I’ve been a fan of Arctic Cool shirts since I received my first shirt in 2017. See my review of the women’s v-neck shirt here. Since then I’ve bought more shirts and I still love them as much as I did my first one. Recently I decided to buy my first pair of running shorts from Arctic Cool. For some time they didn’t offer running shorts, then they only had them available for men. When they became available for women, I knew I had to try them.
From the Arctic Cool website: “It features state-of-the-art HydroFreeze X Technology, a cooling management system that reduces the fabric temperature to cool you down when you need it the most! The short’s design also includes ActiveWick, our moisture wicking technology that pulls sweat away from skin and disperses it throughout the short, keeping you dry and cool. It’s made with fabric that includes 4-way stretch, providing a full range of motion for any activity. The Instant Cooling Women’s Active Short is antimicrobial/anti-odor powering your short to smell fresh and clean after every wash! Lastly, we added on sun protection with UPF 50+ to keep you protected by blocking 98% of the sun’s rays!”
When I received my shorts in the mail, I immediately tried them on and liked how they fit. They have a fairly relaxed fit just like their shirts, but not too loose either. I also liked the pockets (full-size pockets on the sides, not just a small pocket in the front for a key), which aren’t always in athletic shorts but I appreciate them. Just about the only thing I would change is have a liner in them since I prefer my running shorts to have a liner. The length also seemed just right- not too short and not too long. I’m 5’8″ if you’re wondering.
Now for the really important part- how they performed when I went on a run. For my first run in the shorts, I went for a 30 minute run in 90 degree heat with around 40% humidity. Even though I also have some Arctic Cool shirts, as I mentioned earlier, I purposely didn’t want to run with one, to see how the shorts fared on their own.
They fit well and didn’t move around or bunch up between my thighs when I was running. Thanks to the drawstring, I was able to get a snug fit around my waist. They do have a somewhat looser fit, which I found to be neither a pro nor con really. When I got home from my run, I noticed they were only slightly damp around the top part of the waistline.
Normally my shorts are soaked in the front and back when I run in really hot weather, since I sweat a lot when I run. Now, do I think they helped keep me cooler on that run? Who knows, honestly. I do know I felt amazing when I was running, despite the heat, and despite the fact that I hadn’t run in almost two weeks. No doubt I can’t truthfully say it was all due to these shorts, but they certainly must have had some part in it all.
I decided to take the shorts for a spin again for a longer run of 5 miles. It was 72 degrees, so cooler, but also more humid, so not exactly great conditions for running. As before, the shorts felt comfortable the entire run and I found that by the end of my run, only the very top of the shorts around the waistband were a little damp. In contrast, my sports bra, running shirt, and even my socks were so wet I had to drape them over the shower to dry like I usually do after a summer run (normally my shorts are soaked as well).
Next, I wanted to wear an Arctic Cool shirt along with my new Arctic Cool shorts to see what would happen. I purposely chose a running route that isn’t very shaded and has a couple of long, gradual hills to climb. In other words, I would be working hard on my 30 minute run. It was 91 degrees out with around 40% humidity, so it was pretty much like my first trial run, weather-wise.
This time, I did something a little different, however. I’ve found I get a bit of an earlier cooling effect with the shirts if I dampen (not soak) the part around the collar with the HydroFreeze X Technology. I did this with the waistband on the shorts, just dampening a bit but not running them under the faucet so they were just barely damp around the waist. Similar to the shirt, I immediately felt the shorts get a bit cooler. This is a subtle effect, so don’t expect to feel like you’ve stuffed your shorts with ice or anything like that.
All I know is my split times for that run were pretty darn good, considering the heat and humidity. After my first mile I felt like my pace was faster than what I should be going since it was supposed to be a fairly easy run and not a speedwork run. However, my second mile was even faster but I still felt great. After that, I told myself I really needed to slow down some, which I did for my third mile. Then I started to think about some things.
Sure, I was still sweaty but I was supposed to be sweaty; it was 91 degrees and sunny and I was running at a pretty decent pace. If I wasn’t sweating, I should be seriously concerned because that could mean I was over-heating and possibly headed toward heat exhaustion. Our bodies cool off by sweating and the more you sweat, the more efficient your body is at adapting to the heat and cooling itself down.
No article of clothing in the world is going to make you sweat considerably less, nor should it. It’s hard to say if I was sweating less because I was wearing Arctic Cool clothing or not. I’m not sure how I would even measure that. All I know is my shirt and shorts were just barely damp when I got home from my run, while my sports bra, underwear, and socks were all soaked from sweat.
If there’s one thing I do know for sure because I have proof of it, it’s that Arctic Cool clothing wicks sweat away like nothing else, so you won’t have to peel off a soaking wet shirt or shorts after a run! Arctic Cool claims “the technology actually moves moisture away from the skin and circulates it through the fabric, keeping you cooler, longer.” That’s not to say you won’t sweat when you wear their clothing, but at least for me it feels like I do stay cooler longer when I wear their shorts and shirts.
If you want to try Arctic Cool clothing for yourself, you can buy their products here: Arctic Cool.com. They offer package bundles where you can order multiple products at a discounted price. Feel free to ask me any questions about their products!
Happy running!
Donna
runningtotravel 
That’s kind of amazing that the shorts were barely damp while the rest of your clothes were soaked. We live in great times!
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We do indeed and it’s only getting better!
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91 degrees and 40% humidity? Hats off to you. Seriously. For me that is pure masochism!
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Not that I enjoy those conditions but I’ll take that over below freezing in the winter any day! My lungs ache from breathing in cold, dry air so I unfortunately have to deal with summer weather like this to have the mild winters that we get here. It’s a compromise until I can retire and find my Goldilocks weather.
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