“This is a well made, quality hoodie. The cut is a little different to what I'm used to but it is very comfortable. The pockets could do with being a little bigger and personal preference would be for a kangaroo style pocket rather than two separate ones. My only grumble with the construction is that the warp of the material is not perpendicular to the warp of the sleeve which is hardly noticeable but disappointing in an item at this price point.
Now on to the material itself. I am extremely impressed with the Nuyarn merino wool. I started to introduce merino wool items into my mtb and hiking kit and also my wardrobe about ten years ago. Mainly socks, base layers and pull overs but I've always had my eye out for a good merino hoodie. I ordered this and saw the nuyarn blurb and didn't really pay much attention.
Having worn the hoodie for a week or so, I was that impressed that I purchased a second. It feels a bit cooler when worn than normal merino wool but keeps me at a comfortable temperature most of the time. In a wind you'll need to match it with an outer layer to stop the wind wicking heat away or a close fitting thermal base layer does if the wind is not too cold.
It seems more durable than normal merino too. The hoodie has been pawed by my dog time and time again, even her dew claws have become caught in the material but it has not pulled and appears none the worse for having her abrasive pads run over it. Her hairs also do not get caught up in the material like they do with normal merino either.
The hoodie has been washed twice and shows no sign of shrinkage and any areas that may have stretched slightly regain their shape. So that's washed twice over almost three months of ownership and being worn almost everyday. Not because I'm a lazy scruffbag but because as with normal merino wool, it doesn't really absorb your body odour. Even after an arduous hike, the nuyarn doesn't smell. All in all very impressive.”
