Craft: technical clothing for running, cycling and cross-country skiing

Craft is a Swedish maker of technical clothing from Borås, focusing on running, cycling, cross-country skiing and base layers, the layer worn directly on the skin. In our range you'll mainly find Craft cycling clothing, light wind and rain jackets, and underwear made of mesh and merino. The pieces are made for movement: mostly close-fitting and easy to combine in layers; the synthetic ones, such as the mesh base layer, dry quickly.

What kind of brand is Craft?

Craft of Scandinavia is based in Borås, Sweden. On its website, Craft divides its range by sport: running, cycling, Nordic skiing, training and teamwear, plus a separate category for base layers. Many products carry the prefix Core or ADV in their name; these mark the product families in the range.

For runners, cyclists and cross-country skiers in the Eifel, the hilly region around Bitburg and Prüm, the layering principle is what matters most: a technical layer on the skin and, depending on the weather, a gilet or jacket over it against wind and rain.

Which Craft base layer is right for you?

That depends on whether you need cooling or warmth. The Craft Cool Mesh Superlight is a super-light technical undershirt made of wide-mesh netting, with a fabric weight of only 85 g/m². That figure describes the weight of the fabric, not its warmth or moisture transport; for moisture transport, Craft uses a 6-channel fibre. It fits close and works under a jersey or running top if you sweat a lot.

For the cold, there's the Craft Core Wool Merino Set for women: a soft underwear set of merino wool and polyester, using mulesing-free merino. Merino can absorb moisture and still keeps you a little warm, but it dries more slowly than pure synthetics. The same set is available for men. Merino is a good choice for cold days on the cross-country ski trail or long, easy runs in winter.

What does Craft offer for running and training?

For running and training in changeable weather, we stock the Craft ADV Essence Wind Jacket for women: wind- and water-repellent, made of recycled polyester, with perforations on the chest and under the arms for ventilation, two zipped pockets and an adjustable hem. Underneath, the Craft ADV Essence Tee 2 fits well: a soft training top made of recycled polyester and elastane (spandex) with mesh panels.

What else you need in the cold, from hat to gloves, is covered in our article on winter running clothing.

What Craft cycling clothing is there for autumn and winter?

For cool days on the bike, Craft has several layers. The Craft ADV Bike Essence LS Jersey is a long-sleeve jersey made of stretchy recycled polyester with a brushed inside for extra warmth, a full-length zip and four rear pockets. Over it goes the Essence Light Wind Vest, a gilet (wind vest): ultralight, with a fabric weight of 43 g/m², windproof and water-repellent at the front, with mesh at the back, and it fits in your jersey pocket.

In the rain, the Craft Core Bike Ride Hydro Lumen Jacket helps: a windproof and waterproof commuter jacket with WP 8,000 and MVP 8,000, taped seams, an adjustable hood and a dropped back. For your hands there's the Craft All Weather Glove with fleece lining and silicone grip. More on the topic in our article on cycling clothing for autumn and winter.

And for summer, MTB and gravel?

For warmer days there are short-sleeve jerseys. According to Craft, the Craft Core Offroad XT SS Jersey is made for MTB and gravel: recycled polyester, mesh on the sides, a short front zip and a zipped rear pocket. The Craft Essence Jersey for women has a full-length zip, four rear pockets and reflective details for visibility in the dark.

Whether you need a cycling jersey or a technical T-shirt will do is covered in our article on cycling jersey or technical tee.

What should you wear for cross-country skiing?

Cross-country skiing makes your body work hard while the air is cold. So the same layering principle applies as for winter running: a technical layer on the skin that moves sweat outwards, a light, warming layer over it and a windproof outer layer that you close on descents or during breaks.

Craft has Nordic skiing as its own category. In our range, what we mainly stock for the ski trail is the base layer, such as the merino set above; a gilet or wind jacket from the running or cycling range goes well with it. It's important not to start too warm: if you feel slightly chilly at the trailhead, you'll be dressed right after a few minutes. For days in the snow with the family, you'll find pointers in our article on skiing at the Schwarzer Mann, the ski area on the Schnee-Eifel ridge near Prüm.

For longer outings, pack a dry spare layer in your backpack so you can change your wet top in the hut or at the car.

Pay attention to the material in every layer: cotton holds moisture and chills you. Synthetic technical fibres dry quickly; merino also absorbs moisture but still keeps you a little warm when damp.

Checklist: combining layers with Craft

• On the skin: mesh if you sweat a lot, merino in the cold.
• Over it: a jersey or running top.
• Against wind: a light gilet that fits in your pocket.
• Against rain: a jacket with taped seams and a stated waterproof rating and breathability.
• Don't forget hands and feet: gloves, and in winter overshoes (shoe covers).
• After exercise: change out of wet layers quickly so you don't get cold.