Brooks Canopy Jacket | Product Review
Disclaimer: I received a Brooks Canopy Jacket as a part of Influencer Day at The Running Event (TRE) which I was able to attend as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
Day 6 of the 11 Days of TRE Product Reviews and I've got another piece of gear from Brooks to review! You may have seen my review of the Brooks Ghost 11 shoes last week but I also snagged one of their famed Canopy Jackets. You may recognize the jacket from Des Linden's win at the Boston Marathon this year!
Obviously, I was pumped to find the jacket tucked into our swag bag at TRE hoping to channel some of Des's badassery. Especially with the weather getting harsher as we creep through December, I'm happy to have a jacket that can keep me shielded from the elements.
Jacket Features
Wind and Water Resistance
The primary feature to highlight with the Brooks Canopy Jacket is the fabric it's made out of. The jacket itself is made from something called DriLayer® Seal fabric which is incredibly light and breathable. In the wind, this has been great because although it keeps the cold air from cutting through your clothes, the fabric still breathes so you don't get that hot muggy feeling under the jacket.
I haven't been able to put the water resistance to the full test only because the only days that it's really rained since I got the jacket have been my rest days. I did run through a light drizzle and managed to stay dry though. Considering how the jacket held up in this year's monsoon at Boston, I'm pretty confident it can withstand just about anything.
The Fit and Feel
As I mentioned, this jacket is incredibly lightweight. It's the perfect outer garment because it can protect what's underneath without adding too much weight to your gear. It flexes with you as you move so you don't feel at all constricted while wearing it. I was also happy that the fabric is quiet. Some of my other rain gear is so noisy moving around so this small detail was a nice surprise.
Fitted Hood
Just like the rest of the jacket, the hood is light and fitted so it stays secure on your head without feeling constricting. The jacket has a full chin-guard when it's zipped up all the way so you can be confident that your face and head are protected from any rain or wind. When the hood isn't needed, the jacket also has a handy loop that you can use to snap the hood down and out of the way.
Packable Pocket
Another feature I almost missed is that the entire jacket can be rolled up into one of the side pockets which then zips closed. Once it's all packed away, there's an attached elastic strap which you can use to strap the pouch to your hand or arm. I actually used this on my long run last weekend once I had warmed up and no longer needed the jacket. I just rolled it up and looped the strap around my hand so the jacket was out of the way for the rest of my run.
Final Thoughts
I feel like I say this about almost all of my gear but this jacket instantly became my favorite piece of outer running gear and I foresee myself getting plenty of use out of it this winter. I've already put some quality miles on it and will definitely be happy to have it through the bitter months early in 2019.
I also had a bit of a freakout moment last Friday after my first run in the jacket because after posting a post-run photo, I got a notification that Des Linden commented on the post! If that's not a good enough reason to invest in the jacket, I don't know what is!
Cheers!
