David Lintern gives a rare 5 stars to the Rab Force Hoody after testing in Kintail. Find out why.
The Rab Force Hoody has proved to be a very versatile layering piece for hiking, biking and climbing over the last few months. The fabric is luxuriously soft and comfy, and the fit is very roomy, which allows plenty of airflow on hot days, but easily allows a t-shirt to sit underneath without snagging when it’s cooler.
David Lintern highly recommends
It’s very rare for me to award 5 stars in a review, but the Rab Force hoody is a simple, perfectly executed quiver killer of a top.- loose fit
- versatility
- price
- recycled fabric
- none
| Quick specs |
|---|
| Price: $60 / £55 (available from Rab) Weight: 189g Materials: Dryflo™ Solar Double Jersey (125gsm) Features: Thumbloops, hood, dropped shoulder seams, UPF40+ protection Sizes: S-XXL Men’s version: yes rab.equipment |
For me, the multi-purpose sizing is worth the price of admission alone. My sample is off white, which worked perfectly alongside the UPF40+ protection to fend off the rays on a seriously sunny but sometimes windy 3-day backpack, a trip that was also a good test of the odour control treatment – remarkably effective. The hood is close fitting enough not to fly off in the wind, and the sleeves are long and have thumb loops for when things get a bit chilly and you’ve forgotten which pocket you put your gloves in. The sleeves are also easily pulled up when the opposite applies and you need to spill heat. I was wary of having no zip at the neck to aid cooling off, but I needn’t have worried. The ‘collar’ is high to protect from the sun, but the fabric is so soft this doesn’t irritate.
Breathability wise, it’s just so too – enough but not too much, and the cut is very relaxed so it dries in a jiffy. All told, the design is excellent for high exposure and temperature environments. The seams are effectively invisible and I’ve had suffered no chafing under a pack so far, and the fabric is 100% recycled (trims 79% recycled).
I think the price is fair, too. It’s very rare for me to award 5 stars in a review, but the Rab Force hoody is a simple, perfectly executed quiver killer of a top.
How David tested
David used the top during the warm, late spring weather on both day hikes and a 3-day backpacking trip in Kintail. Weights are from his own scales. This review was first published in the August issue of The Great Outdoors.
