Brooks Ghost Max 3 vs Brooks Glycerin Max 2:
Which to Choose

The clearest difference is height and softness. The Glycerin Max 2 rides on a towering 45 mm heel / 37 mm forefoot stack of nitrogen-infused DNA Tuned foam in a dual-cell layout — plusher in the heel, firmer up front — and earns a genuine maximum-cushion rating with a livelier bounce (responsiveness 4/6). The Ghost Max 3 sits noticeably lower at 38 mm heel / 31 mm forefoot on plush DNA LOFT v3, delivering deep, protective comfort that stops just short of true max-stack territory; its foam is comfort-tuned rather than springy, so it reads as softer-but-more-muted (responsiveness 3/6). That gap flips the stability picture: the Ghost Max 3's lower, broad, planted platform feels more grounded and stable (5/6) and less tippy in quick direction changes, while the Glycerin Max 2's very tall stack, though wide-based and predictable, trades a little of that steadiness for its cloud-like ride (stability 4/6). Weight follows the same theme — the Ghost Max 3 is the lighter of the two at 303 g versus 318 g in men's US 9 — and the drops are close, 7 mm on the Ghost versus a measured 8 mm on the Glycerin. Neither has a plate and neither wants to be pushed: both sit at pace 2/6, with the Ghost's effective ceiling around 5:30 min/km and the Glycerin's around 5:15–5:30 min/km before its extra weight starts working against it. In short, the Glycerin Max 2 is the taller, plusher, slightly bouncier cushion pillow; the Ghost Max 3 is the lower, lighter, more stable and versatile everyday cruiser.