TESTED! The Best Sun Hoodies For Mountain Adventures

If you don't have a SUN HOODIE, you NEED one! I tested 3 of the best sun hoodies from a wide variety of budgets and I think there is a clear winner.

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Also these shorts!

** for full disclosure, I received the black diamond gear for free, but I'm in the fortunate position of being able to choose who I work with and I choose them because the gear is on another level. Regardless, it's the best one I've tested by far!

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[vukojeandric]

may i suggest Decathlon brand for fishing, Caperlan. Sun shirt, hooded, upf 50+ .. less than 20€ . pleasant surprise

[mandyrunonvegemite]

I have the REI sun hoodies after getting fried in the White Mountains last summer. The thumb holes have survived rock scrambles and in general the fabric has a cooling feel to it.

[kimb]

I have the BD alpenglow with zip, and it is so comfortable you don't even feel it. Hiking in new mexico 85+ degrees, and it didn't make me feel hot at all!

[greengraycolor]

I have BD Alpenglow Pro, it's great for odor resistance, rivals my merino wool garments. The reason is that it's made of nylon, not polyester. Most other hoodies I researched were made of polyester.

[marysmith]

I have had the Outdoor Reaseach Echo hoodie for at least 10 years, love it. It goes with me hiking, kayaking and travelling to warm countries - first thin.g I reach for. Very light and comfortable.

[TheHikingChick]

I wear the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoodie. Great buttery fabric. Feels great under a backpack.

[MarioKstgr]

Regarding the BlackDiamond Alpenglow Hoody: The Pro version is made from a very different material than the standard Alpenglow. The standard fabric is lighter and airier and feels quite similar to the OR Echo. The Pro version feels a bit like the MH Crater Lake fabric, being quite stretchy but also seems to be more tightly woven and feels like it soaks up moisture and doesn't dry very quickly. I would say the standard fabric is generally better suited for hiking purposes due to its lighter weight and higher breathability. The Pro version seems to be geared more towards climbing where your back is often facing the sun when facing the wall and while the center zip and underarm vents are nice, I think the designers added them to try and counteract the comparatively low breathability of the fabric. The Pro version feels a little more durable when scraping rocks, and I could see one using it as a single layer when hiking in cooler/windier conditions or in very humid environments where exposing the skin to allow for evaporative cooling is more important, but I think the standard version is a better choice in hotter and drier environments where you need the sun protection of the fabric but the low humidity allows sweat to evaporate more easily without the skin being in direct contact with the air.

[katherinerackow]

I'm OBSESSED with my sun hoodie. I have the REI brand one. Getting ready for a thru hike in southern California later this year and will definitely use it!!

[wyregrasser]

Dude... loved the video. For me, I look for very lightweight cotton, bamboo, hemp, loose neck (zip is cool), comfy hood, thumb holes, quick dry and nice length. No poly-condoms for me. Sun hoodies have been out there, just not so much in the hiking world. "Clothes for thought" Free Fly (bamboo stuff order size larger) and I love REI outdoor Afro shorts... 2 front zips and the coolest back/side zip pocket around. Absolute money! Thanks for the video and your hard work.

[_andy_gibb_]

I was sceptical but I got one recently (Outdoor Research Astroman) and after only one hike, I'm sold. It was comfortable and cool - I thought I'd be too hot with a long-sleeve layer on a hot hike, but I was fine. Not only did I feel protected from the worst of the sun, but it was more resistant to the wind than the merino t-shirts I normally hike in, and - to my surprise - it helped limit the number of mosquito bites I picked up (barely half-a-dozen compared with 50+ the previous week). I guess the tight weave of the fabric really helps. It's also stretchy enough to be able to pull the hood over the peak of my baseball cap to keep it in place when it's windy. Very handy!

In the long term, I'll see how well it resists retaining any odours, as well as how easy it is to keep clean (I got a pale colour). The only thing I don't like is the thumb loops which are like those on the Rab, but I can live with them. (I also bought sun gloves too to protect the backs of my hands.)

[safromnc]

The Sun Hoody trend came from companies that make fishing gear as an effort to keep from getting too much sun from being out on the water. I would highly recommend Free Fly products if you are looking for a sun hoody. I have a couple from them I've had probably 10 years or so. OR also has some good options in the hiking genre. Free Fly utilizes bamboo to help fight the stank. They also have a huge variety of options depending on your intended use.

[GideonSmit]

I had to buy a sun hoodie in 2021 when we had a mini heatwave in the UK and the cheapest one on Amazon cost £14. Since then I upgraded to Helly Hansen Lifa Active Solen - a lot better fitting, especially over the face, cooler in the hot sun, and more affordable than the Black diamond.
It doesn't have thumb loops but I don't like them, preferring to wear sun gloves.
I like that your Black Diamond hoodie has a zipper - I think that feature will be handy for a future purchase.

[sfreni]

Thankyou for the tried and tested comparisons. Excellent reporting on the 3.

[AlbenOsaki]

Love the Alpenglow. I've got two of the older versions from a few years ago.

[michelstronguin]

Alpaca sun hoodie is my fev, natural animal fibers, doesn't stink for 5 days straight of hiking, plus retains only %10 moisture vs the %30 Marino does. So this is good for cold and warm weather.

[marisacherry]

Thank you for this review! I ended up trying the (men's) Alpenglow Pro Hoodie and have been very pleased with it so far

[RamGlez]

I have the Crater Lake hoodie from Mountain hardwear and I totally recommend it!

[stefanoberli]

Really happy with the Black Diamond hoodie so far. I wear it with a cap to shield my eyes (havent got cat 4 sun glasses yet). Had some issues while bike touring in New Zealand, now I take sun protection seriously.

[DarrylCK]

I have two Patagonia Capilene sun hoodys, and they are great. That said, I may have to check out the Black Diamond.

[shoresy]

The polyester sun hoodies are great for wicking away perspiration, but I haven't been able to find one that doesn't stink out over time. I've made the switch to lightweight merino wool hoodies. Smartwoool make a nice one, but my favorite is by a company called KUIU. The KUIU lightweight merino wool hoodie is expensive, but really nice quality and resist hiker stink well.