Core Merino 120 Hoodie Reviews

Best base layer

Fantastic build quality and versatility

IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU USE IT

As a natural photographer, I shoot in cold and hot weather--and everything in between. Less than a year ago, I finally discovered Sitka gear. And in that year I have spent more on Sitka gear than camera gear since I had struggled trying to manage colder environments. Beyond photography, I have worn Merino wool tops year round for years. For causal use during the warm/hot/humid days whether active or still, I had relied on the Icebreaker Cool-Lite, which is a combo of Merino wool and Tencel. While it did the job, the combo of materials was not durable. I was very excited when Sitka essentially replaced Tencel with polyester—both of which are highly breathable and wickable, while polyester is more durable. I like the Cool-Lite shirts over polyester tops when hot because I never really liked the feel of polyester shirts (Nike, UA) when I sweated a lot. But as I read the reviews on the Core Lightweight Hoody, I decided to give that a try too. We aren’t into the cool/cold season yet, so I “tested” the Core Merino 120 Hoody and the Core Lightweight Hoody in two main conditions: a workout in the gym and walking the dog (up to 90 degrees with a 110 heat index). The results were pretty much what would be predicted given the properties of Merino wool and polyester. The mainly polyester Core Lightweight Hoody was exceptional at wicking away sweat and keeping me as cool as possible—I will now wear this top wen I am active in warm/hot/humid conditions that lead to sweating. The Core Merino 120 Hoody was slower to wick during workouts and walks, but that wasn’t always a bad thing. While working out with a slightly moist shirt, a slight breeze from a fan felt really cool. But overall, I will be using the Core Lightweight Hoody when I know that I will be sweating a lot. While Sitka advertises that the 120 Series is “to keep you cool and dry through sweltering early season hunts,” I feel that the Core Lightweight Hoody is better for those conditions. But when the temp and humidity start to drop, I think the insulating properties (heat retention) from Merino wool in the Core Merino 120 Hoody make it better when you need to retain a little body heat when controlling sweat is not a major concern. And the longer sleeves with thumb holes on the Core Merino 120 Hoody allows you to wear the top further down on your hand for warmth when it starts getting colder. But when it gets really cold and sweating is minimal, I will always wear a 100% Merino wool base layer… Just a final comment. Merino wool clearly is the best way to minimize odor. I have never had arm odor problem with Icebreaker, SwartWool, and Meriwool products—and the same now applies to the Sitka Core Merino 120 Hoody. By contrast, after less than two days with the Core Lightweight Hoody with Polygiene, arm pit odor was noticeable—just ask my wife! It is a little hard to predict when the stink will occur, but I have to be more aware of when and how long I wear the Core Lightweight Hoody. The Polygene used with mainly polyester wear does help, but it clearly is not as effective as Merino wool at controlling odors (and the Sitka performance ratings reflect that).

Baggy

I was hopeful for this new piece. Just an overall baggy fit. If you want a base layer this is not the piece to get. Sitka has used thumb "holes" not loops on this top. A couple things this causes. When not using the thumbholes the sleeves are about three inches too long, so they bunch up at the wrist. When using the thumbholes you better were them under a glove because the 120 weight fabric will not hold up for long as an exterior layer. The sleeves, especially when wet, are very loose and sag. It takes much longer than the Core Lightweight "poly" hoodie to dry out. When tucked into your pants the body is not a snug fit either, once again baggy, so all your upper body sweat goes straight to your waist. You cannot size down because the sleeves would end up too short to use the thumbholes.

NO Flatlock Seam Construction

Wow, this is the first base layer from Sitka as well as any other merino company I've owned throughout the decades without flatlock seams. Cheap!!