Spartan by Craft gear review
New racing season. New racing gear. I have been racing and training in Spartan by Craft gear for a year now, so have reviewed some of the gear to make choosing easier for you. While I have reviewed the female range, the fabrics are the same or similar for the male range, so this review may still be useful to you.
How to buy the gear:
Spartan by Craft is available on the Spartan Shop International website where you can buy gear in Australian dollars. Postage is currently $15AU and I find it takes two weeks for the gear to arrive. If you order multiple items they may be shipped separately so don’t panic when one item arrives earlier because the other items are likely a few days away. The website often has percentage off sales, so keep your eye out for these if you are looking to stock up on gear.
Tips on sizing:
Sizing is on the small size (for the female range anyway). With sports gear I usually wear XS or S, in most brands XS. In Craft I am always a small and some items could probably wear a medium. So size up if in doubt. The compression garments have a very tight fit in the limbs, so if you have muscly or larger legs or arms (ie you are from a Crossfit, weightlifting background) keep in mind the fit will be tight. If you are a skinny runner you can probably buy your normal size. In the non-compression range I find that the arms are quite tight in the shoulders but I have a lot of muscle there for my size. I have only reviewed items from the racing and training range. I don’t own any items from the leisure range (tracksuit bottoms, hoodies) so cannot comment on the clothing or sizing for that range.
General comments:
Spartan by Craft is expensive, but the quality is amazing for an event merchandise range. A lot of the items I have reviewed I have trained and raced in for over a year and most products still look brand new. If you are looking for quality products that you can race in all season, I rate this gear. My recommendation is different for the outerwear. Although the outerwear fits well and performs adequately, for the price you can get better performing gear from Australian brands.
If you are buying bras from the Spartan by Craft range keep in mind that none of them have inserts or padding. This keeps the bra lighter and less water logged after water obstacles but does mean they can tend towards showing nipples if it is cold. Some people will like the light weight nature of the bras. For others, the lack of padding will be a deal breaker.
Products tested and reviewed:
- Delta Long Compression Tight
- Spartan pro sleeveless top
- Delta Bra top
- Training bra
- Black bra
- Blue fuseknit long sleeve top
- White sub zero run reflective jacket
- Craft training short
- Delta Long Compression Tight
Delta Long Compression Tight
These are real deal compression tights that you can use for racing or recovery. The tights have a medium rise waist, comfort fit waist band with draw string, panelled fabric, and graduated compression (tighter compression around the calves and ankles). The zip pocket at the back can store 1-2 small gels but is not big enough for a phone. Like most real deal compression tights they can be a struggle to get on and off, particularly over the ankles. The length was slightly long for me (I am 161cm) but not so long I would have to get them taken up. The opacity of the fabric is good for compression fabric.
I haven’t raced in these tights and have only used them for hiking, wearing around the house, and cycling to work. I found that they slipped a little off my waist so I had to keep pulling them up, but you could use the draw cord to stop this and I also have a small waist for my leg size so I have to size up for my legs meaning it is too big for my waist. After only a few washes the spartan decal is showing signs of starting to peel off but the quality of the rest of the product seems high. Most Australian audience will be familiar with 2XU compression tights. These are similar but I would say offer more compression than the 2XU standard compression, especially around the ankle, and are more opaque once on.
Also available in compression shorts and mens tights and shorts.
Fabric: compression, 72% polyamide, 28% elastane
PRO SERIES TANK TOP
This top is amazing. I have raced in it at the Bright Beast and worn it for countless training sessions since. Great for racing and training in hot weather and to protect your back when rolling under barbed wire or working your way through a tight net crawl.
Two fabrics are used:
1. The dominant fabric (red) is a highly breathable, light compression fabric which does not chafe and is very comfortable;
2. The front fabric (grey camo print) which is a lightweight perforated compression fabric. This fabric is surprisingly durable for its weight and breathability.
It is true to size for a compression garment but runs very long. If you are 170cm tall or taller you will probably get a good fit for length. I had to have about 10cm taken off the bottom because there was so much extra fabric bunching around the base. Getting the top taken up was worth it because it has become my go to Spartan by Craft top.
Also available in short sleeve, long sleeve, crop t-shirt and mens.
DELTA BRA TOP
The Delta range is the premium range in the Spartan by Craft collaboration. I have the pink bra but it is also available in fluro yellow. This is my favourite of the three bras I own because it has more support, is not see through, and fits smaller bodies better than the other two (which seem to be made for longer torsos). The Delta fabric is soft, stretchy and supportive. I have not been chaffed by this fabric which means it scores 10/10 for chafing because I have extremely sensitive skin. There are no cup inserts or padding so yes this bra gives your chest a pancake effect, but it is designed for racing where that shouldn’t really be something you are concerned about. I have done handstands, long runs and a trail races in this bra and I was always secure. The band is very comfortable and for me sits in the right spot on my ribs. If you are taller than 170cm I would probably go for a longer line bra, but the fit is perfect for shorter people.
This bra also looks great, with the pink fabric with a subtle swirl and the light grey spartan imagery on the front and back. It is likely I will choose this bra to race in for 2020.
This excellent fabric is also used on the delta singlet, hot shorts, tights and the mens delta range.
TRAINING BRA TOP
I wore this bra at the Spartan Asia Pacific Championships and Bright, as well as for countless training runs and the Canberra Spartan photo shoot. The fabric is great quality, stretchy but supportive, and I have never had chaffing problems while wearing. There are no pockets or inserts in the bra, so if it is really cold it is possible your nipples could show despite the double front fabric. The bra band is very comfortable. This is a slightly longer line bra than the Delta Bra top so will suit more heights and body types. Washes extremely well and still looks new despite over 8 months of wear. If you are larger than a C cup I really doubt whether any of the Spartan range are going to work for you. I certainly haven’t tested anything I think would be supportive enough. I hope Spartan releases a range to fit everyone soon.
Available in red and black.
GREATNESS MID IMPACT BRA
This is the racing bra that most female Spartan pros wore in late 2018 and throughout 2019. Although the material is soft, stretchy and does not chafe, the support offered by the fabric is very low. The chest band is comfortable but quite thin in width so not as supportive as the other Spartan by Craft bras I own.
In saying this, the bra washes extremely well. I have owned mine since Bright 2018 and it is showing almost no signs of wear. Recommended for small cup sizes and people who don’t mind a bit of bouncing around as this is not a high support bra. Could be an excellent yoga, pilates, strength training or cycling bra.
Also available in blue and purple.
URBAN RUN FUSEKNIT LONGSLEEVE
The fuseknit material is a woven fabric similar to the Lululemon swiftly fabric. I find the fabric comfortable enough but not super soft. The knit forms an arrow pattern on the fabric which is nice and you can use this for urban wear. Being a medium weight fabric, I found the long sleeve good for running in Canberra winter. That shows that breathability is relatively low. The long sleeve is tight in the shoulders for me (size S), so I wouldn’t use this for any swinging around monkey bars. The sleeves are relatively narrow for a tight fit in the arms. This can either be considered aerodynamic or annoying depending on your needs. I think I would have used this product more if I had the fuseknit singlet.
Fabric also available in short sleeve tee and singlet form, and in mens.
SUB Z REFLECTIVE JACKET
This jacket is one of the most expensive items of clothing available in the Spartan by Craft line. It is not waterproof but marketed as a mid-layer for running in sub zero low light conditions. The arms and back are made from a soft jersey fabric, whereas the front is made from an insulated fabric for warmth and the collar is made from a soft jersey that is kind on the chin once zipped up. There are two zippered side pockets that are functional but they are lined in mesh not fleece, so won’t be much use keeping your hands warm. The black mesh and the front and hood is an extremely reflective fabric useful for urban running in low light conditions. The reflectivity is quite impressive. I rarely run in urban areas because I mainly run on trails but I do think this is a useful function for people who mainly run on roads in the dark. The hood fits well and is elasticated for fit, but it does not have draw cords to personalise fit. The hood can be rolled and stowed to minimise bounce of the hood when you are not using it. The thumb holes are adequate and stop sleeves from riding up.
While the quality of the jacket is fair, I honestly would not choose it for sub zero temperatures. I personally don’t find it warm enough for Canberra winters. If you live in a mild climate and do most of your running in winter at night where you need reflectivity it could be a good, functional jacket. In my opinion its utility as a casual jacket is limited because the reflective mesh looks a bit strange worn around to cafes. But you may like the futuristic look and welcome the questions of strangers.
Also available in sweater and body warmer, as well as mens.
CRAFT TRAINING SHORTS
These are a Craft item but not part of the special Spartan by Craft range. I have put these in the review because they are hands down my most worn Craft item. I find that they are the perfect length (about 6cm inseam) for running and racing. Not too long, not too short. They have a zip pocket at the back for your car keys or a gel and the waist band is a comfortable medium rise with draw string to tighten. They are never see through and they are affordable. I have run about 500km in these, and raced Sydney 2019, Tooradin 2019 and Canberra 2019 in them (that is just the Spartan races). They are nothing fancy and are a basic training short, but I just love them.
If you have any questions about the products I have reviewed please let me know because I am happy to help you out, and I know that waiting for a response from customer service can take a while.