jWelcome to our monthly blog, dedicated to real reviews on our products by our product testers. For the month of July we had our team putting the LED Vest and Safeguard Vest to the test on their walks, runs and cycles. Read on for their experiences and honest reviews over a 4 week period.
LED Vest: Safety and Visibility
All our running gear is designed with style and comfort in mind but above all else our customers safety is always our top priority. We understand the importance of being visible on the roads during the day and at night. Our LED Vest has been a top selling product for us and we wanted to share with you exactly why that is. Some of our team kindly put this it to the test while out running and cycling.
"The first thing that impressed me about this vest is its exceptional reflectivity. Even in low-light conditions, the vest lights up like a beacon, making me feel confident and visible to everyone around. And that’s before you turn the lights on!"- Keith
"The hi-vis and lights are very bright even in the daytime which gives me confidence when I'm both running and cycling. The vest attracts attention when you need drivers to know you are present." - Alan
"The led lights are surprisingly powerful with safety at a premium, the vest made me feel more visible when out running and walking- particularly on country roads both during the day and night" - Olwyn
Our LED vest offers more than just reflectivity, the built in LED light is a life saver on darker evenings. Just charge it up and off you go.
"I really like the quickness of the charging, the brightness of the lights both front and back, the blinking functions, and that it’s red in the back and white in the front." - Alan
"For my longer ultra runs and through the night this is perfect as the battery lasts 10 hours. Its the kind of gear that you will wonder how you ever lived or survived on the road without it! I reckon the vest has bailed me out on a couple of occasions when cars were able to see me and avoid me on the road." - Keith
Comfort
We have come a long way from wearing the bigger, non fitted hi visibility vests. Of course, they are still great for many activities but they can be uncomfortable to run in. With so many new concepts and designs there is a great variety to choose from. Freedom to move with out friction and breathable fabric appear to be the way forward and our testers agree.
"The vest hugs my body just right, thanks to its adjustable and snug design. I love how it contours to my shape without restricting my movements during runs or any other outdoor activities. In hot weather, the material is so light and porous that air or sweat passes through easily. " - Keith
"I have bought running vests before which are heavy and make you sweat easily they cut into you and are not comfortable. It's very light and comfortable I do short distances of maybe 5k to sometimes 8k and hadn't noticed wearing it at all" - Alan
Features
The Vest comprises of a white LED Light to the front and a red light to rear. The functions go between still and flashing and are controlled by just one on/off button. There is also a zip pocket on the front of the vest for easy access and here's what out testers thought of it.
"The storage pocket is not waterproof so if you want to carry your phone or snacks in there, best put them inside a zip bag first" - Keith "The Pocket is a very handy function for carrying your phone keys or gels while running and cycling." - Alan
"The built in pocket is also super handy for carrying phones, gels, keys and other bits and pieces, without weighing down my pockets." - Olwyn
SafeGuard Vest: Safety and Visibility
Our Safeguard Vest was designed for convenience and safety. The vest itself is almost fully reflective making it the perfect night time accompaniment on your run, walk or cycle. Let's hear what our testers thought of this product and how did it stand from a safety perspective.
"Gave me more confidence on the road for sure, I do think it will be a good part of the running kit for the darker months" - Aisling
"I can see myself using this more so in October to early in the Spring months. The back of the vest is reflective so it’s just gonna pop, I will add the LED Slap bands that I bought last year, just so handy." - Barry
"The hi vis material certainly works well. I stood in front of the car with the lights on at 50m / 100m and the driver could see me straight away." - Oliver
Comfort
The Safeguard vest is only available in one size. The vest is designed as a one size fits most around the waist area. Let's see how our testers faired out from a sizing and general comfort perspective.
"I am very impressed with the product, it's fabricated very well. It's elasticated around the body and it stays in one place when out running. It suits my body shape but may not suit everyone" - Oliver
"I think it’s perfect for a man or women with smaller chests. It’s absolutely perfect when I walk my dog because I’m not moving fast" - Ellen
"During the long run, it was fine you wouldn’t notice you’re wearing it once you get into the rhythm of the run as I have so it's great because it's not too bulky or intrusive. When it’s on it can get loose & there’s a little bit of rubbing or chafing, no major markings or discomfort but the first 10 - 15 minutes of your run you would know your wearing it." -Barry
"Comfortable on shorter runs when with the phone in the pouch. Second time wearing the vest, I did 8.5km, didn’t use the phone holder for the phone this time as I found it a bit heavy the first time putting it in the vest I ran 6km the first time, I found it a lot better to wear it this way" - Aisling
So we've had some mixed reviews where it comes to sizing and comfort. Generally speaking, the Safeguard Vest may not be what you are looking for when it comes to long distance and would suit better when running shorter distances or walking.
Features
Now that we have went through the safety features of this vest, we will move on to the phone holding element. The holder is attached to the vest and fastens shut with an easy open and close button. The holder can be opened and the phone is visible through the protective cover it is placed in. Here's our trustworthy testers reviews.
"I don’t think there’s a need for the phone screen part for me, I will always want to take it out, on the other hand on the bike I found the phone pouch part with the phone in it way more handier it could do with quicker access." - Aisling
"The little flap inside the phone holder i used to stuff a gel in there, very handy you could fit 2 to 3 gels in there on a long run. You the convenience of having your phone on those dark evenings if anything was ever to happen, you can call for help!" - Barry
"The phone holder keeps my phone safe and dry. I like this as I do a lot of solo runs." - Oliver
We hope you find this helpful!
Our product testers help us by wearing and using our running gear and reporting their findings back to us. As always, our customers being seen and safe is our main goal. With the help of each of our amazing testers we hope you can find the things that matter to you most in each of our products. Keep an eye out for our August blog as some of our testers will be the first to try out a brand new item.
