I’ve been a bit lazy with my running lately. The weather is cold so running outdoors is not exactly appealing. The gym is boring and basically I’m making lots of excuses for not getting off my ass.  As luck would have it the folks over at Target Dry got in touch with me and asked me if I would give them feedback of one of their Mac in a Sac jackets.  Always up for a challenge and in need of a run I accepted their offer to send me one and set about putting it through its paces.  The following is an honest account of what I found.

The first thing I should say is that it arrived promptly within a couple of days in the post.  They are actually based in Belfast and quote standard delivery in Republic of Ireland as 3-5 working days. It comes in two colours.  The one you see in the pictures is nautical blue with a red trim. The other colour is acid lime. I chose the nautical blue.

The Mac in a Sac actually comes in a lite running version and a jersey lined version which is the one I am testing out since its that bit colder out. It also folds away into its own pocket for handiness. It doesn’t actually come with any instructions about how to pack it away but in fairness it’s not rocket science once you figure out which pocket it should go in.  The inside of the left pocket has a fabric loop to carry it once packed away. It also has a hood which tucks away into the collar of the jacket.

So how did it shape up against the elements?

Well before I actually got to run in it, I wore it to work a few times.  It was warm enough to keep the cold out. It held up quite well against the chill factor of a wind. It’s water proof which is very handy and its very light. The weather has been so changeable so it had been working well as a general all rounder jacket.

5k Run: To really test it out for use as a running jacket in the colder weather I wore it on a couple of different runs.  First up was a 5k around the town where I live. I tend to get uncomfortable with too many layers when running in the cold so opted to go for a t-shirt, light long sleeve top and my jacket. The jacket has elasticated cuffs on the sleeves and adjustable draw strings on the bottom of it to ensure a snug fit.

It was light enough that I didn’t get overly warm and I didn’t sweat too much in it either which was great. It’s lined well and kept me warm and the fabric stood up well to both wind and the light rain I ran in. The fabric itself feels quite nice to the touch.

10k Run: The second run I wore it for was a longer one about 10k. Again it was in more winter type conditions. Cold and windy and my chosen path took me along the coast so I was very exposed to the elements. It remained comfortable to wear for the full run.  Again I didn’t feel I was overheating in it.  The fabric is quite breathable.  It also has two large pockets which can easily fit your phone, gloves or hat.

A couple of things which I felt could be improved upon were as follows:

The sizing chart on the website is a little confusing.  I opted for a medium which fit quite well with my couple of layers under it. I had used a tape measure to check my size before having it sent to me and based on the chart that would have matched to an XS when usually a medium in all jackets fits me.

I did query it with them and they were more than happy to give me a recommendation which did fit well.

I found that the main zip can be a little tricky and get stuck slightly unless you are pressing the seam flat against your body. As the material is quite light it easily moves away from your body while you are zipping or unzipping it.

Overall I’d give it an 7/10 as it fits a range of uses, not just running and I can easily see myself packing this as a handy and space saving jacket while travelling also. The jacket retails at approx. €44 (GBP to Euro conversion) Target Dry currently have a sale on their website until the end of January and this jacket has 20% off at the moment leaving it at approx. €35

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Disclaimer: while Target Dry did provide me with the jacket the feedback is an honest account of how I felt it performed as a jacket for running in. They were advised I was under no obligation to write about it or speak favourable of it unless deserved.