Havea Outdoors

As active women, our daily activities are done in more than just Spring and Summer. We run, jog or sprint at all times of the year for fun, training, or sport. I live in the upper Northeast corner of Washington state in the Northern Rockies where a substantial part of the year can be cold and freezing weather. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to spend half of my year on a treadmill inside the house or gym.

There are rare kinds of beauty in these colder places on our earth that need to be seen and experienced. I love the snow and I love the changing seasons. As we experience these climates, we also want to be able to move freely and comfortably.

I lived for many years in the Los Angeles area. While having mostly good weather – mornings and nights can also be cool and I would need a good sports jacket. No matter where you live, I believe there will come a time when you are outside and active and need a jacket for running or movement.

Top 12 Requirements for a good women’s jacket:

1. Has a substantial solid feel to the fabric – not light fluffy parachute material
2. The fabric should be moisture resistant – the collection of moisture in freezing weather can be miserable. It does not have to be water-proof, but it needs to not hold water in.
3. The jacket should have “breathing” panels that help it respire and should not hold bad odors (you are most likely sweating in these clothes).
4. Close fit – molded to the body form
5. Does not have to be constantly pulled down – no riding up
6. Can easily be tied to the body if you get too hot to keep it on!
7. Has pockets that zip so keys/phones do not bounce out. Some may prefer no pockets for streamlining purposes when competing for best time.
8. I prefer “zip up” to “pull over” because it can be opened in front to give partial warmth instead of shedding the whole thing.
9. The collar should be high enough to protect the neck from cold
10. Jacket inserts that zip in and out are not ideal for extremely active adventures
11. Free of Velcro – these strips wear out and are a hazard to your wash loads and other clothes. Who has taken some Velcro -laden clothing out of the dryer without having socks and other things stuck to it?
12. I prefer not to have a hood attached to the jacket – it scoops air around my head and does not easily stay put. I prefer a warm hat and neck sleeve that fits closer and will not move around and can be pulled up around my lower face and nose. I literally get a “crick” in my neck from trying to hold a hood on my head where I can keep it up and see at the same time.

I know there are many good sports and running jackets out there. Sadly, you probably have to do a lot of searching through a lot of different companies’ websites to find the best of them.

Using the list above, I know of one company – Havea LLC (www.Haveaapparel.com) that meets all the requirements listed with some really great choices.

(2) High quality Havea products designed in the USA – are my selection for “Best of the Best”. I have included quotes from the website so you can see what the company has to say about their own product.

1. FKT Jacket (stands for “Fastest Known Time “– cute)

• “This jacket is designed to be the most lightweight and streamlined jacket available, perfect for achieving your personal bests in any activity.” If you are a competitor, this is the jacket for you.

2. Bowline Jacket – I have this one and it is my favorite jacket for everything!

• “Our Bowline Jacket embodies providing all the necessary features. It is expertly designed with ample pocket storage, breathable vents, and mitten cuffs. This jacket performs exceptionally well in both hot and cold weather conditions.”

Whatever running or sport you do, wearing the right jacket can make the difference between a pleasant or miserable experience. I suggest you choose the right jacket at the outset and use your brain-power to experience the wonderful, colorful, beautiful world out there in all seasons– Enjoy!