Today, I’m briefly reviewing Aerodaks, Australian all-weather running briefs, also known as runderwear (the runner-created contraction for running underwear). Disclaimer: I received Aerodaks running briefs to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
Testing this product daily for the past few weeks (from November 15-27, 2016 inclusive), I have learned a little more about improving the layering for fall/winter weather. Giving thanks for Instagram helping me capture the image above with Misty running towards me after today’s chilly test run in Aerodaks. Despite the cold, I wasn’t uncomfortable running in shorts in cloudy, windy 47 degree weather. Without Aerodaks, if I had just worn running shorts running today, I would have been uncomfortably cold and worn an extra layer, creating more unnecessary running laundry. The more running layers we have to wear on the road or trails while running, the fewer layers we have available to wear when we return home.
First, let me explain what Aerodaks is. It’s very comfortable Australian mesh running underwear. It diverges from the pattern of layering that many of us have become accustomed to lately. For many/most of us, we have grown accustomed to UnderArmour biking shorts as the bottom layer to stay warm in fall/winter for colder days runs. The complexity is difficult with layering as many running shorts contain liners (for men anyway) but running shorts vary in length, cut, and how tight they may or may not be. Switching from the UnderArmour to Aerodaks, I wondered if the running briefs would feel too tight as Aerodaks is more aerodynamically streamlined in design than the UnderArmour bike short option. But the drawstrings are a key element of the running briefs. They fit comfortably well, more comfortably than bike shorts.
With me running daily, sometimes as many as 2-3 times per day, I wondered if I would become tired of wearing the same runderwear daily. I experimented with adjusting the drawstrings different ways for different weather conditions and layering strategies depending on what other layers fit together.
On first glance with Aerodaks, there doesn’t appear to be much there (Yes, it’s true Aerodaks is very attractive, some might even say sexy, runderwear!). But the texture is very comfortable, much more comfortable than bike shorts. And we wonder if these will fit too tight or too loose. The drawstrings are the key to keeping the running briefs where they belong, for me this means more snug (tightly strung with the drawstrings) for colder days and looser (gently tied drawstrings) on warmer days.
I also wondered will these keep me warm during cold weather? Frostbite can be a big issue and any exposed extremities are much more vulnerable during cold weather.
What if I sweat a lot? Will Aerodaks wick the moisture away from my skin or will I feel the discomfort of (frozen) sweat, making me colder? These were other questions that I had at the outset. I do tend to sweat a lot when I run, explaining the need for daily running laundering.
Another question I asked myself was: Is Aerodaks portable when we travel? How practical and reasonable are these running briefs when traveling?
It takes a few times wearing Aerodaks to figure out how much or how little to tighten or loosen the drawstrings when tying them (or just leaving the drawstrings loose, I tested that a few times too just to see what it was like).
When we traveled to Norfolk for Thanksgiving, I tested the portability of the Aerodaks by bringing it in the zipper pouch from which I received it. It’s a handy ziploc-type pouch in which you can discreetly bring Aerodaks on the road. Also, zipping it for travel makes it very easy to find your running briefs in your many running clothes. It compartmentalizes the Aerodaks. Also, if you can’t wash your briefs before you travel back, you can temporarily store it in the zipper pouch to find it when you return. So kudos to Aerodaks for giving us a portable product with a handy zipper travel case.
As far as washing Aerodaks, it is a delicate item so just use the gentle wash cycle and maybe zip it in a clothes bag to be safe so the drawstrings don’t catch on anything in the washer. I always zip mine in a clothing bag to wash it. It dries quickly when you wash it. Dry flat in a dark area (like the closet). It’s easy to wash and take care of so it’s practical and reasonable.
Chafing? Nope! Not with this runderwear. The design just prevents it from happening. No chafing for the entire test period.
Let’s look at some pictures of the Aerodaks to see what it looks like and how the layering options can work with drawstrings.
It’s important to remember when layering that Aerodaks, although black in color, has the white drawstrings. My Asics shorts and many of my running pants have black strings. Some running shorts may have blue strings. This is helpful in making adjustments that are sometimes necessary if you tighten certain drawstrings too much or too little or have to make a pit stop if nature calls.
On colder days, I found it to be advantageous to tuck my bottom layer running shirt inside the Aerodaks. Otherwise, I just let the running shirts drape atop the Aerodaks. You can adjust the drawstrings to allow for tucking a bottom layer inside. It just keeps you a tiny bit warmer.
Aerodaks performed very well in windy conditions. We have a lot of wind here in Nebraska so that impressed me. The ergonomic design reminds me of a sports car: aerodynamic and high-performance. It allows us to run in any weather conditions with minimal resistance. After wearing Aerodaks a few times, you don’t even know that the layer is there. It seamlessly integrates with any running apparel of your preference. The versatility is impressive with the drawstring adjustment. There is a tag on the inside back with wash instructions but the tag didn’t bother me at all.
On Black Friday, November 25, I tested Aerodaks in frozen conditions (about 22 degrees F) in Norfolk (northeast Nebraska) then in warmer conditions in Lincoln. Yesterday on November 26, due to circumstances beyond my control, I ran in Aerodaks thrice. So it performed well in frosty conditions, then slightly warmer conditions, then in balmy conditions. It’s a very durable, high-performance underwear. It wicks moisture and sweat very well. It stays dry when running in rain. The cold (frozen) sweat that sometimes bothers me with wearing different clothing doesn’t seem to happen with Aerodaks. It’s impressive in its versatility, performing an all-weather kind of level.
Aerodaks did give me a confidence in running, giving me peace of mind not having to worry about frostbite, getting too warm, or having runderwear that doesn’t stay in place or perform up to my expectations. In all but one run during my test, Aerodaks exceeded my expectations. There was only one run where I the drawstrings were slightly too loose and I just had to tighten them to fix the problem. I did test the Aerodaks completely untied on a few occasions on warmer days and that worked well. Just make sure to keep the Aerodaks drawstrings tucked in so the world doesn’t know that you don’t have drawstrings dangling out your shorts (safety).
One thing that was interesting: I found that I was not even looking for my UnderArmour underwear anymore. I was finding that Aerodaks was outperforming the bike shorts so I didn’t want to go back to them. On colder days, it will still be necessary to maybe wear the UnderArmour as it covers more surface area than Aerodaks. So for colder climates/colder days, that may be a consideration.
Also, I found that I couldn’t stop talking about Aerodaks, posting pictures of it, recommending it even though up to now I have been a little shy about talking about runderwear (unless asked of course).
Finding the right bottom layer of running clothes is really important: this is the wicking and frostbite prevention layer. We have to keep our extremities covered when running in cold in particular to prevent frostbite. I think the coldest conditions I tested Aerodaks in was about 22-25 degrees Fahrenheit. As far as warmth, we probably tested it into the mid-to-upper 50s F.
For those of you that are in milder climates, this may be an ideal runderwear for you. For colder climates, I’d recommend at least adding Aerodaks to your rotation. I’m probably going to rotate Aerodaks at least every other day with the UnderArmour bike short runderwear on colder days.
Another thing to consider: if you are wearing 3-4 layers of clothes below the waist, make sure you don’t tighten all of them too tight. I left Aerodaks loosely tied some days and tightened the other layers a little more. At least tighten one layer completely. Otherwise, you will have to stop and adjust one or more of these drawstrings. Just make sure you tighten or loosen the right ones. Look for the white drawstrings for Aerodaks. Your other layers probably may have different color drawstrings (that is my experience with Asics, Mizuno, Road Runner, UnderArmour, and other layers I wore with Aerodaks).
Are you looking for a fantastic Christmas gift for runners you love? Please consider this wonderful runderwear. It’s very high-performance, requires only about a one-run acclimation period, and it is impressively made. If you can master the drawstring techniques we discussed above, you will be maximizing the Aerodaks potential to help enhance and aid your runs, giving you more self-confidence, keeping you warm when needed, and wicking the sweat/moisture to keep you comfortable.
You can find my first Instagram post with the first opening excitement of the Aerodaks here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BMwDtMTgu2J/?taken-by=moiphee
Aerodaks is top-notch fun runderwear! I strongly recommend it and give it two thumbs up! This is by far the best runderwear I have ever worn. Thank you to BibRave and Aerodaks for allowing me the wonderful opportunity of testing this impressive running wear. Need to stock up on your bottom layer? Look no further. Help is on the way. Have no fear, Aerodaks is here to stay!
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