. And yes, I bought this pair below last year for an outdoor Apres-Ski themed party in January. They have all of the functional features that you would want for winter activity: sweat-wicking, breathable, thermal and seamless. They are soft and stretchy, warm but light.
This set is a print from last year, but there are four new prints available now.
Some people love a vest for running. I typically don’t. I like the option of losing the layers and tying them around my waist as I warm up. However, this vest from Sweaty Betty may just change me. I love the sleek look of it. It will keep me warm, but I won’t need to shed it because it is so lightweight.
I could do a whole post on Free People’s outerwear collection alone. The stuff I recently tried on in the store was so colorful and modern and fun! I included a bunch of these pieces on my LTK page so you can directly shop there. However, my favorite Free People winter piece right now is the Pippa Packable Puffer. This jacket is lightweight and airy yet super warm with Primaloft insulation. It’s a performance puffer (cue heart eyes emoji). It’s water resistant, reflective and packs into its own pocket, which doubles as a travel pillow. It’s stylish in the most laid back, chill way. And the color selection is the best part. I prefer the more oversized look so I went with the size medium.
I couldn’t write this article without including one of my all time favorite cold weather leggings, the Ashtanga Leggings from Savvi. These leggings were all that I wore last winter. Skiing, playing paddle, on icy cold runs, even indoor for yoga or pilates. They are thick, stretchy and high-waisted. The coolest part, the texture. There is nothing on the market like these. If you are interested in trying them go to savvi.com and enter my Code: BrookeEG to set up an account and shop with me.
So this list should get you started because baby, it’s cold outside now. As the season goes on, I will continue to update you when I come across more cold weather fitness finds.
*This article contains affiliate links. When you click on some of the links, I may receive a very small commission at no additional cost to you. I only write about products that I genuinely use and love, and that will never change!