Pas Normal Studios has unveiled its Autumn/Winter 2026 Off-Race collection, expanding the Copenhagen cycling label’s off-bike range into what it describes as a complete wardrobe system.

That might sound like an ambitious claim for a company best known for making some of the most fashionable cycling kit around, but the new collection makes a convincing case.

For the range, Pas Normal Studios transformed its technical gear into everyday clothing, with shells, insulation, knitwear, shirts and trousers designed for commuting, travelling and just generally existing away from your bike.

The AW26 collection sits somewhere between Scandinavian minimalism, technical outdoor clothing and contemporary streetwear, with relaxed proportions and muted colours preventing the more performance-focused elements from looking overly sporty.

As well as hero pieces such as the Off-Race Down Liner Jacket and Off-Race Tech Corduroy Pants. Pas Normal has also introduced new merino knitwear, boiled wool pieces and styles made using Japanese seersucker.

Cycling clothes without the cycling clothes

Creative Director and co-founder Karl-Oskar Olsen says details that become second nature when riding have been deliberately transferred into everyday clothing, pointing to things such as secure zipped rear pockets and two-way jacket zips that allow heat to escape.

The collection has been designed around layering, with lightweight shirts that can work as mid-layers and merino and boiled wool providing insulation.

The Down Liner Jacket can be combined with outerwear as temperatures drop, while reflective branding and practical storage appear throughout the range.

The fleece and wide corduroy trousers make an especially strong combination, while the oversized outerwear and cropped down jackets could easily sit alongside pieces from fashion-conscious outdoor labels rather than traditional cycling brands.

Colours remain characteristically restrained: Black, Steel, Dark Coffee and Dark Navy form the base of the collection, joined by earthy shades including Deep Olive, Wood and Sandstone, with brighter Dark Lime and Ochre used as accents.

The Pas Normal Studios AW26 Off-Race collection launches today, 13 August, through the brand’s website, Pas Normal Studios stores and selected retailers. Prices from €12 (~£10 / $14 / AU$20).

Among Google's mass of new Pixel mobile products revealed today, 12 August 2026, there's also an upgrade to its wearables.

The all-new Google Pixel Watch 5 is the key new reveal, which will bring blood pressure and insulin resistance reports as part of its health suite.

However, the Fitbit Air will gain the very same upgrade from next month, so from September owners of the fitness tracker will also benefit.

As part of Google's Health Guardian expansion, blood pressure monitoring will create reports based on data models to assess your readings – and identify potential vascular issues worth investigating.

The insulin resistance report works in the same way, using data models to assess your readings to determine recognisable signs of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or other issues to be further investigated by a health professional.

Pixel Watch 5

But let's focus on the Pixel Watch 5's other features – as this newly announced smartwatch is now even more proactive with your health, brings more advanced GPS, and a new Workout Builder.

Google is keenly promoting its Gemini AI voice control system in all its new products, including the Pixel Watch 5, which can present proactive suggestions based on the context of what you're doing. It even offers offline Gemini.

The Pixel Watch 5's display maintains the same super-bright 3000 nit output as its Pixel Watch 4 predecessor, adding At a Glance cards into this software build, plus new Generative Watch Faces for a more personalised finish.

Route mapping in urban environments is said to be twice as accurate as before, too, as Google has utilised map topographies to include building reflections and other oddities to guide GPS to be as accurate as possible with your routing – something runners will no doubt appreciate.

The new Workout Builder is a first for this generation, too, bringing weight and rep tracking to the Pixel Watch, complete with rest timers, audio cues and ability to programme your workouts as relevant.

Sleep tracking has been improved, too, bringing the most comprehensive tracking and recovery details to date. Health Guardian also brings a new Breathing Emergency feature.

The Pixel Watch 5 will go on sale from 20 August, with a price from £369 in the UK, $399 in the USA, and AUS649 in Australia.

Canada Goose might be synonymous with enormous down-filled parkas and other outerwear pieces built for genuinely hostile weather, but one of the most interesting pieces from its newly arriving Fall/Winter 2026 collection takes things in a very different direction.

The Scout Coat is a new style that leans into heritage workwear aesthetics, with a design that borrows heavily from an archival piece.

The jacket comes in two colours, Arabica Brown and Vireo Green, and combines a removable shearling collar with a water-repellent finish.

The four-pocket front, generous cut and contrasting dark shearling collar give it the feel of an old field or hunting jacket, albeit one that has been cleaned up considerably for a modern luxury wardrobe.

Heritage workwear has become increasingly popular in recent years, pushing gorpcore further out with contemporary menswear options such as chore coats, barn jackets and other utilitarian silhouettes.

In keeping with the trend of people looking for highly functional clothing, most modern workwear-inspired pieces can also function as heavy-duty apparel, albeit with a more fashionable twist.

The Scout taps into this aesthetic without looking too out of place for a brand that historically wasn't the biggest manufacturer of this type of workwear options.

Its military and outdoorsy influences are hardly new, which is why the design has considerably more staying power than your average seasonal statement piece.

Not everything needs to survive the Arctic

The Scout isn't the only new arrival, suggesting Canada Goose is having a little fun with its AW26 wardrobe.

At almost the opposite end of the spectrum is the Habel Knit Crew, a wonderfully bright pink cable-knit jumper that stands out immediately among the brand's considerably more subdued outerwear.

Officially finished in Linnaea Rose, the crew is described by Canada Goose as a more sculptural interpretation of a timeless knit, designed to add extra dimension and lightness to the familiar shape. It's also marked as a new style for the season.

It's certainly not the Canada Goose most people picture when they hear the name, and that's exactly why I like it.

The brand's AW26 rollout still contains plenty of the technical fleeces, insulated jackets and parkas you'd expect, but pieces such as the Scout Coat and Habel Knit Crew hint at a broader wardrobe beyond expedition-ready outerwear.

Personally, I'd take the Scout. It has enough Canada Goose practicality to make sense, but looks more like the sort of jacket you'll still want to wear long after this season's trends have moved on.

The Scout Coat is available now at Canada Goose UK, Canada Goose US and Canada Goose EU for the recommended price of £1,550 / $1,750 / €1,775 (~AU$2,961).

YETI releases new colours with impressive regularity, so the fact that the cooler king released not one but two new colourways recently shouldn't come as a shock.

The new Open Country and Upland Birds collections bring hunting-inspired colours and artwork to everything from the brand's famous coolers and Rambler drinkware to waterproof bags, flasks and apparel.

Open Country is the more traditional-looking option of the two, combining Olive Green with flashes of King Crab Orange, giving familiar YETI products a colour-blocked look that feels particularly appropriate heading into autumn.

The US range stretches across hard and soft coolers, bottles, tumblers, jugs and bags, including the Panga 28L Waterproof Backpack, Camino 35 Carryall Tote, Roadie 32 Wheeled Cooler and Tundra 35.

Conversely, Upland Birds introduces game-bird illustrations that appear across selected bottles, tumblers and YETI Flasks, sometimes laid over the Olive Green finish and elsewhere contrasted against bright orange.

It's considerably more decorative than your typical YETI colour launch, without losing the outdoorsy aesthetic that made Open Country work in the first place.

Feathers in the cap

For me, though, it's the hats that steal the collection.

YETI has created several new designs for the US range, including the khaki Wood Duck Flat Brim Rope Hat, which puts a large embroidered bird front and centre.

There is also the dark-green Good Call Flat Brim Rope Hat, complete with a retro-style hunting patch, just to mention a couple.

Both cost $35 and use a snapback closure with a Bureo brim derived from NetPlus recycled fishing-net material.

There's also a full-on camo trucker hat with an orange YETI Coolers patch, plus a wonderfully simple dark-brown flat-brim design with orange branding.

They lean heavily into vintage hunting and outdoors styling, and arguably make the colours feel more like a proper collection than simply another seasonal repaint.

YETI's Open Country & Upland Birds landing page in the US currently lists 56 results, encompassing 28 drinkware products, eight bags, five hard coolers, four soft coolers and six apparel pieces.

Most of the range is now available directly from YETI US, although availability varies by product and region.

The UK collection is live too, albeit with a smaller selection, and, disappointingly, without those show-stealing hats at the time of writing.

66ºNorth has unveiled its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, and if you like your outdoor clothing to look equally at home on a windswept Icelandic coastline and the streets of London, there’s plenty here to get excited about.

Layers of Everyday Life arrives during the Icelandic brand’s centenary year and digs heavily into the archive, taking garments originally designed for fishermen, mountaineers and unforgiving North Atlantic weather and reworking them for everyday use.

Judging by the campaign imagery, that doesn’t mean sanding away the technical character.

Dominating the collection are oversized down jackets, substantial waterproof shells, fleece jackets, wool and exaggerated collars.

The clothing still looks distinctly functional, but proportions, layering and materials give it the kind of fashion credibility that means you don’t necessarily need a mountain anywhere nearby to justify wearing it.

From Everest to everyday life

Among the AW26 highlights is the returning Dyngja Down family, based on one of 66ºNorth’s bestselling down coats from the early 2000s.

It has been reinterpreted using recycled insulation and will be available across bomber, jacket and coat silhouettes.

The campaign's chunky puffers are arguably some of my favourite and the strongest-looking pieces in the entire collection.

One of the new puffers, the Tindur Down Jacket, has serious mountaineering history behind it.

The original was developed for the first Icelander to climb Everest from its north side, but AW26 introduces a new cropped interpretation inspired by 66ºNorth’s recent District Vision collaboration.

The Tindur Shearling takes things in another direction, using Polartec to create a technical mid-layer combining warmth and freedom of movement, while giving the collection another useful hit of texture.

The Hofsjökull Bomber also looks amazing with its oversized hood, especially in the Lifesaver orange colourway.

The archive-inspired Dyngja Shell, first introduced for AW25, returns alongside the Hornstrandir GORE-TEX Pro, which sits at the technical end of 66ºNorth’s range.

There are some entirely new pieces as well, including the Kaldi, which comes as both an oversized bomber and a bomber-parka hybrid, joined by a relaxed Kaldi Half-Zip interpretation of the traditional Icelandic wool sweater.

Finally, the Hofsjökull Coat updates one of the brand’s signature parkas with GORE-TEX Windstopper for extra protection against Iceland's notoriously unpleasant weather.

Archive-print T-shirts featuring fishing boats, Icelandic landscapes and workwear graphics provide the finishing touches.

The collection is available now at 66ºNorth with prices from £20 / $25 / €20 (~AU$33).

Fresh off its Experience Wild 3+ collab with Altra, Japanese outdoor brand and wander has revealed its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, and anyone who likes their hiking kit with a sizeable helping of fashion should probably pay attention.

The Tokyo-based label has always occupied an interesting space between genuine outdoor equipment and Japanese fashion, but AW26 pushes the combination particularly hard.

The new lookbook jumps from PERTEX SHIELD waterproofs and Dyneema backpacks to shaggy knits, quilted skirts and dramatically wide trousers without any of it feeling particularly out of place.

There are plenty of recognisable and wander staples among the more technical looks, including the PERTEX SHIELD Rain Jacket, 2.5-layer hiking shells, 3-layer rain trousers, ECOPAK backpacks and the brand's Waterproof Trek Shoes Low.

Dyneema, one of the most popular materials in the outdoor industry right now, is making an appearance in the UltraWeave 23L ultralight pack.

Continuing the theme of eye-catching but highly functional gear, the PERTEX SHIELD jacket has a three-layer construction that combines 40-denier nylon with a non-porous polyurethane membrane and nylon tricot backing.

It has a quoted 20,000mm waterproof rating and 20,000g/m²/24h breathability, with underarm ventilation and reflective detailing reinforcing its mountain credentials.

Rain gaiters have never looked this good

One of the most interesting pieces is much simpler: the Rain Long Gaiter.

and wander positions the gaiter as an alternative way of building a waterproof lower-body system, particularly when paired with its Rain Wrap Skirt.

The gaiters extend above the knee to help protect the lower legs from rain, wet vegetation and cold, while also being easier to remove than a conventional pair of waterproof trousers.

AW26 combines the gaiters with oversized hiking trousers, technical vests and waterproof shoes, creating an almost futuristic silhouette from something primarily designed to stop your legs getting soaked.

Then there are the Printed Satin Pants (see at the top), perhaps the collection's biggest departure from conventional outdoor clothing.

The voluminous unisex trousers use a soft cotton-rayon satin with an original all-over print, integrated webbing waist belt and drawcord-adjustable hems.

They have the relaxed proportions you'd expect from fashion-led trousers, but there are still little reminders that this is and wander.

The brown version's fiery, almost camouflage-like print is particularly striking, especially when AW26 pairs it with more restrained fleece and outerwear.

I'm also rather taken with the Reversible Boa Jacket, which combines a fuzzy patterned exterior with contrasting technical-looking panels and an oversized shape.

The collection moves further into traditional winter clothing elsewhere, including shaggy wool jackets, yak wool cardigans, down pieces, moleskin trousers and quilted layers.

Proper rain shells, performance packs and waterproof accessories sit alongside satin, wool, fleece and oversized tailoring as parts of the same wardrobe.

It's strange, functional and occasionally flamboyant, and exactly the sort of outdoor clothing that could make you want to wear your hiking gear even when you're nowhere near a mountain.

The collection is available now in Japan at mix.tokyo, with prices from ¥18,300 (~£85 / $115 / €99 / AU$163).

Patagonia’s Fall 2026 collection keeps revealing some surprisingly substantial updates.

Following the arrival of its new waterproof packs and other seasonal gear, the outdoor brand has now overhauled parts of its popular Nano-Air insulation family, including a redesigned Nano-Air Light platform and several entirely new, more lifestyle-oriented jackets.

The biggest technical change is the updated Nano-Air Light, which now uses 40g FullRange insulation made from 100% recycled polyester.

Patagonia describes it as exceptionally air permeable, with enough stretch to move naturally during high-output activities such as climbing, hiking and ski touring.

The shell and lining are also made from recycled polyester ripstop, with an air-permeable construction designed to let heat escape rather than trapping it inside.

A PFAS-free DWR treatment adds resistance against light moisture.

The new Nano-Air Light Jacket comes in men's and women's versions and weighs 332g and 281g respectively.

Both have articulated patterning, low-profile quilting and three zipped pockets, while the jacket can stuff into its chest pocket when not required.

There’s also an updated Nano-Air Light Hoody, adding a stretchy low-profile hood and a second chest pocket. The women's version weighs 323g, while the men's comes in at 371g.

The Nano-Air Light Vest has been updated too, with the new men's version moving to a regular fit and weighing just 213g. The corresponding women's model tips the scales at 195g.

From alpine insulation to everyday outerwear

Perhaps more interestingly, Patagonia is also using Nano-Air technology outside its traditional technical-mountain setting.

The new Nano-Air Bomber Jacket wraps 60g FullRange insulation inside a conventional bomber silhouette, complete with an insulated collar, elastic cuffs and adjustable hem.

There’s also a Nano-Air Shirt Jacket, essentially an insulated overshirt with a snap front, zipped hand pockets and 60g FullRange filling, while the women's range adds a cropped Snap Hoody, relaxed Bomber Jacket and thigh-length Long Hoody.

All use the same breathable recycled ripstop fabric and 60g FullRange insulation.

While Patagonia is still targeting climbers and fast-moving mountain users with Nano-Air Light, but the bomber and shirt-jacket designs suggest it also wants its active insulation to work as everyday outerwear.

In the US, the Nano-Air Light Vest starts at $199, the Light Jacket costs $259, and the Light Hoody is $299.

In the UK, the new Light Hoody is listed at £280, while some of the other Fall 2026 pieces appear to be reaching the UK site gradually.

A scientific discovery has created clothing that is able to heal. The breakthrough comes from researchers in China, who have developed a textile that keeps the fungal cells alive rather than killing them during manufacturing.

Most existing mycelium-based materials use dead fungal matter, but this new approach allows the material to retain some of the properties of a living organism.

The fabric is made from pellets of Cordyceps militaris, a fungus better known as caterpillar fungus, which are processed into flexible sheets using glycerol. The resulting material has a leather-like texture and can be shaped into different forms, including the prototype dress.

The clever bit comes when the material is damaged. Researchers can add fresh fungal pellets and a small amount of water to a tear, providing the living mycelium with the conditions it needs to grow across the damaged area. As the fungus grows, its tiny filaments bridge the gap and regenerate the missing surface.

That means a damaged garment could, in principle, repair itself rather than needing to be stitched, patched or thrown away.

The researchers also found ways to give the living fabric extra capabilities by combining it with other microorganisms.

Engineered yeast can produce natural pigments, allowing the material to change colour without relying on conventional textile dyes. A separate fungus, Aspergillus niger, can also be grown across the surface to create a melanin-rich layer that helps absorb UV radiation.

The surface of the fungal fabric can also become water-repellent thanks to the structure of its aerial mycelium. In testing, water droplets rolled away without leaving residue, giving the material a degree of self-cleaning ability.

There is one fairly significant catch: the material is almost too biodegradable. Soil-burial tests showed it can break down almost completely in around 41 days.

That could be a major advantage for disposable or circular fashion, but it also highlights why this is still a laboratory demonstration rather than the next generation of everyday clothing.

The researchers have shown that living fungi can be turned into a functional textile with properties conventional fabrics simply can't offer. The next challenge is making it durable enough to survive real-world wear while keeping the fungus alive and functional.

Pocket multitools might be useful but they can be clunky at best. Most fold away multiple tools into a chunky handle, leaving you digging through layers of metal every time you need a simple screwdriver or blade.

The CoinShift run literal rings around the old designs. Rather than folding tools into a handle, they're arranged around a circular body roughly the size of a large coin. A quick twist rotates the tool you need into position, making it accessible in one movement rather than several.

Five stainless steel tools are built into the disc: a utility blade for everyday cutting, a box opener, flat-head screwdriver, scraper and bottle opener. Each locks into place as it's rotated into position, making it feel more like using a dedicated tool than unfolding a traditional multitool.

The compact design also means it slips easily into a pocket or onto a keyring without creating the usual bulk. It's a simple idea, but one that makes a surprising amount of sense for the jobs most people actually need throughout the day.

The CoinShift stays minimal and focuses on the essentials. That keeps the design slim while making each tool quicker to access, which is arguably more useful than carrying a miniature toolbox you'll rarely use.

The circular mechanism also keeps sharp edges safely tucked away until they're needed, reducing the chance of accidentally exposing the blade while searching for another tool. That's a small detail, but one that could make everyday use feel far less frustrating.

It's currently seeking funding through Kickstarter, so this isn't yet a product you can simply add to your basket. As with any crowdfunding campaign, it's worth remembering that backing a project carries some risk and final designs can change before shipping.

Even so, it's one of the more genuinely original takes on the multitool we've seen in years. Rather than adding more functions for the sake of it, CoinShift makes the tools people actually use easier and faster to access – and that could be enough to earn it a permanent place in your pocket.

Garmin is preparing another free software update for the Fenix 8, with fixes targeting some particularly frustrating problems encountered during workouts and everyday use.

Beta Version 23.22 is now being distributed to watches enrolled in Garmin’s Public Beta programme.

Despite the lengthy changelog, this is primarily a reliability update and not one packed with new training or navigation features.

The most noteworthy change for runners is a fix for an issue that could cause pace and speed data to drop out, especially during interval training.

Losing real-time pace information is inconvenient on any run, but it is particularly disruptive during a structured session when each interval may have a specific speed or intensity target.

Garmin is also addressing a problem that could cause its flagship outdoor watch to reboot sporadically.

Other fixes target resets while viewing the Morning Report or receiving an audio spectator message, as well as a crash that could occur when incident detection was activated.

Tuning up

The update also includes several smaller quality-of-life improvements.

Garmin says it has fixed a volume slider that could bounce around and become unresponsive in the music controls, as well as an issue that prevented audio spectator messages from playing while music was paused.

Voice output should also work more reliably after receiving a spectator message, while silent mode should now be correctly honoured when Activity Focus Mode is enabled.

Morning and Evening Reports have been adjusted to time out properly rather than remaining on screen indefinitely.

The software introduces a prompt explaining that watch face selections made during Boat Mode will only appear after Boat Mode has been disabled.

Quatix 8 users should also regain the ability to change and customise watch face styles.

Version 23.22 applies to Garmin’s current family of premium outdoor watches, including the Fenix 8, Fenix 8 Pro, Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED, Enduro 3 and Quatix 8.

At the time of Garmin’s announcement, the beta had reached around 20% of eligible Public Beta participants.

Enrolled users can check manually by opening the watch’s main menu and heading to System, Software Update, and Check for Updates.

[via NotebookCheck, Garmin]

It shouldn’t be too long before we see iOS 27 arrive in its final form. The upcoming software update for iPhone is currently available as a public beta, but it is expected to land around the same time as the next iPhone models. With previous patterns taken into account, that should be sometime in the first half of next month.

A number of new features will arrive with iOS 27, including a Liquid Glass slider so you can increase or decrease the transparency. There will also be new EQ settings for AirPods and photo editing features.

Now another new feature has appeared on the latest beta (via 9to5Mac) – iOS 27 is bringing GymKit to iPhone and AirPods Pro 3.

How does GymKit work with iPhone?

GymKit was first introduced for Apple Watch back in 2017, enabling compatible gym equipment to connect and securely share data with Apple’s smartwatch with a tap.

The Apple Watch provides the heart rate data, while the equipment fills in the other trackable details – such as incline on a treadmill, for example.

With iOS 27, GymKit is expanding to iPhone and AirPods Pro 3. This means that while anyone with an Apple Watch will still likely continue to use that, if you forget your watch at home or your battery is dead, you can still track your training. Compatible gym equipment can use heart rate data from AirPods Pro 3 while relying on your iPhone as the workout computer.

Having tried it out on the beta version, 9to5Mac said that while the exercise ring didn’t update when working out without an Apple Watch, it caught up when the smartwatch was put back on after. The Fitness app also updated with the right data.

Without AirPods Pro 3, the iPhone disconnected from the GymKit machine as there was no heart rate source. Also, when the site tried to start GymKit from iPhone with an Apple Watch on, it was pointed back to the Workout app on Apple Watch.

However, the setup of using an iPhone to connect to a GymKit machine was reportedly simple, with a quick tap like Apple Watch requires. That was followed by the selection of Indoor Run or Indoor Walk when connecting to a treadmill.

Apple notes during setup: “After the workout, data is stored privately and securely on iPhone and removed from the equipment.”

Remember, you will need a GymKit-compatible machine at the gym, a supporting iPhone and Apple AirPods Pro 3 with the heart rate permission turned on in settings. You’ll also need to be running iOS 27, which for now, is beta only.

However, this is all very promising for those who don't have an Apple Watch or have left theirs at home.

Patagonia has launched a new version of its most water-resistant backpack, designed to keep equipment dry even when the entire bag ends up underwater.

The Guidewater Backpack 25L is part of Patagonia’s submersible fly-fishing collection, alongside the existing Guidewater Sling and Hip Pack.

However, the backpack is the significant new arrival, replacing the outgoing 29-litre Guidewater model with a smaller but more substantial design.

It carries an IPX7 rating, meaning the bag can be submerged in water up to one metre deep for 30 minutes without allowing water to reach its contents.

Built like a wearable dry bag

The Guidewater Backpack’s main compartment is made from 18oz, 800-denier recycled nylon with a TPU coating applied to both sides of the fabric.

Patagonia says this construction is intended to withstand years of use in rivers, around saltwater and on dry land.

It is noticeably more robust than the previous 29-litre Guidewater, which used lighter 14.4oz fabric with a PU coating on the outside and a TPU layer on the reverse.

The trade-off is weight. Despite dropping from 29 to 25 litres, the new backpack weighs 1.3kg, compared with 960g for its predecessor.

The backpack now has a padded back panel, shaped shoulder straps and a removable padded hip belt intended to distribute heavier loads more comfortably.

It is offered in small, medium and large sizes, with the height increasing from 48cm to 58cm depending on the selected fit (the width and depth remain 33cm and 15cm across all three versions).

Made for fishing (but not limited to it)

Fishing-specific details include a net scabbard that can be accessed from either side, shoulder-strap tool docks and lash points for rod holders, an external bottle carrier and Patagonia’s smaller Stealth Switch Packs.

An internal zipped pocket with a key clip keeps smaller items separated from the otherwise open main compartment.

Although clearly designed for anglers, the understated exterior and serious waterproofing could also appeal to kayakers, paddleboarders, photographers and commuters who regularly carry expensive equipment in bad weather.

The Patagonia Guidewater Backpack 25L is listed at £320 in the UK, $349 in the US and €350 in Europe (~AU$573).

It comes in Forge Grey and River Rock Green, with availability currently varying by colour and size.

Goldwin has unveiled its Fall 2026 collection, which might just be one of the most convincing examples yet of technical outdoor clothing designed for life away from the trail.

Across 25 looks, the Japanese brand combines GORE-TEX waterproof shells, Polartec fleece jackets and lightweight insulation with relaxed blazers, collared shirts, wide trousers and loafers.

It sits somewhere between Arc’teryx-style minimalism and Japanese streetwear, with thoughtful fabrics, accessories and proportions adding interest without making the outfits look overworked.

Goldwin calls the campaign a study in “Stillness” and “Motion”, but the simpler explanation is that this is outdoor clothing made to function as an everyday wardrobe.

The collection layers bright insulated hoodies with a grey blazer, technical shirts are tucked into belted trousers, and a cropped GORE-TEX blouson is worn with pleated trousers and polished shoes.

Outdoor gear without the full hiking uniform

The collection’s strongest idea is technical layering, with Goldwin stacking shorter insulated pieces over longer shirts, pairing fleece with tailoring and using lightweight outer layers to alter the shape of otherwise straightforward outfits.

Part garment and part storage system, the Back Pack Vest might be the best example from the drop.

It creates the volume of a backpack without looking like conventional hiking equipment.

Worn over clean shirts and relaxed trousers, it feels like an unconventional waistcoat and not a gorpcore try-hard's wardrobe staple.

The Polartec High Loft Fleece Neck Warmer plays a similar role. Priced at £55, it is one of the collection’s more accessible pieces, but it has an outsized effect on the styling.

Wrapped high around the neck, it gives simple jackets and blazers a cocooned silhouette while adding texture to Goldwin’s largely muted palette.

That colour centres on navy, charcoal, taupe, stone and cream, punctuated by brighter cyan, rust orange and acidic lime.

Sharp accents are used sparingly, generally on one insulated layer or shell, so the brighter pieces provide a focal point without tipping the outfits into obvious colour blocking.

The lime Gridded Down Jacket is likely to be one of the collection’s most instantly recognisable pieces, while the cyan Tsubai Insulated Hoodie brings a more playful edge to an otherwise restrained blazer-and-trouser combination.

A niche alternative to the obvious outdoor names

Goldwin remains relatively niche in the UK, which is part of the appeal.

The brand offers the technical materials and clean design associated with better-known premium outdoor labels, such as Arc'teryx, but without the same level of recognition or logo-driven status.

It is not inexpensive, but the pricing is also less intimidating than many high-fashion interpretations of technical outerwear.

The Tsubai Insulated Hoodie costs £330, the matching vest is £270, and several of the collection’s trousers sit between £195 and £245.

The GORE-TEX 3L Jacket reaches £695, but shirts, fleece layers and accessories provide less costly ways into the look.

Most importantly, Goldwin’s Fall 2026 collection does not ask you to dress like a mountaineer on your morning commute.

It takes the best parts of outdoor clothing, including weather protection, comfortable cuts, useful pockets and adaptable layers, and turns them into something more refined, versatile and distinctive.

The Goldwin Fall 2026 collection is available through the brand’s UK online store, with individual pieces arriving in stages between August and October. Prices from £55.

Nike has offered the first official look at the ACG Kigerfly, a mysterious new trail-running shoe that has been quietly tested by athletes in competition.

The company revealed the mud-covered prototype as part of a wider story about its All Conditions Racing Department, a group of elite runners helping Nike develop new trail footwear through real-world racing.

Nike says the athletes have worn the Kigerfly across climbs, technical descents and long-distance events, collecting podium finishes while feeding information back to its designers.

However, the brand has stopped short of revealing many of the specifications that usually accompany a new performance shoe.

There is no confirmed weight, stack height or heel-to-toe drop, while Nike has yet to say what rubber compound it uses or whether there is a plate hidden inside the midsole.

ZoomX heads for the trails

All that said, the images still give us a few clues. ZoomX branding is clearly visible along the midsole, confirming that Nike’s lightest and most responsive cushioning foam forms part of the design.

The Kigerfly also features a close-fitting knitted ankle collar, a thin ribbed upper and bonded reinforcement around the toe, heel and midfoot.

Its forefoot looks relatively broad, while the dramatically sculpted rear section flares out on either side of the heel.

That unusual geometry could be intended to improve stability on uneven terrain, although Nike has not confirmed its purpose.

Small outsole lugs are also visible beneath the shoe, suggesting it has been designed for firmer and more technical trails rather than deep mud.

Visually, the Kigerfly appears leaner and more race-focused than the max-cushioned Nike Zegama.

It also looks substantially different from the existing Terra Kiger, despite sharing part of its name.

Nike has not said whether the new model will replace the Terra Kiger or sit alongside it as a dedicated racing option.

It has promised to reveal more about the technology behind the shoe in early 2027, with further appearances expected on race podiums before then.

Head over to Nike Running to find out more.

Snow Peak has just reinvented its first-ever shelter 36 years after it launched, bringing a redesigned version of the Amenity Dome 3 to UK campers for 2026.

The original Amenity Dome was introduced in 1990 and, according to Snow Peak, was the Japanese outdoor brand’s first tent.

It has remained one of the company’s bestselling and most accessible tents ever since.

The latest three-person version retains the low, rounded silhouette associated with the Amenity Dome, but introduces a revised frame, a larger vestibule and several changes intended to make camping in wet or warm weather more comfortable.

Although this model first appeared in Snow Peak’s Japanese 2025 range, it is now being pushed as the updated 2026 Amenity Dome in other regions.

Pitch imperfect

Perhaps the most useful change is the move to an outer-frame construction with the poles supporting the flysheet, while the inner sleeping compartment hangs underneath it.

That means you can erect the outer structure before attaching the inner tent, helping to keep the sleeping area dry when pitching in the rain.

The inner can also remain attached during setup and takedown, reducing the number of clips and hooks that need to be handled each time.

Snow Peak has also redesigned the vestibule with a symmetrical layout and entrances on both sides.

The larger porch provides additional storage and living space, while zippered side panels make it easier to reach equipment without opening the entire front of the tent.

The front panel can be raised to create a covered awning, complete with side walls to offer additional protection from wind and rain.

The flysheet uses 75-denier polyester taffeta with a minimum 1,800mm hydrostatic-head rating, while the inner combines 68-denier polyester walls with a tougher 210-denier floor, also rated to at least 1,800mm.

An A7001 aluminium-alloy frame supports the structure.

At 9kg, this is firmly a car-camping tent, but it does pack down to a comparatively small 71 x 22 x 26cm, which is not too shabby for a 3-person tent.

The Amenity Dome 3 is available now for £600 / $639.95 / €690 (AU$1,147) from Snow Peak UK, Snow Peak US and Snow Peak EU, with a smaller two-person Amenity Dome 2 also offered.

Maximal cushioning might dominate the current trail-running market, but not every runner wants several centimetres of foam separating their feet from the ground.

The Oregon-based footwear brand KEEN is taking a different approach with the Wander, its lowest-profile trail running shoe to date.

Designed to provide better ground feel underfoot, it combines a 26.1mm stack height with a low 4mm heel-to-toe drop and the brand’s characteristically roomy forefoot.

The result should feel very different from the tall, heavily cushioned trail shoes associated with brands such as HOKA (see also our HOKA Mafate 5 review).

The Wander is intended to deliver a more natural stride with enough protection for rugged and moderately technical routes.

That protection comes from a three-quarter-length rock plate, which sits beneath KEEN’s compression-resistant ReGENX cushioning.

The plate should help prevent sharp rocks from pressing through the midsole while also adding stability on uneven ground.

Built to keep wandering

Underneath, the Wander uses an abrasion-resistant rubber outsole with 3mm lugs.

These are shallower than the aggressive teeth found on shoes built for deep mud, suggesting that the Wander is best used on dry trails, gravel tracks and mixed surfaces.

KEEN says independent footwear-testing laboratory Heeluxe rated the outsole to last for more than 925 miles before wearing smooth.

That is an unusually ambitious durability claim for a trail shoe, particularly as many runners retire their footwear long before reaching that distance due to changes in cushioning and overall ride quality.

The upper is made from breathable performance mesh reinforced with overlays in higher-wear areas.

Reflective laces add some low-light visibility, while their woven construction is designed to help prevent them from coming undone on the move.

At 9.95oz, or approximately 282g, in the men’s version, the Wander is reasonably light without stripping away practical trail-running features.

Its most unusual component is the EcoEnd-enhanced midsole, which KEEN describes as a bio-enhanced material designed to biodegrade organically at the shoe’s end of life.

It is intended to help reduce the amount of persistent foam and microplastic waste left behind.

It does not make the entire shoe biodegradable, but it represents an interesting attempt to address what happens to running footwear after it has been worn out.

The Wander is currently only available at KEEN US in men’s and women’s sizes, priced at $140 (~£104 / €121 / AU$198).

UK, EU and EU availability and pricing TBC.

Helinox has built a reputation for making some of the most desirable ultralight camping chairs on the market, but its latest collaboration pushes the brand even further into fashion territory.

The South Korean outdoor brand has joined forces with luxury fashion label WE11DONE on a small capsule collection that proves technical camping gear has fully crossed over into the world of designer fashion.

WE11DONE's signature draped tailoring is translated onto Helinox's iconic Chair One, creating soft folds across the seat fabric that mimic the look of contemporary fashion garments.

The chair uses Helinox's DAC aluminium alloy frame, weighs around 1 kg and supports up to 145 kg, which is to say it's incredibly lightweight and exceptionally sturdy at the same time.

It's finished with the metal piercing detail, giving one of the outdoor industry's most recognisable pieces an unmistakably high-fashion edge.

The collection also includes black and charcoal jersey T-shirts featuring the same furniture-inspired draping and metal hardware.

Camping goes couture

Outdoor brands are becoming increasingly influential in fashion circles.

From 66ºNorth's fashion-forward Trawler Collection to Altra's collaboration with Japanese cult brand and wander, technical gear is increasingly being designed with everyday style in mind.

Up until now, camping furniture manufacturers weren't part of the conversation, but this is evidently changing.

If this collection is anything to go by, lightweight, foldable chairs and tables might be getting the same treatment, appearing in luxury boutiques, design exhibitions and fashion collaborations.

And Helinox is leading the charge, thanks to its instantly recognisable aluminium-framed chairs.

Both Helinox and WE11DONE were founded in South Korea and have built international reputations by combining clean design with premium craftsmanship.

While Helinox focuses on engineering some of the lightest portable outdoor furniture on the market, WE11DONE has earned a cult following for its oversized silhouettes and contemporary take on luxury fashion.

For outdoor style enthusiasts, the collaboration feels like another milestone in the ongoing "gorpcore" evolution.

Technical gear is no longer simply being worn in the city but is increasingly being reimagined through the lens of luxury fashion.

The WE11DONE x Helinox capsule launched on 31 July, with the limited-edition Tactical Chair and matching apparel available through WE11DONE and selected retail partners.

Both the chair and the T-shirt sell for ₩300,000 (~£156 / $210 / €182 / AU$299).

[via Hypebeast]

After reading press releases and reviews and attending feature briefings on hundreds of product launches every year, I've noticed something curious. Outdoor brands almost always prioritise sustainability, while running brands often lead with performance.

I've been covering fitness and outdoor brands for nearly a decade, a time that also coincided with many companies placing greater emphasis on sustainability credentials in their product messaging.

This is especially apparent with outdoor companies, which often tout their circularity prowess before moving on to talking about the performance of their new waterproof jacket.

Fitness companies are different. How often do you buy a pair of running shoes because they say the foam is made with more recycled materials? Most runners care about speed and energy return (and, increasingly, how the product looks). So fitness companies sell them that.

All that said, not all outdoor companies are sustainability champions, and not all fitness brands are wasteful polluters. Most companies are trying – generally speaking – to align their practices with circularity, but there certainly is a gap in how they communicate these efforts. Why that might be is anyone's best guess, but I've narrowed it down to five potential reasons.

Outdoor brands sell values – fitness brands sell outcomes

Outdoor companies are selling values, not just products. You aren't just buying a coat but also a promise that the garment will be functional for a long time thanks to material choices, repair ecosystems and thoughtful design.

Since most of their customers enjoy spending time in nature, brands naturally associate themselves with wild places. Sure, this fleece jacket looks nice, but it's also made from reclaimed ocean plastic – and you like the ocean, right?

On the other hand, fitness brands sell you outcomes. You are buying a shoe, a vest or a pair of shorts because they promise new PBs. You are purchasing better sweat-wicking, improved temperature management, reduced chafing, lighter weight, or greater energy return.

All of these can coexist with sustainable manufacturing processes and material choices, but people don't necessarily require them, and sadly, it's still cheaper to produce goods in an environmentally unfriendly way, so fitness companies aren't in a rush to change.

Elite sport makes sustainability messaging difficult

When you're trying to shave two minutes off your marathon PB, environmental credentials inevitably become secondary to weight, lockdown, energy return and race-day performance.

Using recycled foams or alternative materials may involve compromises, whether real or simply perceived – it doesn't really matter. As long as people think the product might put them at a disadvantage relative to their competitors, it matters little how circular it is.

Imagine Nike marketing a marathon shoe by saying it contains 60% recycled foam. The next question becomes: "Great, but is it slower?" Even if the answer is "no", the brand has already created doubt.

Outdoor apparel doesn't face the same scrutiny. People certainly chase summits, distance and personal goals, but durability has always been just as important as outright performance.

Nobody rejects a shell jacket because it contains recycled nylon. If anything, some people will actively choose it because of that.

Product lifespan is fundamentally different

Outdoor companies actively encourage people to buy less. Companies like Patagonia and Arc'teryx tell customers to repair their garments and even provide repair services to help keep products in use. Of course, these services are often exclusive to the brand's own garments, but they reinforce the idea that good kit should last.

Changing a zip on your waterproof jacket or sewing a patch onto your hiking trousers can often be done quickly. Some brands, such as Danner and Lowa, will even resole certain boots (albeit with caveats). An average hiker may happily wear the same pair of boots for a decade and be disappointed if they have to replace them.

Runners, on the other hand, often have a shoe rotation that changes every few months. One pair for tempo runs, another for long runs, one for racing and one for recovery. Even if you only own one pair, you'll eventually replace it because the foam simply doesn't feel the same anymore.

It's difficult to build a "buy it for life" message around something designed to wear out.

Outdoor consumers care more

This is probably uncomfortable, but it might also be true. Research suggests outdoor consumers place greater importance on sustainability than the average sportswear buyer.

One recent study found outdoor enthusiasts associated sustainability not just with recycled materials but also with durability, repairability and product longevity. Even then, they were only willing to pay a modest premium for those attributes.

If you hike because you love national parks, mountains or forests, climate change feels tangible. If you mainly train for a 10K PB, sustainability may simply rank lower than comfort, fit and pace. Brands respond to the incentives customers give them.

The industry is already changing – but quietly

I spoke a lot about how outdoor companies are ahead of fitness brands when it comes to sustainability in general, but that doesn't mean there aren't good examples of the latter group trying to make a difference.

ASICS, for example, publishes Product Carbon Footprints for many of its shoes, which is arguably a more mature approach than broad sustainability claims.

Other examples include Adidas' Move For The Planet initiatives, Nike's recycled materials and manufacturing targets, Brooks' bio-based midsoles and CarbonNeutral Ghost programme, Puma's RE:FIBRE programme, Salomon's circular Index project, On's Cyclon subscription model and Hoka's increasing use of recycled uppers.

Perhaps the question isn't whether fitness brands care less about sustainability than outdoor brands. Perhaps they've simply concluded that sustainability doesn't sell running shoes in the same way it sells waterproof jackets.

Performance remains the headline, while environmental progress is relegated to the small print. Whether that changes will ultimately depend on us. If consumers start rewarding brands that put sustainability on equal footing with speed, the messaging will change almost overnight.

Outdoor style trends come and go, but one look is quietly making waves ahead of autumn.

Fisherman core is an aesthetic that combines rope accessories, waterproof shells, nautical textures and practical bags inspired by life at sea.

While many outdoor brands could only dream about having a strong heritage in the field, for 66°North, it's simply returning to its roots.

Founded in 1926 to create protective clothing for Icelandic fishermen working in some of the harshest conditions on Earth, the outdoor brand has unveiled the new Trawler Collection that celebrates the maritime heritage that shaped its identity long before "fisherman core" had a name.

Leading the capsule are the Dyngja Shell Jacket (£300) and Dyngja Shell Pants (£170), both featuring the new Trawl print.

Trawl is a geometric pattern inspired by traditional fishing nets that gives the technical shells a distinctive, fashion-forward look without compromising their outdoor credentials.

The waterproof shells also take inspiration from an early-2000s silhouette pulled from the 66°North archive, blending heritage design with contemporary performance in a way that feels both nostalgic and modern.

A collection tied together by the sea

The fishing influence runs throughout the range, including the Trawler Tote Bag (£140), which wraps a durable everyday carryall in an oversized, net-inspired exterior.

Smaller accessories include the Trawler Belt (£40) and Trawler Chain (£20), reinterpreting fishing ropes as minimalist everyday accessories.

Even the Straumur Swimsuit (£100) carries the same net-inspired graphic, reinforcing the collection's maritime identity across every category.

It's the attention to small details that really sells this collection for me, like the swimsuit's broken fishnet pattern or the fact that the bag's net exterior actually functions as storage space for smaller items.

Each product leans into the understated, technical aesthetic that has made Scandinavian outdoor brands increasingly influential beyond the trail.

A trend with genuine heritage

The rise of fisherman core has seen more brands borrow nautical styling, but few can claim the authenticity of 66°North.

Its connection to Iceland's fishing industry is why the company exists, giving the Trawler collection surprisingly solid ground to stand on.

If fisherman core is set to become one of this autumn's defining outdoor looks, 66°North looks perfectly placed to lead the charge.

The Trawler Collection is available now at 66ºNorth, with prices from £20 / $30 / €25 (~AU$41).

Patagonia has begun unveiling its Fall/Winter 2026 collection, and one of the first new arrivals is the Durable Down Hoody, an insulated jacket designed for climbers and mountaineers who need warmth without treating their gear gently.

Patagonia has focused on longevity with this jacket, borrowing a lighter version of the brand's Steel Forge workwear fabric, a material originally developed for demanding job sites, and adapting it for alpine use.

The result is a shell made from a 98% recycled nylon and 2% recycled polyester Ultra-PE ripstop fabric that's designed to shrug off scrapes against rock, rough packs and repeated use while remaining noticeably lighter than its workwear counterpart.

The weight of expectation

The jacket is insulated with 700-fill-power 100% recycled down reclaimed from duck and goose down products.

Patagonia has also body-mapped 80g Thermogreen synthetic insulation into the cuffs and underarms, helping maintain warmth in areas more likely to become damp from sweat or snow while improving long-term durability.

The brand says the quilting pattern is intentionally "discontinuous," allowing the down to loft while giving the shoulders greater freedom of movement during overhead reaches.

The hood features a single-pull adjustment and elastic binding to help seal in heat, while the two-way front zip improves comfort when belaying or wearing a harness.

Patagonia has also included two generous handwarmer pockets, with the jacket packing into its own left pocket for transport.

Despite its emphasis on durability, the Men's version weighs just 652g, making it a practical option for cold-weather climbing trips, winter hiking and alpine objectives where abrasion resistance matters as much as insulation.

As expected from Patagonia, sustainability remains central to the design.

The shell and lining both use recycled materials, the DWR treatment is made without intentionally added PFAS, the down is entirely recycled, and the jacket is manufactured in a Fair Trade Certified factory.

The Durable Down Hoody is available now at Patagonia US and Patagonia UK for the recommended price of $365 / £350 (~£271 / €316 / AU$518).

Availability in other regions is expected in the coming months.

If you've spent any time looking at outdoor footwear over the past couple of years, you've probably come across HOKA's Hopara.

The maximalist trail sandal has become a favourite among hikers, travellers and Gorpcore fanatics thanks to its chunky midsole and closed-toe design.

On the other hand, American footwear company KEEN isn't famous for being at the forefront of outdoor style.

The brand's products are highly functional, but KEEN doesn't have the same street credibility as HOKA, Salomon and Arc'teryx.

That said, KEEN's Hyperport H2 SP might be the better-looking option between the two, and certainly more niche than the HOKA.

That in itself might be enough to convince some people, but wait until you hear who else was involved with this handsome-looking pair of sandals.

Created in collaboration with Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak, the sandal pairs KEEN's signature toe protection with a sculpted oversized sole and an understated all-black finish that looks just as at home on city streets as it does on mountain trails.

Japanese design meets trail-ready performance

The Hyperport H2 SP leans heavily into contemporary outdoor style with its monochrome upper, subtle branding and speckled oversized midsole that give it a cleaner, more premium look than many of its rivals.

The sandal uses KEEN's lightweight injected foam midsole for cushioning, a quick-cinch lace system for easy adjustment, and the brand's grippy Aquagrip rubber outsole designed to maintain traction on wet rocks and muddy trails (and streets).

The familiar rubber toe bumper also returns, offering far more protection than open-toe sandals without sacrificing ventilation.

A genuine Hopara alternative

The similarities with the Hopara are obvious: both feature a chunky silhouette, enclosed forefoot, quick-lace system and outdoor-first construction that comfortably transitions into everyday wear.

However, the Snow Peak collaboration feels more refined, with fewer visual flourishes and a distinctly Japanese design language that makes it easier to pair with technical apparel from brands such as Arc'teryx, Goldwin, nanamica or Snow Peak itself.

For anyone who likes the idea of HOKA's trail sandal but wants something you won't see on every other foot this summer, the Hyperport H2 SP could be one of the strongest alternatives currently available.

The Keen Hyperport H2 SP is available at Snow Peak UK and Snow Peak US for £120 / $130.

The Black / Castlerock Hopara retails for £105 / $135 at HOKA UK and HOKA US.

Nike has unveiled a new performance footwear system for hybrid athletes, and its flagship racer looks like what might happen if the Alphafly were rebuilt for sled pushes, lunges and strength stations.

The Nike Hybrid is a two-shoe system that consists of the Hybrid Fly, designed specifically for competition, and the Hybrid RN, a more accessible trainer intended for everyday hybrid workouts.

Like most brands on the market, Nike aims to solve one of hybrid racing’s most persistent footwear problems with its new range: how to combine speed and stability into one versatile piece of footwear.

While carbon-plated running shoes deliver speed and responsiveness, they aren’t necessarily stable or grippy enough for demanding station work.

On the other hand, traditional workout shoes feel planted under load, but can become heavy and unforgiving once you start running.

Nike’s answer is to build separate shoes around both sides of that equation.

An Alphafly built for the race floor

The resemblance between the Hybrid Fly and Nike’s flagship road racer is more than visual.

Like the Alphafly, the Hybrid Fly uses ZoomX foam, a full-length carbon Flyplate and two Air Zoom units beneath the forefoot.

It’s a familiar combination designed to help athletes maintain their pace during the running portions of a hybrid race, where even small efficiency gains can make a meaningful difference.

The rest of the shoe has been adapted for a very different kind of competition.

A wider base should provide more stability during lifts and directional movements, while a four-zone traction system combines sticky rubber with sidewall wraps to increase grip across different surfaces.

Nike has also added race-lockdown laces and reinforced the lightweight mesh upper with zoned haptic lines.

The overall effect is essentially an Alphafly reinterpreted for hybrid racing with an aggressive and propulsion-focused approach, but considerably broader and more planted than a conventional road super shoe.

The Hybrid RN is the everyday alternative

The Hybrid RN takes a less extreme approach for regular training with React cushioning and a single forefoot Air Zoom unit.

Nike says this setup is intended to produce a smooth, responsive ride without sacrificing the stability required for lifting.

A wide outsole, X-shaped overlays around the upper and a dual-rubber traction system help secure the foot during transitions and provide grip across different training surfaces.

The Hybrid Fly is unapologetically a race-day shoe, whereas the RN is designed to cope with the repeated running, lifting and conditioning sessions that lead up to an event.

The Nike Hybrid RN will launch in China on 24 September before becoming available globally through Nike and selected retailers on 8 October 2026.

It's already listed at Nike UK and Nike EU for £134.99 / €149.99 ($173 / AU$245) in two colours (White/Black/Laser Crimson/Metallic Silver and Laser Crimson/Football Grey/Football Grey/Metallic Silver).

The more exciting Hybrid Fly requires a longer wait and won’t receive its global launch until April 2027. Nike hasn’t announced pricing for the Hybrid Fly.

Vollebak is no stranger to clothing that sounds as if it has escaped from a science-fiction film, but its latest creation might be the brand’s most gloriously unhinged yet.

The For When All Hell Breaks Loose Jacket – shortened to FWAHBL – is a bright-yellow trench coat cut from the same material used to manufacture airtight chemical-protection suits.

Just 10 examples will be made, each costing £2,995 and currently available to pre-order, with delivery expected in September 2026.

The jacket’s fabric comes from Fothergill, a British manufacturer that has been developing protective textiles since 1847 and first supplied the British Army during the Boer War.

Its materials have subsequently been used in military helmets, body armour and vehicles.

More specifically, the coat is constructed from a woven polyester core coated on both sides with polychloroprene rubber.

Vollebak says the resulting material is engineered to resist chemicals, oils, ozone, flames and weathering.

The final composition is 82% polychloroprene and 18% polyester and, according to the brand, “100% hell-proof”.

Despite its unusual material, the FWAHBL is cut like a relatively conventional trench coat.

It has raglan sleeves, a two-piece collar, a single rear vent and concealed mini-snap fastenings.

There are also two zipped hand pockets and internally bound seams.

This is where things get very Vollebak

Naturally, Vollebak hasn’t stopped at making the jacket.

Each coat arrives inside a garment bag made from the same chemical-suit material and is presented in an elaborate box inspired by 40 years of video-game packaging.

A limited-edition comic is included, while Vollebak has also created a game-style trailer and says a playable FWAHBL video game is in development.

Although the underlying textile is used for chemical-protection suits, Vollebak says the finished jacket is designed for bad weather and “existential dread”, not genuine chemical spills.

If your emergency wardrobe is missing a £2,995 / $3,995 / €3,495 / AU$4,795 yellow trench coat for alien rain, rogue AI and poisonous unicorns, the For When All Hell Breaks Loose Jacket is available to pre-order from Vollebak UK, Vollebak US, Vollebak EU and Vollebak AU.

The North Face has just launched the Offtrail Ultra, a lightweight trail running shoe designed for moving quickly across steep, rocky and technically demanding mountain terrain.

The shoes are built around the Dreambound midsole made with nitrogen-infused superfoam.

Unlike the full-length Dream foam used in the more cushioned Altamesa 500 V2, the Offtrail Ultra’s Dreambound midsole combines a soft, rebound-focused core with a firmer outer layer for greater stability and protection on technical ground.

The brand says the two densities are formed together during a single moulding process, removing the need for adhesives between separate layers.

This is said to reduce unnecessary weight while preserving a responsive and protective feel underfoot.

Unlike many contemporary performance shoes, including Hoka's latest Tecton X 4, the Offtrail Ultra has no propulsion plate, exaggerated rocker or especially tall midsole.

It uses a 29mm heel stack with a 6mm heel-to-toe drop, giving it a relatively streamlined profile.

The men’s version has a claimed weight of 264g per shoe, while the women’s model weighs approximately 227g.

When the trail becomes a crux

Underfoot, an updated Surface Ctrl outsole features 5mm traction lugs for loose and rocky ground.

A dedicated scrambling zone beneath the toes is designed to improve grip and control when a route turns into steeper rock.

The reinforced mesh upper balances breathability with protection in areas exposed to abrasion.

An integrated Screeguard stretch gaiter wraps around the ankle to help prevent stones and other trail debris from entering the shoe.

The North Face says prototypes were tested by its top athletes on five continents, including Kaytlyn Gerbin, Tara Fraga and Stephanie Case.

Mountain ultrarunner Zach Miller said the absence of plates, extreme rockers and towering stack heights was central to the shoe’s appeal.

“That simplicity translates to versatility: it climbs, descends, scrambles, corners, and cruises with ease,” Miller said.

The Offtrail Ultra joins The North Face’s Summit Trail Run collection, whose colours and graphics draw inspiration from the 1990 Trans-Antarctica Expedition.

The men’s Offtrail Ultra is available at The North Face UK, The North Face US, The North Face EU and selected specialist retailers for £145 / $190 / €160 (~AU$262).

HOKA and legendary Japanese retailer BEAMS have joined forces for a new interpretation of the Bondi 7, marking the first official collaboration between the two brands.

The Bondi 7 BEAMS project reimagines HOKA’s maximalist running shoes through the quiet visual language of Japanese Zen gardens.

Two tonal camouflage patterns draw on moss, the shadows that fall across karesansui stone gardens, and the grain of timber found in ancient temples.

The shoe will launch in two colourways: a lighter pale stone with off-white tones (Turtledove/Tidal Foam) and a darker deep charcoal and black model (Chestnut/Black Bean).

The treatment extends across the mesh upper and the Bondi’s substantial midsole, creating an almost continuous camouflage surface.

HOKA and BEAMS branding has also been concealed within the patterns.

Contrasting insoles provide one of the clearest co-branded details.

Despite the updated colourway, the Bondi 7 hasn't changed and offers a breathable open-mesh upper supported by TPU overlays, a memory-foam collar and a full-length compression-moulded EVA midsole.

HOKA’s MetaRocker geometry completes a platform known more for generous cushioning and an easy rolling transition than outright speed.

Raked gravel, hidden names

The collaboration arrives as the Bondi 7 enjoys an unexpected second life.

Although newer generations have followed it, HOKA revived the model as a lifestyle proposition.

The brand has done this before, with one of the most recent examples being the UNNA x HOKA Speedgoat 2.

BEAMS will give the shoe an early release at its Harajuku and BEAMS BOY Harajuku stores on 7 August.

A wider launch across participating BEAMS and BEAMS BOY locations, along with the retailer’s online shop, follows on 8 August.

HOKA will then release the collaboration globally through its website and selected retailers from 14 August, although a complete international stockist list has yet to be announced.

The Harajuku release will be accompanied by an evening event featuring a live performance from contemporary painter Ryoten Ogata.

The all-gender Bondi 7 BEAMS will launch through HOKA UK and HOKA EU on 14 August, priced at £155 / €175 (~$202 / AU$288). US and AU prices and availability TBC.

Hoka has unveiled the Tecton X 4, a lighter, more aggressively tuned successor to the Tecton X 3, the very same trail-running shoe that previously picked up a T3 Award.

The brand says it has refined the shoe through extensive testing, with changes spanning the midsole, carbon-plate construction, upper and lacing system.

The Tecton X 4 changes the dual-layer PEBA midsole to PROFLY X, Hoka’s new performance platform combining high-energy foams, carbon plates and race-focused geometry.

Luckily for those of us who were fans of the previous version, the PROFLY X still has two layers of PEBA foam, which the brand describes as its lightest and most resilient cushioning material.

Parallel carbon-fibre plates remain central to the formula, but their structure has been adjusted to improve snap and efficiency.

They work alongside Hoka’s speed-focused MetaRocker geometry, intended to move you more quickly from a stable landing into a responsive toe-off.

More than a midsole makeover

Underfoot, the Tecton X 4 uses a Vibram Megagrip Litebase outsole with 4mm Traction Lugs.

Vibram claims its Litebase construction can reduce outsole thickness by around 40 to 50 per cent and tread weight by roughly 25 to 30 per cent while maintaining performance.

The lug design is intended to increase rubber contact with uneven ground for added grip and precision.

Hoka has fitted a more breathable Matryx Micro woven upper, a lightweight material with hydrophobic properties for wet conditions.

The shoes retain their signature extended gaiter-style knit collar to help keep trail debris out.

However, the updated lacing structure adds a marathon-lacing option and promises improved lockdown.

The men’s shoe weighs a claimed 275g in a size 10, with a 40mm heel and 35mm forefoot stack.

The women’s version weighs 234g in a size 8 and measures 39mm/34mm. Both have a 5mm drop.

The Tecton X 4 will launch on 20 August 2026 in Frost/Neon Tangerine for men and women, priced at £220 / €250 (~$288 / AU$411) at HOKA.

Casio’s wonderfully strange Ring Watch could be evolving into a fully fledged wearable, complete with health sensors and smartphone notifications.

The new CRW-H001 builds on Casio’s miniature digital watches that went viral at launch and adds biometric tracking and Bluetooth connectivity.

The reported feature list includes everything you'd expect from a modern health tracker, including heart-rate, blood-oxygen and body-temperature monitoring, alongside sleep, recovery, step and calorie tracking.

Walking, running and cycling activities are also said to be supported.

Unlike most of the best smart rings, the CRW-H001 retains its tiny digital display, allowing you to check the time without opening a companion app.

It might be an obvious feature, perhaps, but one missing from rivals such as the Oura Ring 5 and Ultrahuman Ring Air.

A miniature vibration motor is said to deliver notifications for incoming calls, messages and alarms.

The ring is also said to come in only three sizes (9, 10 and 11).

The Casio smart ring we’ve been waiting for?

Casio’s existing Ring Watch has become a cult gadget by shrinking a functional digital watch down to finger size, but it offers none of the health features associated with a modern smart ring.

Adding activity tracking and notifications would turn that novelty into a far more useful everyday wearable, albeit one considerably less discreet than the usual screenless ring.

That said, the quirky look of the Ring Watch is what made it popular in the first place, so it would make no sense to remove it now.

There is, however, a reason to temper your excitement: Designboom's article says the model is "available exclusively in China."

However, Casio China only lists the existing CRW-001 Ring Watch, not the health-tracking model. For now, anyway.

If and when the CRW-H001 finally arrives, it might become one of the most interesting smart rings of the year.

A health tracker that also looks like a tiny 1980s Casio watch? Yes, please.

Ever wished your sliders could give your feet a massage? Nike has made that a reality with the new Air Zoom Hyperslide, created in partnership with recovery specialist Hyperice.

The futuristic footwear combines Nike's Air Zoom cushioning with built-in heating and vibration technology to help your feet recover after exercise – or just a long day on them.

The clever bit is a removable Hyperslide Pod that slots into the adjustable strap. This delivers three levels of heat and three levels of vibration, helping to reduce tension and soothe tired feet.

Controls are built into the pod itself, but you can also tweak the settings using the Hyperice app. Treatments run in automatic 15-minute sessions, making them easy to fit into your recovery routine.

Underfoot, the slides feature a full-length Air Zoom unit that's designed to spread the heat and vibration across your feet while also delivering the sort of comfort you'd expect from premium recovery footwear.

Nike says the Air Zoom Hyperslide isn't just aimed at athletes either. The company believes they'll appeal to anyone who spends long hours standing, travelling or walking for work.

The only catch is the price. The Air Zoom Hyperslide will cost $250 (around £185 / AU$385) when it launches on 29 September, making it far more expensive than your average pair of sliders.

Still, if you're already spending money on massage guns, compression boots or recovery gadgets, these could make a lot of sense. A pair of sliders that warm your feet and give them a massage while you relax? That's the sort of gadget I'd happily pay the premium to slip on after a long run.

There are well over 100 marathons in the UK alone in one year, which means that there's always a long-distance run to train for.

While there are myriad things you have to think about when training for a marathon — head to T3's marathon tips guide for more information on this — the absolute basics is getting your trainers right.

Here we have hand-picked 8 of the best marathon trainers around. These are the running shoes that will got the distance, even when you feel like giving up...

1. BROOKS HYPERION ELITE 5

These carbon-plate road racing shoes have been developed with professional athletes to make their marathon times faster. How well they work for you depends on the way your feet land on the ground, but as they're very light (195g each) and have stacked soles that hit the max legal height for road racing, they're a race-day treat.

2. NEW BALANCE 1080V15

NB's classic running shoe has had a redesign to its upper, and sports a new midsole made from Infinion instead of FreshFoam. There's 2mm more depth in the sole, but the 6mm drop remains, and it's still recognisably the 1080.

3. ALTRA EXPERIENCE FLOW 3

Altra's signature toe box helps with a natural running gait, allowing the foot room to spread, and the Flow 3s' low (4mm) drop between heel and forefoot keeps the shoe comfortable over long road-running miles. The Ego P35 foam in the midsole keeps them soft underfoot, and at 255g per shoe they feel light enough to wear every day.

4. SALOMON S/LAB PHANTASM 3

They may look like something you'd wear to cut down on drag while cycling, but these lightweight (198g) aerodynamically optimised shoes with a full-length carbon plate aim to give you the edge over the competition when road-racing using only your feet. The single-layer engineered mesh upper with a flexible gaiter hides traditional laces, and offers a snug fit, and for competitive racers will provide a feeling of high-tech superiority and the chance of extra speed.

5. ASICS NOVABLAST 5

These fan favourites are available in a riot of colours, and Asics is so proud of the bouncy energy-return action that it claims it was inspired by a trampoline. They might not boing you quite that far into the air, but the FF Blast Max foam and 79% recycled upper make this a lightweight (225g) running option that will put a spring in your step.

6. ADIDAS ADIZERO EVO SL

Adidas' versatile racing shoe is priced like your favourite fashion trainers, but they certainly don't perform like them. There's no carbon plate here, just Lightstrike Pro foam in the midsole, but they're responsive and well-cushioned for shock absorption, and returns energy better than some pricier shoes.

7. NIKE ALPHAFLY 3

“Leave your old personal records in the dust” says Nike, and maybe you will. The full-length carbon plate and ZoomX foam midsole on the lightest Alphafly shoes yet (218g) are joined by Zoom Air units to propel you forward to the finish line.

8. SAUCONY ENDORPHIN SPEED 5

Using a nylon plate rather than a carbon one, these 8mmdrop road racing shoes may be positioning themselves as fast training options, so you can save the more expensive footwear for race day. Or you may look at features like the engineered mesh upper and full-length sole groove for smooth transitions, and wear them for everything.

Mountain climbers are one of the simplest ways to challenge your cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance and core strength without a single piece of equipment.

The bodyweight move has long been a favourite of everyone from callisthenics athletes to bootcamp devotees, and according to celebrity strength coach and founder of Just Train CIC, Michael Baah, completing two minutes with good form can tell you a surprising amount about your functional fitness.

"Doing mountain climbers continuously for two minutes is an excellent test of cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, shoulder strength and hip mobility," says Baah.

"It also challenges your heart, core and whole-body coordination - all qualities that become increasingly important as we age. If someone over 50 can perform them continuously for two minutes with good technique, it's a positive sign they've maintained several key components of physical fitness."

In fact, they're one of the few bodyweight exercises that simultaneously challenge your heart, lungs, shoulders, core, hips, and legs. Unlike isolated strength exercises, they require your cardiovascular system and muscles to work together continuously.

Your two-minute test

Completing two minutes of continuous mountain climbers demands cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, core strength, balance and coordination, which are all physical qualities that naturally decline with age if they're not regularly trained.

Research published in journals such as the Journal of the American Heart Association and the British Journal of Sports Medicine has consistently linked higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, loss of independence and premature death.

And while there isn't an official clinical benchmark based on two minutes of mountain climbers, completing the challenge with good technique and without stopping is a strong sign you've maintained good functional fitness and whole-body conditioning.

How to do two minutes of mountain climbers

Set a timer for two minutes and focus on maintaining good form rather than moving as fast as possible.

• Start in a high plank with your hands directly beneath your shoulders, your body forming a straight line from head to heels, and your core engaged.
• Brace your abs and keep your hips level throughout the movement.
• Drive your right knee towards your chest.
• Return it to the starting position as you simultaneously drive your left knee forward.
• Continue alternating legs in a smooth, controlled rhythm for two minutes, breathing steadily throughout.

If you need to stop before the timer ends, take a breather and go again. Make it your goal to improve your reps and decrease your rest period each week. Small, consistent gains soon add up and are a great way to build your endurance over time.

I tried two minutes of mountain climbers, and this was my score

I tried the test myself and got to 109 reps, which, according to Baah, is a strong score and a useful benchmark to improve on over time.

The full-body movement engaged every muscle group from head to heel, including my core, shoulders, arms, and legs, and by the end of the two minutes I found it hard to catch my breath, thanks to the fast-paced, continuous movement of the exercise.

Where did I feel it most? My shoulders, upper back, core and calves were burning by the end, and perhaps more than anything, my determination was being tested. Two minutes feels surprisingly long when you're doing mountain climbers - I started strong and slowed right down. I had to take a few breaks to reset too.

Expert verdict

While being able to complete two minutes of mountain climbers with controlled movement and good form is an encouraging indicator that your body is functioning well, “it should always be interpreted alongside other measures of health and fitness,” explains Baah.

“However, it’s important not to overstate what this test can tell us. Healthy ageing can't be measured by a single exercise. Strength, balance, mobility, aerobic capacity and the ability to perform everyday tasks all contribute to functional fitness."

"Rather than viewing mountain climbers as a definitive measure of how well you're ageing, I'd consider them a useful fitness benchmark."

When most people imagine an exoskeleton, they picture something closer to a suit of armour like in the sci-fi movie Elysium. Heavy frames, motors and mechanical joints have limited wearable robots from becoming practical outside specialist environments, but a new design could offer a much more subtle approach.

Developed by researchers at Hebei University of Technology in China, the soft exosuit uses artificial muscles made from dielectric elastomer materials. These rubber-like fibres contract when exposed to an electric field, mimicking the way human muscles work rather than relying on conventional motors, gearboxes or air pumps.

The team bundled thousands of these tiny artificial muscle fibres together to create a lightweight system that can be worn around the hips. The result is a flexible wearable device that looks more like a harness than a robotic suit, while still providing assistance during walking.

Researchers tested the exosuit on six healthy volunteers, comparing walking with the system switched on, switched off and without wearing it. When active, the suit reduced the energy needed for walking by an average of 13.9%, suggesting it could help reduce fatigue during movement.

The potential applications go well beyond helping people walk more comfortably. Lightweight exosuits could eventually support older adults, people recovering from injuries, workers performing physically demanding tasks, or anyone needing extra endurance without being restricted by a bulky machine.

There are still challenges before this technology becomes something you can buy and wear every day. The current prototype is limited by battery life, and the control system still needs to become smarter at adapting to different walking speeds and terrain.

However, the research points towards a future where wearable robots don't make people look like they're preparing for a battle with aliens. Instead, they could become lightweight pieces of clothing that make everyday movement easier.

The bicycle is surely one of humankind's greatest inventions. But has the technology really moved on that much in the last century? Sure, bikes have lost weight, gained gears, they're smoother, roll more easily and stop better. But when all's said and done you still have to do the work – it's not moving along without you.

But what if it could give you a helping hand? What if the ultimate upgrade wasn't (just) a set of Spokey-Dokeys, but the ability to turn your regular bike, no matter how humble, into an electric one?

We've lined up three e-bike converter kits that you can add to your current bike for a bit of a boost – and remove if you have to leave it somewhere. All are fully compliant with UK regulations and were designed and developed here too. These are not cheap kits that are going to explode in your front porch. Nor are they going to rocket you up hills at 40mph. Sorry. You're still going to have to do some pedalling.

What they will do is help take the sting out of your rides. No more sweaty and dishevelled stumbling into the office on the commute. They might convince you to leave the car at home if the weather's good. Or pedal to the pub to see your mates. Or the park for Sunday footy. In other words: your bike, multiplied.

SWYTCH

Why not just buy an e-bike? Simple answer: cost. A vaguely reputable e-bike is a thousand quid, but for half that Swytch will sell you a kit that can be fitted to almost any conventional bike. Secondary answer: security. An e-bike is a theft magnet – with these, you can remove a good chunk of the expensive tech and carry it with you.

All three kits consist of the same basic elements: a battery to store energy, a motor to deploy it, and a sensor to decide when to do that. The Swytch separates these out, linking them with cables. There's a wide variety of batteries to choose from and places they can be mounted around the frame, but this £499 Max+ kit is designed to sit on your handlebars as it contains a built in ‘be seen' light ring. A sensor sits on the pedal arm, calling up assistance from a motor that's mounted – and here's the unusual bit – in the front wheel. That's right, this is a bike with two driven wheels.

All you do is switch out your existing wheel (you can choose to replace the rear instead of the front), run the cables around the frame, mount the battery, sensor and you're away. The Max+ battery has a 275Wh capacity (Another £100 buys you the 362Wh Max++) and is good for a claimed 30-40 miles.

Capable of delivering up to 250 watts, it is effectively you, doubled. Plus it develops 40Nm of torque, which is just the thing for getting away from traffic lights. As with the others, there's a 25kmh (15.5mph) assistance limit – go above that and you're on your own. The Max+ battery weighs 2.2kg, and the rest of the kit adds about the same again. When you stop and lock the bike up though, the battery unclips to take with you. You can recharge it – or discharge it further – an integral USB-C port means it doubles as a power bank.

On the move, an optional wired display allows you to switch between five levels of assistance. Choose level one to maximise range, or five for nonchalantly leaving roadies in your wake. Accessories include a twist throttle – just remember that unlike a motorbike, if you stop pedalling no amount of twisting is going to wake the motor. Nevertheless, the Swytch Max+ (swytchbike.com) is the most affordable and adaptable of these e-booster kits.

VERDICT

Turn it on, start pedalling, and Swytch chips in to help out. So there you are, cruising silently along at 15mph (it's the quietest of these three) and letting the bike do all the hard work – provided the pedals are moving, however slowly, the motor will contribute, so you can cheat the system.

The Swytch does have a couple of quirks though. Every time you stop, it takes a couple of pedal revolutions before the motor wakes up – frustrating if there's a line of traffic lights ahead. And with all the weight on the front of the bike, the Max+ system can be a bit awkward to handle at low speed or if you're on a loose surface. Front-wheel spin is a possibility. You might want to choose the less pretty, more affordable, frame-mounted Swytch Go (starting from £349) instead.

But on the whole, the Max+ is an excellent value, attractively designed kit that delivers on its range and power promises. It's waterproof to IPX6 standards (in other words, it's more tolerant of rain than you are), but with the cables running around the frame, once you've converted your bike, you're unlikely to unconvert it. If you want to have the choice to ‘e' or not to ‘e' with your push bike, then you will need something different.

From £499, swytchbike.com

SKARPER

The other systems here are aimed at commuters and urban riders. Simply fit the kit to give your old bike a new lease of life and get to work less of a sweaty mess. The Skarper (skarper.com) is more versatile.

Where the others feature removable batteries, but leave the motor, cables and sensors attached, Skarper thinks differently. Rather than a motor in the hub, here it's built into a sleek 4.2kg box that houses the battery and control electronics as well. When you lock your bike up, Skarper unclips in two seconds and the only component left behind is the rear disc brake.

Have a close look and you'll spot some unusual holes in it. This is how Skarper connects to your bike – with locator pins, a locking mechanism and – most importantly – a driveshaft. Capable of delivering peak torque of 76Nm (over 30Nm more than either rival) it puts a lot of stress through the slender shaft, so Skarper needed the materials and engineering expertise of Red Bull Advanced Technologies (the F1 team's offshoot).

The 240Wh battery is marginally the smallest here, meaning a claimed range of 30 miles, but it's the fastest to charge (2.5 hours rather than four). It also has the most comprehensive control electronics, with a built-in inclinometer so it knows when you're heading uphill and can chip in a bit more, plus the removable sensor on the pedal arm is a Bluetooth-linked accelerometer, rather than a simpler wired torque sensor. This all allows the Skarper to operate more smoothly.

Mount your phone on the bars and you can control Skarper through the app to switch between Eco, Cruise and Turbo modes and keep an eye on battery level. Want to save battery for later? Pedalling backwards for three rotations turns the system off – and back on again.

Because it's so easily mounted and removed, and leaves so little trace on your bike when it's not there, the use cases expand: it'll do the commute, but it can also help you keep up on group rides. Skarper has a converter for bikes with rim brakes. Some bike brands are now offering Skarper as their in-house e-bike solution rather than designing and developing their own unique models.

It's a beautiful, clever piece of engineering. Which is why it costs £1495. Still, that's cheaper than most e-bikes.

VERDICT

The Skarper is the most intuitive and most powerful e-bike converter here. It might be expensive, but it justifies that by delivering levels of torque the others can't match and doing that in a way that, in Eco and Cruise modes, seems to accurately second-guess what you want. It gives you what you want, when you want, so comes across as more integrated and thoughtfully developed than the others here.

There's no lag or waiting when you set off, the torque is instantly there and although Skarper looks vulnerable mounted so low down on the frame, we had no issue with either kerb strikes or catching a heel on it. Actually, it's positioning not only counteracts the weight of the regular drivetrain on the other side, but means the bike handles more naturally. Even with the system turned off, the bike isn't a pain to pedal.

The only real downside is that it's the noisiest system of these three, so you're less likely to fool other bike-riders into thinking you're doing it all yourself. The flip side is that everyone will want to talk to you about it. It's a super-satisfying piece of design and technology, there if you need it, gone if you don't. Two bikes in one.

£1,495, skarper.com

BOOST

Think of Boost as a tech ecosystem. Yes, there's a converter kit similar to Swytch, but there's also a bespoke Boost urban bike, and a BatteryIQ app designed to alleviate fears about potential battery fires. In other words Boost has thought around the issues of e-bikes and come up with solutions.

Core tech first though. Like Swytch, you need to change a wheel – the rear, in this instance, which comes in a wide array of sizes to work with almost all bikes. It includes a sensor built into the hub that detects your inputs through the drivetrain, so no need for anything on the pedal arm. Then you simply drop the battery pack into the bespoke bottle mount on your frame, where it locks in place with a key.

The lightweight 1.4kg pack contains the control electronics and a 252Wh battery – a neat piece of packaging. All told the kit adds around 4kg (on a par with both rivals) with the motor delivering peak torque of 42Nm. Claimed range is 35 miles, although as ever that depends on how hard you're making it work. Like Skarper, there are three modes: Eco,

Boost and Super Boost (giving you full power for a 20-second burst). Control comes via an app, or a separate £59 wireless display.

The system itself costs £695. Boost (boostbike.uk) recommends you have it fitted at one of its retailers (another £100), but if you want to save money and have some engineering nous, then you can buy the basic kit for £522 and build it at home. However, as with Swytch, once fitted, it's unlikely you'll want to unfit it – this doesn't have Skarper's broader remit. But park it up, remove the battery and it's going to be pretty hard for anyone to spot anything different about your bike. There's less cabling than Swytch, so it's a stealthier solution.

Alternatively, for £1,245, Boost will sell you a complete bike. Aimed at urban riders and commuters, what sets this 16kg e-bike apart is its slim design on 20in wheels. It's not a full Brompton-style fold-up, but it's designed to fold flat for storage in narrow hallways, thanks to flip-in pedals and bars that turn through 90 degrees.

The battery also links to your phone through another app, BatteryIQ, to give you in-depth information about cell health, temperature and voltages. Basically, it tells you that all's well and it's not about to catch fire. Boost is hoping to sell this tech to other firms.

VERDICT

Boost by name, not massively boosty by nature. Even in its higher Boost mode it's a little parsimonious at handing out the power – good for battery range, not great if you want a good jet of power off the line. You should be able to get that by selecting Super Boost, but again, that's not a mode that lives up to its name – plus it cuts out after 20 seconds.

As with Swytch there's too much delay between setting off and the motor waking up. With Swytch you feel the extra torque sweep in but don't hear it, while here it's the other way round. The motor whines but power is modest. Use the app rather than the optional display – it's got better information, more logically displayed.

To be fair, motor control at lower speeds is good, with Boost doing a better job than Swytch at working out how much torque to add depending on the power you're putting in. And as fitted to Boost's own bike, the system is great for dealing with tight urban spots and around pedestrianised areas. But for cycling in more open, freer-flowing areas, the others do it better.

£695, boostbike.uk

When I hear the word "gladiator", I immediately think of the original Gladiators on TV, Russell Crowe in the film Gladiator and, of course, the warriors of ancient Rome, some of the strongest, fittest and most resilient people in history. So when I came across something called the gladiator deadlift, I couldn't resist giving it a go.

I'm 43 now, and my training goals have changed. I'm no longer obsessing over personal bests (even though they’re nice) or pushing my body to its limits. Instead, I'm focused on building the kind of strength that will keep me capable, balanced and moving well into my 50s, 60s and beyond.

And after trying the gladiator deadlift, I quickly realised this wasn't just another deadlift variation. By adding an asymmetrical, cross-body movement to a classic hip hinge, it challenged my core, balance and coordination in a way traditional deadlifts never had.

Better still, it exposed small strength imbalances I'd never noticed before, making it one of the most functional exercises I've added to my routine.

What is the gladiator deadlift?

The gladiator deadlift is an offset variation of the kettlebell or dumbbell deadlift. Instead of lifting both weights at the same time, you reach across to pick one up before collecting the other, creating an uneven load that forces your core to work much harder to resist rotation.

That simple twist adds a whole new challenge. Your glutes, hamstrings and back still do the heavy lifting, but your obliques and deep core muscles have to work overtime to keep your torso stable throughout the movement. And let's face it – life doesn't happen in straight lines, so your strength training shouldn't either.

I've always been a fan of Romanian deadlifts and, over the past year, I've probably done them more than squats. I'm naturally quad-dominant, so strengthening my posterior chain has become a priority.

The gladiator deadlift builds on those same benefits by adding an anti-rotation challenge. Because the load is uneven, your obliques and quadratus lumborum (QL) have to work harder to stop your body twisting under load.

It also exposes left-to-right strength imbalances, improves coordination, challenges your grip and core, and develops the kind of functional strength and stability that carries over into everything from squats and overhead presses to everyday tasks.

Here's how to do it.

How to do the gladiator deadlift

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and place two kettlebells on the floor, one on either side of your feet.
• Brace your core as you hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat and chest proud. Reach your left hand across your body to pick up the kettlebell on your right side.
• Stand tall, resisting the urge to twist your torso as you lift. Keeping the weight in your left hand, hinge back down and reach your right hand across to pick up the kettlebell on your left side.
• From here, stand up holding both kettlebells, keeping your shoulders and hips square. Finally, perform a standard deadlift by pushing your hips back and lowering both kettlebells to the floor with control.
• That's one rep. On the next repetition, switch sides so your right hand reaches for the left kettlebell first.

Why I wish I'd discovered the gladiator deadlift sooner

I've only recently added the gladiator deadlift to my training, but it's quickly become a move I love, despite getting myself in a bit of a twist in the first few attempts. The movement felt awkward at first, but after a few sets everything clicked.

The biggest thing I noticed - aside from the coordination the exercise demands was how hard my core had to work. Because the weight sits on one side of the body, and you have to reach over, every rep becomes an anti-rotation challenge.

My obliques, glutes and deep core muscles had to work overtime to keep my torso stable as I lifted and transferred the kettlebell across my body. My grip strength was tested, too, as the uneven loading forced me to squeeze the kettlebell throughout every rep.

I also noticed my glutes and hamstrings working so much harder than they do during a conventional deadlift. The offset load forces you to stay controlled throughout the movement.

It's easy to feel off balance as you reach across to collect the weight, making every rep feel awkward and slightly wobbly if you don't brace your core properly.

Unlike traditional deadlifts, where both sides of your body share the load equally, the gladiator deadlift quickly highlights strength imbalances and encourages you to correct them over time.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was how much more stable I felt. Now in my 40s, I'm far more conscious of maintaining my balance, mobility and coordination for the decades ahead, and this exercise challenged all three.

My hips and lower back felt looser after each session, and I could already feel my core working in a way it hadn't during conventional deadlifts. I also found myself moving with more control during other lifts and even while running.

These are exactly the qualities I want from my strength training: to stay strong, resilient and agile enough to tackle whatever life throws at me.

How to add the gladiator deadlift to your workouts

If you're new to the gladiator deadlift, start with a light kettlebell and focus on mastering the movement before increasing the weight.

Keep your hips and shoulders square throughout each rep, stay tall through your torso and resist the urge to twist or round your upper back as you move the weight from one side to the other.

Aim for 2–3 sets of 8-10 reps per side and as your balance, coordination and core strength improve, gradually increase the load rather than rushing to heavier weights.

The goal is to stay in control, keep your body rooted, your core braced, and your movement smooth throughout every rep, and you'll get exactly what this exercise is designed to deliver.

Just like everybody else, I’ve been struggling with all sorts of ailments all my life. I have mild scoliosis – an abnormal, sideways curvature of the spine – which I’ve known about for the last 25 years. Lately, I've also started feeling sciatica pain, which I’m sure is something to do with my scoliosis.

Even though I know the reason, it doesn’t change the fact that I have nerve pain that has kept me up at night over the past half a year. On one particular occasion, I woke at around 2 am to excruciating pain, which was so sharp that I couldn’t stand or sit down, so I had to hobble around my living room until the painkiller kicked in.

Long story short, having sciatica isn’t a pleasurable experience, and no matter how I tried to get rid of it, the pain hasn’t left me for months. I did dead hangs, NHS-prescribed stretches, curled myself into a fetal position, and rested my body in deep squats, but to no avail.

Applying heat helped ease the discomfort, but the pain never fully left my body, making me hobble as I walked and preventing me from sitting still for longer than half an hour. It’s not an ideal state to be in for anyone, let alone if you make a living out of testing fitness and outdoor gear.

The reprieve didn’t last

That is, until about two months ago, when the pain suddenly subsided. I’m not sure what happened; the discs just probably loosened enough to release the nerve. I was happy, as the lack of pain meant I could start exercising again properly.

I went running, started doing bodyweight workouts in the morning (my pull-up strength is getting there), and generally appreciated being able to function as a human being again.

I always tell people that fitness isn’t a burden but a gift, and this episode reminded me of that. Sadly, despite my best efforts to stay active and strengthen my back, the sciatica returned recently. You know that feeling when you have a small, niggling pain, and you kind of know what it is, but you’re trying to convince yourself it isn’t.

I was there two weeks ago. Then, the pain returned with a vengeance, and I was back to hobbling, gobbling painkillers and not feeling like my best self. This period also coincided with the launch of NordicTrack’s new premium Ultra 1 Reformer Pilates machine, and the brand very kindly offered us the opportunity to try it for two weeks.

Little did I know that by the time the machine arrived, I’d find it hard to sit straight, let alone do a workout. Nevertheless, I’m a thorough reviewer, so I decided to give it a try.

Not to mention, I was excited to try an ultra-premium fitness machine – it’s not often you get to do that. Better still, having the Ultra 1 for myself meant I could skip the class setting, which always gives me the heebie-jeebies.

A reformer built like a luxury fitness machine

The Ultra 1 is NordicTrack’s attempt to recreate the equipment and instruction of a Pilates studio at home. As its £4,499 / $4,999 / €4,999 / AU$7,999 price suggests, this isn’t a lightweight reformer designed to be folded up and hidden under the bed once you’ve finished exercising.

Its structural aluminium spine has three springs, keeping the moving parts out of sight. Resistance ranges from 22 to 99lb (10 to 45kg) and can be adjusted in 11lb (5kg) increments using buttons.

The padded carriage travels along stainless-steel tracks and operates exceptionally smoothly and quietly. You also get adjustable shoulder rests, a seven-position footbar and the usual ropes and loops for working your arms and legs.

It’s a handsome piece of equipment, with rounded edges and a minimalist finish that makes it look less clinical than the reformers you might encounter in a studio.

One thing to note is that it’s quite large, almost an immovable fitness machine. I needed help getting it out of its box, and moving it into place required a little moving trolley.

On the other hand, the machine radiates solidness, and at no point have I felt wobbly on it whilst performing my workouts. Plus, the Ultra 1 looks good enough to be left out in full view; but again, once you set it down somewhere, it’s there to stay for eternity.

iFIT takes the guesswork out of Pilates

Dominating one end of the Ultra 1 is a tilting 24-inch HD touchscreen that runs iFIT, the same connected training platform used by NordicTrack’s treadmills, exercise bikes and rowing machines.

An iFIT Pro membership unlocks more than 160 reformer workouts, covering everything from introductory classes and traditional Pilates to higher-intensity sculpting sessions.

This proved especially useful for someone like me who knows relatively little about reformer Pilates and would otherwise have had no idea where to place my limbs or how much resistance to select.

The display can be tilted towards the carriage or repositioned for exercises performed beside the machine, meaning I rarely had to crane my neck to see what was happening. That said, if you’re unfamiliar with this type of exercise, you will have to occasionally look at the display, at least at the beginning, but that’s just the name of the game, sadly.

NordicTrack’s Smart Spine system also turns the Ultra 1 into a connected fitness machine. It measures power output, stroke rate and estimated calories burned in real time, while iFIT records completed sessions and tracks progress over time.

You don’t necessarily need data to have an effective Pilates workout, but it gives the Ultra 1 a familiar hook for anyone coming from running, cycling or strength training.

An iFIT Pro subscription is required to access the complete workout library and smart tracking features. The reformer can still be used without one, but removing the guided content also removes a significant part of what sets the Ultra 1 apart from a conventional machine.

Moving in the right direction

Mounting myself on the machine – carefully – and selected an appropriate-looking lower-back workout, and got to work. The carriage was rolling smoothly under me, and, to my surprise, didn’t feel too small.

In fact, and as mentioned above, the machine itself was reassuringly solid, which is exactly what you want to feel when your body is compromised. I certainly didn’t want to feel like I could fall off accidentally, potentially rendering my whole body useless if the fall triggered the sciatica.

I could feel the nerve moving as I powered through the workout, but to my surprise, it gradually eased the pain. It was surprising because previous workouts I tried not only didn’t help but, if anything, exacerbated the pain. I expected the Pilates workout to have the same effect.

Quite the opposite happened. The more I pushed, arched, swung and moved my arms and legs, the less my nerve felt aggravated. Granted, the pain hasn’t fully subsided, but the sensation certainly eased, allowing me to move less like a pirate and more like a fully functional human being again.

I can see why the reformer Pilates workout might have made the difference. The combination of gentle exercises, the moving carriage, and the instructions provided the right mix of input to the nerves or discs to do the right thing. Plus, the Ultra 1’s commanding size and smooth performance enabled me to focus on the workout and nothing else.

Needless to say, the pain returned soon after the session, but even this brief exposure to reformer Pilates enticed me to try it more. I wish I could afford the Ultra 1, but I might have to opt for a somewhat more affordable model or attend classes, at least for the time being.

The Ultra 1 is available at NordicTrack UK, NordicTrack US, NordicTrack EU and NordicTrack AU for the recommended price of £4,499 / $4,999 / €4,999 / AU$7,999.

Based in Seattle, USA, adventure apparel and gear specialists Outdoor Research (commonly just called OR) have been manufacturing excellent outdoor equipment since 1981, and I’ve always been impressed with their gear.

Most recently, I tested the Helium UL, a super-light waterproof jacket from the brand, which boxes well above its extremely svelte weight, keeping you dry and protecting you from the wind while weighing virtually nothing and taking up very little room in your backpack or running pack.

As you can probably deduce from the name, the Helium UL Bivy is part of the same range, and it’s not much of an exaggeration to say that it’s a long waterproof jacket that you can climb into and go to sleep in by the side of the trail.

Outdoor Research Helium UL Bivy review

Price and availability

The Outdoor Research Helium Bivy is available now from various outdoor shops and websites. It comes in a range of colours, from discreet natural hues (perfect for wild camping) to brighter options, which can be good in remote areas and extreme conditions, just in case everything goes south and the emergency services have to come looking for you.

In Britain, the recommended retail price is £257.95, while in the United States you can expect to pay around $300; across the European Union, it will cost in the region of €275 and in Australia the price tag will be pushing AU$400.

Specifications

• Guide price: £257.95 (UK) / $300 (US)
• Style: Ultra-lightweight shelter
• Pack size (L x H x W): 37 x 12 x 12cm
• Pitched dimensions (L x W x H):
• Weight: 510.9g / 18.02oz
• Seasons: 3
• Capacity: 1 person
• Vestibules: 0 (awning is extra)
• Hydrostatic Head rating: HH 20,000
• Fabric: Pertex with Diamond Fuse technology (100% polyamide)
• Pole: 1 x aluminium pole
• Pegs: 4
• Pitch time: 2 minutes
• Colour: Light pewter / Spice

Design, materials and ease of pitching

This minimalist shelter is essentially a large bag constructed from OR’s ‘Helium’ fabric, made with Pertex Shield with Diamond Fuse technology.

This membrane-based material is extremely thin and lightweight (even more so than Gore-Tex), and it’s also waterproof (with a hydrostatic head rating of 20,000), windproof and breathable (20,000g/m²/24hr). Of course, the effectiveness of all of these ratings is dependent on various factors (see below).

The bivy utalises one aluminium pole, which threads through a sheath at the head end and is secured in place by a couple of Velcro flaps, creating a hoop that’s large enough to keep the outer fabric from falling on your face and upper torso. It features a ‘clamshell’ opening, which you climb through to enter the shelter. There’s also an insect mesh layer, which you can use on dry nights to vastly improve the airflow.

And that’s pretty much it. The shelter is freestanding, but there are four pegs to stop the bivy from blowing away when you’re not in it, and a pole repair sheath, but there’s no secondary pole at the bottom that you could use with a guy line and a peg to create a little bit of volume at the foot end.

An awning is also available as an optional extra (£100/$110; 155g/5.46oz), if you want some more protection and space at the head end, or somewhere to stash your walking shoes, trail runners, or hiking boots, plus your pack – but you do need a trekking pole to make this work.

Performance on the trail

I love a good bivvying escapade. There is something extra adventurous about travelling light and fast across wild terrain, and then setting up a super-minimalist shelter for nights out right next to the trail.

Sleeping out under the stars with nothing at all between you and the star-spangled sky is the stellar option, waking every now and then to see how the earth has turned and the constellations have changed position, but if the elements don’t allow for this, then a tarp or bivy (or bivvy, as some prefer) is next best.

I have been using the OR Helium UL bivy in the Peak District and in Devon, during various overnight escapades, and overall I’ve been impressed. It does what it designed to do and provides high-level protection during overnight outings, but as mentioned, people need to be very aware of its limitations.

Without weighing you down with any appreciable bulk (the UL in the OR Helium Bivy’s name stands for ultralight, and the kit tips the scales at just over 500g, or about the same as a pair of hiking trousers), a good bivy like this shelters you from wind, cold and rain (to a point).

Obviously, Pertex, like any breathable membrane, has its limits, and if you pitch the Helium Bivy in a puddle, or camp out in the full blast of a rainstorm, you’re going to get damp – as I did during one night of torrential rain.

Likewise, the breathability of such membrane-based materials (Gore-Tex included) is dependent on the conditions, and they only work optimally in dry environments (like the Alps or the Rockies), rather than in the humidity and moistness of the UK.

Also, do not take ‘breathable’ to mean you can zip the whole thing fully shut while inside – ventilation isn’t brilliant in this bivy, which is essentially a large plastic bag (albeit a very technical one), and you will quickly feel like you’re suffocating (and, indeed, you might be).

Space is tight in hoop bivies, and while I’m not claustrophobic, I always like to keep a breathing hole and an escape route nice and close to my face when I’m sleeping in one. If it’s not raining, I recommend rolling up the outer layer around the entrance and using the insect mesh, which will also allow you to gaze up at the stars.

The clamshell opening on the Helium bivy is pretty nifty, folding back so you can insert your lightweight camping mat and sleeping bag, and then get your legs in and assume a sitting position before wriggling fully into the shelter. However, I still found it a little tricky to get into the bivy (especially in wet conditions), compared to having a side zip to enable access.

The bucket floor is reasonably good for keeping moisture out, but in the absence of a small pole at the feet end of the shelter (which would, arguably, make it more of a backpacking tent and less of a bivy) you are always going to be in contact with the fabric, and no matter how waterproof and breathable the fabric claims to be, condensation will accumulate and you do get damp.

Verdict

If you’re really into lightweight gear and you regularly embark on fastpacking and bikepacking escapades where keeping carry weight and bulk to an absolute minimum is the biggest priority, then the OR Helium UL Bivy is a good investment. It’s well designed and made with premium fabrics that are reasonably robust and offer category-leading technical protection.

But, as any bivy user already knows, this is an outdoor shelter in its most minimalist form – it’s basically a highly technical survival bag with some small features that make life a tiny bit more comfortable (and less cold and damp) when you’re adventuring on the edge and sleeping in very close proximity to the wilderness.

Also consider

For a more comprehensive shelter that weighs a few grams less than the OR Helium UL bivy and provides full overnight cover for you and your backpack, boots, and so on, check out the Vango F10 Neon UL1 – a superlight one-person tent.

The Lifesystems Solo Peak tent is another minimalist shelter worth considering – this model has good internal space and an awning for storage, although it tips the scales at 1kg, so is twice as heavy as the OR Helium bivy and the Vango F10 Neon UL1.

Just for the record, we're not here to put planks down. Quite the opposite. They're one of the best core exercises you can do. In fact, during a recent assessment, I held a two-minute plank and scored 'excellent' for core endurance, an important marker of spinal health, balance and reducing your risk of injury as we age.

But once I'd ticked that box, it got me thinking: what next? If you want to keep challenging your core while also improving grip strength, shoulder stability and body control, hanging leg raises are hard to beat.

Unlike planks, hanging leg raises challenge your entire body. Simply hanging from the bar demands grip and forearm strength, shoulder stability and upper-back engagement - and that's before you've even lifted your legs.

Then, as you raise your knees towards your chest, your core has to contract dynamically through a full range of motion, making it one of the most demanding bodyweight exercises you can do.

Why hanging leg raises work

The hanging leg raise is far more than just another core exercise to add to your workout. Unlike floor-based ab exercises, it forces your core to work against gravity as you lift your legs, creating significant tension throughout your midsection while also challenging your grip, shoulders, and upper back.

Because you're hanging from a bar, your body has to stabilise from the moment your feet leave the floor. Your abs are coordinating with your hip flexors, lats and shoulders to keep your body under control throughout every rep.

It's this full-body demand that makes hanging leg raises such an effective exercise for building unbelievable core strength.

The sensation is another benefit: simply hanging from the bar feels incredibly satisfying, giving your shoulders, upper back and spine a chance to decompress and lengthen. While that's no substitute for mobility work, it's one of the reasons this exercise feels so good to perform.

How to do the hanging leg raise

• Grip a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
• Lift your feet off the floor and allow your body to hang with your arms fully extended. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears, brace your core and squeeze your glutes to create tension through your body.
• Keeping your upper body as still as possible, slowly raise your knees towards your chest by curling your pelvis underneath you. Pause briefly at the top, then lower your legs with control until you return to the starting position. Repeat.

Top tip: Don't use momentum to swing your legs up. Instead, move slowly and with control, bringing your knees towards your chest while deliberately curling your pelvis underneath you. Think about rolling your hips up rather than simply lifting your legs. This keeps the tension on your abs and makes every rep far more effective.

Progression and alternatives to try

When adding hanging leg raises to your workouts, start with three sets of 5-10 controlled reps. The goal is to brace your entire core, keep your body as still as possible and slowly curl your knees towards your chest.

Done properly, this core exercise develops core strength, body control and the kind of functional fitness that carries over into everything from pull-ups, deadlifts and squats to everyday movement.

If you're swinging around like you're back on the school monkey bars, start by mastering the dead hang instead. Building your grip strength and shoulder stability first will make hanging leg raises far more controlled and much more effective.

To do, hang as still as possible for 20–30 seconds before progressing to an active hang, where you pull your shoulders down slightly by setting your scapulae, engage your upper back and gently tilt your pelvis underneath you.

Aim to hold this position and keep as still as possible for 20–30 seconds. Once you can control both positions, start introducing the knee raise.

It's important not to rush toward the hardest variation, no matter how tempting it might be. As with anything worth doing, mastering each stage first will give you the best results and help build a bulletproof core.

RingConn first announced its third-generation smart ring at CES 2026, but the ring is finally available to buy. There’s a special partnership running over the summer, too.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, as well as RingConn’s own fifth birthday, RingConn has partnered with Warner Bros Home Entertainment for a campaign based on being an “Everyday Hero”.

US customers who currently buy a RingConn Gen 3 will receive a Lord of the Rings-themed charging case pouch (you need to be one of the first 3,500 buyers). And if you don’t make it into those first few thousand, you’ll get a digital movie code to redeem any three films from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies.

What features does the RingConn Gen 3 offer?

In terms of the smart ring itself, its headline feature is vascular health tracking, coupled with smart vibration alerts, next-generation sensing and up to 14 days of battery life.

For vascular health tracking, you’ll see a sliding scale between Stable, Slight and Noticeable, determined by the ring monitoring nighttime patterns, daily habits, and manual inputs.

In terms of the vibration alerts, the RingConn Gen 3 directly vibrates on your finger to flag health alerts, sedentary reminders and low battery in a bid to reduce reliance on phone notifications.

With vibrations turned off, the battery life is claimed to be two weeks, which would be the latest Oura Ring 5, though with them turned on, you’re looking at between 10 and 12 days.

Elsewhere, the titanium ring offers sleep apnea pattern insights, women's cycle predictions and continuous tracking of SpO2, respiratory rate, skin temperature and stress, all without a subscription. It ships in five finishes, spans sizes 6 to 15, and comes with a new universal wireless charging case.

If you want to be in with a chance of getting one of those LOTR pouches though, you had better get a wriggle on. Prices start at $349 on the RingConn website.

Zara is best known for quickly turning fashion trends into clothing you can find on almost any high street.

Its latest release, however, isn't something you can try in a changing cubicle.

The Spanish retailer is now selling a fully fledged car rooftop tent for £3,300 (~$4,397 / €3,865 / AU$6,292), complete with an aluminium shell, built-in mattress and telescopic ladder.

It is available through Zara Home in the UK and looks every bit as Zara-like as a rooftop tent possibly could.

Finished in beige and earthy brown, with a slim black frame and sparse branding, the tent resembles something from an unusually expensive outdoor editorial.

Even the product photography features an old Land Rover Defender parked in an idyllic mountain setting.

Looks aside, the tent appears to be a serious piece of camping equipment.

The wedge-shaped tent opens to provide a 260 x 144cm interior, with a maximum height of 125cm, and has space for two people, side mesh windows, a front opening and a ladder that extends to 230cm.

It even comes with a fitted mattress, an internal USB-powered light strip, a protective case, mounting hardware, tools and assembly instructions.

Peak Zara

The £3,300 price is not entirely unheard of for an aluminium rooftop tent, but the price certainly makes the shelter one of the more expensive models in the category

For comparison, the two-to-three-person Thule Approach M costs £2,400, while TentBox offers several models for considerably less. Even the four-person TentBox Lite XL currently costs around £1,900.

The remote-operated Dometic TRT120E tent, which recently won the T3 Awards 2026 in the Best Tent category and goes up in a matter of minutes on its own, costs less than half as much at £1,400.

At the premium end, Thule’s aluminium Widesky sits in a similar price bracket and adds features including rapid opening and a built-in sofa configuration.

Zara’s listing, meanwhile, provides no waterproof rating, wind-resistance figure or warranty details specific to the tent.

There are also some important limitations to note. The tent has a maximum load of 150kg despite being designed for two people, and Zara says the vehicle must have a dynamic roof-load capacity of between 70 and 100kg.

Still, practicality may be beside the point. Zara previously tapped into the supershoe trend with an extraordinarily tall running shoe; now it has apparently discovered overlanding.

At least this time, the high stack sits on top of your car.

The aptly named Car Roof Tent is available to buy at Zara UK.

At 57, Hugh Jackman isn't relying on his Wolverine days to stay in shape. His latest workout reel proves he's still putting in the work, and evidently, it doesn't come easily, even for Hollywood actors.

In his version, Jackman places his hands on two weight plates, allowing his chest to travel lower than usual. The increased range of motion places his chest muscles under a greater stretch, making every rep more demanding.

If that wasn't enough, he also puts heavy chains across his neck to increase the resistance. His chest, shoulders, triceps and core all have to work harder to keep his body rigid from shoulders to heels.

It's an incredibly challenging variation, and one that immediately caught our attention. "Best to stay fit," Jackman wrote alongside his video, "rather than chase it. I remind myself of this every time Beth [Lewis, his trainer] wants another set."

Lewis replied: "Looking so good! Not only staying fit but always kicking it up a notch," before explaining that using "accommodating resistance", such as chains, "can be super helpful for developing power due to the decreased load at the bottom of the movement."

Why deficit chain push-ups?

Think push-ups are boring? Think again. Jackman's variation proves there's plenty of room to make the classic bodyweight move more exciting.

Elevating the hands increases the range of motion, allowing the chest to travel lower than it would during a standard push-up. This places the pecs under greater tension while challenging the shoulders, triceps, core and serratus anterior - a muscle that helps stabilise the shoulder blades during pushing movements.

It also demands excellent core control, shoulder stability and strict body positioning. If your hips sag or your shoulder blades lose control, the exercise quickly stops looking like strength training. Add heavy chains across your back, and it becomes a completely different challenge.

While most people won't have chains lying around at home, the principles behind the exercise are worth applying. Increasing the range of motion is a simple way to make bodyweight push-ups more demanding without relying solely on extra weight. Better still, it builds upper-body strength and shoulder stability that carry over into everyday life.

As we get older, maintaining the ability to push ourselves up from the floor becomes an important marker of functional strength and independence - what Lewis neatly sums up as being "good for vanity today, and function 30 years from now."

How to do deficit chain push-ups

• Set up two weight plates on the floor, so your hands are shoulder-width apart.
• Drape one or more chains across your upper back so they're evenly balanced, then get into a high plank position, with your hands in line with your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to toe.
• Place your hands on the elevated surface and brace your core and glutes before lowering your chest towards the ground.
• Continue lowering until below hand level, feeling a deep stretch through your chest.
• Drive through your palms to press back to the starting position, keeping your body in one straight line throughout.

Don't have chains?

While the chains certainly make Jackman's workout look impressive, they're not essential. Resistance bands - or even a carefully balanced weight plate across your upper back, if you have someone to help position it can make the exercise significantly more challenging.

As Lewis puts it: "When it gets easy, add load... duh. Refuse to dial it in!"

To use a resistance band, loop it around your upper back and hold each end beneath your palms as you grip the weight plates. As you press back up, the band stretches, increasing the resistance toward the top of the movement and making the lockout even more demanding.

Like the chain variation, the band challenges your chest, shoulders, triceps and core while encouraging you to maintain good body position throughout every rep.

Better still, resistance bands are inexpensive, portable and an easy way to progress one of the best bodyweight exercises without needing a gym.

Nike ACG has unveiled a new trail-running collection inspired by the landscape surrounding Chamonix, the birthplace of modern mountaineering and the home of UTMB, admittedly one of the most popular ultra-trail running events in the world.

The new range transforms the colours and textures of the French Alps into an unusually convincing camouflage print.

Chamo Camo stretches across five of Nike’s trail-running shoes, including the ACG Ultrafly, ACG Zegama Trail, Pegasus Trail, Wildhorse and Terra Kiger.

Each receives a layered grey and green pattern informed by the granite, limestone and sandstone formations found around Mont Blanc, alongside the region’s forests, vegetation and lichen.

The result is considerably subtler than conventional military-style camouflage.

Nike says the inspiration for the pattern came from how the landscape changes between dawn and dusk, helping the products blend into the terrain that inspired them.

Hide and peak

Chamo Camo will also feature across the All Conditions Racing Department’s athlete race kit and a wider collection of men’s and women’s apparel.

The range includes Dri-FIT ADV singlets, distance tops, race shorts, tights and warm-up layers.

Nike has also applied the pattern to clothing featuring its Aero-FIT Radical AirFlow technology, which uses a highly open structure to promote airflow during hot-weather exercise.

Retail pieces include trail-running tanks, Solar Chase tops, lined shorts and graphic T-shirts, allowing runners to recreate the coordinated race-day look without necessarily heading off to compete in the Alps.

The launch arrives as Nike continues to reposition ACG as a serious performance-outdoor brand.

Its expanding footwear line now covers everything from technical trail racing to cushioned ultramarathon running and lightweight hiking.

Nike hasn’t formally labelled Chamo Camo as a UTMB collection, but its Chamonix inspiration and summer launch leave little doubt about the mountain-running moment it is targeting.

The Nike ACG Chamo Camo collection launches on 29 July at Nike US, with availability through selected ACG retailers.

The ACG Zegama Trail Chamo Camo is priced at $180 (~£135 / €158 / AU$258) in the US, while UK, EU and AU pricing has yet to be confirmed.

Samsung Galaxy Watch users will soon be able to access Strava Routes on their wrist through Samsung Health, thanks to a significant expansion of the two companies’ partnership.

Strava will be pre-installed on new Galaxy Watches sold globally, beginning with the latest Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

Buyers of either smartwatch will also receive a 60-day trial of Strava’s subscription service, which unlocks a complete selection of premium training and route-planning features.

More importantly, Strava Routes will be integrated natively into Samsung Health later this year, giving you on-wrist access to routes created through Strava without relying solely on the separate Strava watch app.

Strava and Samsung haven’t fully explained how the integration will work, including whether routes will synchronise automatically or which older Galaxy Watch models, such as the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, will be supported.

However, the companies say the Samsung Health integration will begin rolling out globally to Galaxy Watch users in the coming months.

Finding a better way around

Strava Routes uses activity data from the company’s enormous user community to generate courses suited to different sports, distances and preferences.

Strava Premium subscribers can also create their own routes and download them for navigation in areas without a reliable data connection.

The feature could make Galaxy Watch more competitive with outdoor watches from brands such as Garmin, Suunto and Coros, where route creation, synchronisation and on-wrist navigation are already important parts of the experience.

Its arrival is particularly timely after Strava expanded its hiking tools in June.

The recent update introduced improved route planning, navigation and trail-discovery features, reflecting the company’s efforts to become more useful beyond running and cycling.

Samsung is also placing greater emphasis on personalised fitness services across its wearable ecosystem.

Alongside the Strava announcement, the company revealed that iFIT’s Tailor personal trainer will use sleep, heart-rate and recovery information recorded by Galaxy Watch to generate adaptive workouts through Samsung Health.

The two integrations arrive with the new Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

The Watch9 is Samsung’s everyday health-focused model, while the Ultra2 adds an 800mAh battery, trail-running metrics, hydration guidance and support for recreational diving.

Strava says the Routes integration is the first of several improvements planned for Samsung users, although it hasn’t revealed what will follow.

Strava Routes requires a paid subscription once the complimentary 60-day trial has ended.

Read more about the integration at Strava.

Samsung is adding an AI-powered personal trainer to Samsung Health that can turn data collected by a Galaxy Watch into personalised workouts and weekly training plans.

Created through a partnership with connected-fitness company iFIT, the new feature combines Samsung’s health and recovery insights with iFIT Tailor, the brand's AI fitness coach.

Tailor builds training plans around your goals, current fitness, workout history, available time and location.

According to the company, it can recommend anything from strength and HIIT sessions to cycling, yoga, Pilates and mindfulness, drawing on workouts created by iFIT’s team of 180 trainers.

The feature can also continually adjust its recommendations as you complete workouts, recover or change your routines.

Samsung says information already captured by Galaxy Watch, including sleep, heart rate and recovery data, will feed into its Fitness Index and help the coach decide what the user should do next.

That could make the partnership considerably more useful than a conventional library of follow-along workout videos.

A coach that travels with you

The feature can also account for where you are training and how much time you have available.

iFIT says Tailor can generate an appropriate workout for home, travelling or when you're heading out onto a trail.

Progress milestones, activity streaks and achievement recognition will of course be included to encourage consistency, while the plans will remain available through Samsung Health on compatible Galaxy devices.

Samsung and iFIT unveiled the expanded integration alongside the new Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

The Watch 9 is positioned as Samsung’s everyday health and fitness smartwatch, while the more rugged Ultra 2 introduces an 800mAh battery, specialised trail-running metrics, hydration guidance and support for recreational diving.

There are, however, two catches. iFIT Personal Trainer will require a paid iFIT membership and is not included as a free Samsung Health feature, although monthly and annual subscriptions will be available directly through the app.

The initial rollout will also be limited to India, South Korea and the US later this year.

Samsung and iFIT say other markets covered by their partnership will receive the feature during 2027, meaning Galaxy Watch owners in the UK will have to wait a little longer to try it.

For more information, visit iFIT.

Ultrahuman has pushed what it calls its "biggest platform update ever" – which includes a number of new features and a redesigned app for owners of its smart rings.

Available from today, 23 July, the update introduces the "UltraSphere" a new centrepiece for the app and decision engine that helps you make fitness choices without needing to plough through your own data first.

It will generate options for you as "Next Best Actions", which you can then choose to enact. These will be based on the numerous readings from an Ultrahuman ring, including sleep, recovery, HRV, skin temperature and more.

Actions will also take into account your location and even the weather outside. So you might be advised to "get light" – ie. step outside for a few minutes – or "cut caffeine" in order to get better sleep.

Ultrahuman claims this is a more intuitive way to interact with its app, rather than having to wade through your own data and make your own plans. That's possible still, of course, but the 60-plus suggestions might cut down time and effort.

What else is added with the Ultrahuman Emerald platform update?

The update also brings a "fundamental change" to the way your Ultrahuman ring works. All processing is performed on the ring itself, so insights and Next Best Actions will be available to you when offline – such as on a plane.

There is also better workout tracking for both the Ultrahuman Ring Pro and Ring Air. It is now more accurate so should better detect your workout automatically. There are are new heart rate algorithms too.

Finally, the brand's VO₂ Max fitness marker has also been improved. The algorithm now takes into account a study by Ultrahuman of over 100 athletes.

There are a wide array of other tweaks and user experience improvements that will be found right across the updated app, but those are the headline additions and improvements.

The Emerald update is free to all Ultrahuman users.

BowFlex has unveiled the next generation of its popular SelectTech adjustable dumbbells, giving one of the best-known names in home strength training its first major redesign in years.

The new SelectTech 52 replaces the long-running Bowflex SelectTech 552, retaining the dial-based weight adjustment system that made the original a favourite among home gym users while introducing a number of hardware upgrades aimed at improving durability and feel.

Like its predecessor, the SelectTech 52 is designed to replace multiple pairs of traditional dumbbells.

Each adjustable dumbbell covers weights from 2kg to 24kg (5 lbs to 52 lbs), allowing you to switch between 15 weight settings in seconds without taking up the space required for a full rack.

An icon gets an upgrade

BowFlex has swapped the moulded weight plates for premium metal plates, added a redesigned locking mechanism and introduced a new ergonomic, non-slip handle intended to provide a more secure grip during heavier lifts.

The launch comes as strength training continues to enjoy a surge in popularity.

Resistance training has become a cornerstone of many fitness routines, driven by growing awareness of its benefits for muscle maintenance, athletic performance and healthy ageing, as well as the continued rise of Hyrox-style functional fitness and home workouts.

"Strength training continues to grow in popularity," said James Moffat, Sales Director at BowFlex.

"Our original SelectTech 552 completely transformed the world of strength training, making it more accessible for everyone, and our new SelectTech 52 continues to build on that legacy with a new premium design."

Each purchase also includes a two-month trial of JRNY, BowFlex's digital fitness platform, which offers guided workouts, adaptive training plans and performance tracking.

The BowFlex SelectTech 52 adjustable dumbbells are available now directly from BowFlex UK and selected retailers, priced at £270 for a single dumbbell or £530 for a pair.

In the US, they're available from $480 per pair, with an introductory launch price of $400.

Adidas has expanded its Hyperboost running range with the launch of the new Hyperboost Run, a daily training shoe that brings the franchise's high-energy ride to a broader audience.

Set to launch on 1 August, the Hyperboost Run is designed as an all-round road shoe for runners who split their time between easy miles, faster sessions and everyday wear.

Adidas says the new model focuses on balancing comfort, responsiveness and versatility in a single package.

The Hyperboost Run sits below the Hyperboost Edge in Adidas' latest running shoe franchise.

While the Edge is positioned as the brand's lightweight "super-trainer" for longer, faster efforts, the Run takes the same design philosophy and adapts it into a more accessible daily trainer.

The new trainers feature the Hyperboost Pro midsole, a 38mm heel stack and a 6mm drop.

The brand says the lightweight foam is tuned to provide high energy return while maintaining the cushioning needed for everyday mileage.

The Hyperboost Run also features a lightweight Primeweave engineered mesh upper designed to improve breathability and comfort during longer runs.

Underfoot, Adidas combines its LIGHTTRAXION outsole with Continental rubber pods at the forefoot to boost grip without adding weight.

The shoe also adopts a wider platform and anatomically shaped 3D-printed heel elements to improve stability.

The new trainer weighs 247g (UK men's 8.5), putting it firmly in the lightweight daily trainer category.

Its sculpted midsole and oversized Three Stripes also give it a noticeably more lifestyle-inspired look than many traditional mileage shoes, suggesting Adidas is targeting runners who want one pair to cover training sessions and day-to-day wear.

Alongside the new shoe, Adidas is also introducing fresh colourways for the Hyperboost Edge, continuing its push to establish Hyperboost as one of the brand's flagship cushioning platforms.

The Adidas Hyperboost Run launches globally on 1 August, priced at €170 at Adidas EU. UK, US and AU pricing has yet to be confirmed.

With the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Samsung is putting forward a compelling reason for tech companies not to rush a new version of their gadgets every year.

If the brand’s new smartwatch is anything to go by, skipping a year does mean the next iteration of the wearable can be significantly different, so much so that it might even entice people who own the previous version.

So what’s the fuss about? The new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 received some big updates, including a thinner case, lighter strap, and larger battery, and it also has a much brighter screen than before – in fact, it’s probably the brightest of all smartwatch displays out there. The watch now uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite processor for buttery-smooth performance.

Features have also been upgraded. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 can do turn-by-turn navigation like Garmin watches, track elevation, and provide hydration guidance based on estimated sweat loss. Plus, it now has dedicated diving support, courtesy of Mares. Best of all, the watch still looks pretty cool and performs even better.

Best smartwatch of 2026? Well, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops, but Samsung is certainly trying to better its hardware and software. Should you upgrade if you have an older Samsung watch, and is it worth jumping ecosystems if you have – let’s say – an Apple Watch Ultra 3? Let’s find out.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review

Price and availability

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 was announced on 22 July 2026, the same day pre-orders for the watch opened. The wearables will go on sale on 7 August for the recommended price of £649. EU, US and AU prices and availability TBC. The watch comes in two colours, Titanium Silver and Titanium Grey.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra retailed for £599/ $649.99/ AU$1,299 at launch, but can now be bought for as little as £400. The Apple Watch Ultra 3’s recommended retail price is $799 / £749 / AU$1,399 / €899, a fair amount higher than the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

The 44 mm version of the also brand new Galaxy Watch 9, which comes in either Graphite or Silver colour, sells for £349, while the smaller 40 mm version (colour options: Graphite and Cream) retails for £319.

Design and build quality

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 follows the original Ultra’s blueprint, retaining Samsung’s distinctive “cushion” design, which I like quite a lot. This combines an angular, rounded-square titanium case with a conventional circular display, allowing the screen to look like a traditional watch face while also giving the wearable a unique look.

Case

The 47 mm titanium case is said to be 12% thinner than before, despite the much larger 800mAh battery it houses. For context, the original Galaxy Watch Ultra measured 47.4 x 47.1 x 12.1mm and weighed 60.5g without its strap.

My Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 sample registered 61g on the scales, suggesting Samsung has reduced thickness without making the watch body itself significantly lighter.

I should add that my kitchen scales can’t measure 0.5 grams, so it’s entirely possible that the new watch is exactly the same weight.

(For the record, Samsung didn’t provide a spec sheet or feature list for the review. I will update it once I get hold of them.)

Strap

The new strap makes a more noticeable difference: it weighs 24g on my scales and is claimed to be 25% lighter than its predecessor. The material also feels genuinely softer and more pliable, helping the large watch sit more comfortably against the wrist.

Numerous perforations provide ample adjustment and should improve airflow during exercise, while Samsung’s Dynamic Lug System allows the strap sections to be released using buttons on the underside of the case.

Controls

The three-button layout is back, located at the right edge. It includes the circular Quick Button, distinguished by an orange surround, which provides immediate access to frequently used outdoor and exercise functions. The two flatter buttons above and below handle the usual Home and Back duties.

There is no mechanically rotating bezel, although the fixed bezel gives the display a useful degree of protection and supports Samsung’s touch-bezel navigation.

The numbered markings and orange index add to the watch’s technical, outdoorsy appearance. The bezel itself is touch-sensitive and can be used to navigate menus.

Display

The circular AMOLED display is protected by a sapphire crystal lens, but peak brightness has risen to a whopping 5,000 nits, which exceeds the original Ultra’s and the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s already impressive 3,000-nit maximum.

Other design details

Samsung positioned the original model as its toughest watch, equipping it with 10ATM and IP68 water resistance, MIL-STD-810H certification and an operating range of -20°C to 55°C.

The Ultra 2 is clearly cut from the same rugged cloth, although its final durability ratings will need to be confirmed once Samsung publishes the complete specification sheet.

Health tracking

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 carries over the extensive health toolkit of its predecessor, including continuous heart-rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation, sleep and stress tracking, ECG readings, blood-pressure monitoring, and BIA-based body-composition analysis.

That is not necessarily a problem. Samsung Health is exceptionally polished, and both the phone app and watch interface present a considerable amount of information without becoming difficult to navigate. I particularly enjoyed the on-watch body-composition measurements, but sleep tracking was arguably the most impressive part of my testing.

Sleep tracking

I wore the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 alongside the Oura Ring 5, my current benchmark for consumer sleep tracking. Neither can be considered as accurate as a clinical sleep study, but comparing their results provides a useful indication of consistency.

The two devices produced remarkably similar results. The sleep window difference was only 7 minutes, and the total sleep time difference was only 10 minutes (over nearly 9 hours).

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 detected 32 minutes of awake time, while Oura reported 33 minutes. Deep sleep differed by only five minutes, with Samsung recording one hour and 17 minutes and Oura measuring one hour and 22 minutes.

REM and light sleep showed larger differences, but since sleep stages are all guesswork across wearables, it certainly isn’t a deal-breaker. Sleep latency was 17 minutes according to Samsung and 10 minutes according to Oura.

Both measured an average sleeping heart rate of 48 bpm, while average blood oxygen saturation differed by a single percentage point: 96% on the Galaxy Watch and 97% on the Oura Ring.

That degree of agreement is excellent for two consumer wearables using different form factors and algorithms. It does not prove that either device correctly identified every sleep stage, but it gives me confidence in the Galaxy Watch’s estimates.

Samsung also provides plenty of depth. Alongside sleep duration and stages, the app shows movement, overnight blood oxygen saturation, skin temperature deviation, average heart rate, and respiratory rate.

It offers bedtime guidance, seven-day trends and sleep-consistency analysis, although its presentation is more clinical and less interpretive than Oura’s. The Ring does a better job of connecting sleep to concepts such as efficiency, restfulness, sleep debt, body-clock alignment and readiness.

Snore detection is available, but it relies on the paired phone being positioned near the bed and connected to a charger. That makes it considerably less seamless than the watch’s other overnight measurements.

Body composition tracking

The on-watch body-composition feature uses bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, body water, body fat percentage, BMI, and basal metabolic rate. To take a reading, you enter your weight and place two fingers against the watch’s buttons while keeping your arms away from your torso.

I compared its results with my Withings Body Comp smart scales. The measurements were taken two days apart, so changes in hydration, food intake and other variables prevent this from being a controlled comparison. Nevertheless, the directly comparable results were impressively close.

The Galaxy Watch estimated my body fat at 17.5%, compared with 18.1% from the Withings scales. Samsung calculated 14.2kg of fat mass (vs 14.6kg on the Withings) with a recorded weight of 80.8kg. A difference of 0.6% is reassuringly small.

Muscle figures cannot be compared directly because Samsung reports skeletal muscle mass, whereas Withings reports it as a percentage. Both devices are also consumer BIA products – not clinical body-composition scanners – so individual readings should be treated as estimates.

Sound exposure tracking

Sound Exposure is one of the genuinely new health additions. It uses the watch’s microphone to estimate cumulative exposure to environmental noise and shows how much of the recommended daily allowance has been consumed.

Samsung Health divides the result into OK, Caution, and Unsafe categories. It also displays the average sound level, periods above 80dB, and exposure trends over the previous seven days.

On one day, the watch recorded an average of 77dB and a cumulative exposure of 101%, which it says was “unsafe”. This was caused by the window of my car being down for approx 4 hours while driving on the motorways – the wind clearly made quite a racket in the car.

Samsung stresses that the figures are estimates affected by device use and fit, and that they are intended for general wellness rather than professional hearing assessment.

Other health features

Elsewhere, the Ultra 2 records heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature deviation, blood oxygen levels, and other overnight signals to establish a personal Vitals baseline.

Samsung Health also provides Heart Health and Vascular Load scores, the latter of which compares overnight cardiovascular strain against the user’s baseline.

ECG, blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm notifications, sleep apnoea detection, stress monitoring, AGEs Index, and menstrual cycle predictions complete one of the most extensive health suites available on a smartwatch.

Health feature gripes

There are some familiar frustrations. As mentioned above, snore detection only works when the paired phone is positioned near the bed and connected to its charger. Certain regulated health functions also require a SIM card so Samsung Health Monitor can establish which country the device is being used in.

Samsung also talks extensively about AI, but its broader health ecosystem still lacks some tools found in other apps. Food logging from a photograph, for example, would make nutrition tracking much less of a hassle.

Also, while the software is polished, there is bloatware everywhere on the phone that’s required for all the watch functions to operate properly, which I could live without.

Fitness tracking

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 supports more than 100 exercise types, ranging from everyday walking and strength sessions to multisport events, open-water swimming and trail running. Outdoor tracking is backed by dual-frequency L1 and L5 GPS, with support for GPS, Galileo, Glonass and BeiDou satellite systems, plus onboard elevation and compass sensors.

Samsung says the new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor improves positioning accuracy and efficiency, particularly in challenging environments such as cities, forests and mountains. The watch also offers personalised heart-rate zones, VO₂ max estimates, cardio-load analysis and automatic exercise recognition.

It is a comprehensive package, although the depth of its training analysis remains closer to a premium general-purpose smartwatch than a dedicated Garmin or Coros sports watch.

Automatic exercise recognition

Automatic exercise recognition also works impressively well. The watch can detect walks and less conventional activities after approximately 10 minutes. (It even recorded half an hour of morning housework as exercise, estimating that I had burned around 200 calories.) Running detection is faster, taking roughly four minutes to recognise that a session has begun.

It’s worth noting that auto-logged outdoor workouts, such as walks, don’t trigger the GPS, so if you want to record your route, you’d best start the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 manually.

Samsung’s algorithms can nevertheless be demanding. Despite completing 16,000 steps on one particularly active day, the watch informed me that my cardio load was insufficient. General movement contributes to daily activity, but the system still expects vigorous exercise before awarding a favourable cardio-load score. Is the watch trying to kill me?

I appreciate that the WHO recommends daily moderate-to-vigorous exercise, but surely the algorithm could just determine that multiple walks and 10k+ steps a day are fine? Oh, well.

Trail running

The new trail-running profile records duration, distance, calories, speed, pace, elevation, gradient and heart rate. It covers the fundamentals, but it is not nearly as detailed as the trail-running tools found on comparable Garmin watches.

Samsung is positioning the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 as a serious adventure watch, yet its data and analysis still align more closely with those of a mainstream smartwatch.

Sweat-loss estimation is interesting, although “estimation” is the operative word. The figure is not generated in real time, either, and you have to run for at least 20 minutes and burn 90 calories before the watch produces a result.

Following a hot 45-minute trail run, it estimated that I had lost almost one litre of fluid and recommended drinking 1.5 litres to replenish it. That is potentially useful guidance, but it feels almost too hardcore for the relatively basic analysis surrounding it.

GPX and turn-by-turn navigation

I have not yet tested GPX imports or turn-by-turn navigation, although completed routes can be exported from Samsung Health as GPX files. It is also worth remembering that GPX route guidance and elevation information were already available on the original Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Diving

I was unable to test the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2’s new diving functionality, but it represents one of the watch’s most significant adventure-focused upgrades. Samsung says the dedicated diving app launches automatically when the watch enters the water and records real-time depth, dive duration and water temperature.

A separate app developed with diving-equipment specialist Mares is due later this year, adding more advanced guidance such as descent speed, recommended time at a given depth and safe-ascent information intended to reduce the risk of decompression sickness.

Battery life and charging

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has an 800mAh battery, representing a substantial 35% capacity increase over the original Ultra’s 590mAh cell. In my testing, however, the larger battery did not produce an equally dramatic increase in real-world endurance.

Starting from 100%, the watch reached 11% after 57 hours and 10 minutes. This period included a 45-minute trail run, a 42-minute GPS-tracked walk, a manually tracked 20-minute circuit workout and almost two hours of automatically detected walking, housework and other activity.

Based on these results, I estimate a total battery life of approximately 64 hours, or just over two and a half days, with the always-on display enabled. That just about exceeds Samsung’s 60-hour claim for the original Galaxy Watch Ultra under the same display setting.

My testing also included more than three and a half hours of recorded activity, including two GPS workouts, making the result particularly encouraging. The improvement is nowhere near the 35% increase in battery capacity, but the Ultra 2 appears capable of lasting longer than its predecessor under demanding mixed use.

Charging

Charging performance is adequate rather than particularly fast. Starting at 12%, the watch reached 62% after 35 minutes and 100% after 70 minutes. It was initially estimated that the process would take 1 hour and 21 minutes, with an average charging input of around 5W.

More testing is required to see how the watch fares without the always-on screen, and without GPS workouts logged during the discharge period. Also, Samsung hasn’t provided me with specifications, so I don’t know how my results compare with the official numbers.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a superb flagship smartwatch and a meaningful hardware upgrade over its predecessor.

Its dazzling 5,000-nit display, smoother performance, more comfortable strap and larger battery all improve the everyday experience, while sleep and body-composition tracking performed impressively against my Oura Ring 5 and Withings scales.

Samsung Health remains one of the most comprehensive and polished wearable platforms available. New additions such as Sound Exposure, trail running and automatic diving support broaden its appeal, although its training analysis and navigation tools still lack the depth offered by comparable Garmin and Coros watches.

The £649 price is also hard to ignore, especially since the original Galaxy Watch Ultra can now be found for considerably less. If you have one and it’s still functional, you might not need to rush the upgrade unless the brighter display, improved battery life, or diving features are especially appealing.

For anyone with an older Galaxy Watch who wants Samsung’s best wearable, however, the Ultra 2 is the obvious choice. It is not quite the ultimate outdoor watch Samsung wants it to be, but it may be the most complete Android smartwatch of its generation.

Chilly’s, the hip British answer to YETI, Stanley and Hydro Flask, has just unveiled its longest-lasting insulated water bottle yet.

The new Series 3 Flip is an insulated straw bottle available in 500ml and 1-litre sizes.

Even the larger version is a lot smaller than the last Chilly's water bottle we reported on, the Big Mouth, but it's still substantial enough for commuting, work and the gym.

According to the British brand, the larger version can keep drinks cold for up to 75 hours (~just over three days), while the smaller bottle promises up to 45 hours of cold retention.

Those figures put the Series 3 Flip comfortably beyond the 24-hour claim commonly attached to premium insulated bottles.

However, as we all know, real-world performance depends on factors such as the drink's starting temperature, ambient conditions, and how frequently the bottle is opened.

Silence is golden

Longer insulation is the headline upgrade, but Chilly’s has also attempted to tackle some of the smaller annoyances associated with reusable bottles.

The Series 3 Flip has a rubber base to prevent it from clattering on hard desks or gym floors.

Furthermore, a soft-touch, removable loop makes it easier to carry, and Chilly’s describes its construction as completely leak-proof, which, admittedly, is an important claim for anything destined to share a backpack with a laptop.

Its flip-up straw incorporates a BPA-free drinking surface treated with an antimicrobial additive.

The bottle’s steel construction is also made using 90% recycled material, although Chilly’s says this does not reduce its durability or insulating performance.

Visually, it retains the clean, urban styling associated with the brand, including an oversized Chilly’s logo embossed into the side.

The Series 3 Flip bottles are available now via Chilly's, with the 500ml bottle costing £40, while the 1-litre model is priced at £48.

YETI has expanded its increasingly substantial cookware collection with two carbon-steel cooking tools designed for use at home and over an open flame.

Both arrive pre-seasoned and use a nitriding treatment intended to improve resistance to rust, scratches and everyday damage.

Unlike a conventional non-stick coating, nitriding is a heat-treatment process that hardens the material’s outer surface.

YETI says the naturally non-stick seasoning should also improve as oils and fats build up through repeated cooking.

The Carbon Steel Wok has a flat base that maximises contact with kitchen stovetops, paired with high, rounded walls designed for tossing ingredients without sending dinner over the edge.

Carbon steel responds relatively quickly to temperature changes, allowing cooks to move between high-heat searing and lower-temperature simmering.

YETI says it worked with its chef ambassadors on the wok’s shape, which is intended to handle everything from stir-fries and noodles to large batches of sauce.

The wok measures 21.5 inches from the edge of its bowl to the end of the handle.

Its elongated metal handle has been ergonomically designed for “nimble cooking manoeuvres” and includes a slot for hanging.

A tale of two temperatures

The rectangular Carbon Steel Griddle provides a 22-by-12-inch cooking surface and is compatible with stovetops, ovens, grills and campfires.

Its dual cooking zones allow different areas to sit over separate burners.

One side could sear meat or vegetables while the other maintains a lower temperature for warming tortillas, pancakes or other cooked ingredients.

The heavy construction is intended to keep the griddle stable during cooking, while raised edges help contain oil and food.

Angled corners make it easier to pour away grease and residue afterwards, although the griddle must be washed by hand rather than placed in a dishwasher.

YETI recommends gradually preheating both products and using high-smoke-point oils.

Acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, wine and vinegar can strip the seasoning, although continued cooking with fats should rebuild it.

The Carbon Steel Wok and Carbon Steel Griddle are listed on YETI’s US website for $200 (~£150 / €175 / AU$285) each.

At the time of writing, both pages display a “Notify Me” option, while UK, EU and AU pricing and availability have not been confirmed.

New Balance has unveiled two high-performance running shoes designed to take runners from speedy training sessions through to marathon race day.

The new SuperComp Rebel v1 is arguably the more surprising arrival, essentially fusing the FuelCell Rebel and SuperComp Trainer lines into one high-speed daily trainer.

New Balance says it has created a plated, high-stack training shoe intended to bring “race-day energy” to everyday running.

It is joined by the SuperComp Elite v6, the latest generation of New Balance’s flagship carbon-plated racing shoe and the successor to the T3 Awards-winner FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5.

New Balance has dropped FuelCell from both product names, possibly because the shoes introduce the brand’s new Infinion midsole foam.

The company claims the new compound is designed to provide responsive cushioning and sustained energy return.

Rebel with a plate

The SuperComp Rebel v1 combines Infinion foam with a carbon-infused Pebax propulsion plate.

New Balance says the plate’s shape, material and placement have been engineered to produce a responsive, energetic ride suitable for tempo sessions, faster training runs and potentially racing.

A 40mm heel and 36mm forefoot give the Rebel a 4mm drop. The men’s version weighs a claimed 218g in a size 9.5, while the women’s model comes in at 174g in a size 7.

FANTOMFIT reinforcement locks down the midfoot and heel without adding the weight of a more traditionally structured upper.

At £190, it also sits below New Balance’s premium competition shoe while retaining some of its race-inspired technology.

The SuperComp Elite v6 adopts the lightest version of Infinion foam and a redesigned carbon-fibre plate intended to increase stiffness and propulsion over marathon distances.

Despite retaining a race-legal 40mm heel stack, it weighs just 190g for men and 155g for women.

Its 8mm drop results from a 40mm heel and 32mm forefoot, while a translucent mesh upper reinforced with FANTOMFIT provides a lightweight but secure fit.

New Balance developed the shoe with input from athletes including Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee and American marathon record holder Emily Sisson.

"The innovation in this update raises the bar for race-day footwear," added Sisson when asked about the new shoes.

Yee ran his 2:06:38 marathon personal best in the Elite v5 at the 2025 Valencia Marathon and says the updated v6 feels “even lighter and faster”.

The New Balance SuperComp Elite v6 will launch on 6 August for £230 (~$310 / €271 / AU$441), followed by the SuperComp Rebel v1 on 20 August for £190 (~$255 / €224 / AU$364).

Both shoes will be available through New Balance stores and the brand’s website.

After months of leaks and speculation, Garmin has officially unveiled the Cirqa Smart Band, its first screen-free fitness and health tracker.

The new wearable combines Garmin’s familiar health, sleep and training tools with a low-profile fabric band designed to be worn around the clock.

There is no display, with all recorded data presented through the Garmin Connect app.

It is an increasingly popular formula already used by the Whoop MG, Polar Loop and Amazfit Helio Strap, but unlike some of its rivals, Garmin has opted for a non-subscription model.

(I should add that it's an increasingly unusual model even from Garmin not to attach at least some ongoing cost to its wearable.)

Familiar intelligence

Despite its relatively discreet appearance, Cirqa supports many of the advanced metrics usually associated with Garmin watches.

It continuously monitors heart rate, stress, Body Battery, Pulse Ox and skin temperature, while its sleep tools cover sleep stages, naps, respiration, HRV and personalised guidance on how much rest you need.

Training readiness, training status, VO2 max, workout benefit and recovery time are also included, making Cirqa much more than a basic fitness tracker.

More than 80 activity profiles are available on the band, and you can start your favourite activity by using the single button on the side.

Garmin says the Cirqa band can also automatically detect and classify various activities without any input.

The brand also added that the Cirqa will learn from the activities you confirm or correct inside Garmin Connect, allowing its automatic classification to become more accurate over time.

Made for the Garmin ecosystem

There is no built-in GPS, although Cirqa can use a connected phone to map outdoor runs, walks and rides.

LiveTrack location sharing is supported through the Garmin Connect app, too.

Cyclists can pair the band with a compatible Garmin Edge computer to display live heart-rate data during a ride.

Garmin will also sell a separate armband, providing an alternative fit beneath a cycling jersey or during sleep.

Perhaps most importantly for existing Garmin users, health and training data can be synchronised across devices.

That means you could wear a Garmin watch for workouts and navigation before switching to the less conspicuous Cirqa for sleep or everyday tracking.

The band costs £180 / $200 / €200 / AU$300, comes in two strap sizes and promises up to 10 days of battery life.

The Cirqa is hardly inexpensive, especially when several screen-free rivals are now available.

However, access to Garmin’s extensive training ecosystem without a mandatory monthly or annual fee could make it one of the strongest Whoop alternatives yet.

It will be available directly from Garmin UK, Garmin US, Garmin EU and Garmin AU from 24 July in seven colours, including Citron Grey, Mauve, French Grey, Dark Olive, Captain Blue, French Blue and Black.