Lululemon unveiled the Ventscape PrimaLoft ThermoPlume+ Run Vest, a new product innovation for cold-weather running, during the 2026 China International Import Expo.
Runners in cold environments often experience distractions that can pull their focus, such as changing thermal needs, sweat and the need to adjust layers. Ventscape addresses these issues by offering a more comfortable and consistent thermal experience from the start to the end of a run. It was tested and validated over 250 hours and across 2,500 kilometers in Lululemon’s product innovation lab and outside.
“Our ambassadors expressed a common theme of how running in cold weather creates peaks and dips related to thermal discomfort. We wanted to create a solution that allows runners to embrace the weather and not view it in a negative way. By adjusting to you, Ventscape can keep you thermally comfortable regardless of whether your body is generating heat—it’s a leveling of the thermal experience so you can remain focused,” said Chantelle Murnaghan, vice president of research and product innovation at Lululemon.
Breathable warmth comes from a patent-pending construction designed to balance insulation and ventilation, using PrimaLoft ThermoPlume+ alongside strategically placed mesh panels. The insulation keeps runners warm from the start. As their pace and effort increase, heat and humidity start to build up around the body. Ventscape’s design releases this by taking in air through the mesh vents and flushing out the microclimate.
The product innovation underwent many testing methods and prototyping to validate its performance. Modeling and simulation helped to identify the optimal combination of mesh and fill configurations. Thermal mannequin testing helped assess how the insulation performs in windy conditions at simulated running paces.
Lululemon’s community of ambassadors shaped Ventscape from start to finish, voicing how they wanted to feel while running outside and wear-testing prototypes. Leah Yingling, ultrarunner, biomedical engineer and women’s advocate; Nikki Hiltz, middle-distance runner, Olympian and advocate; and Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, are among those who contributed to shaping the vest’s fit and construction, along with testing it in the brand’s cold chamber and in real-world conditions.
“With Ventscape, I can go from start to finish on runs without thinking. Having a single layer I don’t need to pack away is huge,” said Yingling.
“The moment I picked up the pace, it just adjusted with me. No overheating, no chill. That’s when it clicked: This thing is actually reading my effort,” said Hamilton.
