A coat that keeps me warm, but isn’t a giant parka. I need to be warm, but I also need to be able to quickly throw on a jacket when I’m running from class to a meeting.
Whether you’re hiking, camping, or just wanting to make it from point A to B, Outdoor Research’s SuperStrand LT Hoodie for men and women will keep you comfortable and protected from the elements (or at least most of them).
Technology and Design
Outdoor Research features their recent VerticalX SuperStrand technology with this hoodie. VerticalX down technology is Outdoor Research’s lightest, softest, and most compressible down offered. Naturally with most down coats, to provide additional warmth they sacrifice material flexibility and movement. Not the case with this jacket. The compressibility of the SuperStrand down is one of the biggest takeaways for me. As a student going from class to class around school and then work in the afternoon, I loved being able to easily shove this in my backpack.
Not only does the jacket take such little space in my bag, it’s also incredibly light to carry. This hoodie jacket weighs just over 300 g (10.9 oz). In fact, I’ve forgotten how light this jacket is compared to my other ones.
I went to an art museum a few weeks ago. As I carried my coat I couldn’t help but think “I wish I would’ve worn the OR jacket instead of this one” (click here to learn about the other one). After a couple hours of walking around with my coat I saw the coat check that I missed as I entered, of course.
However, while this lightweight hoodie would have been nice for inside the museum, it would not have sufficed walking outside to get there. With a high of seven degrees, I put on a more robust jacket to fight the cold. While this jacket still insulates well given its weight, there’s only so far it can compete with the elements.
The hoodie comes in a number of great colors including the light pewter (pictured above). I appreciated the subtlety to the jacket and the simplistic design. Overall, OR lends to a clean design language with all their gear and I’m here for it.
Price and Takeaways
Lastly, the price of this pretty good jacket is one thing keeping it back from being a great jacket. At $235.00, it is certainly more than I would consider paying for an additional, supplemental addition to my cold weather arsenal. As is the case with most outdoor gear brands, dependability and performance is what keeps customers coming back often times regardless of price. However, one redeeming factor to the price point is Outdoor Research’s reputation with consumers. Known for their quality, OR guarantees their gear to “perform throughout the lifetime of the product”.
Maybe you’re looking for a lightweight hooded jacket for the spring. Or maybe you don’t need the weight and thickness of a Minnesota-ready jacket like I do. If so, then this new lightweight hoodie from Outdoor Research could be for you.
Note: Our reviews are always 100% independent but Gearadical receives a small affiliate amount if you purchase the product on Amazon.
