What We’re Testing Now: Patagonia’s 2022 Trail Lineup Makes Our Runs Feel Comfier Than Ever
Upgrade your trail running wardrobe next spring.
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Patagonia’s Spring 22 trail running line doubles down on recycled fabrics, comfort, and breathability. Two fresh entries from their catalogue caught our eye: the redesigned Endless Run Tights, which continue to be one of the best tights for shoulder season runs, and the new Ridge Flow Tee, which is shaping up to be a promising choice for hot, sweaty trail endeavors.
The Endless Run Tights, made mostly of recycled fishing net from South America, feel slightly stretchier and facilitate natural movement better than the previous iteration. On a recent trail run along the Haystack Mountain Trail in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, they caused no chafing, gave full range of motion, and didn’t ride up as I ran. Mesh vents behind the knees kept me from overheating in 65°F fall weather, but the nylon/spandex main body fabric was substantial enough to cut the chill at the summit. Smartphone-sized stretch pockets on either side are ideally placed for access—a tricky sweet spot to find on trail tights. More miles of brambly trail are still needed to nail down the Endless Run durability factor.
Another new addition for spring 2022 is Patagonia’s Ridge Flow Tee, their latest stab at making a trail shirt even lighter and more breathable than the Capilene Cool trail shirt, which won an Editors’ Choice Award in 2020. During a testing run on a balmy, mid-70s fall afternoon, the Ridge Flow was totally unobtrusive: no sweat soaking through, no clinging fabric, and a remarkably dry skin-feel, even when taking a water break after an intense uphill. A new type of recycled polyester fabric features a zigzag pattern and seems more breathable than most lightweight running shirts we’ve tried thanks to a generously loose knit. Not so great? The extra-dry fabric is a bit abrasive, meaning those with sensitive skin might experience chafing. Also, despite an odor-control treatment, the Ridge Flow, in classic synthetic fabric fashion, didn’t smell the freshest after just two runs. We are excited to see what Patagonia does with this crazy-breathable fabric in the future.
Both the Endless Run Tights ($99) and Ridge Flow Tee ($55) go on sale in February 2022.