Layer vs Strava
Strava records your runs, shares them with friends and analyzes your training. Layer tells you what to wear before you go, from the weather, distance and effort you have planned. Connecting Strava to Layer is optional and by invite for now.
Not on iPhone? Try today's outfit on the web, free with no account.
Side by side
| Feature |  Layer |  Strava |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Tells you what to wear for the run you have planned | Records your activities and shares them with friends, clubs and segment leaderboards |
| What to wear | One outfit for each run, from the weather across the whole run, how long it is and how hard you plan to go. Free | No outfit recommendation in its subscription feature list |
| Weather | Read before you leave, across the whole planned run | A subscription shows the weather during an activity after you record it |
| Personal comfort | Learns from how you felt: a five-point comfort check-in after a logged run. Free | Models training load, not how warm or cold you felt |
| Your gear | Add your own clothes to Kit and the outfit names what you own. Free | Tracks mileage on the shoes and bikes you add |
| Training plans | Doesn't write training plans. Layer Pro shows outfits for runs planned on future days | Training plans are part of a subscription. Strava agreed to acquire Runna in 2025 |
| Platforms | iPhone app, plus a free web app with no account needed | iPhone, Android and web |
Where they differ
Weather before you leave
Strava adds the weather to an activity after you record it. Layer reads the forecast for the hour you plan to run, including wind at the start or rain halfway through, and gives you one outfit before you leave the house.
Tuned to how you felt
After a logged run, Layer asks whether you were too cold, a bit cold, just right, a bit warm or too warm. Answer the same way a few times and Layer adjusts future outfits to match. One odd day won't swing them.
Using them together
With your permission, Layer imports recent run timing, distance, approximate start location and shoe mileage from Strava. Layer adds the weather each run happened in, and your shoes bring their mileage into Kit. Layer never reads heart rate and never posts to Strava. Strava connect is by invite for now.
Where Strava does well
Many runners record and share their runs on Strava, and kudos, clubs and segments keep them coming back. Layer leaves the social side to Strava.
Strava also covers cycling, swimming and many other sports, with training analysis, routes and safety sharing. Layer does none of those.
Which one fits you
- Choose Strava to record your runs, follow friends and track your training over months.
- Choose Layer to know what to wear before you head out the door.
- Use both: record in Strava, and let Layer pick the outfit beforehand. Connecting Strava to Layer is optional and by invite for now.
Frequently asked questions
Does Strava tell you what to wear for a run?
Not in its published feature list. Strava shows the weather on recorded activities for subscribers. Layer gives you one outfit for the run you have planned.
Can I use Layer with Strava?
Yes. Connecting Strava is optional and by invite for now. Layer imports run timing, distance, approximate start location and shoe mileage. It never reads heart rate and never posts to Strava.
Does Layer learn from my Strava history?
Not today. Layer learns from the comfort check-in you give after a logged run, not from imported Strava data.
Do I need a Layer account to get an outfit?
No. The web app gives you an outfit without an account, and the iPhone app works without Strava. What to wear today is always free.
Sources
What we say about Strava comes from these sources. Layer isn't affiliated with Strava, and the name belongs to its owner. Spot something out of date? Email help@layertoday.com.
- Strava Support: What features are included in a Strava subscription, checked October 27, 2026
- Strava Press: Strava to acquire Runna, checked October 27, 2026