Product: Roadnoise Vest
Location: Lake Oswego, OR
Kickstarter End Date: December 20, 2015
Current Pledge: $4,475 of $15,000
Website: http://www.roadnoise.com/
If you were reading our blog and/or following us on Instagram in the weeks leading up to the 2015 Hood to Coast, you probably saw us toting a great product – Roadnoise vests. Here is a little snippet from our posts:
So what is RoadNoise? Well, it’s a reflective vest with speakers built into the shoulders. The speakers are right below your ears, and the sound is positioned upwards, with sound loud enough to play your music without being overpowering, and allows you to hear ambient noise around you. You can remove the speakers for easy washing after a sweaty run (race, relay, etc) and it comes in a few colors to almost appease us who like to color-coordinate.
What the website says: “RoadNoise vests give you the ability to hear your footsteps, your breathing, and your surroundings along with your favorite music. There are no dangling cords while you run. Just plug-in your device and you’re off running.” This vest accommodates IPods or your Android smartphone.
Roadnoise is currently doing a Kickstarter to keep the great things about their vests, but move forward with some new changes. The new vest has been completely redesigned for better fit, comfort, sound and multi-use. It’s been tested fully loaded during runs up to marathon distance in both hot and cool weather.
If there was one thing that was lacking in previous versions of the vest, it would be a lack of versatility. While there were a few options, it was necessary to have other gear if you wanted to carry things. The new Roadnoise vest seeks to desire to provide enough options to have this be a complete running vest, instead of just one for night runs. Some detailed updates from their campaign:
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There’s a vertical pocket on each side of the main pocket giving you the option of carrying two 250 ml/8 oz. SoftFlask bottles, a dog leash or any other small accessory.
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Two smaller pockets to hold nutrition bars, gels or blinking lights.
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There’s a bungie adjustment cord that adjusts the vest to your body with just a slight pull. It also secures items you might carry in back.
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One large pocket that holds a light jacket, hat or if you’re out for a long outing, a 1-liter hydration reservoir. It includes loops at the shoulders for a hydration tube.
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Two smaller pockets for extra nutrition, first aid or rear blinking lights.
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A removable drop-down “tube” pocket that hangs below the rear of the vest with a large reflective patch. It’s great for cycling or anytime extra visibility is needed. It can hold lightweight items like gloves or an extra shirt.
Pledging $49 will land you this vest in April 2016.
