Craft Performance Run Thermal Tights (Gear of the Year 2013)

Trail Runner Gear of the Year: Best Running Tights | $90 | www.craftsports.us

We awarded these tights’ complementary top, the Craft Performance Run Top, Editors’ Choice in our annual Gear Guide [July 2013 issue]. Since then, the tights have joined it among our favorite winter-running apparel pieces. The brushed interior is just about the plushest fabric your skin will ever touch, with a remarkably wind-resistant exterior. While many running tights we’ve tried over the years tend to stretch out after a few washes, these maintain their athletic fit. Zippers at the ankles allow easy on/off and venting when necessary; a sweat-protective rear pocket holds small essentials–not quite big enough for a smartphone, but it’ll hold keys and a gel or two.