New Balance NBx Windblocker Jacket : Fit for Nasty Weather

The trick to a good winter run is getting the right gear. A long run or a beautiful hike can quickly go south and leave me running for home if it starts to rain and it soaks through to my skin.   Fortunately, this year I have my New Balance Windblocker.  

Everywhere I look I can find rain jackets, but they are so often plastic-y feeling and don't breathe or stretch at all- terrible traits for a an active jacket.  My New Balance NBx Windblocker jacket is made of a supple, stretchy fabric with a fleece back.  I would never have believed it was waterproof if I hadn't tried it.

I love that this jacket is fitted, so it doesn't feel bulky and I don't feel like I'm wearing a tarp when I have it on.   I thought it was a little too tight when I first put it on, but the fabric is so stretchy that it just moves with me. The body fits long and lean with a slight drop tail -- so the jacket doesn't ride up when I'm wearing a pack over it. It also covers the small of my back if I want to wear it on a bike.   The sleeves are also nice and long with angled cuffs so even with my long limbs, my wrists are never exposed when I am leaning over on my bike or just tying my shoes.

All of the seams are fully sealed for extra protection against moisture and all of the zippers are fully waterproof. The jacket has two front hand pockets and one of them has a great little pocket inside--a perfect little bounce-free pouch for my iPod (it even has a hole to route the cord of my headphones through the inside of my jacket.) When I don't bring my iPod I find this pocket equally useful for my keys.

To top it all off, New Balance has made this jacket in a beautiful array of rich colors and has added reflective strips at the chest, back of the neck, and the wrists- a great feature since I like running in the dark evenings.

Available in men's and women's styles/sizes.

Specs: 83% polyester, 17% polyurethane, available in 3 colors, in sizes XS-XL.

Bottom Line : A beautiful fitted jacket that I am constantly looking for excuses to wear. I am just as likely to wear this jacket around town or walking my dog as I am to wear it running because it looks as good as it performs. -BF (Dec 08)

Price : $140.00

Manufacturer's Site: www.newbalance.com

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