The YMR Track Club Åsunden collection is a new line of winter running apparel that is meant to look great, feel great, and keep you warm when the weather turns cold. Their retro-classic styling hearkens back to the glory days of running. For Americans more familiar with Tracksmith, the vibe is very similar. Consider YMR Track Club to be Tracksmith’s European counterpart. However, one thing differs: While most apparel companies (including Tracksmith) outsource their manufacturing to Asia, YMR Track Club stays true to its homeland, as its apparel is both designed and manufactured in Sweden using recycled materials.
For more information on YMR, check out the prior BITR review here.
And for a little more background on the Åsunden name, we’ll let YMR explain:
“The collection Åsunden is named after the great lake situated in the middle of Västergötland County where we knit our collection. Our producers are so close to each other that we could run between the villages where fabrics and fashion have been produced for generations. This is where we knit all the fabrics of the Åsunden collection – warm running wear made from recycled plastics. Because we want to run today and we want to run tomorrow.”
On to the review.
BEN: The Åsunden winter tights are a slim fitting pant that is made from a very soft and stretchy material (made from recycled PET bottles!). It includes an elastic waistband plus a drawstring. The rear of the tights feature a horizontal zipper pocket that can fit a moderately sized phone, or wallet/keys/gels. The ankle has a zipper to allow the tights to be easier to put on and remove. The YMR logo is on the left hip as well as dual logos on the back of the calf/knee area. The logos on the rear are printed in a reflective material – a nice touch when the days get short and almost all runs are done in the dark.
I received these tights in size small, which is my typical size in US sizing. These fit on the snug side, but it works really well for me. The cut fits tight in all the right spots but still has plenty of stretch to allow for movement. The drawstring is a nice touch, but I didn’t need it (the tights did not slide down while in use, even when untied). Due to the tight fit the zippers on the ankles are needed, and they work as intended, while also providing a little bit of color. I didn’t use the pocket, but it’s very nice to have the option – it’s all too common that running tights lack this basic feature.
The material used for these tights is great. The material is moisture wicking and it’s thicker and softer than the typical “running tights” that I have. I generally would prefer a tight with an internal brief liner. These do not have this, but due to the snug fit, and extremely soft material they work great when work with or without anything underneath. I wore these for workouts and easy runs from about 10°F to 32°F and they performed great. No movement concerns when running quickly and just right level of warmth for winter days. They’re breathable enough to help manage the heat, but the thickness helps keep them warm enough on the colder days.
PRICE: $140
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The Åsunden hoodie is a sweatshirt for those winter runs. It has a slim fit and snug hood. The hood integrates with a high collar. The sleeve includes thumb holes to allow for wear ability as a half-glove. Again, this is made from a soft, moisture wicking fabric, that is made from recycled plastics. The hoodie has a large reflective logo on the lower back portion.
I also got this in size small, my typical US sizing for tops. The fit here is much more snug than a typical “casual wear” hoodie. It’s very form fitting and tight around the body and arms. A bulky shirt underneath feels bunched. I am not positive if this is due to the difference in US for EUR sizing, or simply because it’s made for running. Either way it worked great for me as a running sweatshirt. I wore it with a compression shirt under, and I loved the fit. Perfect mix of tightness and stretch. Not nearly as tights as the pants (are truly tight fit), but just tight enough to completely stay out of the way while running.
As with the pants, I wore this for workouts and easy run from temps around freezing, to a bit below that, and I also found that the sweatshirt adapted well across this range. The hood is very snug and the collar is quite high. This works great on the colder days as it limits any amount of air getting on the neck/throat or down the shirt. The opening of the hoodie is quite small so it can take a bit off a tug to pull it down off the head, but the plus side is that it stays perfectly in place while running, no drawstring required. Due to the high neck and built in hood, this was best suited for me on the coldest days when I was running hard but worked across a broader range on an easy run. It’s not windproof, so could be paired with a jacket on the extra cold and windy days.
PRICE: $115
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The Åsunden beanie is a winter running hat that has a sleek fit. It’s also made from recycled materials, but it’s thinner than the tights or the sweatshirt. It is thinner than other winter hats that I own. It’s a stretchy fabric and the fit is snug on the head with no cuff or other features besides the logo.
The hat is one size fits all, and it fits me well. I do not like overly snug hats or headbands, and while this one looks like a “skull cap” style it’s not as tight as it looks. The material is thin and has plenty of stretch so it doesn’t put the squeeze on my head. I find that it’s a good mix of breathability vs. warmth. I have thicker and warmer hats, but that’s not necessarily what I want when on a run. The other really nice benefit of this style of hat is that it will easily fit under even the most form fitting hoods (and the hood can be put on or taken off without disturbing the fit of the hat).
PRICE: $28
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