Holiday Wish List: New Balance Merino Half-Zip: A Lightweight Top That Stores Everything a Runner Needs
The large-yet-subtle chest pocket of the New Balance Merino Half-Zip
It’ll store your phone. Accommodates your wallet too. Keys? No problem. Our tester here at STACK (me) easily stored all three items in the Performance Merino Half-Zip and still had room to spare for a GU. Sure, it started to look a little bulky at that point, but that’s more my fault than it is the top’s.
Woman runner wearing the New Balance Merino Half-Zip.
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Indeed, if you can lighten your load, it’s hard to tell that the pocket is, in fact, a pocket. With the zipper hidden behind the reflective strip and the “NB” logo over the solid-color fabric, the pocket looks more like a cool design element than an extra storage space.
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Thumbholes are always a plus.
There’s more to like about the top, of course: It’s lightweight, moisture-wicking and breathable. The sleeves have thumbholes, allowing you to secure them over your hands so the outer parts of your appendages stay warm longer. They’re all elements of a very smart, very runnable design that will keep you comfortable when the mercury dips below Fall’s brisk to Winter’s brrr-tastic temperatures.
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But what keeps me going back to the Performance Merino Half-Zip is that pocket, silly as that may sound. If you’re like me—i.e., someone who shudders at the thought of leaving important items like your keys “hidden” on your car tire when you head out for a long run—I think you’ll appreciate it, too.
The New Balance Performance Merino Half-Zip is available at newbalance.com. You can find the rest of STACK’s 2015 Holiday Wish List here.
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Holiday Wish List: New Balance Merino Half-Zip: A Lightweight Top That Stores Everything a Runner Needs
The large-yet-subtle chest pocket of the New Balance Merino Half-Zip
It’ll store your phone. Accommodates your wallet too. Keys? No problem. Our tester here at STACK (me) easily stored all three items in the Performance Merino Half-Zip and still had room to spare for a GU. Sure, it started to look a little bulky at that point, but that’s more my fault than it is the top’s.
Woman runner wearing the New Balance Merino Half-Zip.
RELATED: This Heart Monitor Will Tell You How Hard You Can Train
Indeed, if you can lighten your load, it’s hard to tell that the pocket is, in fact, a pocket. With the zipper hidden behind the reflective strip and the “NB” logo over the solid-color fabric, the pocket looks more like a cool design element than an extra storage space.
RELATED: The Ideal Shoe for Lifting Heavy Weights
Thumbholes are always a plus.
There’s more to like about the top, of course: It’s lightweight, moisture-wicking and breathable. The sleeves have thumbholes, allowing you to secure them over your hands so the outer parts of your appendages stay warm longer. They’re all elements of a very smart, very runnable design that will keep you comfortable when the mercury dips below Fall’s brisk to Winter’s brrr-tastic temperatures.
RELATED: Holy Cow, This Foam Roller With Vibration Technology Might Just Change Your Life
But what keeps me going back to the Performance Merino Half-Zip is that pocket, silly as that may sound. If you’re like me—i.e., someone who shudders at the thought of leaving important items like your keys “hidden” on your car tire when you head out for a long run—I think you’ll appreciate it, too.
The New Balance Performance Merino Half-Zip is available at newbalance.com. You can find the rest of STACK’s 2015 Holiday Wish List here.