Brooks LSD - Women's Review

It's light, it's comfortable, and it's full of great features for runners. The LSD is an incredible value with high scores across the board.

Performance Comparison

Breathability

A lot of factors go into making a garment breathable, from the materials and fit to the vents and panels. Because running is a high-intensity sport, no matter how fast or slow you're going, you're almost guaranteed to work up a sweat. Even on the coldest days, our testers quickly found themselves sweating through their less breathable clothing. We chose this to be the first metric we reviewed because of how crucial it was to our overall comfort and success, whether we were lapping the track or trekking deep into the backcountry.

The LSD has average breathability, and we really would have appreciated some more venting from this otherwise favorite jacket. The nylon jacket is made out of one cohesive fabric, and we found it to have a bit of that "trash bag effect" we found in a few of the other contenders.

For really sweaty workouts, the jacket started to cling to our skin, and we were disappointed in the lack of airflow. This piece has no venting, and our testers thought that pit and back panels of a more breathable material would have been an excellent addition to this product.

Weather Resistance

We tested these products for months on end, and one of the things we found was that weather resistance often comes at the price of breathability. A jacket that can effectively keep wind out also usually keeps sweat in, as it's meant to essentially prevent airflow. We found this theory to be true with the LSD, as it was a little bit stuffy but great in windy conditions.

Cold conditions are not the LSD's strong suit, as this jacket has minimal insulation. While it does lock in the body heat needed to warm you on a cold morning, we'd rather have a breathable insulating layer than a stuffy shell. This jacket isn't meant for serious precipitation, but it does surprisingly well in light rain. While we might not don the LSD when we know we're heading out into the storm, it does have ample protection to make us confident in its role as our contingency plans for when those summer rains come in out of nowhere.

Comfort

We're often grappling with how important comfort is to a product's overall performance score. While some argue that technical characteristics are more important, others are quick to point out that uncomfortable garments tend to make our stoke nose-drive, thus affecting performance. No matter where you stand on the spectrum, you don't want your running jacket to hold you back.

The LSD's nylon construction was one of our favorites, especially out of the other lightweight competitors. We liked the smooth, soft touch, though we missed the stretchy properties of the Airshed.

The fit was great; an equal blend of athletic and form-fitting. Not too loose and not too tight, the LSD hugged our bodies without constricting them. We enjoyed a full range of motion, and we especially appreciated how the collar stood up easily without suffocating us. This jacket lacks the luxurious finish of the Airshed and Icebreaker Cool-Lite Rush, but for a jacket this light, we were incredibly impressed.

Portability

Running jackets are made to be used on the go, so what use would they be if they slowed us down? Our testers wanted to know how easy it was to bring each of these products along on any adventure, from quick races in bad weather to long backcountry missions. We evaluated two qualities for this metric, weight, and packability, to get an overall sense of each jacket's ease of transport.

The LSD was undeniably the most portable of any jacket we tested in this review. First, it was one of only a few products that weighed in at under three ounces. This weight is unbelievable, and it means you have no excuse to not bring this jacket along on your next adventure.

We have to admit: Brooks is nailing it by making these jackets truly running-specific. Along with the Brooks Canopy, the LSD features an elastic armband instead of a clip loop. While the clip loop featured on many of the other contenders is excellent for clipping to a harness or backpack, the armband is uniquely created with running in mind. Now, we don't have to bring along our running vest or pack just to stuff a jacket into. We loved being able to use these two Brooks layers on short runs where a pack was unnecessary, but a jacket was essential. The armband plus a ridiculously lightweight design? We are sold, and these features are significant reasons why the LSD easily took home the Best Buy Award.

Features

Like we said, running jackets come in all shapes and sizes. Many of these jackets seemed to work in a variety of environments, but our testers wanted to know how well they were constructed for running specifically. We evaluated all their little details to see how well the manufacturer knows their audience.

The LSD has a few tremendous running-specific features that really sealed the deal. First, we thought the visibility was outstanding. With a small logo on the front and a long reflective stripe on the back, we thought the visibility was ample without going overboard.

The second feature we adored, which we discussed more above, was the elastic armband for easy transport. Genius. These two factors were featured in the Brooks Canopy as well. The last little detail we appreciated was that the singular pocket was located on the lower back. We thought this was deliberately placed, helping drive home our conclusion that Brooks really did make this jacket for runners. This pocket is large enough to easily hold a large phone, like the iPhone 6, another bonus.

Value

Ah, we were excited to get to this part of the review. The LSD is, bluntly, an outrageously good value. You get the weather resistance and comfort of some of the twice-as-expensive jackets, with even more features. Unless you're really looking for top-of-the-line weather resistance (see: Salomon Lightning Race) or stellar breathability (see: Arc'teryx Gaea), the LSD and its price are pretty unbeatable.

Conclusion