The Fractel Rockies collection is perfect for early fall racing

Headed to the mountains

Fractel is drawing inspiration from the mountains with its latest limited-edition drop, the Rockies Collection. Inspired by Colorado’s jagged peaks, deep canyons, and ever-changing light, the collection brings those elements across an extensive lineup of trail gear.

At the center are two new pieces: the Adventure Shirt, made with an open-knit Coolcore Breeze recycled mesh designed to keep air moving, and a UPF 50+ Sun Hoodie built with Coolcore Tyndall recycled jersey for lightweight sun protection and cooling without chemicals. The Rockies design and colorway also appeared on Fractel’s headwear, singlets, tees, and socks in two colorways: Lyons and Meeker.

Let's get into the new pieces.

ALEX: The Coolcore Tyndall material is smooth, soft, and cool to the touch. It's nice knowing that the material is chemical-free and, as a result, we aren’t exposed to unnecessary, potentially harmful chemicals and repeated washings won’t impact the effectiveness. 

Sidenote: why does only California have warnings about (seemingly everything) exposing us to cancer? Not that this shirt does. I did see it on a few vests I got for review lately, however. 

Anyway, Fractel won't come with a Prop 65 warning, in case you were wondering or worried.

The shirt is comfortable and has several small, well-thought-out details like a watch window, a cinch cord on the hood, thumbholes, and reflective details. Of all of those things, the watch window is the one detail that I have been appreciating more and more lately. When this first became a thing, I thought it was kind of silly. Now I love it, especially when I have multiple layers on, and I don't have to roll them all up to see how slow I am running!

Overall, I love the fit and function of this one and really appreciate the attention to detail.

Shop The Hoodie - Unisex 

ALEX: This might be the first bucket hat that I've ever put on and not immediately hated. No shade to bucket hats and bucket hat enthusiasts; they just don't look quite right on me. Speaking of shade, the 5cm 360-degree brim gives just the right amount of protection without feeling like I am wearing a floppy hat.

I also appreciate the neutral colorway; the beige is cool and understated and goes with everything. The pace material is an open-knit ripstop that is light and breathable.

The hat is lightweight and packs down small into a pocket or your vest when you are not using it.

Sizing note: This bucket hat comes in small and large. I received a small but would prefer a large. I get headaches real quick when hats or headlamps are too tight. If it were a little roomier to accommodate my apparently high-volume head, I might consider swapping my more traditional hat/hood combo for this.

Shop The Bucket Hat - Unisex 

JARED: The S-Rockies shirt uses Coolcore Breeze recycled mesh, a lightweight open-knit mesh that feels soft against my skin and breathes well. The fit is relaxed and comfortable, and the construction is clean and well finished, giving the shirt a nice overall feel. Based on the material and fit, I could see it being a go-to for anything from easy runs to workouts, long runs, and races.

Shop The Shirt - Men Shop The Shirt - Women 

JARED: The S-Rockies Adventure shirt uses open-knit mesh with a button-up design and collar. The button-up lets you open things up for extra airflow on hot days, and the collar gives it a more casual look than your typical running shirt. The versatility is the appeal; I could see wearing it for your pre-run coffee stop, a long run, and lunch afterward.

Shop The Shirt - Unisex