The best reflective running gear

With 900 lumens and weighing 100 grams, the Petzl Swift RL ranks as the best headlamp for two main reasons. While there are a lot of popular and functional brands for the best headlamp, we only had room for one and we went with name recognition. And second, it’s better to get something that overperforms than underperforms.

From the 1,455 reviews on Amazon and even more around the web, very few people complained about the Petzel Swift RL. The adjustable headlamp will sit comfortably on your head and the light has a nice range of angles. Also, the Petzl light beam will please any Goldilocks — not too cold, not too warm, but just right.

While you can use all 900 lumens, the rechargeable battery will only last you 2.5 hours, so it’s only good enough if you plan on running a half-marathon in the dark. Seriously, though, the battery will hold up. On paper, it’ll burn 100 lumens for at least 10 hours.

The Petzl Swift RL is available in three colors and the retail price is $125, but you can find it on Amazon for around $90.

Ranking as the best vest or best reflective vest is the Amphipod Xinglet. The Xinglet consists of a few reflective straps that fit over your shoulders and waist, and it’s held together with Amphipod’s Swift Clip quick-release buckle.

While you could opt to get a reflective hydration pack or running belt, which has some functionality, the Xinglet is simple. It offers 360 degrees of visibility and will fit pretty much everybody and over anything. Plus, you can buy the vest with lights if you want.

The unisex Amphipod Xinglet reflective vest is available in four colors and retails for $35.

Coming in as the honorable mention on this list is the Salty Lance Glow Belt. When the average person sees a glow belt, they might think of safety equipment, but for those who served in the U.S. military, they’re reminded of early morning PT sessions, useless working parties, and safety precautions that aren’t just arbitrary but demeaning, as well.

While it’s easy to rag on the glow belt, it’s a very simple piece of gear. To use it, you either wrap it around your waist or diagonally over your shoulder. You could also strap it to other gear like a backpack or rolling luggage. The potential is limitless.

The Salty Lance Glow Belt is available in yellow and it costs $10.

Ranking in as the best reflective jacket and best for women, as well, is the Proviz Reflect360 Running Jacket. It’s kind of a badass jacket and, in all honesty, kind of overkill in terms of reflective clothing, but it’s better to overdo it than get hit by a car.

When you wear the Reflect360 Running Jacket, you look radioactive. You may not notice it, but anyone that beams light at you will. It fits like a rain coat designed for running in that it has a breathable mesh lining. Of course, also like a rain coat, it does a better job trapping heat than releasing it, but if you’re wearing a jacket at all while you’re running, it’s most likely cold or cold and wet.

The Proviz Reflect360 Running Jacket is available in five sizes (XS to XXL), five colors, and retails for $140, but you can find it on Amazon for as low as $74.

The Nathan Running StrobeLight makes the cut as the best clip-on light, and a lot of people think so. Reviewers on REI, RoadRunner, Amazon, and other, darker areas of the web applaud Nathan’s strobes.

What makes them work is they’re big enough to emit light so you’re visible, but small enough so you can stick them just about anywhere. While your chest or waist is ideal, some users said they’ve clipped them to their shoes as well.

You can buy the strobes individually, but the idea is you put a green one or blue one on your front and the red one on your rear. They retail for $18 for a pair or $10 individually.

Admittedly, running with a flashlight isn’t my favorite idea — I mean, why would you want to carry something while you run — but to each their own. Ranking in as our top flashlight and best reflective gear for walking is the Nathan Terra Fire Hand Torch.

Like Nathan’s StrobeLights, the Terra Fire Hand Torch came in highly rated by almost all the e-commerce sites, and then some. There’s no real downside to it other than how it compares to Nathan’s other flashlights. With that said, the Terra Fire is the only one that’s rechargeable and it doesn’t have an alarm like the older model, so you’ll have to make noise some other way if you get lost in the woods.

The Nathan Terra Fire 400 RX Hand Torch is available in Red Dahlia (Castlerock) and the retail price is $60, but you can find it for as low as $50.