Cold run fast: up close with the new Dual Dry waterproof insulated running jacket   

BY: MARK COHEN • tech corner • 26.09.2022

Running jacket for winter wanted? The new Dual Dry waterproof insulated jacket just might be for you; it’s waterproof and windproof, breathable and warm thanks to a new, extremely lightweight fleece insulation. But what makes it truly unique?

“There’s a lot of great running jackets out there that combine insulation and windproofing, but no one has really combined insulation, waterproofing and windproofing with the same level of breathability as we have in this jacket,” explains Richard Clevett, category manager, running at ODLO.  

“We’ve taken an industry-leading design and adapted it for cold weather.”

With more people running year-round, let’s take a closer look at the evolution and features of this performance piece.

A simple idea

Like most runners, Clevett gets creative when he runs. His mind drifts. He’s able to look at things from a new perspective.

The idea of adding insulation to an already-existing, award-winning ODLO design came to him in the Netherlands – a damp and windy place to run in winter. Given the success of the original Dual Dry waterproof jacket, he thought it made sense to take the breathability and waterproofing of the original and customize it for the cold. 

With that goal in mind, several teams set out to combine our performance knit 3L fabric with ultra-lightweight insulation. Countless iterations and seven prototypes later, the result is an extremely breathable knit fabric jacket that serves the needs of most runners in late autumn, winter and early spring. Here’s a list of its performance features:

• A waterproof membrane weighing in at only 53g/sqm
• A water column of 20,000 mm
• An unprecedented 20/50 protection-to-breathability ratio
• Teijin Frontier's OCTA insulation which is 50 per cent lighter than conventional fleece and super warm thanks to the hollow-core recycled fibers in the yarn
• Reflective details
• A sophisticated adjustable hood construction with a small peak to protect against rain.

“The end result is about performance, airflow, moisture evaporation and warmth, all in a jacket that’s visually distinctive,” adds Clevett.

“We landed on something that performs unlike anything else on the market.” 

Designed for dedicated runners

Depending on how it’s layered, if you’re looking for one do-it-all, “I’m-gonna-run-no-matter-what” running jacket for the cold, this is probably it.

At the June OUTDOOR by ISPO trade show in Munich, it was singled out by the ISPO jury – specifically when compared to other winter running jackets – for its design, performance and utility, earning the Dual Dry waterproof insulated jacket some early acclaim.

“A wide variety of functions come together here in an optimal balance,” explains Regina Henkel, a 2022 ISPO award judge. “Weather protection, thermal insulation in the important places, freedom of movement and lightness. ODLO combines all of this with the help of innovative technologies to create a fashionable look. In my opinion, that's worth an ISPO Award."

Early impressions

Coming September 2022, the Dual Dry waterproof insulated is a premium running jacket priced at €290 (Fr.320). One of its key features is the placement of the OCTA insulation at the front and around the shoulders – which allows for ample moisture wicking at the back, where most runners tend to retain moisture in the cold – and critical insulation around the core and joints.

The jacket is built on the already well-known Dual Dry design – which has gained immense popularity amongst runners who prize lightweight functionality in the gear they take with them in the mountains or in bad weather – but it’s the addition of OCTA recycled insulation that really makes this jacket something special.

“This jacket is key for running comfortably,” says Richard Clevett, who was one of the lead testers behind the product. “It really is the minimum you can wear for the maximum protection in cold weather, and with the level of testing we’ve done – internally and with TEAM TSL professionals – come wind, snow or cold, I know runners will recognize it as a one-of-a-kind performance combination.”

Find out more about the Dual Dry waterproof and Dual Dry waterproof insulated jackets here.