Shoes get all the attention. Fair enough. But once you have sorted your footwear, the accessories you carry, wear and apply are what separate a good run from one you want to forget.
This is a ranked list of the best running accessories based on how much each one improves the experience. Not how flashy it looks, not how expensive it is. How much of a difference it makes when you are actually out there.
A GPS Running Watch
A GPS watch is the single most useful accessory you can own as a runner. It replaces guesswork with data: pace, distance, time, heart rate, cadence. Over weeks of training, that data turns into patterns you can act on.
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is a strong mid-range option at USD $349.99. It has an AMOLED touchscreen display, comes in 42mm and 46mm case sizes, offers up to 13 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, and supports phone-free music playback with onboard storage. You can send structured workouts to the watch and follow them on the run without checking your phone.
Fleet Feet lists the Forerunner 265 among its top running accessories for 2026, noting it covers health and wellness metrics like resting heart rate alongside training stats. For runners who want a simpler, less expensive entry point, the Garmin Forerunner 55 also appears on Treeline Review's 2026 running accessories list.
The value of a GPS watch is not in having more numbers. It is in removing the mental load of estimating effort. When you can glance down and see your pace sitting at 5:40/km, you stop overthinking whether you started too fast.
Anti-Chafe Balm
Chafing ruins runs. Inner thighs, underarms, nipples, waistband lines, the seams where your shorts meet skin. On a short, cool morning run it barely registers. On a humid 15km, it can turn the last 5km into a painful countdown.
Body Glide Original is a plant-based anti-chafe balm that creates a dry, invisible barrier to protect skin in high-friction zones. It comes in four sizes: a 0.35oz pocket stick (USD $5.49), a 0.80oz travel size ($8.99), a 1.5oz regular ($10.99), and a 2.5oz large ($16.99). Fleet Feet sells the 0.80oz version for $9 and lists it as one of the most universally relied-upon running accessories.
Apply it before you run, not after you feel the first sting. The general rule: if you have chafed somewhere before, apply there every time. Common spots are between the thighs, under the arms, across the chest, and along any seam line that sits against skin.
Hydration Gear
How you carry water depends on how far you run. For anything under about 10km in moderate weather, you can get away without carrying fluid. Beyond that distance, or in Australian summer heat, having water within reach changes the run.
Handheld bottles are the simplest option. The Nathan SpeedDraw Plus Insulated ($37 at Fleet Feet) is an ergonomic handheld that keeps drinks cold and includes a small pocket for keys, nutrition or a card. It fits in your hand without requiring a tight grip, which matters when your forearms are fatigued at the 15km mark. The Nathan SpeedDraw 2.0 Insulated also appears on Treeline Review's 2026 running accessories list as a top handheld pick.
Hydration vests suit longer efforts. Treeline Review names the Salomon Adv Skin 12 as its top hydration vest choice for 2026. Vests distribute weight across your torso rather than loading one hand, and they carry enough fluid for runs where you are out for 90 minutes or more.
Choose the option that matches your usual distance. Carrying a full hydration vest on a 5km parkrun adds weight and complexity you do not need.
Running Sunglasses
UV exposure accumulates. Australia's UV Index regularly exceeds 11 in summer, and even in winter it can reach moderate levels on clear days. Sunglasses are not a fair-weather luxury. They protect your eyes from UV damage, reduce glare on bright road surfaces, and cut wind and debris on trail runs.
For running specifically, the two things that matter most are fit stability and optical clarity. Frames that bounce or slide when you pick up pace become a distraction within the first kilometre. Weight matters too, since you notice every gram sitting on the bridge of your nose over a long run. If you have dealt with sunglasses that fog up mid-run, look for frames with ventilation features that help reduce fogging.
For a deeper look at what keeps sunglasses in place during a run, and why some designs fail at it, we have a guide on running sunglasses that do not bounce. If you are still wondering whether you even need a dedicated pair, this breakdown covers who benefits and why.
Reflective Gear and Lights
If you run before sunrise or after sunset, you are invisible to drivers unless you do something about it. In Australian winter, when Melbourne's sunrise sits past 7:20am and Sydney's sunset arrives before 5pm, most weekday runners are training in darkness for several months.
Fleet Feet includes the Nathan Neutron Fire RX and the Amphipod Xinglet Optic Beam Rechargeable on its 2026 running gear list. Treeline Review names the Nathan Streak Reflective Vest as its top pick for reflective running gear, and the Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 as its top running headlamp for 2026.
Reflective vests and bands give you 360-degree visibility from car headlights. A headlamp lets you see the ground ahead, which becomes important on uneven footpaths, trail sections, or poorly lit suburban streets. Combining a reflective vest with a headlamp covers both problems: drivers can see you, and you can see where you are stepping.
Running Socks
Socks are easy to overlook when they are working. You only think about them when they are not: a blister forming under the ball of your foot at 8km, a bunched seam pressing into your little toe, moisture pooling because the fabric will not wick.
Fleet Feet lists the Balega Hidden Comfort ($17) as its top running sock for 2026. These socks use cushioning, a moisture-wicking construction, and a seamless toe closure. The heel tab sits just above the shoe collar to prevent Achilles rubbing. Treeline Review names the Stance Franchise UL Crew as another strong option.
If you have ever finished a run with raw spots on your feet, the sock is the first thing to examine. A dedicated running sock with a seamless toe and moisture management can remove a problem you might have assumed was caused by the shoe.
Electrolyte Tablets
Sweating costs you more than water. Sodium, potassium and magnesium leave with it, and on long runs or hot days, plain water alone does not replace what you lose.
Fleet Feet lists Nuun Sport at $8 per tube as a top electrolyte option for 2026. Each tube contains 10 tablets that dissolve in water, adding electrolytes without sugar. They are light enough to throw in a pocket or hydration vest and mix at a water fountain mid-run.
For runs under about 60 minutes in mild conditions, water is usually enough. But if you are running longer, running in heat, or you are a heavy sweater, electrolytes help you maintain performance and avoid the foggy, flat feeling that comes with depletion.
A Running Belt
Carrying a phone, keys and a gel in your shorts pockets creates bounce and bulk that compounds over distance. A running belt holds those items against your body without the constant shifting.
Treeline Review names the FlipBelt Classic as its top running belt for 2026. It sits flat against the waist and stretches to fit phones up to large screen sizes. Fleet Feet also notes that a good belt frees your hands and distributes small items around your waist rather than loading one pocket.
The belt matters most on longer runs where you need nutrition, a phone for safety, and perhaps a card for a post-run coffee. On shorter sessions, you might not need one.
Putting Your Kit Together
No runner needs all of this at once. The best approach is to solve the problem that is currently costing you the most.
If chafing is cutting your long runs short, start with Body Glide. If you are guessing at pace and finishing every run unsure whether you went too hard or too easy, a GPS watch changes that. If you are running in the dark without reflective gear, that is a safety gap worth closing immediately.
Build your kit around your runs, your distances, and the conditions you train in. Every accessory on this list exists because it addresses a specific problem that shows up when you spend enough time on your feet.
Tim Golubev
Founder, Re. (Re Your Run)
Tim built Re. after years of running in sunglasses that bounced, fogged, and ended up on his forehead. After discovering the UV damage that builds up without eye protection (even on cloudy days) and hearing the same frustrations from hundreds of other runners, he decided it was a problem worth fixing properly. With a background in Product across multiple industries, he approached it like any product problem: figure out what's broken, then build something that actually fixes it. He runs daily, co-founded Rose Bay Run Club, and Re. is his attempt to make one less thing that gets in the way of a good run.
