Article by Nils Scharff
Strata Singlet ($125/160€) & Strata Shorts ($135/170€)
Introduction
It's the details that count! We've probably all heard this saying before. When it comes to competitions in our favorite sport - running - it's even more true. A few degrees too warm on race day, the wrong breakfast in the morning or the missed water bottle at 30 km. Any little thing can cost us the reward for all that disciplined training. That's why we runners try to control everything in our power so that we leave nothing to chance on the big day.
The Strata collection is made for all those of us who feel exactly the same way. Tracksmith uses the highest quality materials so that we don't have to worry about our kit on our race day, but can instead devote our full concentration to our athletic performance.
Strata Singlet (160€)
Stats
Manufacturer's fabric weight specification: 110g/m2
Sample weight: 69g (size M)
Main material (blue): 78% nylon / 22% elastane, 110gm/m² grid finish
Secondary material (white): 87% nylon / 13% elastane, 110gm/m² grid finish
Coldblack technology reduces heat build-up from sunlight
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XL
Colors: Navy/Ivory/Gold
Details & Performance
Tracksmith Strata was first developed in 2020 for the USA Olympic Marathon Trials.. The singlet is made from a nylon-based yarn from Swiss specialist Schöller. At 110g / m", it is extremely light and at the same time wonderfully soft to wear. The yarn is equipped with Schöller Coldblack technology, which blocks UV radiation and prevents the fabric from heating up. According to Tracksmith, a dark fiber like the one in the tested navy colorway should stay just as cool as a white fabric. I tested this relatively unconventionally with our clinical thermometer and found that this is not entirely true.
Compared to an equally high-quality, white racing singlet, there is an average temperature difference of 8°C to the disadvantage of the Strata singlet.
However, a navy cotton T-shirt next to it was significantly hotter. So a certain effect cannot be denied, but a light-colored shirt is certainly the better choice on race day and Tracksmith does have Ivory and Gold colors available.
Fit
In terms of fit, the Tracksmith Strata Singlet is very successful in my opinion. My size medium test sample fits like a glove. In my opinion, many singlets are often cut too wide with the pinned race number moving around hanging annoyingly especially in crosswinds. Not so with the Strata Singlet, which has a pleasantly tapered cut without being the least bit constricting.
I also find the length to be just right. At my height of 6’2” / 1.88m, medium can sometimes be too short. The Van Cortland singlet, for example, also from Tracksmith, is close to the borderline of being too baggy. Not so with the Strata, which extends a few centimeters beyond the waistband.
The feel of the material is also very good. The nylon-based yarn feels comfortable on the skin both wet and dry. Even during long runs of around 2 hours, I can't report any chafing.
I was particularly impressed by the material's moisture management. I am a so-called heavy sweater and still sometimes had the feeling that the shirt was drying faster than I was sweating. This is very good and I have never experienced this with any other material. Accordingly, the shirt hardly sticks to the body at all, even if you treat yourself to the obligatory water shower at the refreshment station during the race!
The only drawback I can find with the Tracksmith Strata Singlet are the relatively bulky seams on the sleeve cuffs and the typical Tracksmith horizontal sash on the chest. Although these are by no means annoying to the touch, they certainly contribute to the fact that the Strata Singlet is relatively heavy compared to my reference singlet at 77 grams (size M). Although this is complaining at the highest level and probably completely irrelevant for competition, it is still wasted potential.
Apart from that, the Tracksmith Strata Singlet is certainly one of the best singlets you can buy for (a lot of!) money and an absolute recommendation. So much so that, despite the high price of €160, I'm struggling with whether to actually order the second, lighter color version for sunny days. Please don't tell my better half!
Strata Shorts (170€)
Stats
Fabric specification: 78g/m² outer material, 54g/m² liner (size M)
Weight weighed: 61g (size M) | 7g stuff sack
Outer material: 63% polyester / 37% elastane
Liner: 66% nylon / 34% elastane
5 inner pockets for gels
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
Colors: Navy, white
Details
I was also given the Tracksmith Strata Shorts to go with the singlet I tested. They are designed for ambitious marathon athletes. The main focus was on creating the lightest possible shorts that still have enough storage space for gels.
The fit of the Strata shorts with their 3" inseam length is borderline short in my personal opinion. So on my first run I put something underneath to be on the safe side. Once I had gained some confidence in the shorts, however, they were great to wear on their own. And thanks to the comfortable liner, this worked without any problems caused by chafing or similar.
The stylish, red racing waistband holds firmly thanks to the traditional lacing, so that the Strata shorts always stayed securely in place even with gels in the liner pockets. There are five of these, all of which are attached to the back of the shorts. They are each designed to hold a Maurten gel. I had a slightly larger model with me, which stuck out a little further at the top. Nevertheless, the gel was secure at all times and despite initial concerns, it didn't feel too tight at any time.
As with the singlet, the shorts are also very good at removing moisture. They also don't cling to the skin, which I find very pleasant. In this respect, these are the best shorts I have ever worn and they are also extremely airy.
Unfortunately, at 170€ RRP, it is even more expensive than the singlet and although it is very, very good, it can only be recommended if money is no object. Apart from that, the two Strata pieces are one of the best and most stylish racing outfits you can currently buy.
Tester
Nils Scharff
I am 34 years old, born in Kassel, Germany, married to a wonderful wife and have been running around Heilbronn and its surrounding vineyards for 7 years now. I have done all kinds of sports all my life, often 5-7 times a week. In addition to running, I have been climbing and bouldering for a few years now. I've only considered myself a runner for three years. It all started with a company run that I didn't want to start completely unprepared for. From that point on, I just didn't stop. In 2017, I "only" ran just under 1000 kilometers, in 2018 I doubled that, and in 2019 I tripled it. The most important thing for me during all these kilometers, whether on the trail or on the road, is to switch off and exercise in nature. You will rarely find me on the treadmill or with headphones on. I've now run eight marathons, and I recently set my PB of 2:46:47 in Berlin. I compete at all distances from 5km (17:29min), 10km (35:43) and half marathons (1:17:29) to marathons.
Translated from the original German article by Deepl.com
Nils samples for this review were provided at no cost by Tracksmith
EUROPE Men's & Women's SHOP HERE
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
4 comments:
Following
Seriously? How much do Tracksmith pay you to advertise their products? You review them all the time. Their products are also more than expensive. Their prize tags ate silly. You can get super high quality stuff from brands like Salomon or Gore for half the prize.
$125 for a singlet is crazy since there's just no way that it will somehow help me run faster or cooler. The reviewer said that it was 8 degrees celsius warmer than a white singlet of comparable quality; I'd love to know how much that white singlet cost. Better yet, it would have been good to compare it with the temperature of a $20-$40 white singlet; that would have made it a much more helpful review.
@seung.kim: I'm with you, the prices of brands like Tracksmith are very steep (and even steeper here in Europe). But like I wrote in my review - it's those last few percent which make the product feel better even if those can't justify the price objectively. Think of cars. A Hyundai drives you safely from one place to another. But there a more than enough people willing to spend the extra money for a BMW. It most certainly doesn't bring you faster or safer from A to B but it just feels higher quality.
Coming back to your question regarding the white singlet: It was a Soar Racing Vest which is 115$ compared to 125$ for the Tracksmith Strata. Both very expensive, both very high quality.
Post a Comment