The Best Running Products of All Time: 16 Essentials We Rely On Every Day

Introduction

These are the running products we reach for pretty much every single day. Nothing here was gifted or loaned for a quick verdict; everything was bought with our own money and used across thousands of kilometres of road running, marathon training and ultramarathon racing. That long-term use is the real test, and it is why some of these items have survived year after year.

Best Running Headphones: Shokz OpenRun Pro (Aftershokz Aeropex)

Bone-conduction headphones are the safest way to run with audio. Nothing sits in your ear, so you can hear traffic, conversations, other runners and any potential hazards around you. That also means most races that ban headphones will still allow these, though always check the rules. The Aeropex was bought for around £125, and the current version, the OpenRun Pro, is very similar.

The sound quality is not audiophile-grade, but for the podcasts and audiobooks that fill most runs it is perfectly fine. After well over 10,000 km on a single pair, the roughly 8-hour battery life has not degraded, the waterproofing has shrugged off plenty of rainy runs, and connectivity to a phone has been rock solid every time. The drawbacks: the proprietary charger means losing the cable means buying a specific replacement, the buttons are fiddly with gloves on, and runners with ponytails may find the rear band tangles. If you use AirPods, they stay put better for some, but they would not stay in our ears.

Best Anti-Chafe Products: Body Glide and Squirrel’s Nut Butter

Chafing can end a long run faster than almost anything else, so an anti-chafe product earns its place in the kit pile. Body Glide is the everyday preference here: it comes in an easy-to-apply stick, has no smell, and goes on anywhere skin meets skin, especially between the legs. Squirrel’s Nut Butter works brilliantly too, though it has a slightly odd smell. Both are fantastic, and if chafing has already happened, a cream like Sudocrem helps with recovery.

Best Running Waist Band: Naked Band

The Naked Band is arguably the single most-used piece of kit here. It goes around your waist and swallows a remarkable amount: a 500 ml bottle of nutrition, three or four gels, even a waterproof jacket. There is a handy key clip for house or car keys, an optional pole attachment at the back, and a phone holder that fits any regular smartphone, including large models. Some 100-mile runners have carried all their mandatory kit in just one of these. It has been used on every run and every race this year, and misplacing it derails everything.

The catch is availability: it is quite hard to find in the UK, where Centurion sells it for around £50, which is a little pricey. That is why the FlipBelt is worth knowing about as a widely available alternative.

Best Budget Alternative: FlipBelt

The FlipBelt does a very similar job to the Naked Band at a lower price, and it is probably the most popular running belt anywhere in the world. Reviews are consistently excellent. It has not been fully tested side by side here yet, so consider it a promising backup if the Naked Band is out of reach.

Best Recovery Drink: Science in Sport REGO Recovery Powder

A 2.5 kg tub of Science in Sport REGO Recovery powder is a fixture in the kitchen, usually bought two at a time; a recent Black Friday deal worked out at about £47 for two. Each serving delivers around 20 g of protein alongside a sensible mix of carbohydrates, electrolytes and added vitamins and minerals. It mixes simply with water, or goes into a blender with blueberries for something more substantial. It is also Informed Sport tested, which matters if you compete at a level where banned-substance screening applies.

Best Run Fuel: Morton 160 Gels

Used at the Chicago, New York and Valencia marathons, the Morton 160 gels solve a simple problem: bigger packets are normally more faff. Here, 40 g of carbohydrates fits into a packet only slightly bigger than a standard 25 g gel, so you carry less and stop less. With just six ingredients, they go down extremely easily, are only lightly sweet rather than sickly, and do not require water, so you can take them whenever you like. They are relatively costly per gel, but they simply work.

Best Premium Sports Watch: Garmin Epix (Gen 2)

The Garmin Epix (Gen 2) has logged around 8,000 km and shows no need for replacement. The AMOLED screen is the headline: once you have used one, going back to an older display is impossible. It is super bright and crisp, readable in full sun or full dark. Downloadable maps cover anywhere in the world with fantastic detail, which makes plotting and following new routes in the mountains effortless. Battery life is surprisingly good for a weekly training load of 130 to 150 km, needing a charge only about once a week, and charging is fast. The dual-band GPS is very accurate, holding steady in situations where GPS commonly struggles, including the skyscraper-lined streets around Canary Wharf and the notoriously difficult Chicago marathon course.

It is based on the Fenix chassis, so it is a little heavier than plastic watches; swapping the standard strap for a roughly £10 velcro strap from Amazon made it noticeably more comfortable and lighter. Other gripes: the Garmin companion app is not the best, deleting saved courses one by one is infuriating, and Garmin’s clip-style chargers never feel durable. A magnetic design like the headphones above would be welcome.

Best Alternative Watch: Garmin Forerunner 965

If buying a watch today, the Garmin Forerunner 965 would be the pick. It is very similar to the Epix but in a slightly lighter chassis, with the same stunning AMOLED screen and strong GPS. This one was bought as a gift after finishing UTMB, when GPS reliability on the old watch had been a frustration, and the reaction was exactly what most people have to that screen: there is no going back.

Best Running Socks

Socks generate more questions than almost any other running item, and three brands here consistently cause zero issues.

SOAR Running Socks

SOAR socks are the daily default and see duty across all shoe testing, in all sorts of fun colours. Made in Italy in a fairly traditional style, they run a little thin, which makes them ideal for the three warmer seasons. They last impressively well for around £20 a pair and handle everything from ultra trail racing to road racing.

Balega Socks

Balega socks are slightly thicker, making them the colder-weather choice, with padding in all the right places around the heel and toes.

Injinji Toe Socks

Injinji toe socks give every toe its own sleeve, which stops toes rubbing together, lets them spread naturally, and helps prevent blisters. They last for years. They take a little longer to put on since each toe threads in separately, and they do look odd if you take your shoes off at a non-runner’s house, but they are a great conversation starter.

Stance Socks

Stance rounds out the rotation with another traditional-style sock that has proven itself over many pairs and years of use, lasting an impressively long time.

Best Recovery Tool: Roll Recovery R3

Plantar fasciitis is an absolute nightmare for runners, and pains in the ankle or calf can often trace back to the underside of the foot. The Roll Recovery R3 is a compact foot roller used constantly for exactly that, at home and packed for every trip, never more than an arm’s reach away. It will not cure plantar fasciitis, but it genuinely helps keep it at bay, and a slightly different version is currently helping manage an ongoing bout of plantar issues. For physio-grade advice on the condition, it is worth pairing with proper icing and guidance alongside a tool like this.

Sarah’s Pick: Best Trail Shoes and Race Vest

For the ultramarathon side of the household, two items stand out after a full 40-hour UTMB finish.

Hoka Speedgoat 5

The Speedgoat 5 came out of that race in genuinely disgusting condition after around 40 miles of an epic expedition, which is perhaps the best endorsement possible. The vibrant outsole delivers fantastic grip, and a wider version is available for wide feet. It is really comfortable, and the entire 40 hours of continuous running at UTMB happened in this exact pair with zero issues. The only downside is that the grip wears down quite quickly.

Salomon ADV Skin 12

The Salomon ADV Skin 12 carried the whole of UTMB and earns the same endorsement. It is super comfortable, stretchy, and holds a lot, with kangaroo-style pockets running through the back that swallow plenty of kit. For any ultra up to around 100 miles, this is a really solid pack choice, and both runners here use the exact same model. The one negative is some chafing in one spot that needs plasters, but no better pack has been found, and the positives outweigh it easily.

Overall Buying Advice

Most of these products earn their place through sheer longevity: headphones that survive 10,000 km, a watch that shrugs off 8,000 km, socks that last years. When shopping, prioritise items that solve a persistent problem you actually have, whether that is staying aware of traffic, avoiding chafing, carrying nutrition comfortably, or keeping plantar fasciitis at bay. Premium items like the Garmin watches and the Salomon vest justify their price across seasons of hard use, while budget-friendly items like Body Glide and good socks deliver outsized value for money.

Conclusion

From safety-first headphones to ultramarathon-proven trail shoes, these 16 products have earned permanent spots in a serious running kit. Match each one to a real need in your own running, and it should serve you just as faithfully.