You can’t get your hands on Salomon’s ADV Skin 8 Set until next spring, but keep this women’s hydration vest on your gear-dar.
Salomon calls this vest its “first truly specific design for women.” And while plenty of women have carried Salmon vests through races all over the world, the brand says this one will be more comfortable. Salomon will release the ADV Skin 8 Set at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show next week.
The primary design shift in the ADV Skin 8 Set hydration vest is the placement of the water bottles that ride in the front of the pack. The brand already uses soft flasks as a standard for comfort. But it took this a step further by customizing the flexy bottles to fit around a woman’s chest.
The soft flasks in the women’s ADV Skin 8 Set are wider and shorter. The bottom seam is tapered so the flasks can fit comfortably beneath (and slightly to the side of) the chest. Salomon intends this design element to help with chafing and general comfort.
The vest itself has a curved front that fits the natural shape of the female body. Redesigned front laces also allow for easier tightening and locking the vest into place over the breasts.
Cinching can cause a problem in many standard vests. The unique shape on Skin 8 Set W is meant to eliminate pressure on the breasts even when it’s tightened.
ADV Skin 8 W Vest Tech Specs
- Includes two 500-mL soft flasks designed for women (straw included)
- New longer straws
- Whistle and reflective loop for lamp
- Multiple pole holder solutions
- Plenty of pockets for easy storage
- Weight: 240 g
- Volume: 8 L
Building on Existing Hydration Vest Design
Salomon already makes several unisex hydration vests for runners. We’ve tested and loved a few of them, having used them for ultramarathons up to 100 miles.
The women’s-specific vest builds on popular features in Salomon’s existing ADV Skin pack line. The brand kept bladder compatibility, anti-bounce technology, and ample storage.
The ADV Skin 8 Set gender-specific redesign gives women all those functions. It claims a comfortable positioning of the water flasks, which can rub and cause pain over a long run in unisex models.
ADV Skin 8 Set W Vest: No ‘Shrink and Pink’ Product
Female runners do have choices. There are already several women’s hydration vests on the market.
But with the ADV Skin 8 vest, Salomon gives women a new option from a popular brand.
“As a leader in trail running, Salomon has a responsibility to grow the sport, both through participation as well as through designing gear that can help people of all levels join and enjoy trail running,” says Jenny Taylor, brand director for Salomon in North America. “In the case of the women’s ADV Skin 8 Set, Salomon set out to build a women’s specific hydration pack in a way that only Salomon could—through rigorous testing, consulting with our elite athlete roster and hundreds of hours of consumer feedback. This pack is built for every woman, whether she is hitting the trails for the first time or is an experienced ultrarunner looking for something made just for her.”
The ADV Skin 8 will retail for $145 in spring 2019.
