Well, maybe not perfect, but the jacket is amazingly bright. It's completely made of reflective material. It's a nike running jacket, and at $350 it's pretty steep, but it lights up like crazy. I've heard of other jackets (iluminite, etc) that have reflective strips built in, but this is the first time that I've seen one made completely of reflective material. I saw it at my local running store this afternoon. I got a picture of it & if I can figure out how to upload pics here, I'll post it in a follow-up comment. For now, there are promotional pics at the link.

https://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p...S/index_vapor#

If the link doesn't take you to the page, click on the 'Time for a night run' link in the upper right corner, if you are interested in the pictures. It looks like no matter what link I paste, it takes you to the nike running home page.

I really like reliance on lights more than reflection - particularly because at twighlight lots of cars don't run with headlights on, or just the parking lights. That said, I have an illuminite vest that I will wear sometimes, but a friend gave me a reflective construction vest that is better; however, I use a backpack, so the reflective properties of any vest are limited when hidden under the vest.

Looks interesting but pricy at $350. My discontinued Illuminite jacket
is not as bright, but I think I only paid $100 for it.

https://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerun...gner-interview

1. What was the inspiration behind designing the Vapor Flash Jacket?

We always have the athlete in mind while designing. Since we know that daylight is scarce during the winter months, we made the runner’s visibility a priority while designing the Fall/Holiday Collection. So, we set out to provide a premium solution around 360˚visibility. One of the key design considerations for the jacket was we didn’t want the jacket to look like a standard work wear; our goal was to create a jacket with extreme visibility and a premium aesthetic.

To get a better understanding, we traveled to Helsinki, Finland (the coldest, darkest place we could think of) to speak with elite runners to see how they train in extreme conditions. What we found was that they were customizing much of their apparel to help them contend with the harsh environment. Then we integrated those findings into the Vapor Flash Jacket’s design.

2. How far away can the Vapor Flash Jacket be seen in the dark?

While wearing the Vapor Flash Jacket the distance from which a runner can be seen increases by 400%.



3. Aside from darkness, what other elements can be braved while sporting the Vapor Flash Jacket?

We consciously embedded performance attributes throughout the jacket to make it feel non-existent for the runner. A few ways we addressed this was by incorporating features to protect from wind resistance for warmth; Extended zipper vents at the front and the back of the jacket for airflow, enabling the runner to adjust the amount of ventilation during their run; Laser cut perforation under the arms and down the spine to further increase ventilation. The jacket also has a bonded construction that results in a durable, smooth lightweight finish, and is accompanied by a runner specific hood with a reinforced brim for enhanced coverage and customizable fit to avoid obstructing peripheral vision.



4. What exactly is the fabric made out of to provide such reflectivity?

The fabric is made of 100% polyester twill fabric with a laminated reflective face. Our materials team collaborated with a vendor to redevelop the laminate with twill backing to enhance the drape and strengthen the fabric. The reflective surface uses the principles of retro-reflection. Simply put, picture yourself driving a car, the surface of the jacket reflects light directly back towards the car rather than in all directions, which makes it easier for the driver to see the runner.

Completely over the top.

No, I think it has a zipper

I had a hard enough time justifying the cost of a Showers Pass elite. I'd never pay that much for a jacket.

But it's black, right? So it's an excellent jacket in pitch blackness, but at dawn or dusk it's invisible?

I think it's light colored/reflective on one side
and dark w/ reflective trim on the other side.

I think this photo is showing the same jacket,
both sides at the same time:





6. What’s your favorite detail featured on the Vapor Flash Jacket?

My favorite unexpected jacket detail is its reversibility. We wanted to provide versatility in the piece so that it could reverse to a more toned down, sleek side. It is also significant visually from a reflective standpoint, but it takes a more graphic approach.