Led Shoes, Reflective Vest or Runner Lights?
Night Runner, Walker, cyclist
You don’t need to be a night runner to experience the joy of almost getting hit by a driver that wasn’t paying attention to the road. Even if you have the latest safety gear like a reflective vest, LED’s for shoes or runner lights, you are still going to have a near miss sooner or later, regardless of what time of day you run.
So What is the right kind of gear to keep you visible when you are out walking, Running or cycling? Depending on the type of activity, the time of day that you normally exercise, and your budget, there are some pretty good options to keep you lit up like a Christmas tree.
1). Reflective Gear
2) Runner Lights
3). Leds for your shoes (Attachable).
4). Shoes with Led’s (Built-in).
5). Knuckle Lights
6). Helmet lights
7). Reflective Clothes
8). Glowing Dog Collars and Leashes
9). Reflective Shoes
1).Reflective Gear
Night Running, evening joggers, cyclist and dog walkers should use every available means to be highly visible to traffic. Low light conditions combined with after work rush hour can be confusing for drivers and result in injury or even death for anyone who dares to exercise during the evening hours. We have put together some of the best safety and visibility gear for anyone looking for inexpensive and convenient way to stay safe on the roads.
Here are some pretty good options we like:
Noxgear Tracer 360
For the vest, we like the Noxgear Tracer 360.
This vest is combination of LED lights and reflective materials.
Battery is good for 40 hours. Light weight, visible up to a 1/4 of a mile.
Price $48.97
The New Balance 1400 is a pretty comfortable ride. 100% synthetic materials that are highly reflective. this is a great option, as we love a Hybrid shoe that has multiple features and uses without the expense of buying extra gear.
Price $99.95
Brooks Carbonite Leggings
Strategically placed 3M™ Scotchlite™ Carbon Black Stretch reflectivity panels makes you easy to spot in low light while a no-bounce waistband pocket keeps keys, credit card or cash handy without disrupting your run.
Price $129.99; Brooks Carbonite Leggings
Illuminite Reflective Jacket
Made from polyester softshell knit that is wind and water resistant with mesh vents front and back for breathability. Made to stretch at the wrist and hem. Zippered side and back pockets. Reflective illumiNITE Firenz Print—makes you easy to spot for drivers.
Price $120; illuminite.com
2). Attachable Led's For Your Shoes
Attachable LED Lights for your shoes. We are not big fans of something you need to attach for one activity and un-attach it to do a different task.....Like going to the grocery store for example. For us, anything extra that you need to purchase, buy batteries for or charge up separately is not what we consider a great choice. that said, Attachable LED's are a popular choice for many nighttime enthusiasts. For those folks, we have selected what we think are a good buy.
We like 2;
Lightspur RX Led Foot Light
Nathan's Light Spurs are led light attachments to your shoe. Stay safe and clearly visible to traffic while running or biking at night is important. We like Nathans light spurs because they are a super-bright, lightweight LED that securely clips onto your shoe. These are RGB Lights so you can change the LED color to red, green, or blue to suit your mood. USB rechargeable and charge lasts up to12 hours.
Price $19.99 (Nathan LightSpur.com)
Night Runner 270 Shoe Lights
We have written about these lights before. The Night Runner 270 Shoe Lights are led light attachments to your shoe. Light up your path with 150 lumens + 2 ultra light LEDs with a rechargeable battery which produce 360 degrees of lighted visibility. A forward-facing lightbeam of up to 30 feet and two back facing red lights defines obstacles, alerts motorists, and provides optimal visual acuity infront and around you on the road or trails. Don't fuss with chest, knuckle, or hand lights, armbands, ankle or head lamps - simply clip on to the laces of your shoes or cleats, and go.
Price $59.95 (Night Tech Gear.com)
3). Shoes With Led's
As we have said, we love a good Hybrid. We are not big bans of buying extra gear to do one activity. For us a good choice for gear is something that you can use for multiple activities. So if you can get a comfortable shoe that you can wear all day, and walk the dog, or go for a run after you get home at night, with out attaching anything, awesome! Are there any shoes with the Running Lights included in the shoes?
There is only one shoe with running safety lights built-in;
Night Runner Shoes from High Beam are a Hybrid. Ultra Powerful front and rear lighting system built into a light weight running shoe. The forward facing headlights pump out over 20 feet of light to light your path. Red and yellow blinking lights in the back are visible up to a 1/4 of a mile away. Safety lights are built-in, so you don't need to take the lights off to go to the grocery store, but you are still clearly visible to traffic on the bike ride home.
Price $110.00 (High Beam Shoes.com)
4). Hand Held Lights
Knuckle Lights
Basically a hand held flashlight, but includes straps so they stay in your hands. Great visibility to the front. Easy to charge. Not really a Hybrid, but you can use them on night walks, running or even camping.
Price $60.00 (Knucklelights.com)
5). Head Lamps
In many activities, a hands-free light is needed. Head lamps have been around forever and are a staple in a lot of industries. Because of advances in batteries and LED diodes, they have become a part of outdoor, and exercise gear. We we totally surprised at all the options out there for a good head lamp for runners.
Here is what we picked;
Biolite Headlamp 750
The Biolite is a good choice for a hands-free light. It puts out some great light. Very light weight and water proof. Rechargeable and uses no-bounce technology. The BioLite HeadLamp 750 has 8 different lighting modes that enable you to see and be seen on your next night time adventure.
Price $120; bioliteenergy.com
6). Dog Walking Safety
Safety when taking night walks with your dog, or early morning-exercise, includes your dog. Not just for your pets safety but keeping your dog visible, helps keep you visible as well. There are a lot of led light leashes, reflective and glow in the dark collars for your dog.
We like LightHound from Noxgear.
Price $48.97 Noxgear.com
