Germany has a long history of producing some of the world's finest knives, particularly in Solingen, where brands such as Böker have made cutting tools for generations.

However, the company's latest pocket knife takes inspiration from somewhere considerably further afield.

The new Böker Plus Mini Sanjo draws on Japan's centuries-old metalworking traditions, combining the distinctive appearance of Japanese blades with the practicality of a modern folding knife.

It's also a collaboration with French knifemaker Guy Poggetti, whose original Sanjo design debuted in 2024.

As its name suggests, the Mini Sanjo is a smaller version of that knife, though a few other changes make the new model particularly interesting for everyday carry enthusiasts.

A little piece of Japan

The Sanjo takes its name from a city in Japan's Niigata Prefecture, an area renowned for its metalworking and blade-making heritage.

Poggetti's design pays tribute to that history with a distinctive tanto-style blade, featuring an angular profile inspired by traditional Japanese knives and short swords.

The knife also blends Eastern and Western influences, with the clean lines of a gentleman's pocket knife contrasting with the blade's more purposeful appearance.

For the Mini Sanjo, Böker has reduced the blade length from 3.39 inches (86mm) to 3.07 inches (78mm), and the handle has also been updated, replacing the original brown burlap-style Micarta scales with textured black Micarta.

Combined with the stonewashed blade, the darker handle gives the knife a more contemporary appearance, although the slightly curved silhouette remains unmistakably Sanjo.

Smaller knife, different steel

The original Sanjo used Japanese VG-10 stainless steel, but the Mini switches to Swedish 14C28N.

It's a solid choice for everyday cutting tasks and offers good corrosion resistance and relatively straightforward sharpening.

The knife retains the original's front-flipper opening mechanism, which uses ball bearings to help the blade rotate smoothly into position.

There's also a tip-up pocket clip, helping maintain the streamlined appearance that made the original Sanjo so appealing.

One important consideration for British enthusiasts: because the Mini Sanjo has a locking blade, it cannot legally be carried in public in the UK without good reason, despite its relatively compact dimensions.

The Böker Plus Mini Sanjo is available now at Böker for €59.95. UK, US and AU pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.

Garmin and Waze are partnering to help keep cyclists safe on the road, through clever integration between the popular driving app and the sports tracking giant.

It's relatively simple too: when a cyclist turns on LiveTrack on their Garmin Edge bike computer, there's the option to appear as a real-time cyclist icon in Waze. That will alert drivers to the cyclist so they can be prepared to slow down and give them space when they get close.

Once the cyclist finishes their ride, the alerts will be removed, so it's just a temporary thing and no additional information is shared – the driver won't know who the cyclist is or the route they are following.

Garmin sells a huge number of bike computers, with a wide range of Garmin Edge models to suit all budgets and requirements. One of the popular features is LiveTrack, which allows friends and family to track the cyclist's location during their ride.

It can be set to auto start with every recorded ride, via a connected smartphone running the Garmin Connect app, making it a great way to get connected with Waze. It's an opt-in thing, so if you don’t want to appear in Waze, you don't have to.

For the driver, an icon showing a cyclist will appear as they get closer to them. This will provide warning of cyclists round corners or on country lanes where visibility is limited and should help avoid accidents or hard braking when encountering cyclists travelling slower on the road.

Waze offers a wide range of alerts already, including things like speed bumps, speed cameras and railway crossings, so the addition of real-time cyclist alerts shouldn't be out of the ordinary for users of the app.

Waze has confirmed that the updates are rolling out for Android and iOS users globally, so it looks like everyone with benefit – and we assume that will crossover into Android Auto and Apple CarPlay too.

Hopefully, the additional information will make the roads a more harmonious place between the different types of users.

Few products can claim to have survived 30 years without a significant redesign, let alone remain popular enough to keep attracting new customers.

Leatherman's Micra is one of those rare exceptions, having sold more than 11 million units since its introduction in 1996.

The tiny, scissors-based multitool has become an icon in the everyday carry (EDC) community, and its enduring popularity suggests Leatherman got the formula right from the beginning.

However, the story behind its success is considerably more complicated than it first appears.

According to Jillian Helms, Leatherman's senior business unit manager, the Micra was such an overwhelming success that it exposed a fundamental problem with the way the company understood its manufacturing costs.

"Tim [Leatherman] has been open that the Micra was a runaway hit, but years later a full cost analysis showed we'd probably been losing money on it from the start," Helms explains.

It seems that one of the company's most successful products may not have been particularly successful from a financial perspective, at least during its early years.

More orders than anyone expected

To understand how the Micra ended up in this unusual position, it's worth revisiting its extraordinary launch.

Leatherman had originally planned production capacity for approximately 5,000 tools, which presumably seemed reasonable for a miniature multitool built around scissors, which isn't the tool the company was known for (i.e. pliers).

What happened next caught everyone off guard. "When the Micra took off, we had planned capacity for about 5,000 tools, and the show produced orders for more than 335,000," Helms recalls.

Faced with demand that vastly exceeded its manufacturing plans, Leatherman had to find an unconventional way of getting the product into customers' hands.

"So we asked for volunteers to take kits home and build Micras over Thanksgiving. There are still people here who remember doing it with their families once the turkey was done."

It's a remarkable image, especially when you consider how large Leatherman has become, but the company's employees clearly understood they had something special on their hands.

"What stays with me is that the energy behind that moment never left," Helms adds. "You see it in product development, in manufacturing, in marketing, in every department."

The hidden cost of success

Of course, selling hundreds of thousands of multitools is one thing, but manufacturing them profitably is quite another, especially when the product in question requires unusually precise engineering.

"Making it the same every time is harder than it sounds. Smaller means harder," Helms explains when asked about the challenges of continuing to manufacture the Micra.

"You're packing a lot of complexity into a tiny footprint, which takes tight tolerances and complex manufacturing systems. And it has to stay at a price people can afford."

The Micra was never intended to be an expensive specialist tool, and Leatherman had to justify charging considerably more than someone might pay for ordinary scissors.

As Helms explains, Tim Leatherman originally established a fairly ambitious benchmark for the product. "Before the Micra existed, Tim wrote that if we were selling a $20 to $30 tool into a market full of $2 scissors, it had to be the last scissors you'd ever need to buy."

The commitment to making something durable and genuinely useful helped establish the Micra's reputation, but it also meant delivering a relatively complicated product at an accessible price.

Helms doesn't reveal how much money Leatherman might have lost on the Micra, or for how long, but the retrospective discovery clearly left its mark on the company.

"His takeaway was to get good at the boring stuff, like knowing the true cost of what you make. That lesson made us stronger."

The value of leaving things alone

Despite the potentially expensive lesson, Leatherman has remained remarkably faithful to the Micra's original design.

Manufacturing methods have evolved, with better equipment and increased automation helping the company maintain its standards, but the basic concept remains much the same as it was in 1996.

And while plenty of technology companies seem determined to release updated products every year, Leatherman has adopted a different philosophy.

"We're always asking what's next, and the Micra is no exception," Helms says. "But the question is whether a change makes it better or just different."

The company's reluctance to interfere with a successful design makes sense, particularly considering how many people continue to buy the Micra.

"The original was built to a very exacting standard, and so far, the honest answer is that it still does its job."

Thirty years and more than 11 million sales later, the Micra remains a reminder that commercial popularity and profitability aren't necessarily the same thing.

It's also proof that a product doesn't always need reinventing to stay relevant, even if its manufacturer had to learn some expensive lessons along the way.

The Micra is available now at Leatherman US, Leatherman UK and Leatherman EU for $49.95 / £54.95 / €59 (~AU$72). AU price and availability TBC.

There was a time when choosing a fleece jacket was relatively straightforward. You picked something warm, preferably with a full-length zip and a couple of pockets, and wore it whenever the temperature dropped. These days, things are a little more complicated.

Modern fleeces are increasingly more specialised, from lightweight technical layers to chunky, oversized garments. Even the materials are changing, with natural wool appearing more and more alongside recycled polyester.

I've been wearing eight very different fleeces from some of my favourite outdoor brands, ranging from £70 to £325, and each has its own strengths. Rather than declaring an outright winner, here's what I think each is actually good for.

(Oh, and sorry for the basic photos; it’s hard to take decent in-situ shots of so many fleeces. I’ll update this article with better photos when I get around to taking some nicer pictures.)

Haglöfs Buteo Mid II Jacket

£70, Haglöfs

We’ll start with what's probably the most basic model of the lot, not that that makes the Buteo Mid II Jacket a bad option. It’s a lightweight Polartec Micro fleece with two zippered hand pockets, a full centre-front zipper, a stand-up collar and a soft chin guard.

What’s exciting about the Buteo Mid II Jacket is its colour. Haglöfs and Polartec created the Standard Issue Black concept to reduce unnecessary resource use in producing enormous quantities of almost identical dark outdoor clothing. This fleece is the first step in what could be a long line of recycled products that use the same shade of black across the outerwear industry.

Patagonia R1 Air Fleece Jacket

£140, Patagonia

I tested Patagonia’s 100% recycled polyester jacquard fleece last year and have been using it ever since. I often reach for it when I need a reliable insulating layer underneath a waterproof jacket. It’s thin enough not to take up much space in your bag and provides just enough warmth for fast-paced activities.

The material uses a zigzag approach that is said to let the fleece compress better while still trapping air for better insulation. Wind does blow through the thinner parts more than a solid fleece (see Haglöfs), but as a mid-layer for hiking/climbing/etc., the R1 Air Jacket is one of the better options.

Arc’teryx Kyanite Lightweight Hoody

£140, Arc’teryx

I only started using the hooded Kyanite, and it's quickly becoming my go-to when I need extra head protection or wear a helmet (I get terrible headaches when I wear helmets without a hat/hood). It's made of Torrent, a high-stretch, moisture-wicking technical brushed fleece from Arc’teryx.

Indeed, of all the fleeces I tried for this feature, the Kyanite is probably the stretchiest. The brushed fleece material feels nice on the skin, too. I found the Kyanite slightly looser than the Patagonia above, but that could just be because the material is thinner. I like the zipper's smoothness; it feels less prone to snagging.

Shackleton Franklin Fleece Jacket

£325, Shackleton

Did you know fleece can be made from materials other than plastic? If you ever meet Shackleton co-founder Ian Holdcroft, he’ll be happy to tell you that the word ‘fleece’ actually means sheep's wool. The Franklin proves you can make fleece jackets from wool, at least partially. This garment uses 63% recycled wool and feels warmer and cosier than most polyester options.

It’s also heavier and stiffer than other fleeces, but that's the price of natural materials. The Franklin’s thicker wool yarns can also feel a bit ‘itchy’ on your skin. I wore the jacket all day on a trip to London and didn’t feel like taking it off, though, so it definitely isn’t uncomfortable. Would I wear the Franklin on a polar expedition? Yes, I certainly would.

Klättermusen Balderus Jacket

£260, Klättermusen

The Balderus is another wool option, made with 46% Wuru wool. It’s one of the two options on this list with a two-way zip, which I find interesting. Like the Franklin, it's a bit ‘itchy’, but like Shackleton’s model, the Balderus is way too comfortable to miss out on just because of that.

Feature highlights include an asymmetric zipper that moves the irritating end out of your chin’s way, plus reinforced nylon around the chest, shoulders, and arms for added wind protection and durability. The Balderus feels ready for action, whether it’s hiking, skiing or any other outdoor activity.

Kavu Wayside Fleece Jacket

£120, Kavu

Kavu is synonymous with fleeces, and the Wayside is a great example of why. Probably my favourite lifestyle option on this list, the Wayside uses 15oz certified recycled sherpa fleece fabric and has a roomier, boxy fit. It’s comfortable and cosy, and its thick fleece outer traps plenty of air to keep you warm.

I did notice that the inner mesh increases lint production when you wear a backpack or cross-body bag over the fleece, but so far it hasn’t changed the Wayside’s thermal properties for the worse. If you need a fleece that’s more like a jacket than a midlayer for urban escapades, this is your best option.

66ºNorth Tindur Shearling Jacket

£260, 66ºNorth

I fell in love with the Tindur Shearling Jacket last year and have used it extensively in and around town. It features similar panelling to Klättermusen’s Balderus Jacket and even a two-way zipper (clearly, Nordic brands know what features we need in our fleeces). However, the Tindur is made from 100% recycled polyester with no wool in sight.

The Tindur’s main fabric is Polartec Thermal Pro shearling, and the panels are made with Polartec Wind Pro Stretch material. It’s thick and cosy, but thanks to the elasticated panels, the jacket doesn’t restrict your movement. It’s an excellent all-around fleece.

Paire ReForm Merino Fleece Jacket

£219, Paire

I only recently learned about Paire, but I knew I wanted to try its ReForm Merino Fleece Jacket as soon as I laid eyes on it. It’s probably the most lifestyle-oriented model on this list, with its oversized, relaxed silhouette that isn’t designed to fit under jackets. In other words, it’s gloriously chunky and makes you look like a million dollars when you’re out getting your coffee in town.

The ReForm Merino Fleece Jacket uses a merino wool and polyester blend outer layer and a 100% TENCEL Lyocell back, a regenerated cellulose fibre derived from wood pulp. You get two zippered hand pockets and a high stand collar. In my experience, the jacket does a great job of keeping the wind off your front, but it will definitely blow under it.

So, is there a 'best' fleece?

Even though I said at the beginning of this article that I wouldn't pick one as the overall winner, I often end up putting on the Kavu Wayside when I need an insulating layer around town. At home, I often wear a fleece that isn't listed here, my 'new' 90s Helly Hansen half-zip top.

Depending on the temperature and the activity, I'll choose either the Patagonia or the Arc'teryx for hiking and moving around outdoors. Both are more compressible and thinner, which is better for on-the-go layering and packing.

There was a time when seeing a GORE-TEX logo on someone's waterproof jacket was a fairly reliable sign they enjoyed spending time outdoors, whether that meant hiking or walking the dog in miserable weather.

These days, you're just as likely to encounter the famous black diamond logo on a pair of fashionable trainers or an expensive streetwear jacket, with brands ranging from Palace and Stone Island to Prada incorporating technical waterproof fabrics into collections designed for considerably more urban environments.

It's an interesting transformation for a company best known for keeping mountaineers dry, especially as outdoor-inspired clothing has quickly become part of mainstream fashion.

During a recent visit to GORE-TEX's facilities in Putzbrunn, Germany, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its waterproof fabrics, I had the opportunity to ask company representatives about this growing crossover between technical outdoor equipment and fashion.

What became apparent during the discussion (beyond new insights on waterproof trail running shoes) was that GORE-TEX isn't particularly interested in becoming a conventional fashion brand, even though its technologies have become increasingly desirable among designers and streetwear enthusiasts.

Instead, the company seems determined to remain a specialist materials supplier, with a carefully selected network of partners that can demonstrate the value of its technology.

From the mountains to the catwalk

GORE-TEX's relationship with fashion isn't new, though the popularity of gorpcore has undoubtedly brought technical outdoor clothing to a much wider audience.

As far back as 2017, the company was publicly outlining plans to expand its presence in the lifestyle market, highlighting partnerships with labels such as Norse Projects, Yeezy, Loewe and adidas Originals.

Its involvement in the fashion industry has continued to grow, with GORE-TEX appearing at Paris Fashion Week through exhibitions and collaborations that show how technical fabrics can be incorporated into clothing that looks nothing like traditional hiking gear.

The company's Paris showroom has featured everything from experimental fashion designs to archive pieces, showing how waterproof technology has made its way into luxury clothing and streetwear.

Stone Island, for example, has a long history of experimenting with unusual materials and garment construction, while Acronym has helped popularise a futuristic, technical aesthetic that borrows heavily from functional outdoor clothing.

In both cases, GORE-TEX's appeal extends beyond keeping rain out and becomes part of a wider design language associated with technical innovation and functionality.

Not every brand gets the badge

One of the more interesting points raised during my visit concerned the number of companies GORE-TEX chooses to work with.

During a discussion about its brand partnerships, a company representative suggested that GORE-TEX could have many more partners than it does, but it maintains a selective approach.

It's an intriguing position for a company whose branding has become so recognisable, especially when adding GORE-TEX technology to a product can communicate technical credibility.

However, GORE-TEX operates differently from a conventional clothing brand because it doesn't simply manufacture and sell a range of jackets or trainers directly to consumers.

Instead, it supplies technologies to other manufacturers, working with those companies to ensure finished products meet the performance expectations associated with the GORE-TEX name.

As I discovered during a tour of its testing facilities, that relationship extends to constructing and testing complete garments, rather than simply providing a waterproof membrane and leaving the rest to the manufacturer.

This creates an interesting challenge when working with fashion labels, whose priorities might differ considerably from those of traditional outdoor brands.

A designer might want an unusual silhouette or a particular fabric texture, but those creative decisions still need to align with the requirements of the technology being used. From GORE-TEX's perspective, maintaining those standards is essential to protecting the reputation it has spent decades building.

Fashion follows function

What I found particularly interesting about the discussion was how naturally GORE-TEX's engineering background fits into the current enthusiasm for technical clothing.

For years, outdoor equipment was largely designed around specific activities, with features such as articulated sleeves and adjustable hoods included primarily because they served a practical purpose.

Today, those same details have become desirable aesthetic features, with consumers increasingly drawn to more technical clothing even when its primary destination is considerably more urban.

There's an obvious irony in spending hundreds of pounds on a technical waterproof jacket that might never encounter anything more demanding than a rainy commute. That said, the benefits of weather protection aren't exclusive to people who climb mountains.

GORE-TEX's growing presence in fashion also shows how the boundaries between outdoor clothing and everyday apparel have become harder to define, especially as brands develop products meant to work across different environments.

Nevertheless, I left Putzbrunn with the impression that GORE-TEX sees its technical reputation as the foundation of its appeal, not something it needs to move beyond to attract fashion-conscious customers.

The company has clearly embraced opportunities within the lifestyle market, but its approach to partnerships suggests it understands the risks of making its name too widely available.

After all, part of what makes the GORE-TEX logo desirable in the first place is the association with decades of material innovation and demanding outdoor applications.

And while the clothes around that little black diamond may keep changing with fashion, GORE-TEX seems determined to keep the technology behind it the main attraction.

There seems to be no end to BEAMS collaborations this year, but I’m certainly not complaining.

The latest brand to join forces to celebrate BEAMS' 50th anniversary is American bootmaker Red Wing.

The collection brings back a cult-favourite boot from the mid-1990s, complete with its original leather colour and distinctive branding.

Better still, the collaboration extends beyond footwear, with a range of Japanese-made clothing and accessories inspired by decades of American workwear history.

A blast from the 90s

Given Red Wing’s heritage, it makes sense that the collection’s most important item is the Red Wing 6ROUND Oro-Russet 95 #9872, a special-edition boot based on the classic six-inch round-toe silhouette from the 1990s.

Finished in rich, reddish Oro-Russet leather, the boots recreate the green semicircular dog tag on the tongue, one of the most recognisable details of Red Wing's Irish Setter footwear from around 1995 to 1997.

Paired with traditional yellow laces and a contrasting cream-coloured sole, the boots look like they've been lifted straight out of a vintage catalogue.

Workwear with a Japanese twist

The collection also includes other vintage-inspired pieces, from sweatshirts and caps to T-shirts and even mugs.

Made in Japan from cotton-nylon military Oxford fabric, the Cap Shoulder Blouson is a wide-fitting, padded bomber inspired by 1960s workwear.

It features diamond-quilted insulation, an original lining pattern, and bold Red Wing graphics running down the sleeves.

The relaxed-fit Print Crew Neck Sweat is made from Japanese loopback fleece and comes in grey and black.

The oversized Wing graphics use layered puff printing to recreate the raised embroidery of vintage souvenir jackets, while braided hem details take inspiration from Red Wing's boot laces.

The same design language carries over to the Print T-Shirt WING, which uses lightweight Japanese jersey fabric and comes in white or black.

The Red Wing x BEAMS collection launched at BEAMS stores and online on 30 October 2026, followed by Red Wing Japan on 6 November.

European availability is scheduled for early November, exclusively through Red Wing Shoe Stores and the European Red Wing website. UK and European pricing and availability TBC.

The British barefoot footwear specialist Vivobarefoot has announced the Tracker Pioneer Shearling, a limited-edition winter boot that looks like something an Arctic explorer might have worn a century ago.

With its enormous shearling upper and wraparound cord lacing, the Tracker Pioneer Shearling looks nothing like the minimalist running shoes and hiking boots the brand is best known for.

The design feels almost prehistoric, and it wouldn't look out of place in an Ice Age-themed fashion editorial.

However, the Tracker Pioneer Shearling boots are very much barefoot footwear and follow the same philosophy that has made Vivobarefoot such a recognisable name in the industry.

An ancient aesthetic with a modern twist

The upper and lining are made entirely from natural sheepskin shearling, a material prized for its insulating properties and ability to regulate temperature while remaining breathable.

The boots also feature a supple leather rand and an organic cotton cord lacing system that wraps around the upper.

Despite their imposing looks, the boots are surprisingly lightweight at 383g per shoe in a women's UK size 5 (admittedly, not the largest, but still).

The flexible All Terrain outsole has a 2.5mm sole base and 4mm lugs for traction and retains the ground feel and natural foot movement that barefoot enthusiasts look for.

The boots also feature a cork-topped recycled polyurethane insole, and the wide, foot-shaped fit lets toes spread naturally rather than squeeze together.

More après-ski than Arctic expedition

Of course, there's a difference between looking ready for an Arctic expedition and actually being equipped for one.

While the Tracker Pioneer Shearling's natural insulation should help keep feet comfortable in cold conditions, these aren't technical mountaineering boots.

(The company has those, too, if you’re interested.)

Vivobarefoot doesn't claim they're waterproof, and the brand recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to water and salt.

The Tracker Pioneer Shearling are positioned as a luxury alternative to conventional winter footwear, particularly for après-ski activities, winter getaways and everyday cold-weather dressing.

It's an interesting proposition from a brand generally associated with stripping away unnecessary cushioning and structure.

The Tracker Pioneer Shearling is available now in limited quantities in the Birch/Beige colourway from Vivobarefoot UK, Vivobarefoot US and Vivobarefoot EU, priced at £250 / $320 / €280. AU price and availability TBC.

I was lucky enough to ride the first Amflow bike in Frankfurt a few years ago, and it certainly left an impression on me. So when Amflow asked if I wanted to check out the Amflow TL Carbon ‘eSUV’ bike, I said without hesitation. To my delight, this touring/eMTB hybrid rides like a dream, and the automatic assist is just as good, if not better, than I remember.

Amflow TL Carbon review

Price and availability

The Amflow TL Carbon is available now in S/M and L/XL frame options at Amflow US, Amflow UK, Amflow EU and Amflow AU for $3,899 / £3,199 / €3,499 / AU$5,599. It comes in one (cream-esqua) colour only. I tested the larger L/XL version (I’m 6’1” / 185cm).

Setup

The Amflow TL Carbon arrives in a large box, largely assembled. It includes plenty of accessories and all the tools you need to assemble the bike.

Lifting the bike out of the box was easy enough, though I’d recommend having a second person help if possible. You don’t want to drop your new £3k+ before it’s even complete!

It took me aroud half an hour to fit the wheel and sort the handlebar. The display is integrated into the top tube, so it doesn’t need installation. The same goes for the lights. You pop on the front wheel and pedals, mount the handlebar, and you’re pretty much done.

I probably say this in all my e-bike reviews, but I wish there was less non-recyclable packaging in the box. Everything is wrapped in foil and fastened with zip ties, and it all ends up in the bin. Such a waste. I suspect cardboard dividers could keep the bike intact on arrival. Why not use them?

Specs and build quality

The Amflow TL Carbon sits between a full-suspension electric bike and a touring bike. It pairs a lightweight carbon frame with a comprehensive set of components.

The carbon frame weighs just 2.9kg, while the L/XL model I tested has a claimed weight of 22.9kg. That figure excludes accessories such as the mudguards, lights, pedals and rear rack, which push the fully equipped weight to 25.95kg.

You won’t be able to just throw the Amflow TL Carbon around, but it's still reasonably light for a full-suspension electric bike and much lighter than the otherwise excellent Himiway A7 Pro, which comes in at 35kg.

FOX handles suspension duties, with an AWL Sport fork offering 120mm of travel up front and a FLOAT Rhythm rear shock providing 105mm. More than enough cushioning for gravel paths, forest trails and rougher urban surfaces.

The Carbon TL comes fitted with 27.5-inch wheels and Maxxis Crossmark II tyres, although the frame also supports up to 29-inch wheels. It also features a dropper seatpost, electronic TRP E.A.S.I. 10-speed shifting, and four-piston Tektro hydraulic disc brakes.

The Avinox M2 mid-drive motor delivers up to 125Nm of torque and 1,100W of peak power. It pairs an 800Wh battery with an optional 480Wh range extender (I didn’t have this), increasing total capacity to 1,280Wh.

Amflow includes a ton of accessories with the bike, including full-length mudguards, integrated lighting, a kickstand, and an MIK HD-compatible rear rack that carries up to 27kg.

The bike has a maximum permitted system weight of 200kg, including the rider, bike, and luggage, making the TL Carbon a proper touring alternative.

Performance

For me, the standout feature of the Amflow TL Carbon, beyond its incredibly lightweight dual-suspension design, is its automatic assist function. There is something magical about leaving the assist alone and just enjoying the benefits of a premium electric bike without constantly worrying about maximising range.

Better still, Amflow’s system is clever enough to recognise what you’re about to do, even in somewhat niche circumstances. For example, if you start speeding uphill, it’ll give you an extra boost so you can make (small) jumps. Once you’re back on solid ground and ease up on pedalling, the assist calms down, too.

The Amflow TL Carbon not only keeps tabs on your pedalling and speed, but also on the bike’s angle. This probably helps determine what level of assistance the bike should provide at any given point. I find this system very clever.

Another highlight for me was the control layout – well, most of it. The handlebar controls are big enough to press with gloves and split across both sides, so you don’t have to keep looking at them to adjust settings.

On the downside, the main display sits on the top tube, pulling your attention off the road every time you check it. Appreciate no one should check their stats continuously, but it’s a habit to glance at the display now and again when you ride an electric bike, and on the Amflow TL Carbon, that means looking between your legs.

The bike’s build quality is as premium as you’d expect for the price, with neat welds and an ergonomic layout. Getting a rear rack, plus bits like a kickstand and lights, is a real boon. That said, I appreciate that accessories like these are expected on a £3k+ e-bike, but you’d be surprised by some of the stuff I've tested in the past.

Ride quality is great, thanks to the mid-drive Avinox motor and dual FOX suspension setup. The L/XL frame fits my 6’1” height well, and the MTB-like seat adjustment system also helps in finding the best riding position. The wide tyres supplied with the Amflow TL Carbon grip into the earth just right and provide enough stability on leaf cover, too.

Amflow claims up to 172km (107 miles) of range from the 800Wh battery, although my real-world figures are considerably more modest. 80–100km (50–62 miles) is achievable with automatic assistance. Riding uphill continuously on Turbo will understandably reduce battery life further. (Not to mention heavier riders, but that’s just the way.)

Verdict

The Amflow TL Carbon is another great example of the power of Avinox’s drive system. The lightweight carbon frame, mid-drive motor and dual FOX suspension deliver a sublime, lively riding experience on and off-road.

Of course, you'll pay a premium for the above-average riding experience, but in my humble opinion, it’s well worth it. People who mainly ride their e-bikes around town, especially those who commute on the train or tube, might want a lighter (and foldable) option.

However, if you don’t mind getting your trousers dirty and have some off-road fun sometimes, the Amflow TL Carbon won’t disappoint.

Also consider

The Himiway A7 Pro offers some of the Amflow TL Carbon's versatility for considerably less money. It has full suspension, a powerful mid-drive motor and a large 720Wh battery for longer rides. However, its 35kg weight makes it substantially heavier and less agile than the carbon-framed Amflow, especially on hills and demanding trails.

The Boardman MTX-E 8.9 is a more road-focused alternative to the Amflow TL Carbon, with a Shimano EP6 mid-drive motor, 504Wh battery and front suspension. It lacks the Amflow's rear suspension and outright power, but its hybrid design and narrower tyres make it an appealing option for commuting, cycle paths and occasional gravel adventures.

I’m used to hitting ‘Start’ on my Garmin watch when I head out on the trails and getting a wrap-up of my performance afterwards, but on a recent five-day trek around Perthshire, I decided to properly test the brand’s new logging feature.

Epic promises to bring every step, stat, and sleep into one cohesive snapshot on my roughly 70-mile hike. Using my Garmin Fenix 9 Pro for this test, I expected a digital diary, but instead I got real-time progress tracking, easy livesharing with family, and a better understanding of how my fitness has changed over the last year.

What is Garmin Epic?

Garmin Epic (not to be confused with Garmin's Epix smartwatch) is a new feature introduced with the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro. It’s a logging feature that lets you group multiple activities into one snapshot, and it’s also available on the Enduro 4 and MARQ Gen 3 watches.

You’ll find Epics in the Garmin Connect app under Activities, and you can create one for up to 92 days. When you start an activity, it will automatically add it to your current Epic.

All your activities will still show up as individual workouts in your news feed, but you’ll also see their stats grouped in the Epic for cumulative totals of hours, distance, ascent, pace, and calories.

You can add photos and share your Epic with friends, although don't expect a slick, Instagram-ready highlight reel. For now, this is primarily a performance-tracking tool, rather than a social media feature.

Taking the Epic on an epic adventure

Epic is retrospective, so when it first came out, I created logs for two big treks I took last year: the 75-mile Cumbria Way and the 80-mile trek to Everest Base Camp. That gave me a chance to see how it looks, but hiking on the Cateran Trail was my first opportunity to use it properly as a live feature, and I found it really useful.

I set up my Epic on the train to Perthshire and added the GPX file for the entire route in seconds. When I arrived in Blairgowrie to start my hike, the Epic was already in the activity, and I could share a Live Tracking link with my family via WhatsApp, which I did.

Once I hit Start, everything just worked like I was tracking any hike, but when I arrived at my first overnight stop in Kirkmichael after more than six hours trekking through the forest, I was able to see how much of my intended route I had completed in red, and how much remained in pink.

Over the next four days, I crossed remote glens and high moors without encountering a single other person. It was easy to lose track of time, but as the red line grew longer and the pink line shrank, I could always get my bearings at a glance and assess how much ground I’d covered.

After long days when my feet were throbbing, seeing my remaining distance shrink gave me a real sense of achievement and motivation.

At the end of each day, I could also check Garmin's training metrics, including Training Readiness and Acute Training Load (ATL), which helped me understand how my body was responding to several consecutive long days of walking. My Endurance Score also steadily increased as the trek progressed.

I don't always wear my watch to bed on a trek like this; after all, I have a certain number of miles to cover and a set number of daylight hours to do it in, no matter how I sleep.

But I decided to do so for the duration of the test, and access to my Sleep Score and Sleep Duration vs Need was actually motivating, even if it just confirmed how restorative my sleep was.

That said, I questioned the sleep-tracking algorithms when, after five consecutive days of hiking, my Evening Report recommended a 55-minute Base Run for the next day. No amount of restorative sleep kept me from my well-earned rest day.

The bigger picture

The most interesting discovery came when I compared my Cateran Trail stats with those from the Cumbria Way, a similarly long trek I'd completed the previous year.

I'd felt noticeably better during and after the Cateran Trail than any of my long treks last year, but I initially wondered whether this route had simply been easier. The data suggested otherwise. The Cumbria Way was only about 10km longer and involved about 600m more ascent, not an enormous difference spread across five days.

What really caught my attention was my pace. I walked almost three minutes per mile faster on the Cateran Trail while maintaining the same average heart rate. That suggested a genuine improvement in my cardiovascular fitness over the past year, something I might not have appreciated without being able to compare the two adventures side by side.

The verdict

Garmin Epic is clearly beneficial if you’re training for a race, but it probably won't transform the way you hike, and if you're only interested in tracking day walks, you won't find it essential.

But if you regularly take on multi-day adventures of any kind, train across different disciplines, or enjoy looking back at your performance over time, I think it's a genuinely useful addition to Garmin Connect.

I particularly liked being able to compare entire treks rather than scrolling through individual activity records. It gave me a better sense of how my fitness has developed and a little extra motivation on the trail.

I'm heading out on a couple of ski trips this winter, and I've already set up my Epics to record my total vertical descent, number of runs, and time on skis. After five days of hiking, I'm curious to see what five days on the slopes will tell me.

Read more about Garmin’s Epi feature here.

Patagonia has unveiled the Re-Tool Air Snap-T Pullover, a new ultralight fleece that uses an exclusive version of Polartec's next-generation Alpha insulation, developed over four years.

Weighing only 235g in the men's version, the new fleece combines Patagonia's classic Snap-T silhouette with an innovative honeycomb fabric designed to be more durable and thermally adaptable than conventional fleece.

The launch follows Polartec's October announcement of its next-generation Alpha insulation.

Now, we finally know what the two brands have been cooking up, and the result looks pretty spectacular.

Years in the making

Originally developed for the US military, Polartec Alpha was designed to keep people warm without overheating as activity levels rise.

It has an open construction that allows excess heat and moisture to escape, which makes it ideal for stop-start activities such as hiking, climbing and trail running.

However, Alpha's exposed fibres have historically been prone to snagging and shedding, limiting how the material could be incorporated into everyday clothing.

The latest generation addresses those limitations with a patent-pending construction that Polartec says improves resilience without compromising the material's excellent warmth-to-weight ratio and breathability.

Patagonia's exclusive version takes the technology further with a honeycomb structure made entirely from recycled polyester fibres.

According to the outdoor brand, the fabric resists moisture absorption while maintaining its insulating properties thanks to its quick-drying, hydrophobic nature.

Technical performance meets everyday style

What's particularly interesting about the Re-Tool Air is how ordinary it looks compared to other garments using Polartec Alpha.

Patagonia has incorporated the material into its familiar Snap-T pullover, with a four-button placket, stand-up collar, and elasticated cuffs and hem.

It also features two discreet handwarmer pockets, while the collar and placket use recycled nylon trim made partly from discarded fishing nets.

The Re-Tool Air weighs considerably less than Patagonia's popular Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T, which tips the scales at around 374g. The women's version is even lighter at 204g.

Of course, the open construction that makes Alpha so breathable also means it isn't necessarily the best choice for standing around in freezing, windy conditions without an additional shell.

Still, the Re-Tool Air is an excellent choice for those who use fleeces for layering and not as an outer shell.

The Re-Tool Air Snap-T Pullover is available in men's and women's versions at Patagonia US for $159. UK, EU and AU pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.

What do you buy yourself for your 44th birthday? A new bag? Make-up? None of the above. For me, it was a brand-new box.

My old plyometric box got thrown out during some building work, so when I received the Mirafit Hybrid Plyo Box, I couldn't wait to start jumping and stepping.

No, it's not your usual birthday present, but since I've been reading about the benefits of jumping for stronger bones, I couldn't have been more excited. Here's why.

Why box jumps? 

I love a squat. Back squats, front squats, goblet squats; you name it, I’ve probably tried it. As a fitness expert and fitness journalist, I know how important strength training is, especially as we get older. But now that I’m comfortably in my 40s, I’m paying much more attention to my bones.

Women naturally begin to lose bone density as they age. And while lifting weights is one of the best things we can do to keep our bones strong, plyometrics have also come up trumps at stimulating bone formation.

That's partly thanks to osteoblasts, specialised cells responsible for building new bone tissue. Think jumping, hopping and other explosive movements. Or, in my case, box jumps.

My plan for the next phase of my training was to add a new springy element and swap my usual barbell squats for box jumps. And while I won't ditch my squats anytime soon, they made me realise my usual strength sessions might be missing something.

Why box jumps?

“The term ‘plyometrics’ might sound technical, but the concept is quite simple,” says Jessica Robinson, Level 3 Personal Trainer and ambassador for Mirafit. “Essentially, plyometric exercises involve explosive movements such as jumps, hops or burpees that train your muscles to produce maximum force in a short period of time.”

The bone benefits come from what happens when you land. “Each time you land from a jump or hop, the force travelling through your skeleton places a small but manageable amount of stress on the bones,” explains Robinson. “This then triggers bone-building cells, called osteoblasts, to strengthen and reinforce bone tissue.”

And that's particularly relevant to me now I'm in my 40s. While I'd always associated lifting weights with staying strong as I age, I'd given much less thought to maintaining power – essentially, how quickly your muscles can produce force.

Research suggests muscle power declines faster than strength as we age, which is another reason Robinson believes plyometric exercises are worth adding to your training.

Squats v box jumps

The first thing I noticed was just how different box jumps felt from my usual lower-body training. With a squat, I think about the weight on the bar, my depth, keeping everything controlled, my knee in line, and then driving back up.

With a box jump, there is no slow drive. You have to produce enough force to get yourself off the ground quickly without shinning the box (the worst) or falling flat on my face. My legs are strong, but I could tell right away I wasn't used to asking them to work like this.

My heart rate climbed pretty quickly too, and after a few sets I could feel my calves, quads and glutes working. So rather than chasing reps, I kept the sets short and focused on the explosiveness and height to get me safely on the box.

Robinson recommends around four to six reps per set if you're using box jumps specifically to develop power, with plenty of rest in between. This worked well for me. I could focus on each jump instead of getting tired and turning the exercise into cardio.

Do it right

I'll admit, once I got comfortable, my immediate instinct was to use the highest side of the box. Surely higher means harder and, therefore, better? Apparently not. “The effectiveness of a box jump isn't determined by how high the box is, but by the quality and intent of the movement,” says Robinson.

In fact, going too high can simply encourage you to pull your knees towards your chest to clear the box rather than actually producing more power. Instead, I used a box around knee height, and concentrated on jumping explosively and landing softly with my knees bent.

And this is where I noticed another benefit of box jumps: concentration. You need coordination, balance, and enough control to stick the landing. After a few sessions, the movement started to feel much more natural, and I was noticeably less hesitant about that initial jump.

Will I be swapping squats for box jumps permanently? Not so fast. I still want the strength benefits of squatting, and resistance training remains a big part of my weekly routine. But I've realised that I don't have to choose between strength and power.

Robinson recommends performing box jumps two to three times per week, depending on your overall training and recovery. If you're using them to develop power, she suggests doing them near the beginning of your workout while your muscles are fresh, then moving on to the rest of your session.

That's how I'll use them from now on: a few sets of good-quality jumps to start before I get into my usual weight routine. At 44, I'm not looking to make my training easier. I just want to make sure I'm training for what my body needs now, and what I want it to still be able to do in another 20 years.

And that means variety. I want to jump, lift and practise movements we don't necessarily do much anymore. I mean, think how much you used to jump as a kid and how natural it felt.

Nowadays, the aim is to be an all-rounder, with strong bones, strong muscles and good coordination. So while I'm certainly not ditching my squats, I’ll keep throwing in box jumps to keep things fresh and my body agile for as long as possible.

Columbia is the latest outdoor brand to embrace the retro revival, digging into nearly 90 years of archives to bring back two of its most recognisable designs.

The new Columbia Icons collection kicks off with the Bugaboo II 1986 Interchange Jacket, celebrating its 40th anniversary, alongside the Bugaboot 1.0, the brand's first-ever hiking boot design from 1993.

Both return in their original black, purple and teal colourways with throwback branding and plenty of old-school outdoor charm.

It's a striking departure from the more understated colours that dominate modern technical outerwear, though, as expected, the collection isn't entirely about nostalgia, with updated materials and technologies bringing these archival pieces into the present day.

A colourful piece of outdoor history

The Bugaboo II 1986 Interchange Jacket debuted four decades ago and helped establish the brand's reputation for versatile outdoor clothing thanks to its interchangeable construction.

The reissue retains that familiar 3-in-1 setup, pairing an Omni-Tech waterproof shell with a removable fleece liner.

It’s practical for everything from autumn hikes to winter commutes, as you can wear either layer alone or zip them together for extra warmth and weather protection.

I adore the colours, from the black shell with purple panels to the teal zip pulls; plus, the fleece liner comes in a wonderfully unapologetic shade of purple.

A legendary sneaker designer's forgotten outdoor boot

Peter Moore, the legendary footwear designer best known for creating the Nike Air Jordan 1, helped develop the Bugaboot 1.0 in 1993.

Moore also worked extensively with Adidas, which makes his contribution to Columbia's first footwear design an interesting chapter in sneaker history.

The revived boot retains its distinctive mix of rugged leather and waterproof rubber duck-boot construction, with a chunky silhouette that fits today's retro footwear trends.

Underfoot, Columbia added its Omni-Grip traction technology and a specially designed lug pattern, while the black upper features purple detailing and teal accents.

Each pair also features individually numbered embroidery on the tongue, adding another collectible element to the design.

Columbia has previously revisited the Bugaboot as a limited-edition release, but bringing it together with the Bugaboo jacket gives the latest collection a more cohesive archival identity.

For now, Columbia Icons includes these two designs, though the branding suggests the company sees plenty more potential in its extensive back catalogue.

The Columbia Icons collection launches on 13 November 2026, with early access for Greater Columbia Rewards members at 7am PT, followed by a wider release at 8am PT via Columbia's US website and selected retailers.

The Bugaboo II 1986 Interchange Jacket costs $220, while the Bugaboot 1.0 is priced at $250. UK, EU and AU pricing and availability for this specific drop have yet to be confirmed.

Patagonia’s Torrentshell is one of those waterproof jackets that seem to be everywhere, and for a good reason. It’s an excellent value-for-money 3-layer shell that works for everything from hiking to commuting. While it could be quieter and more breathable, the Torrentshell is undeniably one of the best options for people who need reliable waterproof protection in changing weather conditions.

Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket review

Price and availability

The Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket is available now for both women and men in a bunch of colours at Patagonia UK, Patagonia US, Patagonia EU and Patagonia AU for £180 / $189 / €200 / AU$270. In the US, you can also buy it used directly from Patagonia. Men’s sizes range from XS to 3XL, while women’s from XS to XXL.

Specs and build quality

The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L uses three-layer H2No construction with a 50-denier recycled nylon ripstop face fabric, a waterproof polyurethane membrane and a tricot backer. The fabric also features a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish, with no intentionally added PFAS.

At 382g (men’s medium), it's reasonably lightweight, though not quite ultralight. The regular fit leaves room for a fleece jacket or a jumper underneath. Some reviews say it’s a bit too loose, but I found the fit just right.

Key features include a two-way adjustable hood with a laminated visor, microfleece-lined neck, adjustable cuffs and hem, two handwarmer pockets and underarm ventilation zips.

The jacket packs into its left pocket, and Patagonia's Fair Trade Certified manufacturing adds to its appeal.

Performance

I had the Torrentshell for a couple of months, but as luck would have it, a mild late summer/early autumn kept me from really putting the shell through its paces. I’ve managed to get some quality time in the books recently, though, now that the weather has turned.

I haven’t tried the jacket in an absolute downpour, but my water-repellent tests showed nice beading on the 3-layer fabric. I wasn’t blown away by the Patagonia Storm Racer Jacket's performance a couple of years ago, but the Torrentshell seems to repel water just fine.

Like all PFAS-free jackets, the Patagonia jacket needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. Once the fabric gets saturated with oils (from your skin), it’ll compromise the material’s ability to repel water and let moisture and heat out.

Washing the jacket and following Patagonia's drying instructions can help restore the effectiveness of its DWR finish. The company has long led the way in educating people about new, more sustainable tech, and it still seems to be.

I appreciate the hood’s visor; it does help keep rain out of your face. That said, I wish the hood was a bit more generous. I keep harping on about it, but I really like Arc’teryx’s StormHood construction – something similar would have been nice here, too.

The pit zips are a nice addition. It makes the jacket a bit heavier, but I prefer thicker, 3-layer waterproof jackets with pit zips for better ventilation. On its website, Patagonia says that the waterproof and breathable “H2No Performance Standard 3-layer shell provides the highest levels of comfort and performance.”

There is no such thing as a 100% breathable and 100% waterproof shell, and the Torrentshell is more waterproof than breathable, if that makes sense. It’s by no means stuffy, but the pit zips help keep the temperature under control inside the Torrentshell.

Verdict

The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket is one of the best options for those who don’t necessarily need a full-blown mountain shell. Its affordable price point, 3-layer construction, adjustability, and packability make it a strong contender for the best value-for-money waterproof jacket.

It’s a bit noisy, and the hood could be bigger (or maybe my head could be smaller), but otherwise the Torrentshell is a superb jacket for changing weather conditions. I would keep my eyes peeled for offers, as any discount would make it a must-buy.

Also consider

The Montbell Thunder Pass is a quieter, commuter-friendly alternative to Patagonia’s Torrentshell. Its lighter weight and lower price make it an excellent choice for urban adventures and occasional hikes.

Mountain Equipment’s Makalu Jacket is designed for serious hiking and mountain adventures. Its robust GORE-TEX construction, helmet-compatible hood and mountain-focused features make it better suited to challenging conditions (albeit at a higher price).

British clothing brand Vollebak has a reputation for turning everyday wardrobe essentials into futuristic engineering experiments, and its latest extremely limited edition belt is no different.

The Chaotic Metal Belt looks like a relatively ordinary leather belt, except its buckle is made from amorphous metal (a.k.a. metallic glass), which NASA is exploring for use in spacecraft gears.

The buckle is claimed to be up to four times stronger than a typical stainless-steel equivalent, and its unusual atomic structure allows it to flex under stress before returning to its original shape.

Order out of chaos

The story of the Chaotic Metal Belt begins in 1960, when researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) discovered how to create metal without the orderly atomic structure found in conventional alloys.

By cooling a molten gold-silicon alloy at an astonishing million degrees Celsius per second, they prevented its atoms from arranging themselves into crystalline structures.

The resulting material, known as metallic glass, was remarkably strong and hard, but the manufacturing process initially limited it to extremely thin sheets.

In 1993, Caltech researchers developed a zirconium-based alloy that could form metallic glass at far slower cooling rates, opening the door to more practical applications.

One organisation particularly interested in the technology was NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages.

NASA has been investigating metallic glass for spacecraft gears that operate in extremely cold environments, including Jupiter's frozen moons.

On Jupiter’s moons, conventional mechanical systems face serious challenges at -200°C, particularly when lubricants freeze or components require energy-intensive heating.

Metallic glass offers a potential solution, combining high strength, hardness, and elasticity with the potential to operate without conventional lubrication.

From Jupiter to your jeans

Vollebak has taken the same broad class of material and applied it to the admittedly less demanding environment of a belt buckle.

According to the brand, the buckle has a tensile yield strength of about 1.6 gigapascals, making it 2 to 4 times stronger than a typical stainless-steel buckle.

Its hardness rating of around 480 HV5 puts it in the same territory as tool steel, helping it resist scratches, wear and deformation.

The rest of the belt is more traditional, with a 33.5mm-wide strap made from Italian leather, cut, sewn, and finished by hand in London.

While the leather is expected to develop creases and a patina over time, Vollebak says the metallic glass buckle should retain its original appearance (hopefully, for the price, forever).

To explain the science behind the unusual accessory, Vollebak also commissioned London-based artist Henrik Delehag to create an animated film inspired by classic science explainers from the 1960s and 1970s (see above).

Of course, nobody actually needs spacecraft-inspired metal technology to keep their trousers in place, but that's arguably what makes the Chaotic Metal Belt such a quintessentially Vollebak creation.

The Chaotic Metal Belt is available now from Vollebak for £1,995, with production limited to just five pieces worldwide.

Patagonia has completely overhauled its Regulator wetsuit collection, using scientific thermal research and a little Japanese ingenuity to rethink how people stay warm in cold water.

The outdoor specialist says the new range is its most substantial wetsuit redesign in years, with changes to almost every aspect of construction, including insulation, fit, flexibility, and materials.

The company says much of the redesign drew on repairs done at its Wetsuit Repair Forge in Ventura, California, where the company examines damaged and worn-out suits to spot recurring weaknesses.

Building on that and research into how the human body loses heat in water, Patagonia redistributed materials to improve thermal protection in the new range.

“Our work increasingly goes beyond what goes into a wetsuit to how long it can stay in use,” said Hub Hubbard, Patagonia’s product line manager for surf apparel and wetsuits.

“The 2026 Regulator collection brings those years of material innovation, repair knowledge, athlete input and testing together in a wetsuit designed for surfers who spend long days in cold water and expect warmth, durability, and flexibility without abandoning environmental responsibility.”

A little help from Japan

A major innovation comes courtesy of Japanese wetsuit specialist AXXE, whose designs inspired Patagonia's new U-Zip entry system.

The updated system aims to make getting in and out easier while minimising water flushing, where cold water enters the suit and displaces the warmer layer trapped against the skin.

Patagonia has adapted AXXE's approach to its own construction, promising improved comfort and flexibility without compromising the seal that keeps surfers warm.

The company has also completely reworked the fit across the collection, drawing on athlete feedback and field testing.

Women's models now use alpha sizing (instead of numerical) to better align with Patagonia's regular clothing.

Old fishing nets, new wetsuits

The Regulator collection remains entirely neoprene-free, continuing the company's transition to FSC-certified natural rubber sourced from Hevea trees, which began in 2016.

For 2026, Patagonia has expanded the use of its solution-dyed NetPlus recycled nylon, made from discarded fishing nets, to both the interior and exterior linings of the wetsuits.

The construction also incorporates reclaimed carbon black, while manufacturing takes place in Fair Trade Certified facilities.

The company continues to offer free wetsuit repairs through its Ventura facility, alongside a take-back programme that recycles worn-out natural rubber suits and recovers carbon black for use in new products.

The redesigned Patagonia Regulator collection is available now in men's and women's versions, with hooded and non-hooded options for water temperatures from 3°C to 18°C.

Thicknesses range from 3/2mm to 6/5mm, alongside updated gloves, boots and hoods.

Patagonia UK prices for the new suits include £470 for the 4/3 U-Zip, £530 for the 5/4 hooded model, and £560 for the 6/5 hooded version.

In the US, the new Patagonia Regulator wetsuits start at $479 for the 3/2 Full Suit, rising to $509 for the 4/3, $579 for the 5/4 Hooded and $609 for the thickest 6/5 Hooded model.

The North Face has launched an enormous 55-piece collection designed for some of America's best skiers and snowboarders, but you don't need to spend your weekends on the slopes to appreciate what's on offer.

Created in partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the new range includes everything from professional-grade GORE-TEX waterproof jackets and trousers to everyday fleeces, hoodies, T-shirts, travel bags and winter accessories.

It's part of an eight-year agreement that sees The North Face become the official performance apparel partner of the country's ski and snowboard teams, including through the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The skiing bits look amazing, but the collection really shines because the brand has translated its technical outdoor expertise into an extensive lifestyle range that looks equally at home on the mountain and in the city.

The retro-inspired U.S. Ski & Snowboard crest, bold royal blue and burgundy colourways, and oversized graphics give the collection an almost vintage expedition aesthetic, which I'm absolutely here for.

Built for the podium, styled for everywhere

At the technical end of the range, The North Face has introduced two distinct competition kits, each available in men's and women's versions.

The Comp Team GORE-TEX Alpine 3L Jacket is designed for freeriding, featuring three-layer waterproof protection, an integrated powder skirt, underarm ventilation and a dedicated ski pass pocket.

The Comp Team GORE-TEX Freestyle 2L Jacket takes a more expressive approach, with the collection's distinctive Elevation Stripes pattern and two-layer GORE-TEX construction.

Matching trousers complete both outfits, with the Alpine version featuring full-length side zips for ventilation and easier access to ski boots.

They're serious pieces of technical outerwear, with the Freestyle jacket alone costing $1,050, but the collection gets considerably more accessible once you move away from the competition equipment.

The accessories are the real stars

I love the mountains but am not a skier (learned it late in life), so I'm most interested in the lifestyle and accessory part of the range, including the Comp Team Patrol GORE-TEX Gloves, which combine waterproof protection with leather detailing and an extended cuff.

Available in royal blue and deep burgundy, they're the sort of premium winter accessories that wouldn't look out of place on a serious mountain expedition.

They're also arguably more interesting than another pair of conventional black ski gloves (even though I own a few pairs of black TNF gloves and they are brill).

The beanies are another highlight, especially the chunky, cable-knit Comp Team Oh Mega Beanie, which features a small U.S. Ski & Snowboard crest on the cuff.

The collection also includes a more understated Heavyweight Dock Worker Beanie, alongside everyday essentials such as graphic T-shirts, oversized hoodies, and team-branded fleece jackets.

The travel equipment is equally appealing, featuring the Base Camp Voyager Travel Pack and the Base Camp Snow Roller, among others, all finished in the same bold blue with prominent team branding.

While the competition jackets might be overkill for most people's winter adventures, the gloves, hats, fleeces and travel bags are considerably easier to justify.

The North Face x U.S. Ski & Snowboard collection launched on 3 November 2026, with prices starting at $35. It’s available now at The North Face US.

Puma seems determined to outdo Nike in the increasingly outrageous supershoe arms race, as the brand just unveiled a new model with an enormous, exposed springboard sole and not one, but two, carbon-fibre plates.

The new Puma FAST-RB NITRO Elite 2 looks like something you might find in a futuristic running lab, but it's a real product designed to deliver the highest running efficiency Puma has ever recorded in testing.

There's one rather significant catch, though. The FAST-RB NITRO Elite 2 isn't ‘legal’ for competitive road racing under World Athletics regulations, so you won't see elite runners wearing it to break marathon records anytime soon.

Two plates are better than one?

Like Nike's Alphafly and most other supershoes, Puma's latest creation uses carbon-fibre technology to improve propulsion, but the German sportswear brand has taken a noticeably different approach.

The FAST-RB NITRO Elite 2 features two fused carbon-fibre PWRPLATES that form an exaggerated springboard structure beneath the foot.

Puma has also updated its NITROFOAM ELITE cushioning, combining a softer inner core with a firmer surrounding layer to improve energy return.

The redesigned ULTRAWEAVE upper promises a lighter, more breathable fit (do they ever not?), while a PUMAGRIP outsole provides road traction.

With a whopping 55mm heel stack and 47mm forefoot stack, the FAST-RB NITRO Elite 2 significantly exceeds World Athletics' 40mm sole-thickness limit for competitive road racing.

That doesn't prevent everyday runners from wearing it for training, of course, but it makes the shoe an engineering experiment that explores what might be possible without the constraints placed on competition footwear.

Puma's most efficient running shoe yet

Puma's internal lab testing suggests the FAST-RB NITRO Elite 2 delivers greater running economy than any other road running shoe in its current line-up.

Developed over two years, the brand also claims the shoe delivers the highest energy return it has recorded in testing.

At 250g for a UK size 8, the shoe isn't exceptionally lightweight by modern supershoe standards, especially given its substantial sole.

Puma also estimates a lifespan of around 320km (200 miles), which isn't too bad, especially compared with the notoriously fast but ephemeral Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3.

The Puma FAST-RB NITRO Elite 2 launched on 28 October 2026 in limited quantities and is available from Puma UK for £310.

When I visited GORE-TEX's headquarters in Putzbrunn, Germany, to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary, I expected to learn plenty about waterproof membranes and waterproof trail running footwear.

What I didn't expect was to leave thinking about how the company's professional footwear technology could eventually transform the hiking boots we wear on weekend adventures.

During a presentation on the company’s fire and defence business, we saw an ExtraGUARD boot featuring a lightweight, water-resistant upper material developed for demanding professional applications, including military combat boots and firefighting footwear.

According to the brand, ExtraGUARD's upper material is 40% lighter than full-grain leather of the same thickness, offers impressive abrasion resistance and absorbs very little water, even after prolonged exposure to wet conditions.

ExtraGUARD was introduced in 2021, so it’s not brand-new technology, but seeing it in the flesh made me wonder when the innovation will trickle down to conventional outdoor footwear.

The problem with leather boots

Leather has remained popular for hiking and work boots because of its durability and the support it provides.

However, leather also has disadvantages, especially in prolonged wet conditions, because it can absorb moisture as its natural water-repellent treatment deteriorates.

Anyone who has spent a full day walking through wet grass or persistent rain will appreciate how unpleasant heavy, damp boots can become, especially when you have to put them back on the following morning.

ExtraGUARD addresses this problem with a three-layer upper that combines an abrasion-resistant outer surface, a protective functional layer, and an inner layer designed to limit water absorption.

Crucially, the material works alongside a separate waterproof GORE-TEX lining, so ExtraGUARD doesn't replace the membrane itself but improves how the rest of the boot handles moisture.

The company claims this keeps footwear relatively lightweight even after long exposure to moisture and reduces drying times compared to conventional leather or textile uppers.

From the battlefield to the hiking trail?

ExtraGUARD was developed for professional users, including soldiers, police officers, firefighters and workers who spend long periods on their feet in challenging environments.

These applications demand footwear that can withstand considerable punishment without becoming excessively heavy or uncomfortable, and that stays relatively consistent in weight when wet.

GORE-TEX also highlights reduced conductive heat loss as another advantage of the construction, because limiting moisture absorption in the upper helps prevent the material from drawing heat away from the foot in cold conditions.

The technology has already progressed beyond the experimental stage, with footwear manufacturers incorporating ExtraGUARD into commercially available professional boots.

Although hiking boots don't necessarily need the same level of protection against mechanical hazards, many of the challenges professional users face will sound familiar to anyone who regularly ventures into the mountains or forests.

Naturally, adapting a material developed for professional footwear into hiking boots isn’t always straightforward, as the company has to balance durability with flexibility, comfort, appearance, and, of course, cost.

Nevertheless, having seen the technology discussed alongside GORE-TEX's other footwear innovations, I'd be interested to see whether some of these developments eventually find their way into more mainstream outdoor products.

After all, if we can make boots that offer the durability and protection traditionally associated with leather without taking on so much water or weight, that's an innovation I suspect plenty of hikers would welcome.

Read more about ExtraGUARD here.

Thirty years is a long time in technology, and the biggest changes in how we run, ride, hike, and train haven't always come from faster processors or brighter screens.

Some came from new materials, while others from different ways of making products. A handful simply changed what people expected their gear to do.

In 1996, a GPS-enabled watch would have sounded faintly ridiculous, and filming yourself bombing down a mountain still required a fair amount of specialist kit.

Home fitness was mostly an offline affair and electric bikes were nowhere near mainstream. The idea of a watch monitoring your workouts throughout the day still felt way too futuristic.

A lot has changed since then. Below, I've collected the biggest milestones in outdoor and fitness technology, wearables, action cameras, and drones that shaped how we think about all of it.

1996 – Sustainability becomes mainstream

Sustainable outdoor gear did not begin in 1996, but Patagonia made a decision that showed how seriously a brand could take the environmental impact of what it sold.

For its Spring 1996 range, the company switched all virgin cotton to organically grown cotton after an 18-month effort that required it to rebuild parts of its supply chain from the ground up.

The move was commercially painful because suitable cotton was scarce, which led Patagonia to cut its sportswear range from 166 products to 66 and take two years to recover sales.

Moving to organic cotton was necessary, though. Patagonia knew it could no longer address environmental responsibility at the end of production. It had to influence raw materials and suppliers long before the finished product reached a shop.

1998 – Softshell changes the way we layer

Outdoor clothing had long revolved around a fairly clear divide between breathable insulation and waterproof protection, which often meant changing layers as conditions shifted. Polartec Power Shield helped establish another way of thinking about that problem when it launched in 1998.

The fabric was designed to stretch and breathe while still offering enough wind and light-weather protection to keep moving without immediately reaching for a hardshell. Polartec describes its arrival as the start of the “soft-shell revolution”, and the idea quickly spread beyond jackets to trousers, gloves, and other pieces designed for active use.

Much like other technologies that become a mainstay, softshell now feels so familiar that it is easy to overlook how significant the shift was. You can still opt for a midlayer + hard shell combo in 2026, but plenty of other options are available now, thanks in part to Polartec.

2003 – GPS arrives on the runner's wrist

Knowing exactly how far and how fast you are running feels completely normal now, yet in 2003 runners still had to figure that out before or after a session.

The Garmin Forerunner 201 changed that by putting GPS-derived pace and distance directly on the wrist, which the company calls the world’s first GPS running watch.

The device itself looks enormous by modern standards, but the basic idea remains unchanged in almost every running watch sold today.

Modern Garmins are far more sophisticated, but their main purpose is still to let runners understand what they are doing while they are doing it, without measuring a route separately or relying on guesswork.

2009 – The action camera finds its modern form

GoPro had been making cameras for several years before 2009, but the HD HERO was the point when the concept began to look recognisably like the action camera we know today.

It was the first rugged camera to combine HD video with a compact body that could mount to helmets and sports equipment. By 2024, it had sold more than 50 million cameras since its release.

Its influence went far beyond the hardware, because it gave ordinary people access to a style of footage that had previously been difficult and expensive to capture. Outdoor sport became much easier to film from the participant’s perspective, helping action cameras become part of the culture around cycling, skiing and adventure travel.

2011 – Electric assistance transforms cycling

Electric bicycles existed long before 2011, but the riding experience began to change when integrated systems made the motor feel like part of the bike.

Bosch began producing its first e-bike drive systems in 2011, combining a mid-drive motor with a lithium-ion battery and sensor-controlled assistance that responded to the rider. By the end of that year, Bosch technology had already appeared across dozens of bike brands.

That approach became highly influential and helped shape the modern European e-bike market. Electric assistance now appeared everywhere, from commuting to mountain biking, making cycling more accessible to people who might not otherwise have tackled the same routes on a conventional bike.

2013 – Drones put aerial filmmaking within reach

Aerial photography once meant hiring helicopters or using specialist equipment, so the arrival of relatively affordable consumer quadcopters changed the landscape remarkably quickly.

DJI’s original Phantom launched in January 2013 as a ready-to-fly, GPS-assisted drone that ordinary consumers could buy without building a complicated system themselves. It arrived preconfigured, used satellite positioning to make flight easier, and included a GoPro mount (!), with a launch price of $679.

The Phantom set the template for what we now think of as a camera drone, with integrated cameras and better stabilisation. As a result, in 2026, outdoor filmmakers and travellers could create stunning aerial images and videos with gadgets that weighed little more than some smartphones.

2014 – Connected fitness comes home

People had been exercising at home for decades before Peloton arrived, but the company changed the experience by treating the exercise bike as part of a connected service.

Peloton launched its first Bike in 2014 with a large display and streamed instructor-led classes built directly into the experience. The exercise bike also made performance data and software part of the same ecosystem.

The broader industry quickly followed, bringing similar ideas to treadmills, rowing machines and strength equipment.

The pandemic accelerated adoption years later, but the fundamental shift had already happened because home training was no longer just equipment in the corner.

It had become an interactive service that could compete with the atmosphere and structure of a class at home

2015 – The smartwatch becomes a mass-market device

Apple wasn't the first company to make a smartwatch, and by the time the original Apple Watch launched in April 2015, several major tech brands had already explored the category.

What Apple did was help move the smartwatch into the mainstream while making fitness a central part of the proposition.

The wearable combined activity tracking with smart notifications and apps from the beginning. Apple presented, and still presents to this day, the Watch as both a personal device and a health and fitness companion.

Over the next decade, smartwatches steadily became more capable as fitness devices.

Better sensors and more detailed workout features pulled them closer to dedicated multisport watches, while sports watches themselves became smarter, making the boundary between the two categories much harder to define today than in 2015.

2017 – The supershoe changes running forever

Nike’s Vaporfly 4% brought together the ingredients, including a stiff plate and a generous stack of foam underfoot, that would define the modern supershoe in a way the industry could not ignore.

Its thick layer of lightweight, highly resilient foam paired with a carbon-fibre plate challenged the long-held assumption that racing shoes should be minimal and close to the ground.

Nike’s testing found an average four per cent improvement in running economy compared with its previous running shoe, which gave the Vaporfly its name and quickly made it one of the most discussed shoes in the sport.

Rival brands responded with their own versions, while governing bodies eventually introduced rules around stack height and construction.

Elite racing footwear changed almost completely in the years that followed, and thick, highly cushioned shoes became the new normal at every distance.

2022 – Waterproofing begins moving beyond PFAS

GORE-TEX had already transformed outdoor clothing decades before our 30-year window began, but in 2022, one of the most familiar names in waterproofing began a major change beneath the surface.

After more than a decade of development, Gore introduced its expanded polyethene, or ePE, membrane in consumer products to replace older membrane technology in selected applications.

Crucially, the new membrane was made without intentionally added PFAS, reflecting a much wider shift taking place across the outdoor industry. That transition is still unfolding, but its significance lies in the scale of the rethink.

Waterproof performance had depended on fluorinated chemistry for decades, so moving away from it required manufacturers to revisit materials and construction without sacrificing the performance people expected.

Thirty years after Patagonia began reconsidering where its cotton came from, outdoor brands still had to look much further back into the products they made.

Most home gym equipment isn't exactly known for its good looks, especially strength-training machines with their enormous metal frames and bulky weight plates.

Tonal has spent the last decade trying to change that perception with its wall-mounted smart gym, which packs the functionality of a much larger strength-training setup into something hardly bigger than a full-size mirror.

Now, the American fitness brand is taking that concept further with the Tonal 2 Glacier, a redesigned version of its flagship machine.

While the new colourway is arguably the biggest visual change, a few practical improvements could make the machine more appealing to people who want to work out at home without turning their living room into a gym.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

The most noticeable difference is the new Glacier finish, which replaces the existing Tonal 2's dark exterior with a much lighter design featuring exposed aluminium columns and subtly reshaped components.

The redesign also adds integrated accessory storage, with dedicated compartments at the top and bottom of the machine to keep workout attachments organised.

The Glacier uses the same technology as the existing Tonal 2, so it doesn't add more resistance or major new training functionality.

That’s not a bad thing, though. The Tonal 2 uses digitally controlled resistance and adjustable arms, letting you do everything from traditional strength exercises to more dynamic movements.

Its adaptive weight system automatically changes resistance based on your performance, and the built-in AI coach is said to monitor technique and provide feedback during workouts.

The machine supports up to 250lb (113kg) of digital resistance and offers training options beyond conventional weightlifting, including Pilates, HIIT, and mobility sessions.

The wall-mounted unit measures approx. 129cm tall and 55cm wide, and extends about 14cm from the wall when its arms are folded away.

The Tonal 2 Glacier costs $4,795 (approximately £3,650) at Tonal US, with accessory bundles costing an additional $495 or $595.

A membership costs $59.95 per month and requires an initial 12-month commitment.

I've seen plenty of clever electric screwdrivers over the years, but I don't think I've ever come across one that can look at a screw and tell you exactly which bit to use.

That's what the new Arrowmax Arrowspace S1 promises, thanks to an integrated HD camera and a little machine-learning help.

It's an interesting example of AI entering everyday tools, though the technology here serves a much more specific purpose than the AI features we're used to seeing in smartphones and laptops.

A screwdriver with eyes

The Arrowspace S1 is designed for precision repairs, especially when working with the small screws found in electronics, cameras, and other gadgets.

Not unlike Dyson’s CameraJet, it includes a miniature camera built into the screwdriver tip, plus an LED light and a retractable contact probe.

The latter rests against the screw head to keep the camera at the right distance to capture a clear image.

Arrowmax's AI system then analyses the image to determine the screw type and size and displays the results in a companion smartphone app.

According to the company, the model was trained using tens of thousands of real-world screw images, helping it distinguish between different fastener designs.

Once the screw has been identified, the Arrowspace S1 automatically selects an appropriate torque setting, which could help prevent overtightening or damaging delicate components.

The AI processing happens on the connected phone, so the system doesn't need an internet connection to identify screws.

Even the storage case is smart

The optional S1 Smart Case holds 52 steel bits and uses individual LED indicators to highlight the AI-recommended bit.

The screwdriver itself has a compact aluminium body with an OLED display showing the battery level, torque setting and rotation direction.

Its rechargeable 600mAh battery is claimed to provide up to 90 minutes of operation or enough power to tighten and loosen approximately 900 screws, depending on the torque used.

Of course, automatic identification sounds brilliant on paper, but it'll need to prove itself on actual repair jobs before it can replace the experienced eye of someone who knows their way around a toolkit.

Even so, I find this a genuinely exciting development for compact electric tools. Many products incorporate AI simply because it's fashionable, but the Arrowspace S1 seems to use the technology to solve a specific, everyday problem.

The Arrowmax Arrowspace S1 is currently available to back on Kickstarter, with early pricing starting at approximately $79 (around £60) for the standalone screwdriver or $129 (around £100) with the 52-bit Smart Case.

These are crowdfunding prices, not confirmed retail prices, and the first deliveries are expected in April 2027.

Arrowmax already sells several non-AI tools on its Amazon page in the UK.

[via New Atlas]

Japanese outdoor specialist Montbell has unveiled its Winter 2026 campaign, and while the message is all about slowing down and enjoying the journey, there's one piece of technical clothing that deserves a closer look.

The new CLIMAAIR Light Long Sleeve T is an ultralight fleece that weighs just 110g, making it an intriguing option for hikers who want to stay warm without adding unnecessary weight to their packs.

Anyone familiar with Montbell knows the brand has an obsession with keeping things lightweight, but its latest fleece takes that philosophy to an interesting extreme.

Despite its featherweight construction, the CLIMAAIR Light delivers impressive thermal performance, thanks to a clever fabric design that traps warm air while letting excess heat and moisture escape.

Less material, more warmth

The fleece's unusual construction uses long polyester fibres to create pockets of warm air, combined with a relatively open knit structure that lets air circulate.

As a result, the CLIMAAIR Light is a thin, highly breathable layer that provides warmth in colder conditions without feeling like a conventional winter fleece jacket.

It's also quick-drying, and thanks to Montbell's Spiral Slant-Tec cuffs that are said to stretch naturally with your movements, the tee is well suited to hiking and other outdoor activities.

Of course, such an airy construction means it's unlikely to offer much protection against strong winds on its own, which is why Montbell positions the CLIMAAIR Light as a midlayer.

Pair it with a lightweight wind- and waterproof shell, and you have a versatile layering system that should be easy to adjust as conditions change.

The journey is the destination

The new fleece forms part of Montbell's wider Winter 2026 campaign, appropriately titled The Journey, which follows three hikers exploring the Italian Alps without the usual emphasis on reaching summits or setting Fastest Known Times.

The campaign encourages people to appreciate their surroundings and enjoy the experience of being outdoors, a message that feels particularly relevant in an era when practically every adventure can be measured, recorded and uploaded to Strava.

It also reflects Montbell's longstanding Japanese design philosophy of Kinobi, or "Function is Beauty", which prioritises practical performance and simplicity over unnecessary embellishment.

The men's and women's CLIMAAIR Light Long Sleeve T are available now at Montbell UK for £45.

Other pieces featured in the campaign, including the Superior Down Parka and Rain Trekker, can also be bought from Montbell for £250 and £300, respectively.

I love the idea of having a screen built into my clothing rather than having to strap another device to my wrist. Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new type of electronic fibre that can turn an ordinary sleeve into a touchscreen display. This brings us a step closer to wearable technology that actually looks and feels like clothing.

Unlike existing smartwatches and wearable displays, this isn't a rigid screen attached to fabric. The technology is built directly into the fibres, allowing the material itself to display images and video, respond to finger presses and connect wirelessly to other devices.

The team, led by Assistant Professor Tural Khudiyev, has demonstrated the technology using 54 electronic fibres woven into the forearm of a sleeve. Each fibre contains 96 LEDs, combining to create a 96 x 54-pixel display measuring 168 x 105mm.

The resolution isn't going to compete with your smartphone just yet, but the prototype can already do some interesting things. It can display photographs, play video at 30 frames per second, run a calculator and work as a compass. It can also receive images over Bluetooth and respond to voice commands.

There's more going on beneath the surface, too. Additional electronic fibres provide a microphone, speaker and sensors that can detect movement, temperature, magnetic direction and ambient light. That means the sleeve can even measure body temperature and display the reading directly on the fabric.

How does the touchscreen sleeve work?

Each fibre measures just 1mm across and contains thousands of interconnected microelectronic components, with separate layers responsible for displaying images and detecting touch.

When you press the fabric, a touch-sensitive layer completes an electrical circuit, identifying where your finger landed and illuminating the nearest pixel. It's a sophisticated arrangement which allows the sleeve to register multiple touches at once.

Importantly, it doesn't mean sacrificing the practical benefits of ordinary clothing. The researchers tested the prototype through 50 machine-washing cycles using detergent and 1,000 bends around a 5mm radius, with almost no change in display brightness or touch response. The material is also reported to be as breathable as cotton, polyester and denim.

There's still plenty of development work to do. The team wants to improve display resolution, integrate more sensors and eventually introduce on-device AI. Healthcare is one potential application, with future garments able to monitor physiological information and display it directly to the wearer.

I can see this being interesting as an alternative to smartwatches, especially if the technology can eventually be incorporated into everyday jackets, shirts and sportswear. We're not quite at the point where I can check my messages on my sleeve, but I'd happily swap a wrist-mounted screen for something like this.

There's something incredibly satisfying about a well-designed multitool (looking at you, Leatherman), especially when it packs several genuinely useful functions into something small enough to carry every day.

But even the best multitools have limits, especially when it comes to screwdrivers.

A Phillips or flathead bit tucked into your pocket knife is convenient, but it's far less useful when you hit a screw that needs something more… specialised.

Ant Design thinks it has the answer with the Apex V2, a modular titanium screwdriver that combines a folding driver with an interchangeable storage system that can hold up to 14 bits.

It's a clever alternative to traditional multitools, prioritising doing a single job exceptionally well instead of doing just fine at many.

All the bits, none of the bulk

The Apex V2 features a CNC-machined Grade 5 titanium chassis that measures a pocketable 98mm long when folded.

Its most interesting feature is the interchangeable bit magazine, which slots into the body to save space and keep bits organised.

It comes in three options: a five-bit magazine for everyday tasks, an eight-bit version for general household repairs, and a 14-bit precision set for smaller screws found in electronics and eyewear.

The first two sets accommodate standard quarter-inch bits, while the precision version uses smaller 4mm bits.

Strong N52 magnets keep each magazine securely in place, and a dedicated release mechanism lets users swap configurations without carrying an entirely different tool.

A screwdriver with a few more tricks

The folding driver can lock into either 180 degrees like a conventional screwdriver, or 90 degrees for extra leverage on stubborn screws.

It also includes a removable extension bar for reaching awkward fasteners, with an optional titanium version adding a bubble level to check alignment.

Ant Design has even added ruler markings along the body and compatibility with a metal pencil bit, letting users mark drilling positions without reaching for another tool.

Perhaps the most unusual feature is the pair of slots for optional tritium vials, which glow without requiring batteries or charging (purchased separately).

Of course, none of these features makes the Apex V2 a replacement for a full-sized screwdriver set, especially for more demanding DIY jobs.

But for quick adjustments and those annoying moments when you need a specific screwdriver bit, the Apex V2 looks just the thing.

The Ant Design Apex V2 is currently available to back on Kickstarter, with early pledges starting at $79 (approximately £60) for a configuration with a one-bit magazine.

The planned retail price is $129 (approximately £100), although UK pricing hasn't been confirmed.

As with any crowdfunded product, delivery and final specifications remain subject to change.

ASICS has unveiled the GEL-Nimbus 29, the latest generation of its hugely popular cushioned running shoe, with a new midsole foam and updated sole geometry designed to make the run feel softer than ever.

The GEL-Nimbus has long been a go-to option for runners who value comfort over outright speed.

With the 29th generation, ASICS doubles down on that reputation, though the changes go beyond simply adding more cushioning underfoot.

A new kind of softness

The biggest update is FF LUXE PLUS, an entirely new cushioning compound designed to deliver a plush feel while keeping the shoe relatively lightweight.

ASICS has also redesigned the sole with a distinctive wave pattern that allows the foam to compress more easily under pressure.

Combined with the brand's existing PureGEL technology beneath the heel, the new construction aims to make landings feel noticeably softer.

Of course, softer cushioning doesn't automatically mean a better experience, especially for runners who prefer a little more responsiveness from their daily trainers.

Yet more upgrades

ASICS also gave the upper a makeover, introducing an engineered mesh construction that promises improved breathability without sacrificing the comfortable fit the Nimbus series is known for.

The knitted tongue should feel softer against the top of your foot, and the ribbed collar is designed to fit more securely around the ankle.

The HYBRID ASICSGRIP outsole now offers more rubber coverage than the previous generation, potentially reducing wear and tear for runners who regularly log substantial mileage.

Despite the updates, the GEL-Nimbus 29 weighs approx. 279g for men and 238g for women, suggesting ASICS has kept the overall weight in check.

Visually, the new shoe follows what ASICS calls its "Soaring Cloud" design philosophy, inspired by the sensation of floating on an updraft.

The sculpted midsole takes cues from traditional Japanese painting, giving the shoe a flowing appearance that complements its comfort-focused positioning.

The GEL-Nimbus 29 looks like a promising evolution of an already well-established franchise, particularly for anyone who enjoys highly cushioned footwear for everyday training.

Will we see an even bigger overhaul for next year’s 30th anniversary? We’ll have to wait and see.

The ASICS GEL-Nimbus 29 will be available globally from 1 December for €190. UK, US and AU pricing has yet to be confirmed.

For more information, head over to ASICS.

Does anyone remember fidget spinners? Probably yes, albeit not fondly.

While those brightly coloured contraptions have largely disappeared from everyday conversation, since then, an entire industry of premium EDC accessories has emerged in their place.

One brand leading the charge is LAUTIE, which specialises in intricately machined metal fidget toys that look more like miniature pieces of mechanical engineering.

Its latest creation, the Shuffle Pro, is a pocket-sized gadget that combines titanium or zirconium construction with a built-in tuning fork that produces different sounds and vibrations as you manipulate it.

It's an elaborate solution to a problem nobody particularly needed solving, but I can absolutely see the appeal.

A satisfying click

The Shuffle Pro builds on LAUTIE's existing Shuffle series, which takes inspiration from playing cards.

It has two metal plates that slide against one another that create a tactile sensation through a combination of magnetic resistance and precisely engineered moving parts.

What makes the Shuffle Pro different is the tuning fork mechanism, which produces metallic tones and vibrations whenever the plates move together.

The titanium version creates bright, crisp sounds with relatively light vibrations; the heavier zirconium and stainless steel models produce deeper tones with slightly longer-lasting feedback.

The latter also includes a miniature clicker for an even more tactile experience.

LAUTIE has also redesigned the internal sliding tracks with PEEK inserts, a high-performance engineering polymer that reduces metal-on-metal friction and improves smoothness.

A removable magnetic backplate lets you change the decorative inlay, potentially opening the door to further customisation.

Everyday carry gets extravagant

Measuring about 40 x 31 x 9mm, the Shuffle Pro is pocketable and has enough weight to not feel disposable: the titanium model weighs around 40.5g, while the zirconium version tips the scales at 58.6g.

Of course, whether anyone needs a premium metal fidget slider is another question entirely. Unlike a multitool, pocket knife, or compact hand torch, the Shuffle Pro offers little practical utility beyond something satisfying to interact with.

That said, premium EDC has increasingly become as much about enjoying beautifully designed objects as it is about carrying useful equipment, so there is definitely room for the Shuffle Pro on the market

You can order the Shuffle Pro at LAUTIE, with prices starting at $189.90 for the titanium version and $219.90 for the zirconium and stainless steel model. LAUTIE currently estimates dispatch within 15 days of ordering.

Running shoes are big business, and while brands like Hoka, On and Nike tend to dominate the conversation, plenty of smaller players are looking to carve out a larger slice of the market.

One of them is Altra, the US-based running shoe specialist whose latest financial results suggest it's doing something very right.

According to parent company VF Corporation's latest earnings report, published on 28 October, Altra's revenue grew by more than 40% in the second quarter of fiscal 2027.

This makes the brand the fastest-growing brand in VF's portfolio, which also includes The North Face, Timberland and Vans.

Even more impressively, the growth wasn't limited to one particular market or product category, as Altra reported gains across every geographical region and sales channel, with both road and trail running shoes performing strongly.

From trails to tarmac

Altra is best known for its roomy FootShape toe boxes and zero-drop running shoes, though its range now includes models with some heel-to-toe drop.

Its distinctive approach has helped the brand establish a loyal following among runners looking for something different from conventional footwear.

However, trail running is only part of the equation, and Altra's biggest opportunity might be elsewhere.

During VF Corporation's earnings call, CEO Bracken Darrell noted that the road running market is about ten times larger than trail running, making it an obvious area for expansion.

The company highlighted the Altra Torin 9 as its biggest launch of the season, with strong sales suggesting the brand's everyday road running shoes are resonating with customers.

The Vanish Carbon 3 and Tempo 2 are helping Altra strengthen its racing credentials, giving runners more reasons to consider the brand beyond its established trail running favourites.

Not everyone's running ahead

Altra may have done exceptionally well, but other VF brands also did okay last fiscal season.

The North Face and Timberland both posted 4% revenue growth, though their success stories looked very different.

Interestingly, The North Face saw double-digit growth in global footwear sales, led by models such as the Clyffe, Thermoball Mules, and Altamesa. Its bags also performed well, especially the Hot Shot and Base Camp collections, which is probably not all that surprising.

Timberland is also looking beyond its iconic 6-inch boots, with growing interest in its Field Boot, Euro Hiker and boat shoes.

VF Corp also sees significant potential in the brand’s sneakers and apparel range, suggesting a broader push into lifestyle categories could be on the horizon.

Vans remains the problem child, with revenue falling 9.8% during the quarter, but its direct-to-consumer business returned to global growth for the first time in almost five years, offering some encouragement.

For Altra, though, the picture is much brighter: having established itself as a serious contender in trail running, the brand is now pushing further into the much larger road-running market.

[via VF Investor Relations]

If outdoor brands have got particularly good at one thing recently, it's digging through their archives and bringing forgotten designs back to life.

Peak Performance is the latest to join the trend, but its new 40th anniversary collection offers far more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Founded in the Swedish ski resort of Åre in 1986, Peak Performance has spent four decades combining technical mountain apparel with distinctive Scandinavian design.

Its latest limited-edition collection revisits some of the brand's most recognisable pieces, complete with oversized silhouettes, bold colour blocking and the kind of elaborate branding you rarely see on modern ski jackets.

The '90s called, and they want their ski jackets back

The 40Y R&D GORE-TEX Jacket and Pants are the collection's hero pieces, a modern take on the brand's groundbreaking R&D system from 1993.

The original introduced a modular 3-in-1 approach to alpine clothing, combining protective outer layers with removable insulation.

It also challenged the 90s' relatively fitted skiwear conventions with a more relaxed, parka-inspired silhouette.

The anniversary edition preserves that adaptable design while replacing the original materials with some of the most advanced fabrics currently available.

Its outer shell uses a custom-developed three-layer GORE-TEX C-KNIT Stretch construction that offers waterproof, windproof protection with improved flexibility and a softer, quieter feel.

Peak Performance added Polartec Alpha active insulation, replacing the original fleece liner and releasing excess heat and moisture during movement.

Perhaps the most interesting addition is Solarcore, an aerogel-based insulation technology with roots in NASA research.

It retains insulation under compression, which is especially useful in areas like the knees and seat, where conventional insulation can lose effectiveness.

Additional features include ventilation zips, articulated construction, YKK AquaGuard zippers, and integrated RECCO reflectors to help rescue teams locate wearers.

More than a retro ski suit

The anniversary collection extends well beyond the R&D system, with several other Peak Performance classics receiving similar treatments.

It includes a striking red-and-blue Alpine Jacket and Pants combination, updated versions of the women's Anima and men's Maroon ski sets, and a reversible Frost Jacket.

The iconic Helium Down Jacket also returns in white and black, while hoodies, T-shirts, accessories and a Vertical Ski Backpack round out the range.

Visually, the collection is particularly appealing because Peak Performance hasn't tried to disguise its heritage.

Oversized cursive logos, contrasting colours, and unapologetically bold designs give these pieces a personality often missing from contemporary technical outerwear.

The limited-edition 40th anniversary collection is available now at Peak Performance.

European retailer listings put the flagship 40Y R&D GORE-TEX Jacket at €1,400 / £1,200 and matching trousers at €900 / $800. US and AU pricing has yet to be confirmed.

I've always had a soft spot for everyday carry gear that looks as good as it performs.

After all, there's no reason something as functional as a pocket knife, multitool, or keychain accessory shouldn't also be beautifully designed.

Few brands understand that better than The James Brand, the Portland-based EDC specialist known for its minimalist approach to everyday essentials.

Its latest release, the Lumen Collection, takes five familiar products and gives them a warm, autumn-inspired makeover that makes me want the entire set.

The collection includes the Helton multitool, Redstone folding knife, Elko keychain knife, Madison carabiner and Palmer utility knife.

The James Brand has used complementary shades of yellow, cream and gold, with contrasting black and raspberry accents, to create a coordinated family of pocket tools.

A little colour goes a long way

The company says the Lumen Collection draws inspiration from autumn's changing light, including the longer shadows and golden tones that accompany shorter days.

It's a fairly poetic explanation for a collection of pocket tools, but the results suggest the brand captured the intended mood well.

Perhaps the most interesting product is the Helton, The James Brand's relatively new take on the traditional Swiss Army-style multitool.

A result of three years of development, it packs nine functions into a compact aluminium body, including a partially serrated VG-10 blade, scissors, screwdrivers, a bottle opener, and a file.

The Lumen version pairs a creamy buttermilk handle with black hardware, giving the otherwise utilitarian tool an unusually sophisticated appearance.

The Redstone folding knife features a lightweight chassis, a textured grip inspired by climbing holds and a Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blade.

Its contrasting yellow-and-cream handle makes it one of the most distinctive-looking pieces in the collection.

Five tools, one very good-looking collection

The Madison is a compact aluminium carabiner featuring a dual-compartment design that separates your keys from the attachment point, while the Elko combines a small folding blade with a pry bar, screwdriver and bottle opener.

Both receive a golden finish that gives them a more premium appearance without changing their underlying functionality.

The last item in the collection is the Palmer, a compact utility knife with a replaceable blade and a patented tool-free blade-changing mechanism.

Its golden aluminium housing is complemented by a contrasting raspberry-coloured accent, making something as ordinary as a box cutter look like a carefully considered design accessory.

The Lumen Collection is available now at The James Brand. US prices range from $49 for the Madison to $179 for the Helton, with the Palmer priced at $59, Elko at $65 and Redstone at $119. UK, EU and AU pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.

[via ShopEatSurf]

A couple of years ago, my colleague Pat published an article arguing that trail running shoes shouldn't be waterproof, explaining why adding a waterproof membrane to footwear designed for running through unpredictable terrain can sometimes create more problems than it solves.

The article made several compelling points about water drainage, breathability, and the added cost of waterproof footwear, especially when you're likely to encounter streams, deep puddles, and boggy trails.

I spent considerable time running off-road over the years, and I can appreciate the argument. Waterproof running shoes might seem like the obvious choice for Britain's notoriously wet conditions, but a fundamental problem becomes apparent as soon as you step into water deeper than the shoe's collar.

So, when I recently visited GORE-TEX's headquarters in Putzbrunn, Germany, to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary, I put the question directly to its footwear experts: if serious trail runners often prefer non-waterproof shoes, why does GORE-TEX keep developing waterproof running footwear?

Their response made more sense than I expected (not like I thought it wouldn’t), and it reinforced something I've come to appreciate through my own running experience. That is, waterproof footwear matters less when conditions are wet and more when moisture is likely to reach your feet.

The problem with waterproof running shoes

The main argument against waterproof trail running shoes is relatively straightforward. While a waterproof membrane prevents rain and external moisture from penetrating the upper, it cannot stop water entering through the opening around your ankle.

If you're running through deep puddles or crossing streams, water can enter from above the collar, leaving you with wet socks inside a shoe that isn't particularly good at letting liquid water escape.

Waterproof membranes let moisture vapour pass through, but that doesn't mean they can drain the water sloshing around inside your shoes after an unexpected plunge into a stream.

Non-waterproof trail running shoes generally have the advantage here, as their more open construction lets water drain more readily while also providing better ventilation during high-intensity efforts.

It's one reason why competitive trail runners, particularly those tackling technical courses with multiple water crossings, often favour lightweight, non-waterproof footwear.

Interestingly, the GORE-TEX team didn't attempt to dismiss this argument during our discussion.

They acknowledged that elite athletes competing in demanding trail races might not choose waterproof shoes, but pointed out that competitive racing represents only a small part of the running market (fair point).

For recreational runners and people training throughout the colder months, the considerations can be quite different.

Not all wet trails are created equal

The conversation made me think about the distinction between running through water and running in wet conditions, because the two experiences aren't necessarily interchangeable.

A typical autumn morning in the UK often brings dewy grass, and trails can be damp from overnight drizzle. You might run for an hour without hitting a single puddle deep enough to submerge your shoes, but conventional mesh uppers might still let in some moisture.

Waterproof running shoes make sense here, because keeping external moisture from penetrating the upper can help your socks stay dry, potentially making the experience much more comfortable.

The same applies to winter training sessions on relatively predictable routes, where you're more concerned about cold, damp conditions than negotiating deep streams or knee-high bogs.

Compromises remain, of course. Waterproof footwear can feel warmer and less ventilated than its non-waterproof equivalent, and a membrane won't stop your feet from getting damp from sweat during particularly demanding efforts.

However, for an easy morning run, a winter training session or even a casual walk along muddy woodland paths, those compromises might be perfectly acceptable.

The right shoe for the right run

During the visit, GORE-TEX also discussed technologies such as Invisible Fit, which integrates the waterproof membrane more closely with the shoe's upper to create a construction that feels less intrusive than traditional waterproof footwear.

Many trail runners already use this technology, including the Brooks Cascadia 20 GTX, Altra’s Experience Wild 3+ GTX and the NNormal Tomir 02 GTX, to name a few.

It's an interesting development, especially for runners who've found waterproof shoes too stiff or bulky, though construction improvements don't eliminate the fundamental limitations of a low-cut waterproof shoe.

Personally, I still wouldn't choose waterproof trail running shoes for an event where I knew I'd be crossing streams or running through deep bogs, because once water gets inside, I'd rather have footwear that allows it to escape.

But for everyday running on familiar trails without significant water crossings, I can see the appeal of keeping rain, dew, and moisture from vegetation off my socks.

Ultimately, my conversation with GORE-TEX didn't convince me that every trail runner needs waterproof shoes, nor did it undermine the arguments made in T3's original article.

Instead, it highlighted that waterproof running footwear shouldn't be judged solely by the demands of competitive trail racing, because the conditions on a leisurely woodland run can differ greatly from those on a mountain ultra.

And while I'd still reach for non-waterproof shoes on unpredictable terrain, I wouldn't dismiss GORE-TEX trail runners on a cold, drizzly morning on familiar trails, especially if the alternative meant spending the rest of my run with damp socks.

I've been familiar with Helinox for years, mainly thanks to its excellent lightweight camping chairs and cleverly engineered outdoor furniture.

The South Korean brand has built a strong reputation among outdoor enthusiasts, but apparently I've missed a significant development in its product range.

As it turns out, Helinox now makes clothing, and I'm not talking about the occasional branded T-shirt or novelty hoodie.

The company has an entire apparel collection featuring technical outerwear, fleece jackets, trousers and accessories, including some of the best-looking down jackets I've seen this year.

Helinox Wear launched in late 2025, but it somehow escaped my attention until the brand announced its new flagship store in Seoul.

Outdoor clothing with a difference

Helinox Wear takes the company's established design philosophy and applies it to clothing, creating a collection that looks far more adventurous than your average outdoor apparel range.

The down jackets are particularly impressive, featuring oversized silhouettes, unusual quilting patterns and sculptural shapes that give them an almost architectural appearance.

The brand clearly emphasises visual design, though its background in lightweight outdoor equipment suggests functionality remains a key consideration.

For example, the Eclipse Pack Down Jacket replaces the familiar horizontal baffles conventional puffers use with an intricate geometric construction.

It looks almost futuristic, particularly in the bright orange colourway showcased at the new Seoul flagship.

The design has already received international recognition, too, with the Eclipse Pack Down Jacket winning a prestigious Red Dot: Best of the Best award in the apparel category at the 2026 Red Dot Design Awards.

The collection also includes more understated pieces, such as olive-green down jackets, textured fleece layers and lightweight shells, all sharing the same distinctive aesthetic.

From camping equipment to a six-floor flagship

The latest development in Helinox's apparel development is the opening of a dedicated Helinox Wear flagship store in Seoul, which welcomed its first visitors on 11 September 2026.

Overlooking Dosan Park in Gangnam, the six-floor building introduces visitors to different aspects of the brand, from urban environments and outdoor exploration to its design heritage and community.

Even the architecture references Helinox's camping roots, with an exterior made from ETFE air cushions inspired by a tent flysheet.

The translucent facade changes appearance throughout the day as natural light passes through it, while the illuminated interior becomes visible from outside after dark.

You can explore the collection at Helinox Wear, with international pricing and availability yet to be confirmed.

YETI has unveiled its latest colour collection, and this time the outdoor equipment specialist has decided to blend in (instead of standing out).

Olive Camo is a new take on the brand's signature camouflage pattern, pairing dark, earthy tones with an olive-green base.

The collection currently includes 33 products, from the ever-popular Rambler drinkware range to hard and soft coolers, carry bags, waterproof gear cases and even dog bowls.

Unlike some of YETI's more colourful recent releases, Olive Camo feels particularly well suited to the brand's outdoor roots thanks to its understated, rugged-looking approach.

Camouflage for everything

The new collection is dominated by drinkware, with 15 products listed in the category, including various Rambler bottles, tumblers, mugs and insulated food containers.

One of the more interesting additions is the Tundra 45 hard cooler, which takes a slightly different approach to the design.

YETI has kept the body olive green and applied the pattern to the lid, making the cooler look distinctive without going overboard.

The Hopper range is also well represented, with four soft coolers receiving the Olive Camo treatment, including the Hopper Flip 12 and 18, M20 Backpack and M30 Tote.

Olive Camo Camino carryall bags are available in three sizes, alongside the SideKick Dry waterproof gear cases.

YETI has even extended the pattern to its Boomer dog bowls, meaning your four-legged adventure companion can get in on the action.

A few notable omissions

Despite the impressive selection, Olive Camo isn't available across YETI's entire product portfolio.

The collection lists no Ranchero backpacks, Skala hiking packs or Roadie coolers at the time of writing.

Interestingly, the Tundra 45 is the only hard cooler included, making it one of the standout pieces of the release.

It's also worth noting that YETI has opted for different applications of the pattern depending on the product. Some items feature camouflage across most of their surface, while others use it more sparingly.

Personally, I think the latter approach works particularly well, especially on the Tundra.

The new Olive Camo collection is available now at YETI US, with prices starting at $10 for the Rambler MagSlider Pack and reaching $370 for the Hopper M30 Tote soft cooler. UK, EU and AU pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.

Arc’teryx has decided it’s time to put its money where its mouth is on sustainability. The first product created using its System 0 approach is the Sperro SV, a waterproof jacket designed for mountain adventures. It’s an amazing shell with plenty of innovation, but its high asking price might deter some people. Nevertheless, it’s a good start, and let’s hope Arc’teryx (and other companies) produce more outerwear like this in the near future.

Arc’teryx Sperro SV review

Price and availability

The Sperro SV - 0 was announced in August 2026 and is available now at Arc’teryx UK, Arc’teryx US and Arc’teryx EU for £1,100 / $1,200 / €1,200. AU price and availability TBC. The Sperro SV is expensive, even by Arc’teryx standards, which says a lot. As the company puts it, the Sperro SV is an “alpine-ready shell with pro-inspired feature set.” Think of it as workwear for people who spend a lot of time above the treeline.

Specs and build quality

The Sperro SV is built around a rugged 70-denier, three-layer GORE-TEX PRO ePE fabric, developed with recycled ECONYL nylon. The material is waterproof, windproof and breathable, with a PFAS-free membrane and FC0 durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment.

Despite its heavy-duty construction, my men’s medium jacket weighs a relatively modest 514g. It features a helmet-compatible StormHood, WaterTight pit zips, harness-compatible hand pockets, a baffled chest pocket and an internal zipped compartment. There's also a RECCO reflector for emergency search and rescue.

Arc’teryx says it redesigned common failure points for easier repairs, including a replaceable zip slider. The jacket is eligible for over 80 types of repair through Arc'teryx's ReBIRD programme, with complimentary repairs for the first three years.

It's also designed for disassembly and material recovery at the end of its life. Arc’teryx says the jacket can be chemically broken down and rebuilt. Like melting ice cream and refreezing it, only the end result here is perfectly edible ice cream.

Performance

I first tried the jacket in Chamonix, taking the cable car up to Aiguille du Midi and then going on a glacier walk with a glaciologist. We spent a few hours traversing the glacier, looking down into crevasses and listening to the scientist tell the group that by the end of the century, the Aiguille du Midi might have no snow left in summer.

Even though the dreary forecast put me in a bad mood, the jacket performed excellently. There is always a slight fear when trying circular gear that it might not perform as well as its non-eco-conscious counterpart, but the Sperro SV is one of those examples where you can have your cake and eat it too.

The fit is excellent for a mountain shell, allowing you to add multiple layers underneath. It has adjustable hems and cuffs, while the pit zips let you dump heat when needed. (Sadly, I had to use this function on the Aiguille du Midi in July because it was sweltering at the top.)

The Stormhood is as good as ever. I think it’s one of the best hood designs, and it works well with the helmet both on and off. I found the hand, chest, and arm pockets well placed and the right size.

I have used the Sperro SV since my mountain experience, in more urban settings. Admittedly, it’s not where the jacket is designed, but as expected from an Arc’teryx shell, it works well there, too. It kept me dry on a walk in Germany when I visited the GORE-TEX factory in Putzbrunn (near Munich).

Verdict

The Sperro SV is an impressive outdoor garment that showcases Arc’teryx’s innovative approach and proves it’s possible to make sustainable outdoor products that work as intended in demanding environments.

I would recommend the jacket for those planning to use it in the mountains, though I appreciate the Sperro SV might also catch the eye of fashion-focused individuals with cash to burn. And, to be fair, you can use it on the streets; it’s just overkill.

Regarding the company’s System 0 approach, I would like to see it expand into more areas before I get too excited about a fully circular approach. The Sprerro SV is certainly an impressive product – let’s hope Arc’teryx leads the way by launching more circular products soon.

Also consider

The Arc'teryx Beta SV offers much of the Sperro's mountain-ready performance without the circular design premium. It uses rugged 100-denier GORE-TEX PRO ePE, weighs 480g and features a helmet-compatible StormHood, pit zips and harness-friendly pockets. It's still expensive, but considerably more accessible than the Sperro SV.

At £180, Patagonia's Torrentshell 3L proves environmentally conscious waterproof jackets needn't cost a fortune. It features a three-layer H2No waterproof construction, 100% recycled nylon face fabric and a PFAS-free membrane and DWR treatment. It's not an alpine shell like the Sperro SV, but for everyday adventures, it's a brilliant, affordable alternative.

From Salomon's gorpcore essential models to Hoka's maximalist, heavily cushioned trainers, trail-running shoes have spent the last few years settling into everyday wardrobes.

In 2026, another type of outdoor footwear is now attracting attention beyond the mountains. Approach shoes were originally designed for climbers making their way to the base of a route, tackling terrain that's often too technical for conventional hiking footwear.

Unlike more generalist walking shoes, approach shoes typically feature sticky rubber outsoles, reinforced toes and lacing systems that extend towards the front of the shoe for a more precise fit.

Those same functional details also give approach shoes their distinctive appearance. Their relatively low-profile silhouettes, rugged materials and climbing-inspired designs offer an alternative to chunky trail runners, without abandoning their outdoor roots.

Seemingly, gorpcore is here to stay, but like any other trend, it needs to reinvent itself from time to time to stay relevant. This is why we're seeing more retro-inspired outdoor apparel launches, as well as approach shoes making their way into fashion nowadays.

Here, I've collected nine models that demonstrate just how versatile the category has become.

Nike ACG has teamed up with ultralight camping specialist Helinox for a limited-edition collection that blends two very different approaches to outdoor equipment.

On one side is Helinox, the South Korean brand best known for making some of the lightest, most packable camping furniture around.

On the other, Nike's All Conditions Gear (ACG) division, which has never been particularly shy about making a visual statement.

Combine the two, and you get a three-piece collection featuring the Chair Zero LT, Table Zero LT and a 17-litre Camp Sack, all dressed in Nike ACG's signature orange, translucent materials and co-branded detailing.

Light enough to forget you're carrying it

The star of the show certainly is the ACG x Helinox Chair Zero LT, which can support users up to 120kg but weighs a mere 534g.

Its DAC TH72M aluminium alloy frame uses shock-corded poles and nylon resin hubs to deliver strength without added weight.

The chair also features Helinox's Ghostgrid material, a translucent monofilament mesh reinforced with a ripstop grid to improve durability and abrasion resistance.

An X-Strap underneath increases contact with the ground, helping the chair remain stable on softer or uneven surfaces.

The matching Table Zero LT takes the weight-saving philosophy even further with its packed weight of 254g and support for up to 10kg of load.

It uses the same translucent Ghostgrid material as the chair, supported by a minimalist orange frame that folds down for easy transport.

A little extra room for the essentials

Completing the collection is the ACG x Helinox Camp Sack, a 17-litre carry bag made from bluesign-certified 50D nylon ripstop and 300D ripstop materials.

Weighing just 134g, it features a spacious main compartment and two exterior stash pockets, with a construction that allows it to pack flat when not in use.

Unlike the furniture, which uses translucent grey mesh and orange aluminium frames, the Camp Sack features a predominantly grey and white design with orange branding.

It's an interesting meeting of technical outdoor equipment and lifestyle design, and one that feels more natural than many collaborations between performance and fashion brands.

The Nike ACG x Helinox collection launches on 2 November 2026, exclusively through SportShoes.com in the UK.

European pricing is €179.95 for the Chair Zero LT, €169.95 for the Table Zero LT and €44.95 for the Camp Sack. UK, US and AU pricing has yet to be confirmed.

Visit Helinox for more information.

Arc'teryx has been responsible for some of the most recognisable technical outerwear designs of the past few decades, but few are quite as distinctive as the Sidewinder.

First introduced in 2001, the jacket helped establish the Canadian brand's reputation in freeride skiing and snowboarding, largely thanks to an unusual curved front zip that looked unlike anything else on the mountain.

Now, 25 years later, the Sidewinder is making a comeback, complete with updated GORE-TEX construction, a more relaxed silhouette and, thankfully, that unmistakable asymmetric zip.

Even better, Arc'teryx is also releasing a separate archival edition that recreates the original 2001 design, right down to its retro colourways.

A zip that changed everything

When Arc'teryx introduced the jacket in 2001, its curved WaterTight zip represented a significant departure from conventional outerwear construction.

The zip curves around the wearer's neck, moving the closure away from the chin to prevent uncomfortable rubbing.

These days, chin guards are pretty standard on most mountaineering shells, but that doesn't make the Sidewinder's design redundant.

Even though the curved zipper is back, practically everything surrounding it has been updated.

The jacket now features a shorter, more relaxed fit designed to provide greater freedom of movement, alongside a three-layer GORE-TEX ePE construction.

Arc'teryx has used durable 100-denier fabrics throughout, with ripstop reinforcement across the shoulders and sleeves to improve durability in high-wear areas.

Other features include a helmet-compatible StormHood (my favourite), adjustable cuffs, a cinchable waist, multiple pockets and an integrated RECCO reflector to assist search and rescue operations.

At 681g, it's a substantial technical shell designed for demanding mountain conditions rather than lightweight hiking.

The original is making a comeback, too

Perhaps the more exciting announcement for longtime Arc'teryx enthusiasts is the Sidewinder Archive, which arrives in November.

Unlike the contemporary version, which introduces updated proportions and construction, the Archive closely follows the original jacket's fit and design from 2001.

The archival edition uses modern three-layer GORE-TEX PRO ePE, alongside recycled face fabrics, bringing the original design up to contemporary performance standards.

It will also be available in the original Citrus and Chili colourways, which should appeal to collectors and anyone who appreciates the increasingly popular retro outdoor aesthetic.

The decision to release both versions feels particularly timely, given the growing interest in archival technical clothing and the renewed popularity of early-2000s outdoor designs.

The contemporary Sidewinder is part of the brand's Autumn/Winter 2026 collection and is available now at Arc'teryx UK and Arc'teryx US for £750 / $850.

The Sidewinder Archive launches globally in November through Arc'teryx stores, selected retailers and the brand's website. Price TBC.

British adventure brand Shackleton's latest launch takes the company into an entirely new category.

The new Palmer Softshell Hiking Trousers are the company's first-ever technical softshell legwear, and are said to offer the durability and freedom of movement needed for demanding mountain adventures without looking out of place back in civilisation.

According to Shackleton, the idea came directly from customers, who requested versatile hiking trousers through the brand's regular surveys.

Named after Palmer Land, a mountainous region of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Palmer follow Shackleton's established philosophy of creating technical outdoor clothing that doesn't necessarily look like traditional expedition gear.

And judging by the specifications, there's considerably more going on here than the understated appearance might suggest.

Built for movement, whatever the weather

The Palmer trousers use a double-weave softshell fabric made from 88% nylon and 12% spandex, and provide four-way stretch for unrestricted movement when scrambling or tackling steep terrain.

A gusseted crotch and elasticated rear waistband further improve mobility, while adjustable hems, reinforced ankle scuff guards and concealed boot hooks help keep everything in place when the going gets rough.

One particularly interesting detail is the integrated Fidlock magnetic buckle, which should make fastening and adjusting the trousers considerably easier than a traditional belt.

Providing UPF 50+ sun protection, the Palmer trousers have five external pockets, including a thigh pocket with an internal mesh compartment and a concealed loop for securing valuables.

Despite their relatively streamlined appearance, they feature concealed zipped mesh vents on the legs to let you dump excess heat during strenuous activity.

Shackleton quotes a RET breathability rating of 2.23, which is exceptionally low. RET measures a fabric's resistance to water vapour transmission, meaning lower numbers generally indicate better breathability.

The fabric itself is coated with PFC-free C0 durable water-repellent treatment to help shed light rain and moisture.

From summer hikes to winter expeditions

Perhaps the most ambitious claim concerns the trousers' versatility across different temperatures.

Shackleton says the Palmer trousers are comfortable up to 25°C, and that pairing them with suitable thermal base layers could make them usable in conditions as cold as -20°C.

Naturally, comfort at either extreme will depend on activity levels and weather conditions, but the breathable fabric and adjustable ventilation suggest they're meant for year-round use.

At 510g, they're not exactly ultralight, although the additional weight is understandable given the reinforced construction and extensive feature set.

The Palmer Softshell Hiking Trousers are available now at Shackleton for £195 / $295 / €270 / AU$390.

They're currently offered in black only.

Each summer, my family and I swap London life for a month in the Swiss mountain resort of Klosters. We usually choose to drive, allowing us to load the car with all the gear we need for our adventures, not least our bikes. With two children's bikes in the roof box and another three on the towbar-mounted rack, we make the 1,000km journey and settle in.

As a keen road cyclist, I've spent years exploring the surrounding mountain passes, but electric bikes have transformed what we're able to do together as a family, opening up a whole new world of adventures.

This summer, my wife and I shared the Moustache Xroad FS 6, using it extensively, often several times a day, for everything from half-mile supermarket dashes to family excursions deep into the mountains.

At times, that meant transporting four of us on a single bike: one adult pedalling, our one-year-old in a rear-mounted child seat and our four- and six-year-olds in a double trailer behind, with picnic supplies squeezed in alongside them.

It's quite a load for one bicycle, and I occasionally wondered whether we were asking too much of it. But the Moustache took it all in its stride, the powerful Bosch motor making remarkably light work of the mountain climbs. By the end of our stay, it had become an indispensable part of our holiday.

Moustache Xroad FS 6 review

Price and availability

French manufacturer Moustache was founded in 2011, with its electric bikes designed and assembled in the Vosges region of eastern France.

The brand’s extensive range spans everything from longtail cargo bikes to sporty road machines, but the Xroad is its do-it-all electric hybrid, designed to be equally at home on the daily commute, country lanes or gravel trails.

There are seven models to choose from: four front-suspension versions, from the entry-level ES to the progressively better-equipped 2, 4 and 6, plus three full-suspension (FS) models, which add a rear shock absorber for greater comfort and control on rougher terrain.

The FS 6 sits at the top, starting at £4,199 with a 600Wh battery, or £4,499 with the larger 800Wh option, compared with £3,499 for the FS 2 and £3,899 for the FS 4. The additional outlay brings Bosch's more powerful Performance Line CX motor, a larger Kiox 500 display and upgraded Magura hydraulic disc brakes.

I borrowed the bike from the excellent team at Fully Charged (https://www.fullycharged.com/moustache-samedi-27-xroad-6-fs-2026/) whose cavernous showroom near London Bridge is a hive of activity. If you’re considering a Moustache, it’s well worth a visit to get hands-on with the different models and work out which best suits your needs.

Another contender is Haibike's ADVENTR 6, which costs £3,699 and offers full suspension and an 800Wh battery, albeit with a less powerful Bosch Performance Line PX motor. The top-spec FS 6 isn't the cheapest option, then, but its extra muscle proved particularly valuable in the mountains.

Design and build quality

At first glance, the Xroad FS 6 has something of a mountain bike about it, with chunky tyres, a substantial aluminium frame and suspension at both ends. Yet its more upright riding position, low step-through design and generous array of practical accessories make it ready for much more than weekend trail riding.

It's a good-looking bike, too, with a smart matt finish and clean frame lines that disguise its considerable bulk.

The step-through frame was an immediate winner with both my wife and me, particularly with a child seat mounted behind the saddle. Swinging a leg over the rear simply wasn't an option, so being able to step through the frame made mounting and dismounting with a child aboard considerably easier.

Another brilliant feature is the dropper seatpost, operated by a thumb lever on the handlebars. Press it and the saddle rises; apply your body weight and another press lowers it again. At 167cm, my wife was comfortably accommodated by our medium-sized test bike, while at 188cm I'm better suited to a large.

Nevertheless, this quick and easy adjustment meant we could swap throughout the day without tools. For our relatively short excursions, it worked perfectly, although I would want the larger frame for several hours in the saddle.

I'd initially feared the full suspension would do little more than add unnecessary weight, but it proved a revelation. With 120mm of travel up front and 115mm at the rear, it might sound excessive for family cycling, but even the riverside gravel trails were peppered with potholes, cattle grids and rocky sections.

The suspension soaked up substantial jolts, particularly on faster descents, making for a noticeably smoother ride than a conventional hardtail. I'm sure my one-year-old appreciated it too, frequently dozing off in the child seat behind me, seemingly oblivious to the bumps beneath us.

We also had Moustache's optional £200 suspended luggage carrier, with MIK HD and QL3 mounting systems for compatible child seats, panniers and other accessories. It's an upgrade I'd wholeheartedly recommend.

Our Thule Yepp 2 Maxi child seat attached easily, and I switched out the standard rear thru-axle with a trailer-compatible version (172mm long with a 1.5mm thread pitch; I purchased this one), allowing us to hitch up a Thule Chariot Cross 2 double trailer. This made for an extraordinarily versatile setup, allowing us to transport all three children or use the trailer for larger supermarket shops.

Elsewhere, mudguards, integrated lights, a sturdy kickstand and built-in frame lock make the Xroad an impressively practical everyday machine.

The only real downside is its weight, at around 27–29kg depending on battery and frame size. Lifting it onto our towbar-mounted bike rack was manageable, but I certainly wouldn't fancy hoisting it onto a roof rack without someone else to help.

Performance and ride quality

Power comes courtesy of Bosch's Performance Line CX motor, rated at up to 120Nm of torque in its current specification. That's significantly more than the 75Nm and 90Nm available from the FS 2 and FS 4 respectively, and a difference I was grateful for with three children in tow and some particularly steep gradients to tackle.

Our regular family excursion followed the river from Klosters to Garfiun, an 18km round trip involving approximately 300m of climbing. Even fully loaded with children, trailer and picnic supplies, the Moustache made wonderfully light work of the ascent.

The assistance feels remarkably natural, building smoothly as you pedal rather than arriving in an abrupt surge. I generally favoured the lower Eco or Tour settings, while my wife preferred a little more help, particularly on the steeper sections.

We only discovered the motor's limits once, after taking a wrong turn beneath the Gotschnabahn gondola towards the main ski area. Suddenly faced with a narrow trail exceeding 15 per cent gradient, it became difficult to maintain sufficient momentum to balance comfortably with the trailer attached. A little extra power would have been welcome, although this was an extreme scenario for any family e-bike.

Elsewhere, the Xroad felt impressively planted. The Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres provided ample traction on loose gravel, while the upgraded Magura brakes delivered reassuring stopping power on long Alpine descents.

Even on smooth tarmac the suspension made its presence felt, quietly absorbing unexpected drain covers and potholes. Unhitch the trailer and remove the child seat, however, and the bike transformed into something altogether more playful, encouraging a spirited blast along the gravel trails.

The Bosch Kiox 500 2.8” colour display was another highlight. Centrally mounted on the handlebars, it's considerably larger and easier to read than the smaller Purion 200 fitted to the lower-spec models, displaying speed, battery status and assistance level, along with useful prompts suggesting when to change gear.

There's additional functionality through Bosch's eBike Flow app, although I never felt the need to explore it. Everything I wanted was already available on the screen.

Battery life and range

The FS 6 is available with a 600Wh Bosch PowerTube battery or a larger 800Wh option, neatly integrated into the frame. Moustache quotes maximum ranges of 135km and 172km respectively under ideal conditions, although real-world results depend heavily on terrain, load and assistance level.

Our Swiss mountain riding provided a demanding test, with long climbs and a bicycle frequently carrying considerably more than a typical solo rider would.

Nevertheless, range was never a concern. A typical outing involved around 40 minutes climbing up the valley followed by a much quicker 20-minute descent, with shorter supermarket runs in between.

We generally charged the bike every other evening, plugging it directly into a socket in our garage without needing to remove the battery.

Rather than relying on the estimated remaining range, which inevitably fluctuated with the terrain, load and assistance level, I simply kept an eye on the battery percentage.

My one small criticism concerned the charging socket cover. Positioned facing upwards beside the motor housing, its flap was rather too easily dislodged, potentially exposing the connection to rain and dirt. It's a minor irritation on an otherwise thoughtfully designed bike, but one that could become troublesome over time.

Verdict

Having spent five weeks with the Moustache Xroad FS 6, I'm convinced it's about as versatile an electric bike as you could hope to own.

A dedicated cargo bike might make more sense for families whose main priority is transporting children, while those who rarely venture beyond tarmac could save money with a simpler Xroad.

But for anyone wanting one bike for everything from everyday errands to ambitious mountain adventures, with children and all their gear in tow, or simply the solo blasts along gravel trails, the FS 6 makes a very compelling case. It's expensive and on the heavy side, yet the freedom it offers makes those compromises surprisingly easy to overlook.

For us, it didn't just make getting around easier. It opened up more of the mountains to the whole family, creating shared experiences and memories that will stay with us long after the summer is over.

Arc'teryx is no stranger to making unusual outdoor gear, but its latest winter footwear might be one of the strangest products the Canadian brand has released in recent memory.

The new Arc'teryx Postour Boot looks like it was designed for Arctic expeditions, although its most interesting feature has surprisingly little to do with surviving extreme conditions.

That's because these oversized, GORE-TEX-lined winter boots have a removable slipper hidden inside, letting you transition from trudging through deep snow to lounging around the chalet without having to change your footwear entirely.

Yes, Arc'teryx has essentially invented a £280 boot that doubles as a pair of slippers, and I can't decide whether it's completely ridiculous or genuinely brilliant. On second thought, it's the latter.

Two shoes for the price of one

To be fair to Arc'teryx, there's considerably more going on here than a gimmicky two-in-one design.

The Postour is a recovery boot that helps your feet recover after long ski days and/or exploring snowy environments.

The outer boot features GORE-TEX Invisible Fit waterproofing, while the tall, flexible collar cinches shut like a climbing chalk bag to keep snow out.

The Vibram Arctic Grip outsole provides plenty of traction on icy surfaces, with an aggressive lug pattern for navigating snow and softer terrain.

Extended rubber reinforcement wraps around the lower section of the boot to protect against abrasion and impacts, while insulation helps keep your feet warm when temperatures drop.

Things get considerably more exciting when indoors.

You simply pull out the insulated inner shoe, which has its own grippy TPU outsole and can be worn on its own.

It's essentially a cosy house slipper that doubles as the inner lining of a fully waterproof winter boot.

The removable design also makes a surprising amount of sense for anyone spending time in mountain huts, ski chalets or winter camps, where switching between outdoor protection and indoor comfort is part of the daily routine.

Ridiculous or revolutionary?

Of course, there's no getting around the Postour's appearance. The internet seems torn between astonishment and revolt over the boots' towering fabric upper, chunky rubber base and minimalist styling.

Many suggest that it looks more like something an astronaut might wear on a particularly cold planet than conventional après-ski footwear.

At 786g per boot, it's hardly lightweight either, though that's less of a concern for footwear designed for warmth and recovery.

And while the idea of paying £280 for boots that turn into slippers might sound extravagant, the combination of GORE-TEX waterproofing, Vibram traction and insulated construction suggests Arc'teryx hasn't compromised on the technical details.

Personally, I love seeing outdoor brands experiment with unconventional designs, especially when there's a practical idea lurking beneath the slightly absurd exterior.

The Postour Boot is available now for £280 in the UK, in men's and women's versions, directly from Arc'teryx.

It might not be the winter footwear everyone needs, but it's certainly one of the more entertaining ways to keep your feet warm this season.

If there's one guy who knows a thing or two about training for the long game, it's physician, bestselling author, and pioneer in functional medicine, Dr Mark Hyman.

The 66-year-old longevity expert and founder and senior adviser of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine says he's fitter than he's ever been in his life. And he's more than happy to share his secrets.

“Your body is actually the single most sophisticated thing you'll ever own," says Hyman, who didn't start strength training until he was 59. "Now I'm 66 and stronger than I was in my 40s," he explains. What's his secret?

Why strength training matters in your 60s

"Muscle is the organ of longevity. It controls your blood sugar, protects your bones, fuels your metabolism, and keeps you independent as you age," explains Hyman. "After 30, we lose muscle every decade unless we fight for it."

He’s not wrong. As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength, which can affect everything from our balance and mobility to how easily we manage everyday activities.

But here's the good news. It's never too late to start strength training, and our muscles can respond to exercise well into later life.

In fact, Hyman believes you might notice some benefits sooner than you think. "In as little as 10 days, you can start to feel the difference in your energy, sleep and mood," he says.

Of course, building muscle takes time, but it's encouraging to know that even small changes to your routine can move you in the right direction.

The workout

Hyman explains that these six moves will help you stay "strong enough to hike mountains, travel the world, carry your own bags and keep doing things you love for decades to come."

And isn't that what training for longevity should really be about? Not just looking strong, but being strong enough to enjoy life, whatever your age.

His six exercises involve core work, upper-body strength, grip endurance and rotational movement. Here's how to do them.

1. Mountain climbers

"This move combines strength and cardiovascular work," says Hyman. "Exercises that challenge multiple systems at once improve metabolic health, balance and resilience."

Start in a high plank position, with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels.

Keeping your core engaged, drive one knee towards your chest, then return it to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side, alternating legs in a controlled, running-like movement.

No gym? No problem. This move can be done anywhere.

2. Rotational cable press

"Most injuries happen during twisting, reaching, or changing direction," says Hyman. "Training rotation helps maintain real-world movement capacity and protects the spine."

Stand in front of a cable machine with the handle at knee height. Hold the handle, then rotate through your torso as you press your arm forwards and slightly across your body. Return slowly to the starting position before repeating. Switch sides to work both directions.

No gym? Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object and use the band instead.

3. Single-arm rotational cable row

"A strong back supports spinal health, posture and shoulder function," says Hyman. "All of which tend to decline with age."

Set the cable machine around waist height and hold the handle with one hand. Step back to create tension in the cable, keeping your knees slightly bent. Allow your torso to rotate gently towards the machine, then pull the handle towards your ribs as you rotate back. Keep the movement controlled rather than using momentum.

No gym? Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object and use the band instead.

4. Dead hang

"Grip strength is one of the most studied predictors of healthy aging and overall mortality," says Hyman. "Hanging also helps maintain shoulder range of motion."

Grip a pull-up bar with both hands, roughly shoulder-width apart, and allow your body to hang beneath it. Keep your shoulders controlled and your core lightly engaged, avoiding excessive swinging. Hold for as long as you can comfortably maintain your grip and position.

If a full dead hang feels too challenging, keep your feet supported on a box or the floor to reduce the load.

No gym? Find a playground with some monkey bars, or invest in a door frame bar.

5. Lat pulldown

"Strong pulling muscles support posture, shoulder health and the ability to lift and carry objects throughout life," says Hyman.

Sit at a lat pulldown machine with your thighs secured beneath the pads. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and keep your chest lifted. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, driving your elbows towards your sides. Slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position.

Avoid leaning too far backwards or using momentum to pull the weight down.

No gym? Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object. Making sure the band is securely anchored overhead, pull the handles of the band from above your head down towards your ribs. Control the band on the way up, and back on the way down.

6. Alternating dumbbell chest press

"Resistance training helps preserve muscle and bone, two key factors in preventing frailty," says Hyman.

Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms extended above your chest. Keeping one arm steady, lower the opposite dumbbell towards your chest by bending your elbow. Press it back up, then repeat on the other side.

Alternate arms throughout, keeping your feet planted and your torso stable.

No gym? Use heavy water bottles and lie on your back with your knees bent. Or invest in a pair of adjustable dumbbells, which take up very little room and adapt to your progress.

How often should you do the workout?

"Every workout is an investment in my future self," says Hyman. His aim is to perform these moves three to four times a week, alongside walking every day.

If you're new to strength training, start with fewer sessions and build up gradually, allowing your muscles time to recover. Choose a manageable level of resistance, concentrate on your technique and increase the challenge as you become more confident and resilient.

And that's perhaps the biggest takeaway from Hyman's approach. Strength training isn't just about what you can lift today. It's about making sure your body is capable of doing everything you love tomorrow – and for decades to come. It's never too late to start, because, yes, training takes effort – yet “frailty takes everything.”

Strava might still be best known for helping runners and cyclists track their workouts, but the fitness platform has spent the last few years building a fully fledged outdoor navigation app.

(Not to mention all the strength training stuff, but that's another story.)

Its latest update, announced on 22 October, takes that ambition another step forward by introducing smarter route searches, improved offline mapping and community-powered recommendations, with hands-free turn-by-turn navigation also on the horizon.

For hikers, in particular, the changes could make Strava a more compelling alternative to dedicated outdoor apps such as AllTrails and Komoot, especially for those already paying for a Strava subscription.

Finding your next adventure just got easier

One of the biggest improvements puts Strava's LLM to good use by letting you look for routes and points of interest using natural language.

Strava has also expanded its library of recommended routes, while redesigned route cards now provide additional context through photographs and activity data contributed by the platform's community of more than 200 million users.

The idea is to make choosing a route less of a guessing game, particularly when exploring unfamiliar areas.

Further improvements are on the way, too, including community-generated descriptions and tags that highlight interesting features along routes, such as waterfalls and notable trees.

Strava says these insights will be informed by aggregated activity data from its users, potentially making the information more relevant to the routes people actually explore.

No signal? No problem

Perhaps more importantly for outdoor enthusiasts, Strava is improving how its app behaves when mobile reception disappears.

Saved routes will now appear directly on the home screen when offline, and you can start and record activities offline, with your workouts automatically uploaded once connectivity returns.

Strava has confirmed that subscribers will soon be able to access hands-free, turn-by-turn audio navigation when following routes on hikes, walks and runs.

According to the company, you will receive spoken directions telling you when to turn, bringing the experience closer to that offered by dedicated navigation apps.

Strava also plans to introduce improved route discovery through its website.

Strava's outdoor ambitions are becoming impossible to ignore

These updates are the latest in a series of improvements that have gradually transformed Strava's outdoor credentials.

The company acquired specialist outdoor mapping platform FATMAP in 2023, subsequently integrating elements of its advanced terrain visualisation technology into Strava's mapping experience.

Since then, the platform has continued expanding its route planning, trail discovery and navigation capabilities, increasingly catering to hikers and outdoor adventurers alongside its traditional running and cycling audience.

Of course, dedicated hiking apps still have their advantages, and Strava isn't necessarily ready to replace every specialist navigation tool.

Nevertheless, with smarter route discovery, improved offline functionality and spoken navigation on the way, Strava is making an increasingly convincing argument that the app you already use to track your workouts could also help you find your next adventure.

You can sign up for Strava for free.

Samsung could be preparing to launch the successor to the Galaxy Fit 3, which we'd expect to be called the Galaxy Fit 4. That name might be predictable, but the design could be predictable too.

Thanks to a trio of videos that have landed at Android Authority we get to take a look at what's claimed to be the Galaxy Fit 4 in three colours – black, white and light blue.

From the outside, there don't appear to be any changes to the design, and with no official details from Samsung it's difficult to verify exactly what the changes might be to this affordable fitness tracker.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit series is designed for affordability (it's £54 in the UK), providing fitness tracking functions with a compact screen, but costing a lot less than Samsung's Galaxy Watch models. It's lightweight, offers tracking for daily steps and sleep, while also offering assisted GPS – ie., it needs a connected phone for accuracy.

The Galaxy Fit 3 was announced in early 2024, but this isn't a device that Samsung has regularly updated. The Galaxy Fit 2 was announced in 2020, so there's not really a launch pattern to stick to.

That might see the Galaxy Fit 4 appearing in 2027 – and the only pattern in this family of devices is that most of them have been announced in February. The eagle-eyed will notice that the screen shows the date of 25 January. Some manufacturers put the launch date on their official images – but again, not always.

Previously, leaks have identified a device with the model number SM-R391, with BLE support, but that's about all.

That leaves us with very little information about what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy Fit 4. It's a device that doesn't fit into the current screen-less tracker trend, potentially aiming to offer a slim and light device with a screen for a lower price.

This is a device that Samsung's likely to launch without too much fanfare, so expect it to just appear rather than get stage time at an upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

Barefoot footwear has come a long way from its running-focused origins, with minimalist shoes increasingly finding their way into everyday wardrobes and outdoor adventures.

Vivobarefoot is taking that evolution a step further through a collaboration with Japanese outdoor collective Moonlight Gear.

From Asphalt to Powder explores the unlikely connection between street skating and snowsurfing, with a minimalist suede sneaker for urban adventures and a waterproof, insulated boot for colder conditions.

Although the two shoes couldn't look more different, both follow Vivobarefoot's familiar approach to footwear, prioritising flexibility and natural foot movement.

A little Japanese outdoor magic

Moonlight Gear (MLG) may not be widely recognisable outside Japan, but the outdoor retailer and collective has developed a following through its experimental approach to lightweight equipment and adventure.

The new collaboration follows that philosophy closely, which sees MLG's community building skateboards and snowsurf boards by hand before taking them onto the streets and into Japan's snow-covered mountains.

And while the two shoes might sound like a weird mix, it's worth remembering that both activities rely on balance, precision and an intimate understanding of the surface beneath your feet.

(Even if one involves concrete and the other untouched snow.)

It's an interesting way to position barefoot footwear beyond its usual association with running and natural walking, particularly as minimalist shoes continue to find audiences in fashion and outdoor circles.

Two shoes, two very different personalities

The more understated of the two models is the Gobi Sneaker Skate MLG, a low-profile skate-inspired shoe featuring a Wild Hide suede upper and a natural-rubber outsole.

Its wide, foot-shaped design and flexible construction let the foot move naturally, while the thin sole provides ground feedback that could appeal to skateboarders looking for better board feel.

The shoes feature a cork insole for moisture management and a repair tab to help extend their lifespan.

The black suede upper and contrasting gum sole give the Gobi a classic skate shoe look, which might make it more appealing for people who aren't necessarily looking for something that screams barefoot footwear.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Tracker Pioneer WP, a tall, insulated waterproof boot with a distinctly technical appearance.

Designed for cold and wet conditions, it features a flexible barefoot construction, a high-traction outsole and a bungee-lacing system for quick adjustments.

The generously padded upper and wraparound lacing give it an almost futuristic appearance, although its underlying design philosophy remains firmly rooted in Vivobarefoot's minimalist approach.

For the Moonlight Gear team, the Tracker Pioneer WP serves as a companion for snowsurfing adventures, including hiking into the mountains with their handmade boards in search of fresh powder.

The Gobi Sneaker Skate MLG is available in men's and women's versions for £150 / $170 / €160, while the Tracker Pioneer WP costs £200 / $270 / €220 and comes in Dark Shadow, Eclipse and Mole colour options.

AU price and availability TBC.

Few endurance athletes have pushed the limits of human performance quite like Kilian Jornet, whose extraordinary mountain-running exploits have made him a legend in the outdoor world.

While his training methods are undoubtedly more demanding than those of the average runner, one piece of recovery technology has apparently remained constant throughout much of his career.

That technology comes from Compex, which has announced its new Ultimate EMS range alongside a renewed partnership with Jornet, who has used the brand's electrical muscle stimulation devices since 2006.

The new generation introduces wireless stimulation pods, smartphone-based controls and upgraded muscle-scanning technology, all designed to make EMS easier to incorporate into training and recovery routines.

A smarter way to stimulate your muscles

Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, uses electrical impulses delivered through electrodes placed on the skin to trigger muscle contractions.

The technology is commonly associated with physiotherapy and rehabilitation, though athletes also use it for muscle activation, strength conditioning and recovery.

Compex has been developing EMS devices for decades, but the new Ultimate range marks a shift towards a more connected, portable experience.

The biggest change is the app-driven interface, which allows users to control their sessions from an iOS or Android smartphone.

The app offers structured training plans, as well as personalised goals and guidance on electrode placement.

Compex says its expandable catalogue of programmes covers everything from strength and endurance to massage and recovery.

The company has upgraded its Muscle Intelligence technology to MI 2.0, which the company claims delivers faster, more accurate muscle scanning and more responsive automatic intensity adjustments.

The wireless pods now use magnetic electrode connections for quicker setup, while a 15-minute charge provides enough power for a recovery session. Battery life is rated at up to five hours.

Good enough for one of the world's greatest endurance athletes?

Jornet's relationship with Compex stretches back almost two decades, having first used one of the company's devices following an injury in 2006.

Since then, he says EMS has become part of his wider approach to rehabilitation, strength training and recovery.

"The first time I used a Compex was after an injury in 2006, and since then it has been part of my routine in many different situations," Jornet explains.

"What I find particularly valuable is its ability to help activate muscles and support neuromuscular function without adding unnecessary mechanical load."

Of course, EMS isn't a shortcut to improved fitness, and the evidence supporting its various applications differs depending on the intended outcome.

It's best considered a supplementary tool rather than a replacement for conventional training and recovery practices.

Nevertheless, the new Ultimate range looks like a significant usability upgrade for athletes who already incorporate muscle stimulation into their routines.

The Compex Ultimate will cost £850 in the UK, with the official launch currently expected around mid-November 2026. The exact release date has yet to be confirmed.

Victorinox has been on something of a limited-edition roll lately, and its latest release might also be one of its cutest designs this year.

The Synergy Winter Magic Limited Edition 2026 transforms the Swiss manufacturer's practical nine-function pocket knife into a miniature winter wonderland, complete with a starry night sky, snow-covered house and a tiny silver key.

Limited to just 15,000 pieces worldwide, the seasonal release is clearly positioned as a collector's item, though it still offers plenty of everyday functionality beneath its festive exterior to entice EDC fans, too.

A winter wonderland in your pocket

The most striking feature is undoubtedly the knife's blue Alox aluminium scales, which feature an intricate illustration inspired by the stillness of a winter night.

Look closely, and you'll spot a little house surrounded by snow, a trail of footprints leading towards its front door and a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney into the star-filled sky.

It's a charming departure from Victorinox's typically understated designs, and the attention to detail extends to the detachable key-shaped charm hanging from the knife's key ring.

The hypoallergenic charm represents the key to the house depicted on the handle and can even be worn separately as a piece of jewellery.

Victorinox has also created a matching presentation box featuring the same wintry artwork, making the whole package feel more like a collectable than an ordinary everyday carry accessory.

Nine tools, one magical package

The Winter Magic is based on Victorinox's relatively new Synergy platform.

It features nine functions, including a large blade, box opener, bottle opener, 3mm and 7mm screwdrivers, wire stripper, nail file, nail cleaner and key ring.

The Synergy has a more contemporary silhouette, with a longer, slimmer profile and textured aluminium scales.

Measuring 93mm long, 23mm wide and 12mm thick, the limited edition weighs 79g, making it compact enough to carry in a pocket or everyday bag.

Interestingly, the company has opted for solid decorative scales instead of the cut-out design found on the standard Synergy, which gives this version a cleaner appearance.

The knife is manufactured in Switzerland, as you'd expect from Victorinox, and retains the practical versatility that has made the brand's pocket tools so popular.

The Victorinox Synergy Winter Magic Limited Edition 2026 is available now at Victorinox UK, Victorinox US and Victorinox EU, priced at £75 / $85 / €75. AU price and availability TBC.

With production capped at 15,000 pieces worldwide and a comparatively affordable price point, it could make a particularly appealing Christmas gift for Swiss Army Knife enthusiasts (provided you can resist keeping it for yourself).

Retro-inspired outdoor clothing is having something of a moment, with brands increasingly looking to their archives for inspiration.

Now, Swedish outdoor specialist Fjällräven is joining the party with a 3-piece capsule that looks delightfully vintage in all the right ways.

The Expedition Block Collection reimagines the brand's classic Expedition Down Lite Jacket with bold colour-blocked designs inspired by nature.

It brings a distinctly vintage aesthetic to a silhouette that can trace its roots back more than five decades.

Even though I have no qualms with how the brand's modern pieces look, the new range is a welcome departure from the more understated colours traditionally associated with Fjällräven.

On top of that, it's nice to see another major outdoor brand embracing its heritage as retro-inspired clothing continues to grow in popularity.

A 1970s classic gets a colourful update

The original Expedition Down Jacket was introduced in 1974, designed by Fjällräven founder Åke Nordin to provide serious insulation in the harsh Scandinavian winter.

More than 50 years later, its oversized profile, substantial hood and distinctive horizontal baffles remain instantly recognisable.

Fjällräven has focused on colour, introducing contrasting panels and unexpected combinations that recall the style of outdoor clothing catalogues from the 1970s or 1980s.

"For the Expedition Series, which has such history, colour blocking feels like a fresh approach," explains Fjällräven designer Samuel Stadell.

According to Stadell, the design team initially explored around 30 colourways before narrowing the collection down to five, with the final combinations drawing inspiration from natural landscapes.

Old-school looks, modern insulation

The Expedition Down Lite Jacket is a less bulky interpretation of the original Expedition Down Jacket designed for cold-weather adventures.

It uses down insulation arranged in sewn-through channels, with synthetic padding around the shoulders to help resist moisture and wear in areas particularly exposed to the elements.

The jacket also features an adjustable hood and hem, a two-way front zip, as well as three internal pockets.

The collection includes men's and women's versions of the jacket, alongside the limited-edition 1960 Leather Logo Hat, a two-layer lambswool beanie finished with a leather Fjällräven logo.

The Expedition Block collection launches today, 23 October 2026, and is available at Fjällräven UK and Fjällräven EU.

Both the men's and women's Expedition Down Lite Color Blocked Jackets are £550 / €550, while the 1960 Leather Logo Hat costs £60 / €64.95. US and AU prices and availability TBC.

Oura has spent the last few years steadily transforming its smart ring from a sleep and recovery tracker into a more rounded health and fitness wearable.

Its latest update continues that evolution by introducing two features to help you understand not just how much you exercise, but how those workouts affect your cardiovascular fitness.

The new Cardio Effort and updated VO₂ max features bring more sophisticated exercise analysis to the Oura app, including personalised weekly training-load assessments and automatic cardiovascular fitness estimates based on GPS-enabled workouts.

Training harder isn't always training smarter

Cardio Effort measures the cardiovascular demands of individual workouts and accumulates those scores into a weekly total.

The feature considers both exercise duration and intensity; a short, demanding workout can contribute as much effort as a longer, low-intensity session.

The system uses Training Impulse (TRIMP), an established exercise physiology framework that estimates the internal cardiovascular load associated with exercise.

Individual workout scores contribute towards five weekly effort categories: Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building and Reaching.

These ranges are personalised using your recent activity patterns to help you understand whether your current exercise routine is sufficient to maintain fitness, potentially improve it or place unusually high demands on your body.

It's not quite the same as Garmin's comprehensive Training Status or Training Readiness systems, but it represents another step towards connecting Oura's established recovery insights with the activities that influence them.

No more walking tests

The second upgrade concerns VO₂ max, one of the most widely used indicators of cardiovascular fitness.

Previously available through Oura's Cardio Capacity feature, the metric traditionally required users to complete a dedicated six-minute walking test to generate an estimate.

(In my experience, it was wildly unreliable.)

The updated system removes that requirement by automatically estimating VO₂ max from qualifying GPS-enabled workouts.

After five eligible activities, you receive an initial estimate, expressed in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).

The Oura app then assigns a fitness category from Low to Peak, and displays historical trends, highlighting any changes.

You can also manually record VO₂ max results from lab testing or other devices, but these measurements won't influence Oura's own estimate or fitness rating.

Cardio Effort will be available on Oura Ring Gen 3 and newer models, while the updated VO₂ Max experience is launching through Oura Labs for the same generations.

Oura has not yet provided a specific wider rollout date for the VO₂ Max feature.

There's something slightly unsettling about watching a perfectly good outdoor jacket being subjected to the kind of weather most people would actively try to avoid, especially when you're standing comfortably indoors while the garment gets absolutely drenched.

Yet that's precisely what I found myself doing during a recent visit to GORE-TEX's facilities in Putzbrunn, near Munich, where the company was celebrating 50 years of its waterproof fabrics and offering a rare glimpse into the processes behind one of the outdoor industry's most recognisable technologies.

Having tested countless waterproof jackets over the years, I was keen to understand why products bearing the famous black diamond logo often cost more, especially when competing waterproof technologies promise similar levels of protection for considerably less money.

After spending time around machines designed to simulate rain, wind, abrasion and years of wear, I came away with a different appreciation for GORE-TEX.

Turns out, the brand’s involvement in the development of waterproof clothing extends well beyond supplying the membrane that sits between layers of fabric.

Making it rain

Most outdoor enthusiasts will be familiar with the basic principle behind the iconic GORE-TEX membrane. It’s designed to prevent liquid water from passing through while allowing water vapour generated by your body to escape.

It's an ingenious concept, but understanding how the membrane works doesn't necessarily explain how a jacket will perform when the weather turns unpleasant.

When you factor in seams, zips, pockets and other construction details that can compromise an otherwise perfectly waterproof material, you realise how complicated it is to design a waterproof shell.

That's where GORE-TEX's testing facilities come into play, with dedicated equipment that subjects fabrics and finished garments to controlled rainfall, wind and other environmental conditions to expose potential weaknesses before products reach consumers.

During the visit, we were shown the company's rain-testing facilities, where garments can be assessed under simulated weather conditions.

For example, the infamous Rain Tower lets GORE-TEX test how a complete garment behaves when exposed to water, while also helping to determine whether the design provides the level of protection expected of a product carrying the company's branding.

Watching the tests, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the mannequin inside the tower, with rain coming in its direction from every angle. After the wet-weather protocol, we went into the tower to see if the GORE-TEX jacket and trousers kept moisture off the mannequin’s base layers.

As expected, there wasn’t as much as a drop of water inside the shell. However, the more we learned about the testing process, and as I was beginning to appreciate, the membrane alone doesn't explain those differences.

Waterproof doesn't necessarily mean comfortable

Another part of the tour showed how GORE-TEX evaluates material performance beyond its ability to keep rain out, including tests that measure resistance to water pressure, wind penetration and moisture vapour movement.

One demonstration involved hydrostatic pressure, which measures how much pressure a material can withstand before water begins to penetrate it. We were told that GORE-TEX laminates must meet a minimum waterproofness requirement equivalent to a 28-metre (28,000 mm) column of water.

That's an impressive figure, although hydrostatic head is only one measure of performance, and a jacket with an exceptionally high waterproof rating won't necessarily be more comfortable or better suited to your needs than one with a lower figure.

Wind resistance is another consideration, and not surprisingly, GORE-TEX has a machine that tests its apparel’s ability to protect its wearers from the gust. One lucky participant got to try it, and even though the demonstration wasn’t as spectacular as the Rain Tower, it showed just how broad the in-house research process is.

Manufacturers must balance keeping external moisture out and allowing internal moisture vapour to escape, something that becomes particularly noticeable when hiking uphill or running.

GORE-TEX uses different testing methods to evaluate these characteristics and determine whether materials suit their intended applications, recognising that the ideal fabric for a lightweight running jacket isn't necessarily the same as the one you'd want for a mountaineering shell designed to withstand years of demanding use.

The machines that try to destroy your jacket

While keeping water out when a jacket is brand new is obviously important, maintaining that performance after months or years of regular use presents an entirely different challenge, which is where some of the more elaborate testing equipment comes into its own.

We saw machines designed to repeatedly rub, flex and stress materials, replicating the sort of punishment outdoor clothing endures in everyday use, from backpack straps rubbing against a jacket's shoulders to fabric subjected to repeated movement.

GORE-TEX likes to go the extra mile when it comes to destroying its products. For example, the company added little bumps to the surface of the panel on which the fabric sits to imitate the uneven surface jackets and trousers might rub against in real-world scenarios.

This puts more pressure on the fabric, as it focuses the stress in more concentrated areas. It might sound cruel, but this approach helps assess how materials cope with prolonged friction, while other tests examine how laminates and their individual components respond to mechanical stress.

The same principle applies to footwear, where testing becomes even more elaborate due to the constant flexing, pressure and movement that shoes and boots experience during walking.

We were shown machines that repeatedly bend footwear to simulate extended use, alongside equipment designed to identify potential water ingress, including one particularly memorable setup that involved testing footwear with water inside it and using centrifugal force to reveal weaknesses.

It's the sort of behind-the-scenes testing most customers will never encounter, yet it demonstrates why producing reliable waterproof footwear involves considerably more than simply incorporating a membrane into an existing shoe design.

GORE-TEX doesn't just make the fabric

Perhaps the biggest revelation of the visit wasn't any individual machine, but how deeply GORE-TEX remains involved in the development and manufacturing of products that carry its name.

I always thought of the company as a material supplier, with outdoor brands designing their own jackets, selecting a suitable GORE-TEX fabric and incorporating it into the finished garment.

In reality, the relationship is considerably more involved, with GORE-TEX working alongside manufacturing partners and establishing requirements that extend beyond the membrane itself to include construction methods, production processes and testing.

These requirements aren't necessarily identical across every product category, either, because a lightweight lifestyle jacket, a technical mountaineering shell and a waterproof hiking boot are designed for different environments and must withstand different forms of wear.

Alongside laboratory testing, the company also conducts field trials to understand how products behave outside controlled environments.

During the visit, we heard about testing programmes involving substantial numbers of garments being used in demanding conditions, allowing the company to assess how different materials and construction techniques perform over time.

These processes create a quality-control system that goes beyond simply supplying a roll of waterproof fabric, even if much of that work remains invisible to the person browsing jackets in an outdoor retailer.

So, does that justify the price?

After touring the facilities, I have a better understanding of why GORE-TEX products can be expensive, though the answer is more complicated than simply pointing to the cost of developing and manufacturing a waterproof membrane.

The familiar branding represents a broader system of material development, laboratory testing, manufacturing requirements and quality assurance, all of which require investment and contribute to the performance expectations associated with GORE-TEX products.

That doesn't mean every jacket bearing the logo is automatically worth its asking price, of course, because factors such as fit, comfort, features and suitability for your intended activities remain just as important when deciding which waterproof shell to buy.

Nor does it mean competing waterproof technologies can't perform extremely well, or that GORE-TEX is the only company investing in rigorous testing and product development.

Nevertheless, the visit changed how I think about the famous black diamond logo, particularly when comparing jackets that appear relatively similar on paper but occupy very different price brackets.

It's easy to focus on waterproof ratings, fabric construction and other technical specifications when shopping for outdoor clothing, but having seen what happens behind the scenes, I'd argue that the less visible aspects of product development deserve just as much consideration.

After all, keeping you dry during the first downpour is one thing, but ensuring that a jacket continues to perform after repeated use, washing and exposure to the elements is a considerably more demanding proposition – one that GORE-TEX clearly takes very seriously.

Leatherman's range of multitools can regularly be found on wishlists, especially during sales periods and the holiday season. After all, there are plenty of them – at different price points – and they can run into the £100s.

If you're looking for an alternative, however, there are plenty of those too, with more popping up all the while. One of them is the Blackjaw, which is currently undergoing a pre-order round on Kickstarter, and it looks to be something of a rival to the Leatherman Wave+ at a fraction of the price.

Admittedly, there are fewer tools on the Blackjaw – it is an 11-in-1 rather than offer the 18 of the Wave+ – but all the essentials are there, and you can currently secure yours from just ¥14,200 (around £68 / $89). There was a launch early bird offer, which started at £53 / $69, but considering only 50 were available at this price, they've already been snagged.

The Blackjaw gives you pairs of long nose and standard pliers, a wire cutter, knife, wire-stripping blade, double-sided saw, Philips head and flat screwdrivers, can and bottle openers, and a carabiner clip.

It weighs 220g and the handles are built from aluminium. Stainless steel has been employed for the tools, such as the blades and screwdrivers.

It measures 107mm, so can be stored in a pocket, while the carabiner clip enables you to hang it off a bag or belt, too.

According to the Japanese designer – Tsuchioto Works – the black finish has been chosen for "what it hides after six months, not for how it looks on day one". It will mark up over time, but the darker hue hides the scratches and dents more.

You get a carry case with the Blackjaw too, although do take into account shipping which will be different depending on where you're ordering from.

Shipping is expected to start next March.

Garmin’s Fenix line has become increasingly lifestyle-focused over the years, but luckily, the brand has always kept its outdoor prowess intact. The latest Fenix 9 Pro is probably the smartest-looking rugged wearable I tested in years, even though it doesn’t really add much in terms of smart functionality. Still, if you’re looking for the best outdoor watch right now, I must admit, this is the one to beat.

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro review

Price and availability

The Fenix 9 Pro was announced in August 2026 and is available now at Garmin UK, Garmin US, Garmin EU and Garmin AU, with prices from £950 / $1,100 / €1,100 / AU$ 1,749. It comes in three sizes (43mm, 47mm and 51mm) and optional inReach connectivity. The Fenix 9 Pro Solar version adds solar charging but replaces the AMOLED with a Memory-in-Pixel screen.

Specs and build quality

The Fenix 9 Pro is Garmin's smartest-looking Fenix to date. Its titanium bezel and case give it a more premium appearance, and the new “nano-moulded” construction makes it noticeably slimmer than the Fenix 8 Pro (13.8mm versus 16mm).

Interestingly, the 47mm model weighs slightly more than the standard Fenix 9 (56g versus 53g, case only), matching the Fenix 8 Pro despite its slimmer profile.

The 1.4-inch AMOLED display retains the same 454 x 454 resolution as its predecessors, but brightness now reaches an impressive 3,000 nits, up from 2,000 nits on the Fenix 9.

Storage has also doubled from the Fenix 8 Pro's 32GB to 64GB, matching the standard Fenix 9, while the built-in LED torch now offers white, red and green illumination.

You also get a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, leakproof inductive buttons, a 10 ATM water-resistance rating and Garmin's familiar five-button layout.

Performance

In terms of performance, the Fenix 9 Pro feels remarkably similar to the Fenix 8 Pro. That's hardly surprising, given that Garmin has retained its excellent Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor and multi-band GPS technology.

I tracked runs, bike rides and walks during testing, and accuracy was consistently excellent. The biggest test came during the Eden Half Marathon, where the recorded route followed the event's winding forest trails and dirt paths almost perfectly.

The smartwatch measured 21.76km, slightly longer than the official half-marathon distance, although some variation is to be expected on a partially off-road course.

Garmin also claims up to 30% faster map panning thanks to increased RAM and an updated mapping engine. It's a welcome improvement, but ultimately an incremental one that does little to change the overall user experience. Mapping was already excellent on previous Fenix models.

Sleep tracking remains as comprehensive as ever, while Garmin's training and recovery insights continue to be among the best available.

One notable software addition is Garmin Epic, which combines activities and biometric data into a single, shareable adventure. It's a fun concept, particularly for multi-day expeditions and group adventures, though I've only tested it on my own activities.

Battery life was impressive. Starting at 83%, the watch lasted almost 11 days before dropping to 6%, despite regular GPS workouts, continuous wear, overnight sleep tracking and a software update. Charging from 6% to 100% took just over 90 minutes.

I didn't retest the Fenix 9 Pro's inReach satellite connectivity, having already experienced the technology on the Fenix 8 Pro. It's potentially invaluable for remote adventures where mobile coverage is unavailable, but the additional subscription cost makes it harder to justify for everyday users.

Verdict

The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro is arguably the best outdoor watch you can buy right now, combining premium construction, outstanding tracking accuracy and comprehensive training features. However, its titanium case and faster mapping are ultimately incremental upgrades over the Fenix 8 Pro.

Depending on your preferences, I'd find it hard to recommend upgrading even from the Fenix 6 Pro, unless you're particularly keen on an AMOLED display. That said, it's a brilliantly capable wearable with just about every smart, health, fitness and outdoor feature under the sun. You just have to be willing to pay the price.