Mizuno remains one of those interesting running brands that has a massive presence, but it isn’t necessarily felt in the US except by the select few that are true devotees. In this case, however, we are not talking about shoes and instead are focusing on their apparel. This time of year, especially in the Pacific Northwest it is getting chilly out there. Their Breath Thermo lineup really steps in it to try to tackle that so think lightweights, moisture-wicking, thermal heat generation, and you have summed it up pretty well.
We had a chance to try both the Mizuno Breath Thermo FZ Vest as well as the Breath Thermo Tight And see how it would handle our mid 30F (so 0C) mornings. The first note for the entire lineup that we would offer is the fact that it runs a bit big. So in the case of our tester, he would typically wear a men’s medium in every apparel brand we have tested, but both pieces here could have been sized down. It didn’t affect the test, but worth noting when you’re ready to buy.
Breath Thermo® FZ Vest
- Retails at $120.00 USD
- Comes in 2 colors
- Available in both Men’s and Women’s designs
- Learn more here
The core of the Mizuno Breath Thermo thermal technology is that it uses the vapors leaving your body to generate the heat. this means when you first start your run, things might feel a little chilly but within minutes you start to warm up and it stays warm throughout. Their DRYLITE technology also does a good job of keeping the moisture off your body so as you sweat you aren’t feeling that coolness against your skin. We can say at the end of the runs even though we were quite sweaty, we felt none of that as it insulated well.
Interior lining, note the upper is reinforced fabric 
Exterior shell and windproof fabric
The FZ Vest overall does a nice job of insulating your core and it handles wind and water really well. It features two zipped side seam pockets as well as a single zippered chest pocket and all are locked out to prevent moisture entry. It does have some reflectivity elements as well and given we tested the brighter color, that in itself helps with visibility. Note this also comes in a jacket edition as well, but we like a good vest.
Breath Thermo® FZ Vest
- Retails at $80.00USD
- Comes in 5 colors for men and women.
- Learn more here
The Mizuno Breath Thermo Tight is definitely designed to be a base layer tight. We actually tested it as it and the crotch area for men is definitely a little looser so you’ll want to wear something either underneath (Runderwear) or over. That being said, from a heat retention perspective it really worked. The tight moves really well, it handles any moisture without a problem and it comes in five colors which is awesome. Our only drawback is the lack of any sort of pocket and no matter how many times we say it… people, we need pockets on tights. Sizing issues showed up here as well… meaning they ran a little big.
Close up on the material 
Reinforced seams and fabric variance depending on location 
Zippered and sealed ankle
Overall Conclusion
The Breath Thermo line-up from Mizuno was a pleasant surprise and somewhat unexpected. In a climate like we have here in the Pacific Northwest where for a good four to five months we will be running in the 30-degree temperatures or lower, having a broad apparel lineup in your closet is required. Our biggest watch-outs are definitely the sizing as those pieces we tested ran larger-than-expected a well as the lack of pockets on the tights. However, the material quality was very high and the thermal technology worked keeping us nice and toasty.
