The Best New Athletic Gear of May 2020

By most indications, with gyms and fitness studios closed, we’re all getting back to basics. According to data from Trek’s recent national survey, 21 percent of American bike owners have been riding more often. Another study by RunRepeat found that runners who might only head out once or twice a week have upped their training load by 117 percent. And with warm summer temperatures finally visible on the horizon, we can only expect these numbers to climb.

So it’s fitting that the best new fitness gear we discovered this month is for logging miles outdoors on foot and bike. Recently, Rapha released a summer-weight jersey, Polar revealed a new GPS watch, Wahoo updated its heart rate monitor and more.

Rapha Core Lightweight Jersey

Rapha’s new Core Lightweight Jersey is a riff on the cycling apparel brand’s popular Core Jersey. It stands apart with a super-breathable mesh fabric front that lets wind through and a denser weave in the back that blocks the sun. And even though it’s light as hell, it still has three back pockets. If you don’t want it now, you’ll want it in July.

Velocio Concept Merino Jersey

Velocio’s Concept Collection represents its vision of the pinnacle of cycling gear (we loved its Concept Bib so much we deemed it one of the best fitness products of 2019). For 2020, the company is expanding the line, and we’ve got our eye on this merino jersey for chilly morning rides.

Roka Matador

Athletic sunglasses walk an ultrafine line between high-tech nerdiness and low-key coolness. It’s obvious which side Roka’s Matador falls on, with a lens profile that’s wider at the bottom than the top. A premium anti-fog, sweat-proof lens plus temples that function with helmets and caps give these shades a tech edge, too.

Polar Grit X

Polar included all the standard features you’d expect from a GPS watch — a reliable heart rate monitor, metrics for multiple sports, Bluetooth connectivity — plus a few new ones. The highlight is Hill Splitter, which allows the watch to automatically sense when you’re going up or down a hill during an activity so that it can provide detailed information on your incline performance. There’s also a feature that gives you nutrition alerts and built-in weather info, which make this watch a good bet for long-distance trail running.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37

Nike updated one of its most beloved running shoes, and the changes don’t just include new colors. In research, Nike found that almost all runners connect with the ground mid-strike, so it swapped the thin, full-foot airbag for a thicker one that sits under the forefoot. This tinkering is all in the name of energy return, which translates to a more comfortable — and potentially faster — run.

Wahoo Tickr X

Wahoo Fitness just updated its line of standalone heart rate monitors, which are an affordable alternative or complement to a GPS watch. New features include Bluetooth connectivity for up to three devices simultaneously and nearly double the battery life (it’s up to 500 hours now). The top Tickr X model also transmits run dynamics data to compatible smartwatches.

Therabody Theragun Mini

The brand you know as Theragun — the one that led the charge on a new category of percussion massagers for muscle recovery — is now Therabody. The rebranding comes with an update to all of its massage guns, plus a new one with the Mini. The little, triangular massager is plenty powerful and more portable than its bigger siblings.

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  The Best New Fitness Gear of April 2020

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