Friday Five: Hi-Vis and Reflective Gear

Hola, it's Friday Five link-up time! This week Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney are talking Favorite Fall Drinks, but since I like the same drinks year-round (coffee, tea, wine, beer, La Croix) I thought I'd talk about Hi-Vis and Reflective Gear. 

Running at night is a huge part of fall and winter training and staying safe is my top priority. Even if I'm trying to become a morning runner, there are days when I can't fit my long run before work and know I'll need to venture outside in the dark for my miles. This Women's Running article is a great start for running safety, but here are five of my favorite hi-vis/reflective pieces:

The look on the left started it all.

Bright shirts
I love fresh green (Oiselle), yellow (North Face), orange (FILA, Saucony), and Nightlife (Brooks) colored shirts. The brighter the better. My love affair started at a night race hosted by Fleet Feet Columbus. While they aren't always reflective on their own, I find them pretty helpful on an overcast day or near dusk.

Road I.D. reflective wrist/ankle straps
I grabbed two bands when I bought my Road I.D. bracelet. Sometimes I wear one on my wrist and the other on my ankle (traffic-facing side of my body). I also use them when I'm wearing running leggings. All of my leggings are black and only a few have reflective details, so these are a perfect addition.

Gosh, I love hi-vis stuff.

A flashy jacket
This was my big splurge last year. My Saucony sonic reflex jacket is fantastic in direct light. One complaint: I don't love running in jackets because they get so sweaty, but at least this one has venting and it works really well as a normal jacket when I'm running errands. Oh yeah, I wore it to a rainy Ohio State football game and it kept me warm and dry. (This year's model has a different print.)

Reflective gloves
Another Saucony purchase, but this time from two years ago and only $6.99 at TJ Maxx! My Utili-Mitts are pretty great because they're water resistant, you can pull back the mitten part to reveal gloved fingers, and I still have room to layer another pair of gloves on super chilly days. Plus, I let Alex borrow them once and he looked so fancy. ;)

A jazzy hat
My most recent reflective acquisition is the Adidas Adizero cap (Alex's sister bought it for my birthday). Like the Saucony jacket, it activates in full light. I wore it for the first time yesterday and it's as light as my Nike and Headsweats hats, but maybe not as absorbent as the latter. Honestly, that doesn't matter to me too much in cooler temps. Also like the jacket, it doesn't scream "running clothes!!" so I could wear it in public without looking dorky. (I cannot say the same for my other running hats.)

I should add that I also have a reflective vest. It's Nathan brand, but one size fits all and loose. Despite the fashion faux-pas, I would totally wear it in a super low-light situation.

Do you have favorite hi-vis and reflective gear? 

Edit to add: I was featured on the Broke Man's Half Instagram today! Be sure to check out their races. I'm running the Winter Warm Up and the BMH Columbus next October.