The ImpermaLite Jacket: Lightweight Versatility

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on March 14, 2013

Spring is here—finally. And one of the beauties of spring running is the sunnier, warmer weather. But dressing properly for running in springtime weather has its unique challenges as conditions have a way of changing quite quickly.

A springtime run can certainly be joyous, but—depending which part of the country you live—the weather can make an abrupt change just when your miles from home. For example, you might be appropriately dressed for a cool-weather run, but halfway through, the sun comes out and temps rise drastically…and you’re way overdressed. Or, there’s a slight chill in the air at the start, but a cold front comes screaming through and the wind chill drops 20 degrees before you know it. Even worse, a light drizzle turns into sleet, making every step of your run home utter misery.

Sound familiar? It should because spring is the trickiest time of year for safe, comfortable running. Wear gear that is too heavy and you roast. Too light and you can freeze.

Fortunately, Mizuno offers two terrific, stylish pieces of outer wear that are essential for spring running: The ImpermaLite Jacket and the ImpermaLite Vest.

The jacket, from our Drylite Collection, (there’s one for men and one for women) uniquely stands out from any other running jacket you may have worn.

If you’re at all like me, you’ll agree that many of the running jackets are too bulky—and way too warm (especially for spring running). Newbie runners might think extra warmth is a good thing, but as experienced runners know, the body generates so much heat that the problem isn’t staying warm enough on a long run—it’s staying cool enough so you don’t overheat.

The ImpermaLite Jacket was developed specifically for the vagaries of spring running weather. Most of us need a lightweight shell for the first few miles of a chilly spring run, but once you warm up and the temps climb, we often wish we hadn’t worn one. But what do you do with it? The only solution is to tie it around your waist until you get back home.

Not so with the ImpermaLite Jacket. 

Once you warm up and want to ditch your jacket, the ImpermaLite has a handy feature. In a matter of seconds, it packs easily into a zippered back pocket and then, instead of having to carry it, an elastic strap allows you to comfortably wear the pocket around your arm. That way it won’t get in the way of your run. (It doesn’t chafe either.) Then, when you finish the run and are starting to get the chills, the ImpermaLite is right there for you and unpacks in an instant. The entire jacket only weighs about  two ounces, but that’s enough to give much needed protection from spring showers—or a biting wind.

The ImpermaLite Vest is similar to the Jacket in terms of materials and weather protection, except—of course-it doesn’t have sleeves. Nor does it have a back pocket for storage like the Jacket does.

But the true beauty of the ImpermaLite Jacket is the incredibly versatility. I travel quite a bit and use the ImpermaLite for morning runs in all types of unpredictable spring weather. Not only does it work well on cold, wet, windy runs, the ImpermaLite Jacket flat out looks great.

Women's Impermalite Jacket

Women's Impermalite Vest

Men's Impermalite Jacket

Men's Impermalite Vest