Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Men's and Women's Rabbit Apparel Review: Run Rabbit Run!

Article by Peter Stuart and Dominique Winebaum

Men's Rabbit

Rabbit is a Santa Barbara based run apparel company. They make their clothing in Los Angeles (where I happen to live) and are now available at Running Warehouse (who were kind enough to get this gear to me to review). The gear has nice, simple design and fun names for the gear. The important thing, of course, is how does it perform? I received 3 pieces of their gear to try out, but the website has lots of cool looking stuff on it-- Rabbit folks if you're reading this I'd sure love a hat and a "born to run free shirt"!!!







Men's Daisy Dukes Short ($45) 
The Daisy Dukes are short! I like a shorter short, especially in the summer when shorts get drenched. The DD's are a terrific combination of lightweight material, just enough length, side split and a bit of storage.



The material is  89% poly/ 11% spandex, they have a 3.5 inch inseam, elastic waistband with an internal drawstring and a rear zip pocket as well as a front internal key pocket. .

The "RabbitMesh" liner is comfortable and I've taken them out on long runs with absolutely no chafing or discomfort.
So they work well. How do they look? GOOD! The pair I tested had sort of an off-center paneled coloring. Hard to explain, but nice looking. 

Men's "Welcome to the Gun Show" Tank ($40)

It's surprisingly hard to find a great fitting tank top. There are some that are too long, too fitted, too boxy, etc. I'm happy to say that the "Welcome to the Gun show" tank is just right. The tank hangs to just below the waistline of my shorts, which makes it perfect for me. It's also not too fitted, so it hangs nicely on the body for those of us who have 'normal' bodies. I'm also happy to say that despite the name "Welcome to the Gun Show", the tank works just fine on a skinny armed, gym deficient runner like me. 
My sample shirt is black, which is not my favorite color for a tank. I generally wear tanks when it's super hot, and black isn't the color I want to go to in the heat. That said, the design is nice. There's one white rabbit and the rest of the shirt has black bunnies subtly woven into the fabric. 
The material is "Rabbit Mesh" and it's 95% Poly/5% Spandex. It's not the softest fabric out there, but seems to wick moisture pretty well and looks good. 
On the negative side, it's not the softest material (I prefer the material used in the Steve McSleeve) and the stitching under the arms is potentially an irritant. I didn't get a ton of chafing, but could see it be problematic for some. 

Men's "Steve McSleeve" Shirt ($45)

SOFT! The Steve McSleeve is a sleeveless T that fits great and is very comfortable. If a tank or singlet is a little too revealing, and it's too hot for sleeves, this is a great shirt. The material is 94% Poly/6% Spandex. This is not a design I typically wear, but I really like it. Moisture wicking is good, it looks good and did I mention it's soft? A brief update: ran hard in this shirt today and did get some under-arm chafing. 










Conclusion: 
I really like all of the Rabbit gear. The company is cool, with partnerships including the Clean Sport Collective and Swiftwick. Their products are designed and manufactured in the USA and the company was founded and run by two women in Santa Barbara, CA. More importantly the gear is solidly made, comfortable and looks good. 



Women's Rabbit Run Apparel
Rabbit has an ethical and sustainable approach to manufacturing running apparel. All rabbit running apparel is manufactured in Los Angeles, California. This weighs favorably in the mind of the consumer to know that the gear is actually made in the USA, or even “locally.”  
Created by two lifelong runners, Monica and Jill, rabbit running apparel is designed with a flair for style (not baggy or overly skimpy and with subtle classy design), performance, and comfort.  Its catchy name and logo draws the attention: an endearing animal with long ears and strong hind legs knit into both the outside and the lining fabrics of each piece, in similar fashion to the engineered mesh now so popular in running shoes.  
I jumped on the offer to try  the brand – the Hopper running short and Tee-Amo Heather t-shirt. Both fit me to perfection in medium- true to size. 
Sporting Running Rabbit Apparel at Empire Pass Deer Valley Utah

Hopper Running Short ($52) 
Designed with a reasonable 4-inch inseam and made of lightweight and breathable four -way stretch fabric, the Hopper is a slim fit short that provides perfect coverage and comfort during my runs up and down Park City trails or on the road. 
The wide, soft waistband fits comfortably, no drawstring required!  Care should be taken to not use rough texture run belts as they could abrade the waistband. 
Hopper has a small rear zip pocket, good for a key and card that’s about it, and dual front drop-in inside pockets good for a couple gels. The inside liner is made of a “rabbitMesh” of contrasting color (red for the black short) that is lightweight, quick drying, and chafe free.  
The Hopper rabbit short flatters the silhouette and delivers performance.  

Colors: black, deep blue, or in vivid colors, such as “cabaret” and “macaw green” for a more California look!  


A new hopper short called “dress blues stripes” at $ 57 looks extremely stylish.  

Tee-Amo Heather T-shirt ($ 50) 
Rabbit says:"made with our new heathered Quick 'n Fit fabric. This fabric is lightweight, breathable, cling free, sag resistant, and scratch and chafe-free and oh so buttery soft." We agree!
Extremely comfortable and yes “buttery soft,” the tee-amo heather t-shirt is made with lightweight and quick drying heather fabric that drapes well and kept me dry during workouts, even in the heat.  
The right sleeve fabric extending down the side of the shirt is a very light knit mesh with the many rabbits doubling as both additional contrast and...
and more open areas of rabbit knit to provide the extra breathability.  Neat!
tee amo heater right sleeve seen from the inside with light shining through
All together the tops and shorts have a classy look and impeccable performance. Highly Recommended. 

Colors: black heather, dress blue heather, deep blue heather, and silver heather. 
Care: cold wash and tumble dry low or hang to dry. 

Comments and Questions Welcome Below!
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1 comment:

Dan said...

I just wish they offered a Men's XS sizing option. Runners often have slim bodies, why not a smaller choice? I've only found Patagonia to do it so I've shifted just about all my purchases to them.