****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
So first off, the photo is slightly misleading as it looks like the tights are a dark gray. They are actually BLACK, but because of the reflective pattern that has been printed, the camera picks up on it and makes it appear much lighter. The best way I can describe it is if you were to heavily mist black water resistant fabric, you have that light sheen.My Comments:- They tend to run small like most New Balance tights. If you have more athletic legs/calves, they are going to be tight and the zippers at the calf will be a little hard to close, though not impossible.- They run a little short. I'm 5-6" (I wear medium) and New Balance is the ONLY brand that doesn't bunch up at the ankles when I wear them, which is what I can't stand with other brands that tend to lean toward taller people. The length is literally perfect at the ankles right a my sockline (I wear no show running socks).- These have much more give than the New Balance Impact Run Heat tights from a few seasons ago. There is still a good amount of compression, which I prefer, but these are much easier to get into.- Warmth wise, they were ok and one of the reasons why I docked it a star. Not as warm as the Impact Run tights I mentioned above, which may explain the trade off. These feel slightly thinner. In a recent early morning run, the temps were around 40 F with a light breeze and I could feel the chill.- The stitching on the leg started to come undone. Not sure if it snagged something, but with this type of stitching, you want to be carefull when you wash it (wash inside out) and stay away from velcro.- Good amount of pockets including at the hips on each leg. I don't know why this is sometimes a missing feature for men's tights. In addition to the zippered pocket in the back, there are also smaller waist pockets (non-zippered) for items like keys or cash. NOTE: if you have a larger phone (e.g. iPhone max,Plus) it's going to be a VERY tight fit in the hip pocket. I have a regular iphone13 with a UAG case and it's pretty snug.- The "reflective" pattern is interesting. It's a nice change from the normal strips and stripes, but it gives the tights a somewhat rougher texture on the outside I wish the NB would make colors than black.Other than that, I really like the comfort and could wear it all day. I don't know if the reflective version is worth the slightly bump in price (honestly, they should be the same price) and there are other alternatives out there that are warmer and less expensive. But if you are the shorter side in height, I recommend this as well as New Balance in general.
