Icebreaker Running Gear Review
Rush Crew
First Impressions
Wow! These are merino wool? The fabrics are beautiful, soft and lightweight, not at all scratchy. I was a bit skeptical about running in wool garments, but these proved their worth in lots of different conditions.
The Run Swift Skort is short and sassy. The Rush Crewe is nicely tailored – curved at the waist for a feminine fit and nicely detailed with two textures of fabric, small gathers at the sleeve edge and keyhole detail at the back of the neck. Out of the box, the pieces are very appealing – nice shapes and soft, easy fabrics.
Features
Pockets, pockets, pockets!! One of my biggest complaints with running gear is the overall lack of pockets. Each of these items has a nicely-sized, usefully placed pocket.
The Run Swift Skort has a zippered pocket on the front right hip. The pocket is a good size, could hold a small phone, snacks, etc.
Run Swift Skort Pocket
The Rush Crewe has an iPod pocket at the back right hip. The iPod slides up into the flap and there is a buttonhole opening on the inside of the pocket for the cords to slip through. My iPod slid in easily and it was nice having the cords out of the way, inside the shirt.
All of the items are made of nearly 100% merino wool. You can even trace the fabric back to the sheep! I was concerned about the itch factor with wool, but haven’t experienced any scratchiness at all. The fabrics breathe well – I stay cool and dry. The weather here hasn’t really cooperated, so I haven’t had the chance to wear the Icebreaker gear in the blazing heat, but it performed very well in mild spring weather. As soon as the weatherman helps me out, I will try them in some more seasonable heat and provide an update.
Fit
I love the fit of both pieces. Overall, the fit is much softer and looser than similar pieces made from manmade fibers. While the fabric of the skort contains elastane (spandex), it’s only 3%, about half the content of similar pieces from other manufacturers, so the pieces are not as snug.
The skort sits low and has fitted shorts inside – not really a compression short, more of boy short. The inseam of the short is 3.5 inches and I was worried they would creep. But, the shorts easily stay put. Neither piece feels as snug as some of my other skorts, but the looser fit is very comfortable.
The Rush Crewe has an easy fit as well. It curves in at the waist for a more fitted look, but doesn’t have the cling of other fitted items.
Final Verdict
The Icebreaker pieces are my new go to items when I dress for a run. The fit is terrific – comfortable and easy, but not sloppy. The fabrics feel great against the skin and keep me cool and dry.
In addition to the above pieces provided by Icebreaker for this review, we also purchased the Swift Capri at retail. It demonstrated similar performance and fit characteristics to the products discussed above and is also highly recommended.
