Tracksmith NDO Jacket and Tights review: the devil in the details
Tracksmith is famous for its ‘no day off’ approach. The brand relishes the athletic performance of enthusiastic ‘amateur’ athletes who don’t make excuses and show up at every session, no matter what.
The company’s NDO Jacket and Tights are designed for those early winter sessions when the sun is nowhere near coming up, and it’s cold, miserable and generally disheartening out there. The kit’s features make it well-suited for such well-suited pursuits – but is it worth the hefty price tag?
Let’s find out!
Tracksmith NDO Jacket and Tights review
Price and availability
The NDO Jacket and Tights are available via Tracksmith US (Jacket and Tights) and Tracksmith UK (Jacket and Tights) for a recommended retail price of $310/ ￡310 and $200/ ￡200, respectively. They come in two colours: Black and Ivory. The NDO Jacket comes in sizes small to extra large, while the NDO Tights are available in sizes extra small to extra large.
Design and build quality
Tracksmith products are famous for their premium quality, and the NDO Collection is no different.
The NDO Jacket is a wind-blocking and water-repellent shell fully lined in bonded temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking Merino wool.
As a winter jacket for runners, the NDO shell is insulated enough to keep you warm but not too bulky or toasty to make you uncomfortably hot when running. It’s not a waterproof jacket but should be able to keep you dry in light drizzle and snow.
There is quite a lot of storage, including internal and external pockets. One thing to note is that the hand pockets aren’t zippered, so try not to put anything too valuable in them when you’re running. The smartphone pocket at the chest is a nice touch, though!
The NDO Tights are similarly bad weather-ready, thanks to their ‘double-sided construction’ that’s said to trap body heat to keep your lower body insulated from the cold and wind.
One of the more ergonomic features is the ankle zippers that allow you to put the NDO Tights on quickly, and the myriad of pockets, including two large envelope pockets, store gloves, gels or extra gear.
The external shell of the NDO Tights is made from 35% Lycra, 33% Polyester, and 32% Nylon.
Performance and comfort
The Tracksmith experience starts when you receive your parcel. Your new best running buddies arrive in a premium box (or packaging material), oozing with quality. My NDO Jacket and Tights arrived with a pair of Elliot Runners – firm but lovely daily trainers – and a Tracksmith waffle base layer top (will cover it in a separate review), and I just loved the way they were presented.
Of course, you don’t buy performance apparel for the packaging – you want them to perform well, too. I tested the apparel options throughout late January and February, and although it wasn’t massively cold, the weather was miserable enough to try the insulating capabilities of the NDO Collection.
Both the jacket and the tights performed well during testing. I would say that the NDO Jacket is better suited for colder conditions, while the NDO Tights can also be worn in milder weather.
Thanks to the Merino blend, the NDO Jacket does an excellent job of keeping you warm. However, it’s not as packable as your standard windbreakers, making it harder to stuff away when you get warm.
It’s a superb garment, nevertheless, and you can make it work in milder weather wearing only a t-shirt underneath (instead of a base layer).
It’s a bit of a shame that the hand pockets aren’t zippered, but I appreciate that you don’t want to stuff hand pockets with a lot of bits and bobs, as that wouldn’t be too ergonomic.
Another thing to mention is the fit of the NDO Jacket. I’m 6’0 and pretty slender, and the Medium NDO Jacket fit me perfectly, but it’s not too stretchy, so if you have a larger frame, you might struggle to find a size that fits.
I loved the NDO Tights, especially the pockets, which are super generous and well-positioned, perfect for fuel/smartphone/whatever. They aren’t compression tights as such, but there is a slight compression to help you keep things together from the waist below when you run.
Wind resistance is okay, although my tights did get nippy when I went out for longer runs on cold mornings. The crotch area was fine – this is where you’ll find the inner – but from the upper thighs down, the NDO Tights only provided moderate protection from the wind.
I wore my Camelbak running belt on a couple of long runs, and the Tights did get bobbly underneath pretty quickly. If you want your NDO Tights to stay boxfresh, I’d recommend not using running belts.
Verdict
The NDO Collection does what it says on the box and does it in style. Thanks to the superb construction and premium materials, putting on the NDO Jacket and Tights might provide enough inspiration for some to go out running when the weather really doesn’t look ideal.
The garments aren’t flawless, but they are lovely. Plus, wearing them makes you part of the ever-growing Tracksmith tribe, which on its own makes it worth the price tag.