We're ready for winter running, and this is the Janji gear we're wearing

It's (cover your) shoulder season, y'all

Fall is fully upon us. For some, that means cool, dark mornings, and for others it means downright chilly and damp. Janji seems to understand this array of needs because their layers are as diverse as our experiences.

The Dirt Division put each piece through the paces and, to no surprise at all, we tended to love each and every one.

TAYLOR: Does anyone else get jazzed about fall running in part because of the fits? It could be the short-lived glory that is fall running weather. Perhaps it’s the perfect combo of gear meeting specific needs of this in-between season. At any rate, a pair of shorts, gloves, and a long sleeve is what I live for right now.

It can’t just be any piece that occupies each position. I’m pretty particular about that. When I think about what my long sleeve should feel like in this case, the Janji Repeat Merino Long Sleeve 100% captures it.

It’s lightweight, soft, and has a standard/ semi-relaxed fit. I’m a sucker for merino and its durable and anti-microbial qualities. It is blended with 37.5 Technologies volcanic ash-infused nylon, which assists in both the sensation and anti-stink departments.

When I head out the door, I don’t notice the Repeat Merino Long Sleeve because it's comfortable and functional enough to blend into the background so I can just run. That’s pretty much the highest compliment a layer can get.

RENEE: I share Taylor’s sentiments. Fall is for fun fits. For many of us, the perfect running temps of fall are short-lived but nonetheless fantastic. Also, it's an awkward time of choosing between shorts or pants, jacket or no jacket.

The Repeat Merino Long Sleeve is advertised as “highly odor-resistant.” So naturally I ran speed workouts in the shirt without deodorant to fully test this statement. They aren’t wrong. All merino wool blends offer odor resistance, and given I wore this shirt for six back-to-back days of workouts, I think the “highly” odor-resistant advertising is true. I didn’t wash it until the weekend, and even then I didn’t need to. I just wanted to see how the shirt held up in the washing machine (no issues; just remember to cold wash, low spin, and line dry).

I wore my normal size small. The length of the sleeves and torso is good for someone like me who prefers some length. I wore a jacket over the shirt for cold mornings (right at freezing) and shed the jacket after warming up. A great aspect of wool in fall is the temperature control. I can get sweaty in cold weather and then get chilled. The nice aspect of quality merino is avoiding the chills once temps change. I won’t lie: the price is steep, but I wore the shirt for an entire week without washing, so there’s some savings in needing fewer shirts for a week and not having as much to wash.

Shop The Shirt - Men Shop The Shirt - Women 

JARED: Apparently, everyone is coming out with a button-up running shirt right now. I’m not too sure about this trend, but I can appreciate the versatility of a shirt like the Janji Trekker Snappy Long Sleeve.

The fabric is what I like most: it’s lightweight, stretchy, breathable, and dries quickly. I also appreciate the lightweight, hidden snaps instead of traditional buttons. They help keep the shirt feeling light and make it quicker and easier to fasten or unfasten. Opening the front makes it easy to vent when it’s warm, while closing it provides more coverage when it’s cooler.

It’s fall in the Wasatch, so I tested it in 50-degree weather. The extra coverage was nice while I was still getting warmed up, and I could easily unfasten one or two snaps once my body temperature started to rise. I really like this feature. I could also see this being a great backpacking shirt, with its quick-drying fabric and extra coverage from sun and bugs. It seems well suited to being out all day, from cool mornings and evenings to warm, sunny afternoons.

Despite all of its technical goodness, my biggest complaint comes down to personal preference. The Loch colorway (a royal blue) reminds me of a dress shirt I used to wear to church as a kid. There are a few other colorways to choose from, and if I had it in black I might find myself reaching for it more.

MARIA: The button-up running shirt trend has officially gotten me. At first, I wasn’t totally sold on it, but somewhere along the way it started growing on me and apparently I’ve now become the person who secretly wants one for herself.

The Janji Trekker Snappy Long Sleeve definitely helped. The biggest highlight for me is the fabric. It’s made from a lightweight nylon and spandex blend with micro-perforated venting and stretches and moves with the body. It feels incredibly light and breathable, and honestly, I could take just about every running shirt I own in this material. The minimal elastic cuffs are another small detail I really like because they keep the sleeves in place and off my hands.

The hidden snap buttons are another really clever detail. You still get the look of a traditional button-up without having to sit there doing and undoing tiny buttons. Janji also keeps the snaps low-profile so they don’t interfere with hydration vest straps, which is a thoughtful touch for something designed to actually be run in.

My biggest note is pretty simple: this is a men’s shirt. The relaxed fit still works well, but I’d love to see Janji make a women’s version with slightly different proportions. Maybe even a cropped option? I’d also happily take a few more colorways while we’re at it.

Turns out I’m officially a button-up running shirt convert

Shop The Shirt - Unisex 

TAYLOR: Because of my more “robust” lower half, tights are something I’m quite particular about. Obviously tights should be a warmer layer, so thickness and material use is important.

I’m most concerned with what I DON’T want tights to do which separates them from running in pants (I will only do as necessary). They need to be next to skin, not pull down my waist line, not be too tight through the groin and backside, and they definitely can’t bunch up in areas like knees and ankles.

By Golly!! The Janji Trail Tight ticks all those boxes. It’s not surprising that I enjoyed these because we LOVE their trail half-tights, and these are literally just an extension of those. They’ve lasted years without any noticeable wear.

Highlights are a function-forward fit that is protective yet non-restrictive. There’s also a ton of well-thought-out pockets that are actually useful for runners. I’m maybe most impressed by the range of temperature performance these tights have. I would classify them as “cool” weather approved occupying the space between freezing temps up to 50℉.

My only complaint is that I wish these had a light built-in liner for an extra degree of protection without needing to add another layer inside when it’s on the cooler side.

Shop The Tights - Men Shop The Tights - Women 

RENEE: I received the Trail Tights and Flux Tights and surprisingly, I prefer the Flux Tights. If you skipped over Taylor’s review, scroll back up for the details. The Trail Tights are secure and have more pockets (I love my pockets!), but they are a bit tight. The Flux Tights are super soft and have lots of stretch, and amid fall running, being lazy on the coach, and sitting in a tractor after work, I was reaching for these tights. 

They do feel like performance leggings but not in a cringe way. The thigh pockets have a lot of stretch, a bit too much stretch to run with flasks there, but secure enough for a phone and loads of snacks. The waist has two small pockets and a zipped pocket for small items.

I suggest true-to-size. The waist is high and has a yoga-style waist band. If you like stretchy waist bands in your running tights, you’ll enjoy these.

Shop The Tights - Women 

MARIA: I want to love the Janji Atlas Multi Pant so badly. On paper, it has pretty much everything I want in a pair of pants: lightweight and soft material, tons of storage, and enough little details to make it useful for anything from trail runs to everyday wear.

The fabric is made from recycled nylon and spandex and has plenty of stretch. On the body, it feels super light and soft. They’re the kind of pants you simply don’t want to take off. The amount of hidden storage is one of the most surprising features of the Atlas Pant. There are six pockets total: two zippered hand pockets, one back pocket, and three pockets hidden song the waistband. There’s no shortage of places to stash a phone, keys, or nutrition. The knee-high ankle zips are another great touch because you can easily get the pants on and off without taking your shoes off.

Unfortunately, the fit is where these lose me. Janji lists the inseam at 28 inches, and with my longer legs, they feel noticeably short. The tapered lower leg is also quite snug around my calves, which makes the overall proportions feel awkward on me.

That said, the pants still deserve a lot of praise. The material, storage, and overall functionality are all there - I just wish the fit worked better for my proportions. On someone with shorter legs and slimmer calves, I can see these working really well.

Shop The Pants - Men Shop The Pants - Women 

MARIA: Finally, a pair of shorts for people with short torsos! As someone with a shorter torso, the Janji Pace Short might be one of the better fitting running shorts I’ve tried lately. The mid-rise waistband sits low enough that I don’t feel like the shorts are creeping halfway up my ribs, but it still gives enough compression to hold everything comfortably in place. No folding the waistband down and no feeling like I’m wearing my pants in my armpits. I like it.

The SiliDot grippers around the leg openings hold the shorts in place and help prevent them from riding up and causing hot spots on the inner thighs. During my test runs, I never had an issue with the shorts creeping up, which is one of the main things I look for in a pair of running shorts. Janji offers the Pace Short in both 5-inch and 7-inch versions, which gives you some flexibility depending on how much coverage you prefer and what works best for you.

Storage is also really well thought out. The deep side pockets hold plenty, there’s an internal waistband pocket for smaller essentials, and one side includes a small locking clip for keeping a key secure. The reflective details are a nice bonus for early-morning or evening runs. Same note as I made about the top: I’m not in love with the cross-style pattern, but that’s clearly more of a me thing!

For a close-to-perfect pair of shorts, I do have two small fit quirks. The drawstring feels a little short for my preference, and I wish there were slightly more length to work with when tying it. It gets very close to disappearing into the waistband as I stretch the shorts out to put them on. Not a dealbreaker and I’ll probably just end up taking it out, but it’s worth mentioning.

There’s also a front seam that can create a little more definition than I’d prefer. Again, it’s not a dealbreaker, but I’d love to see that seam adjusted in a future version.

Overall, the fit, storage and stay-put design make these an easy pair to reach for.

Shop The Shorts - Women 

MARIA: The Janji Long Bra gets a lot right. For one, it fits like a glove. It feels snug in the places where I want support without crossing over into overly compressive and I’d put the support level somewhere around moderate. The longline cut is a personal favorite because I still get that cropped look while having a little more coverage. The lower half is also less compressive, so it doesn’t dig into my sides. Not too tight, but also not too loose - it’s a fine balance, and Janji nailed it!

One feature that became an unexpected favorite is the phone pocket in the back. If it weren’t for my phone controlling what’s playing in my headphones, I’d probably forget I even had it with me. It stays secure, doesn’t bounce and keeps it completely out of the way while running. That’s a huge win on longer runs when I’d rather save the space in my running belt for an extra flask and nutrition.

The Hi-Vis colorway is also genuinely useful. The reflective detailing stands out really well in the dark, which I appreciate for early-morning or evening runs. Visually, I’m personally not in love with the cross-style pattern and would have preferred the reflective material in a slightly different design. Clearly, that’s just personal preference because I’ve gotten several compliments on the matching set, so apparently the people have spoken.

My biggest functional issue is with the removable pads. They tend to move around in the wash, which means a little rearranging afterward. It’s definitely not a dealbreaker, but more secure or sewn-in pads would make an already really solid running bra even better.

Shop The Bra - Women 

JARED: It’s been a rainy fall in Utah, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to test the Janji Rainrunner. The men’s medium fit as expected, with a more relaxed cut than a slim running shell. Beyond the fit, the Warpnet High-Vis Slipstream colorway, 360-degree venting, and two zippered front pockets caught my attention.

The Hi-Vis reflective treatment is a welcome addition for dark, rainy mornings when I’m running through my neighborhood on the way to the trail. I’m not convinced I need two hand pockets while running, but they add some everyday utility to a jacket you could also wear casually.

For testing, I took the Rainrunner on a couple rainy runs, each around 90 minutes with temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Its 2.5-layer laminated shell, which Janji rates at 20,000 mm waterproofing, kept the rain out on both runs. Janji also lists a breathability rating of 20,000 g/m²/24 hours. Between the shell’s breathability and the 360-degree venting, I stayed comfortable and didn’t overheat. In those conditions, I was happy with how it performed and would have no problem trusting it for longer outings with continuous rain.

Once the rain stopped, though, I had some complaints about the Rainrunner. It stuffs into its own pocket, creating a package with an integrated elastic hand strap and an external pocket big enough for a phone and maybe a gel or two. That’s a useful idea, but the packed jacket is pretty bulky, and the elastic strap didn’t feel secure enough. I wouldn't mind carrying it like this for a few miles, but beyond that I would want to put it in my pack or waistbelt. It fit in the rear pocket of my 12-liter running vest, but took up most of that pocket’s space.

My men’s medium weighed 218.5 grams, or 7.7 ounces, which is a little heavy compared to other rain jackets with a 2.5-layer shell. The combination of the weight and the packed size wouldn’t keep me from using it, but it limits when I would reach for it.

If rain is in the forecast for most of my run, I’d happily grab the Rainrunner. If I need an emergency shell for a long run or race with uncertain weather, I’d prefer something lighter and more packable.

At $238 for the Hi-Vis colorway and $218 for all the other colorways, it’s a fairly substantial purchase. The combination of rain protection, ventilation, pockets, and everyday wearability gives it a reasonable value proposition if those are the most important features to you.

Overall, the Rainrunner kept me dry and comfortable during my testing, and I like that I could wear it beyond running. Its biggest drawback is how bulky it is when it's packed. It’s a solid option for runs when I expect to wear a rain jacket most of the way, but if I’m prioritizing minimal weight and packability, I’d look elsewhere.

Shop The Jacket - Men Shop The Jacket - Women 

TAYLOR: Janji has a winner with these gloves. I typically stay away from insulated gloves because I run quite hot, but I always take a pair. The biggest issue for me is that I have a hard time finding a glove that works the middle ground. I don’t often need a full-blown mitten but my thinner gloves don’t always cut it either.

That’s where the Thermalrunner Insulated Gloves step in. They're versatile in terms of what temps and conditions they suit. For me, these worked for truly cold mornings in the low 20’s and up to the mid-40’s with some precipitation. The Thermalrunner water-resistant outer material kept my hands dry for more than an hour of running.

While I would prefer a lighter glove as we transition into Fall, the Janji Thermalrunner Insulated Glove will absolutely be my go-to as the seasons change again from Fall to Winter.

Shop The Gloves - Unisex