The Safety Gear Runners Swear By For Jogging At Night

Stay safe on your early morning and nighttime runs with these expert-recommended safety items.
A Nathan Vibe reflective vest, Nathan reflective beanie hat and She’s Birdie personal safety alarm

True night owls understand that sometimes a moonlit run is necessary. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of lacing up your favorite workout shoes, setting your fitness tracker and filling up your water bottle before heading out to get some exercise while the rest of the world is sleeping. The same goes for early morning runs where you’re up and active with the sound of birds chirping and the morning dew to keep you company.

When running in the dark, it’s important to keep your safety in mind by taking the proper precautions and being aware of your surroundings.

For Kristin Stokes, a Philadelphia-based marathon runner and coach, simply having your cell phone on you and letting someone know when you’re out are essential steps in protecting your well-being.

“On an iPhone, there’s an emergency setting where you can set up a safety option. You can add contacts to it and just pull it out while you’re running if you don’t feel safe,” she said. “You just press the side buttons a few times and it actually will call them and send them a notification with your location and say that something’s wrong.”

(You can find more information on Android phone emergency settings here.)

Cars can also be a threat to runners at night because of poor visibility, but there are ways to make yourself stand out.
Amanda Brooks, a Denver-based certified running coach, said runners should assume that cars can’t see them. “[This mindset] reminds you to slow down at intersections instead of assuming they’ll stop and not make that right on red,” she said. “Additionally, it’s really important to run towards traffic. It ensures you are in control of moving out of the way if they get too close.”

In addition to being aware of your physical proximity to vehicles, Stokes and Brooks both agreed that you should also do what you can to help drivers see you, which includes being intentional about what you’re wearing. Reflective gear, lights and other personal safety accessories can help with increasing your visibility in low light.

We asked Stokes and Brooks to share the items they use frequently when they go running in the dark. Check them out below.

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1
Amazon
Nathan Vibe reflective vest
According to Brooks, one of the easiest and cheapest ways to stay visible is to get this reflective, adjustable vest from Nathan Sports. It allows you to be seen from every direction since it has 360-degree reflectivity.

"The thin straps mean you can size it to fit you comfortably without adding weight or heat if it's still warm outside," Brooks said.
2
Amazon
Noxgear Tracer360 reflective vest
Another vest option is this waterproof one from Noxgear, which boasts several attention-catching features that Stokes likes, including 360-degree reflectivity. The light-up vest gives you 8 color options to choose from such as pink, red, blue, green and yellow, and 8 multicolor flashing modes. It comes in sizes S-XL.

"It lights up and it comes in all different settings. You can change the colors, turn the blinking on and off and it's rechargeable. You charge it kind of like how you would a cell phone. It's super comfortable and comes in all different sizes and you can adjust the straps, too," Stokes said.
3
Amazon
A two-pack of LED head lamps
Both Brooks and Stokes emphasized the importance of wearing a head lamp like these, which ensure that you're visible even when lights aren't shining on you. Each light lasts up to 10+ hours and comes on an adjustable and removable water-resistant headband. You can choose from 7 settings, ranging from white strobe to red beam. Be sure to also buy the three AAA batteries required for each one here as they aren't included with the headbands.
4
Amazon
Nathan reflective beanie
During the colder months, you can keep your head warm and stay safe at the same time thanks to this reflective knit beanie that Brooks recommended. It even has a space in the back to slip a ponytail through.

"I like Nathan's reflective ponytail beanie because it's something I'm going to need on winter runs anyways and just adds another element for visibility," Brooks said.
5
Amazon
Sabre clip-on personal alarm with LED
Aside from wearing items that make you stand out in the darkness, Stokes and Brooks agree that it's a good idea to carry a device that could help deter attackers, like this one from Sabre. It produces an alarm that's audible for up to 1,300 feet and has a built-in light with three modes: always on, slow flash and fast flash.

"I carry the Sabre safety alarm, which clips on my hydration pack and has a flashing light as well as a very loud alarm providing double duty security. You can clip it to your vest as well," Brooks said.
6
Amazon
She's Birdie personal safety alarm
Brooks carries this mini alarm while running. It can be attached to a keychain and when activated, produces an extremely loud sound — reportedly as loud as a jet engine 100 feet overhead — and a flashing strobe light.

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