Me sweaty and tired after a hill climb.
I’m they type of person who when I find something that I like and it works for me, I stick with it. For example: I’ve owned 4 pairs of the same running shoe, I own 5 of the same workout tank tops (2 of which are the same color), 3 pairs of the same running legging and 10 pairs of the same running socks (all the same color). March went out more lion-like than lamb (ish) and April showers are well under way, so I have had plenty of opportunity to test out a new jacket from Under Armour. I never thought I would love to run in a jacket as much as I do the new Under Armour Scrambler Hybrid.
This jacket retails for $130 on the U.A. website and is available in two color combinations and standard black. Sizes available are from XS-XL and I found that size large was perfect for me, as the jacket is a fitted style so that it won’t restrict movement. On slightly chillier days, I wore a long sleeved cotton tee underneath and on warm days I wore a tank top. Any more layers or dry-fit type material would be too hot, in my opinion. I loved that the elastic around the cuffs did not squeeze my wrists or slide down on them allowing rain to seep onto my forearms.
Kelly looking cute while demonstrating the jacket’s ability to keep her dry.
I wore the Scrambler on several runs, most of which were fairly rainy. I was comfortable and felt the jacket did a good job of repelling the water and wind. The U.A. Scrambler is made for Oregon spring, summer and early fall runs. However, I didn’t feel that it was all that breathable (not surprising) and kept in a good deal of moisture on the inside so that I truly felt wet, but that was from my own sweat. I know that you sacrifice breathability for moisture repelling technology, but for the price point of the jacket and technology Under Armour has at it’s fingertips, it would be a little bit better. One day when I was running with fellow R.O. blogger Kelly, I made her try it on. She graciously posed for some photos so you can see the jacket on a ‘real’ person and not just a website model. She thought it did a good job of keeping her dry on the outside but she was plenty sweaty inside the jacket after our workout.
My favorite part of the jacket is the hood. It will not budge once it’s pulled on! I love the moldable brim that won’t blow back when facing wind head-on. The sucker stood up to many a wind gusts and kept my ears and face dry and toasty. It doesn’t zip off, which is just fine for me because what good is a rain jacket without a hood?!
Jacket from the side and back. Photo credit: Google images.
This amazingly light and wind-proof jacket can fold up into a little pouch for easy storing when you don’t need it. I also think it’s worth mentioning the fact that when unfolded, the wrinkles do not last for more than a couple of minutes which is nice, if you are concerned about looking disheveled if you are meeting friend for an apres-run bite or beverage. Speaking of bites, there are a total of four outside pockets and one inside pocket, perfect for storing a car key, Chapstick, GU or a cell phone. If you run with headphones that aren’t wireless, there is a special hook built in onto the zipper which allows you to secure your cords.
Final thoughts: Would I buy this jacket? Yes, but only if I could get it for $100 or less I feel like $130 is a bit steep, and there are a lot of comparable jackets out there. However, I own four running jackets and this one performed in the 90th percentile as far as it’s ability to repel rain. It is also one of the lightest jackets I own and I appreciate that it’s more form fitting and doesn’t make that awful ‘swishing’ sound like some jackets do when running.
Thank you to Under Armour for providing us with a sample jacket. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
