Our gear editors and contributors have one of the best jobs in the world (we think). We get to be the first to try the latest and greatest in outdoor equipment and apparel, and our bosses don’t bat an eye when we set our Slack status to “out for a run” or “gone camping” and disappear for a while to go test gear in the field.
As rad as this gear testing gig is, it can also be overwhelming. On any given day, we have boxes of shoes, backpacks, camp cookware, technical apparel, and more (much, much more) stacking up on our desks and in our closets. Not all the gear we test is worth writing about. But every few weeks, there are at least a handful of gadgets and toys that truly surprise and delight our experienced and discerning testers. From running and bike shoes to travel luggage to apparel every outdoor enthusiast should own, here’s the best gear we tested this month.
Rab Cubit Stretch Down Jacket
$215 at Campsaver (men’s) $252 at Campsaver (women’s)
This is the puffy I have been looking for my whole life. I started testing it out in February, and it quickly became my go-to spring skiing layer. Warm and wind-resistant, it’s the perfect piece to wear on a breezy summit, yet it’s packable enough to live in my pack for the rest of the day.
Now it’s become the perfect layer for shoulder season. I’ve worn it on chilly evenings camping in the Tetons, dinner dates in Chamonix, and thrown it on while pedaling to the market for groceries. This puffy is not a seasonal layer—it will be living at the front of my closet all year long. —Lily Ritter, Outside contributor
Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine
$1,500 at Amazon $1,500 at Best Buy
Real espresso heads will probably laugh at me for owning this machine since it’s totally automated. Like all bespoke things, I’m assuming that if you want top-shelf espresso, you have to be more involved. However, I know what a good cappuccino, flat white, or cortado tastes like after sampling these drinks across the world for the past several decades, and the Touch Impress delivers brews that are 90 percent as good as the best I’ve tried. In fact, the coffee I can make with this machine is so good I’ve given up on going to coffee shops in favor of just making my own espresso drinks. We buy high-quality beans and make sure the water is filtered, but otherwise, the machine does all the work. —Jakob Schiller, Outside gear columnist
Topo Designs Global Travel Bag Roller & Convertible Travel Bag 40L
$299 at Topo (roller bag) $299 at Topo (backpack)
Before using these two Topo Designs bags, I was a disheveled traveler. But with this matching backpack and roller set, you’ll never again find me rifling through my bags in the middle of the terminal. The soft-sided roller has one large compartment that fits even the most overstuffed packing cubes, a zippered panel serves as a dirty laundry deposit, and two mesh pockets organize socks and undies. A bar between the wheels makes it easy to grab from the overhead bins without bonking anyone.
I use the backpack as overflow, stowing extra layers and travel mementos that don’t fit in the carry-on. The laptop sleeve is inconspicuous but easy to access, and the numerous internal and external pockets keep my essentials—wallet, Airpods, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and snacks—from sinking to the bottom. Straps secure the backpack to the roller bag’s handle, giving my shoulders a break while waiting in long airport lines. One ding: The roller exceeds some international luggage dimensions; I was asked to check it on a flight to Québec. —Amelia Arvesen, Outside contributor
Early Rider Super Velio Bike
$199 at Early Rider $199 at Amazon
On the eve of my son’s second birthday, I bought him a used Strider bike from our local second-hand gear store. I was so excited to get him on a bike this summer I was crushed when I realized he was still too little to use it. The Strider proved too big, heavy, and unwieldy for his still-developing motor skills. Then this thing showed up on my doorstep for testing. The Early Rider Super Velio looks like something straight out of Tron, which is probably one reason why my son instantly gravitated towards it. But the main reason he likes it is because he can actually use it—by himself.
The Super Velio is specifically designed for toddlers under two (and even babies as young as 8 months, depending on how tall and coordinated they are) to use before they get on a balance bike like a Strider. Though my kiddo is technically above the recommended age limit, he’s a little guy (2’11”), and the Super Velio is a good size for him. Its plastic frame is light enough for him to handle, the seat is low to the ground so his short legs can reach comfortably, and the massive, spherical wheels (balls?) increase stability so my timid little guy isn’t afraid of tipping over.
The brand’s ABC (Active Balance Control) steering system also purportedly helps reduce wobbles and actively guides the wheels to help the bike stay upright; this system is adjustable via an allen key above the back wheel—you can add tension to the rear wheel to make the bike less responsive to wobbles, or reduce tension to make the bike more responsive once kiddos get better at handling the bike. My son is still figuring this training bike out, and at this point, he prefers sitting on it while I push him via the tiller that attaches to the back. It’s yet to be determined whether the Super Velio will help my kiddo ride independently sooner than a traditional balance bike, but because he’s still too little for a Strider, it’s definitely giving him earlier opportunities to practice on a two-wheeled bike. —Jenny Wiegand, Outside associate gear director
Mountain Hardwear Butter Up Hoody
$39 at Mountain Hardwear (women’s) $39 at Steep & Cheap (men’s)
Breathable and stretchy, this sun hoody has become my go-to for long ski tours, springtime mountain bike rides, and muddy trail runs. The jersey knit fabric feels as soft as my favorite pajamas, and the hood has the perfect amount of stretch—I can pull it over a helmet while skiing, but it also sits comfortably over a hat while hiking. The scuba hood design adds a little extra protection from the sun, making it ideal for warm days on the water. I typically go for merino base layers (which manage body odor) for multi-day trips, but I was surprised that this one never stunk, even after wearing it for four days in a row on a glacier this spring. —L.R.
Topo ST-5 Running Shoes
$120 at Backcountry (men’s) $120 at REI (women’s)
These are some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. The soft, flexible upper hugs my foot from heel to ball like a second skin, while the toe box is roomy and airy, with plenty of space for splay, even when wearing CorrectToes. Underfoot, a half-inch, zero-drop layer of firmly bouncy Zipfoam allows me to feel and interact with the ground without getting bruised by it. The Topo ST-5 has become my default casual shoe, especially when traveling (like I did several times in May); they kept me feeling balanced and nimble while walking for miles on sidewalks and stairs, standing for hours, and running short distances. Their clean styling and subdued colors (I have both a black and a grey pair) let me wear them anywhere, from a run to a restaurant, without feeling out of place. And my podiatrist friends tell me that they are strengthening my feet, too. —Jonathan Beverly, Outside senior gear editor
Rab Protium 20L Day Pack
$160 at Backcountry $160 at Rab
I’ve been testing out a lot of hiking gear recently, which means I’ve been putting a lot of miles on the trail. The Protium is the pack that I keep coming back to for most of my day hikes. It’s relatively light weight (just over 2 pounds, empty), but is loaded with user-friendly features, like a shoulder harness that can be adjusted to your specific torso, and easy-access stash pockets all over the outside of the pack—two on the hips, two for water bottles, and one large expandable mesh pocket on the back. I like to keep my snacks and rain jacket handy, so these pockets have been clutch.
I’m not a trekking pole devotee, but there’s an attachment point for those too. The terrain here in the Southern Appalachians is steep, and there are plenty of opportunities for hand-over-hand scrambling. The Protium shines in these situations as it fits snug to my back, eliminating any sway or bounce when I’m moving fast or handling technical terrain. It even comes with a built-in rain cover, which has proven handy since spring in the Southern Appalachians means daily rain showers. —Graham Averill, Outside travel and gear columnist
LIVSN x Gnara Ecotrek Overalls
In general, I’m a huge fan of overalls—they’re comfy, practical, and moderately cute, and most have tons of pockets for snacks, drywall nails, gardening shears, and cool rocks. The only thing I don’t like? Having to get basically naked to pee. Enter the LIVSN x Gnara Ecotrek Overalls, which have a hidden central zipper. The product of a collab between outdoor lifestyle brand LIVSN and women’s pants brand Gnara (a pee-zip pioneer), these things have quickly become my daily drivers (in fact, I’m wearing them as I write this.)
The central pee zip goes from front waistband to tailbone, making it easy to squat and go without baring your booty to other trail users. And the durable, water-repellent, quick-dry fabric has thus far shrugged off light snowfall, summer squalls, poison ivy, and even thorny underbrush. I use them for everything from yardwork to setting at my local gym to hiking in the foothills around Boulder, Colorado. They’re a little pricey at $229, but I expect them to outlive me. And if time is money, then just count up the minutes I’ve saved by not having to disrobe entirely for pee breaks and they’ve already paid for themselves. —Corey Buhay, interim Outside managing editor
Giro Imperial II Road Cycling Shoe
$425 at Backcountry $425 at Competitive Cyclist
After three consecutive seasons of solely using mountain bike shoes, I’m back to road cycling shoes. The reason? The BOA Li2 closure system has made the lightweight (220 grams) Giro Imperial II road cycling shoes my new go-to bike shoes. The Li2 has solved many of the gripes that I formerly had with BOA’s innovative dial-and-cable closure systems—specifically that they could not hold up to my daily use (and abuse). I ride hard, and due to my narrow foot, I tend to crank down my shoe laces or buckles or BOA dials to their maximum for every ride.
After more than a month of daily riding, the Li2 system’s alloy dial and CS1 lace have not slipped or stretched. I am also impressed with the Li2’s dual-direction micro-adjustability, which allows me to wrench down the fit for climbs, and then back off a few clicks for descents. And finally, the low-profile dials don’t get caught on my leg warmers or overshoes, which makes it easy to adjust these layers when riding. You can find BOA’s new Li2 on a growing number of cycling shoes: Specialized S-Works Ares II, Fizik Vega Carbon 2 and Vento Carbon 2, and Shimano S-Phyre RC902. —Frederick Dreir, Outside articles editor
Halfdays Ynes Longsleeve Top
$85 at Halfdays $85 at Backcountry
In the eight years that I’ve been testing gear for a living, I’ve only come across a handful of clothing pieces that are true standouts in the wide-reaching and crowded apparel category. The Halfdays Ynes Longsleeve Top is one of these. I’ve worn it at least 20 days this month because it’s now the most comfortable, versatile, and stylish shirt in my closet. This top, made from 87 percent recycled polyester, 11 percent Tencel, and 2 percent spandex, feels like butter next to skin, is ultra-stretchy, and is so lightweight and breathable that I can comfortably wear it on hikes in 80-degree temps even when I have my built-in furnace attached to me (aka, my 8-month-old daughter).
I’m also obsessed with ruched fabric and the mock neck cut that provides additional protection from the sun and makes this technical layer stylish enough for a night out on the town. Like other synthetic tops, the Ynes does tend to hold on to odors; but despite the delicate-feeling fabric, it has held up surprisingly well to extensive wear and five machine washes. —J.W.
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The post The Best Gear and Equipment We Tested This Month appeared first on Outside Online.
