Best Women's Running Vests 2021

The best women’s running vests will keep you warm in cold weather without restricting your movement when you want to pick up the pace.

Women’s running vests are ideal options for winter layering or wearing on their own on milder days. Engineered with technical fabrics to keep you dry, insulation for extra warmth and pockets to carry your stuff, you can find the right vest for your needs.

While there are countless options on the market today, we think these are the best women’s running vests:

• On Weather Vest
• New Balance NB Radiant Heat Vest
• Brooks Cascadia Thermal Vest
• Mizuno Breath Thermo FZ Vest

[Updated February 10, 2021. This article is part of the Best Running Clothes 2021 Buyer’s Guide.]

The women’s On Weather Vest combines precise details with premium materials to create one of the best women’s running vests around.

On used feathery materials to create the technical running vest—it weighs just 2.98 oz—but don’t call it a lightweight.

The women’s Weather Vest has a water-repellent coating on the front that keeps rain from soaking you through, and waterproof pockets keep all your essentials safe and dry. It has just enough stretch so you can move unrestricted, while an ultralight ripstop fabric boosts the vest’s durability.

While it doesn’t have any extra insulation, the women’s On Weather Vest is a light, weather-resistant piece that provides an additional layer of protection against unpredictable weather.

Keeping your body heat in is key to staying warm in cold weather, but the women’s New Balance Radiant Heat Vest doesn’t stop there: It also reflects it back to you.

New Balance lined the women’s running vest with a metallic fabric that acts like a mylar blanket runners get after a marathon. The reflective material works with extra insulation to ensure your core stays warm.

Hand pockets make it more practical for carrying your essentials, and the athletic styling looks good on the move or out for drinks. Finished with a high collar that creates a seal against icy air, the New Balance Radiant Heat Vest is one of the best women’s running vests available.

Keeping your core warm is key to staying toasty in cold weather, and the Brooks Cascadia Thermal Vest does keeps your temp up in style.

Brooks designed the Cascadia with lightweight insulation to keep you warm without weighing you down. The high warmth-to-weight ratio maintains your core temp without being bulky or cumbersome—perfect for fast-paced running.

Designers also made the vest windproof to keep icy winds off your chest and added water protection so you can shrug off light rain. A full front zipper and high collar add versatility and style to the piece so you can wear it from your run to running your errands.

With zippered pockets to stash your essentials on the go, the Brooks Cascadia Thermal Vest will keep you protected through chilly runs.

Warm your core in the Mizuno Breath Thermo FZ Vest.

Equipped with patented Breath Thermo thermal technology, the FZ Vest locks in heat and keeps it close to your body to deliver extra warmth no matter what you’re doing. Dual filament DRYLITE textile blend works to wick away moisture to keep you dry and comfortable as you move.

The Breath Thermo FZ Vest is constructed with a wind and water resistant outer shell to give you full protection from the elements. As an added bonus, the FZ Vest sports all-around reflectivity to keep you safely visible during runs in low-light conditions. Zippered pockets at the side seams and chest let you safely store your belongings with you to keep your hands free.

The Mizuno Breath Thermo FZ Vest is the perfect core layer to any winter running outfit.

How We Picked the Best Women’s Running Vests

The best women’s running vests for you comes down to personal preferences. Fit, features and style all play a role in finding the right one. But there are things that set some vests apart from the rest.

We picked the best running vests for women based on a combination of real-life use, quality of materials, details and our own top-sellers lists. Our vest guide ranges from the best winter running vests to layers for milder weather so no matter where you run, you can stay warm. With all of that in mind, we picked women’s running vests that lived up to our own personal (and professional) expectations.

Standing Behind Our Picks

We’re confident this gear is some of the best you’ll find, but we don’t want you to get stuck with running shoes or apparel that don’t work for you. That’s why we offer our Happy Fit Guarantee.

Our return policy means you have 60 days to put your gear to work. Wear it, run in it, wash it. If you’re not satisfied with the way it looks, fits or performs, we’ll take it back within 60 days and give you a full refund.

More Best Running Clothes