Thursday, February 21, 2013

Brooks Utopia 2-in-1 Mittens: Are They Waterproof?

With weather like THIS coming for my marathon this weekend, I am in all out search-and-test mode for my racing attire.

  •  Socks & Shoes.  I'm already used to wet socks and shoes.  They warm up after a mile or two.  No worries there.
  • Pants or Shorts?  I'm still debating between thermal running tights and triathlon shorts.  In dry 35-degree weather, the shorts would be fine.  I doubt though that the tights would do anything aside from keep me warmer for the first few miles.  I'm leaning towards the shorts.
  • Running JacketMy running jacket is only water resistant.  I'm heading to Fleet Feet tomorrow since they told me they have waterproof jackets still in stock.
  • GlovesAnd then comes the gloves debate.   See below!

I own and love a pair of Brooks Utopia 2-in-1 mittens.  In November I went on a semi-long run in an inadequate pair of gloves.  To this day, I do not have full feeling back in my left thumb!  Hence the purchase of the Brooks.  But they were meant for running in the cold, not swimming, despite being labeled as "waterproof."

Today I decided to test just how waterproof the Brooks Utopia 2-in-1 mittens really are.




I separated the 2-in-1 mittens because there's no way you can expect a fleece mitten to be waterproof.  I put the outer shell on and turned the water on.  Long story short, the thumb is completely soakable, but other than that and the stitching lines, the outer shell fabric is waterproof.  In a complete downpour, I would expect a couple miles to be ok, but the mitten will not hold up long to full rain. 

My only saving grace at this point would be
a light rain

Long story long...


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Questions
1.  Do you know how to rain dance?
For the love of running gods, STOP rain dancing!!

2.  Do you have running attire for all weather?
I can deal with cold, heat, warm weather rain, snow, ice, and hurricanes.  Rain at barely above freezing temperatures was not on my list.

3.  Are your gloves waterproof?


Dream.  Believe.  Achieve.  

1 comment:

Coy Martinez said...

I bet it won't be as bad as you think it will. Still freeze your ass off though. HAHAHA.