If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy With the clocks rolling back this Sunday, our beloved afternoon daylight hours dwindle, and after-work runs and bike rides turn challenging, even treacherous. The good news is that there’s gear to make them safer.
Wearing and using reflective gear and lights can turn the darkness from a hindrance into a playground. Wearing any kind of lighting or reflectivity is better than moving through the darkness without it, but some options are more effective than others. A few years ago, I conducted a personal experiment: I had my husband put on a shirt and tights—each with reflective paneling—and then piled a bunch of other gear in the passenger seat of my car.
My husband, the good sport that he is, ran in place on a dark street corner in our neighborhood while I drove laps around the block, noting how far away I could spot him in the beam of my headlights. I then handed him new gear to change into—jackets, arm warmers, headlamps—before driving another lap and taking notes on my clipboard. (God bless him.) What I learned from the experiment is that reflectivity placed on moving body parts, like legs in stride and swinging arms, is more visible to drivers than reflectivity worn on more static body parts, like the torso. I later found that there are actual scientific studies that prove that point.
It’s not as though a driver doesn’t see something static, like a reflective street sign. But the visual movement patterns of a living organism—called biomotion—trigger a driver’s brain to recognize that the reflective item is a person, increasing their awareness and your safety. This fall, I’ve been testing reflective gear on my own moving limbs (without having my husband drive a car toward me), and I approve all of the following for their comfort and added safety when getting out after dark or before dawn.
I’ve long been a fan of Janji’s 5” Pace Shorts for their comfort, fit, pockets, and performance. They’re made from a sleek-feeling, slightly compressive, thin blend of nylon, spandex, and polyester that stays put thanks to gripper elastic dots on the leg hems. The deep pockets comfortably hold gels, gloves, or my phone without bouncing (and I always bring my phone at night).
These great short tights also come in a good-looking Warpnet Hi-Vis Atlantis reflective print that looks like a subtle plaid in the daylight, but lights up effectively under car headlights. A few Janji women’s tights and jackets also come in this reflective print. Citing multiple biomotion studies, ReflecToes makes a strong case for reflective socks’ attention-grabbing ability.
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