Senchi Designs Hoodie – Gear Review

General information:

I was so excited to get my hands on a Senchi Designs hoodie last fall. I had never seen anything quite like its Polartec Alpha fabric, and my gear self wanted to know how it would perform and perform. These furs currently retail for $75.

This review is based on my experience using this fleece on my 10-day Superior Hiking Trail. This trip includes daytime temperatures between 40-70 degrees, and at night between 20-40 degrees. In these 10 days I’m sure I only took it off once!

• Building materialsPolartec Alpha Direct 60
• WeightMedium/Large is 3.4oz

Things I like:

Easy and Comfortable: This hoodie weighs next to nothing. At 3.4oz, its warmth-to-weight ratio is perfect. Although it might make you look a bit like a muppet, the Polartec Alpha is incredibly soft even when it’s directly against your skin (undershirt is very optional). It doesn’t itch, and the elastic cuffs and hood help things fit my body in the right places. As someone who is 6’0 – 165lbs, the M/L was almost perfect. It’s a bit see-through, so if you plan to wear it without an undershirt, just be careful. It packs down when not in use, dries incredibly quickly, and although it smells a little better than wool, it’s not bad.

Flexibility: Because the Senchi Designs Hoodie is made of Polartec Alpha, both extremely breathable when they warn on their own (or with a t-shirt underneath), too it is incredibly insulating when combined with a wind shirt or rain jacket on top. Although perhaps a seemingly contradictory set of qualities, I found the pairing to be really useful. On warm days it kept the sun off my body, and the wind from the fleece didn’t get too hot/sweaty when facing the cliffs. On colder days or more open ridges, I would just throw on my rain jacket and find myself warming up quickly. At night in my quilt, I found it kept me ridiculously warm. With only the addition of my rain jacket during colder days, it was able to withstand temperatures between 30-70 degrees with ease.

The Minimalist: No pockets, no zippers, no cinch, and no extra material. It uses the lightest protective fabric on the market and pairs it with a simple and functional design.

Things to be aware of:

Strength: Because Polartec Alpha is so light and airy, it lacks some durability. That said, after 260 miles of wearing it in all kinds of trail conditions, I was surprised it didn’t take too much of a beating. It has some runs and a few snags, but everything so far has been good and not too noticeable (unless you want it). That said, if you plan on bushwhacking, be careful. The Alpha seems to hold on to passing branches a lot, and I think if someone is hiking for a long time they could see this hoodie take a pretty good beating.

Fit: It is a suitable sport. There’s no extra fabric built into the design, and while that helps keep its overall weight down, it’s far from baggy. Don’t expect to wear any bulky layers underneath.

Requires layer information: This fur is not for everyone. If it needs to be paired with a wind shirt or rain jacket to increase its warmth, and if you’re really tight on your gear/clothes, the Polartec Alpha is not the fabric for you.

Decision:

If you’ve been buying into the fascinating discussions about Senchi Designs wool, you won’t find anything wrong with me. The versatility is amazing, and the ability to wear this fur as both active and static is something I really enjoyed. I’ve never stayed in one outfit for as much time on a trip as I did in this hoodie, and it will be a staple of my kit going forward.