Gear Review: Patagonia Merino 3 Midweight Hoody

You’ll get your money’s worth out of this spendy but multifunctional merino hoody. “The high neckline acts as a gaiter, the hood provides precious warmth under a hat or helmet, and the generous-but-contoured cut means that I could wear this top as a cold-weather baselayer or a light midlayer in warmer seasons,” says one tester who used it on a six-day climb of Alaska’s Mt. Hunter.

The midweight fabric is 80 percent 18.9-micron merino with 20 percent recycled polyester; it has all the benefits of wool (warmth, softness, and natural stink-resistance) with the best traits of poly (durability, wicking, and shape-rebound). “It held up better than straight wool baselayers, which always pill under the arms and at the cuffs with serious wear,” reports one tester who wore the Hoody for 11 weeks and put it through a dozen-plus washes.

One tester, after summiting Mt. Whitney in 10°F temps while wearing his Hoody next to skin, praised the wicking, temperature regulation, the cut of the hood (it didn’t interfere with his peripheral vision), and the long sleeves with thumbholes, which kept his hands protected. Gripe: Though durability is better than all-wool shirts we’ve used, our samples did pill slightly in high-wear spots.

$125

11.3 oz.

m’s XS-XXL, w’s XS-XL

patagonia.com