Nike Vapor Flash Jacket Review

Click for more details. My review of the Nike Vapor (Vapour) Flash running jacket.

Pros:
- unmatched, super visibility (works great on overcast days as well)
- very well made, fit and finish
- very good fit and articulation (trim, athletic fit, i.e. not for fatties)
- unique
- people will stop and ask you about your jacket

Cons:
- expensive
- material is not breathable
- external layer pools sweat, issue if worn in reverse
- hood bounces (although, it can be latched down)
- not 100% windproof, waterproof due to perforations for venting
- water residue shows if you hang dry (does not affect reflectivity)
- people will stop and ask you about your jacket

Who's It For?
- Serious runners who run a lot at night in urban settings.
- Posers who want a cool looking jacket for clubbing.
- Makes a great cycling jacket too.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Nike
• Vapor Flash
• Vapor
• Vapour
• Flash
• running
• running jacket
• running at night
• night running
• visibility
• 3m jacket
• 3m
• shoes
• running shoes
• new balance
• saucony
• asics
• nike.com
• made in china
• made in vietnam
• nike free
• review
• nike air
• nike dunk

[TonyMeersmans]

Hello Jogbird,

Thank you for your excellent review.

Just bought one but what scares me is that people say it is pretty hard to keep it clean.

How can I best wash mud stains out when they appear please ?

Thanks

[JogBird]

@TonyMeersmans for mud and dirt, you want to do a gentle, prelim wash down/rinse with water.. to get rid of grains of dirt, gravel, etc that will scratch away at the reflective finish. do this by hand in a bath tub. after that, just do a normal wash to get rid of the odour, oils and smaller bits of dirt that are embedded.

the biggest problem i have so far are white, water stains that i havent figured out how to get rid of. it hasnt affectted the reflectivity too much (yet)

[MrCameronBinkley]

What camera are you using for this review?

[JogBird]

@MrCameronBinkley Sony HX9v

[TheExecutioner73]

@JogBird How WARM is the jacket? I live in Chicago and it is cold as heck here in the winter.

[JogBird]

@TheExecutioner73 its uninsulated, you have to bring your own base and midlayers. it does protect against wind very well though; its cut below the hip for extra protection. the neck cuff is very short, so it offers no wind protection up there.. when its really cold, you will need a balaclava.

i did 22km yesterday, -2C, light wind, a bit over 2hrs, 2 merino midlayer. i had the hood off for the first 1 hr and only start feeling cold the last 15 min. i hope it gets colder!

[TheExecutioner73]

@JogBird Thank you for letting me know.

[JogBird]

@The564928 dont worry about damaging it. the tag on the jacket even says you can use a washing machine, im just extra careful because i keep my stuff for many years (i have a pair of running tights that are over 9 years old). just use what ever laundry detergent you have and make sure to rinse well. you also dont have to wash it (w/ detergent) after every run since its an outer layer and wont start smelling as quickly as base layers.. just rinse it out instead.

[The564928]

@JogBird If its not too much of work you think you could make of video of how you're washing the jacket, i'm afraid i'll do something wrong if i wash it by hand.

[thesummerofus]

thanks very much for the effort and time you've put into posting this video and repsonding to comments.

All the best