Patagonia Merino Air Hoody

The Fit

According to Patagonia’s charts, I fall between a size Medium and a Large. I’ve got a ~41-42″ chest, which puts me in the Large camp, and a 32-33″ waist, which puts me in the Medium camp. As a rule, and especially on items with a slimmer / more alpinist cut, my practice is to go with a size Large. So that’s what I did with the Merino Air Hoody, and it was the right call—there is no way I’d want to drop down to a Medium in this thing.

Given that this is a slim-fitting but stretchy material, my advice would be to go with whatever is your larger measured size, waist or chest. You’re not going to end up with a lot of bulky, hanging, excess material.

For me, the length of the size Large is great—the arms and the torso are a good length, zero complaints.

The Feel

I’ve had several questions about how that merino-hybrid knit fabric feels as a next-to-skin base layer. I haven’t minded it at all, and mostly, I just don’t notice it. Patagonia describes the feel as being “nearly weightless,” and I wouldn’t argue with that.

Another of our reviewers (Paul Forward) has been wearing the Merino Air, and he tends to wear it over a thin t-shirt. He says he finds it to be a bit itchier than his other merino base layers: “it’s the first time I’ve even thought about merino being itchy, so it’s noticeable, but not a deal breaker, and I’m still wearing it as a next-to-skin layer for mountain biking and such.”

That Collar / Hood

As for the look, you can judge for yourself (though I’ve been surprised by how many guys and girls say they really like it). But I’m here to say that the functionality of the hood is fantastic.

It is a close-fitting hood that easily fits under my ski helmet, is fast and convenient to throw on at the top of cold, windy summits, and works very well as a facemask if you’re riding lifts and getting blasted by wind (and by “blasted” I mean that you actually begin to wonder whether high winds have ever ripped the skis off of anyone’s feet).

And since it’s a bit cold in my house as I write this sentence (1am, 42 degrees F outside, and I don’t have the heat on), I’ve just realized that I’ve been writing this whole review with the hood up. So while I’m not 100% sold on the look of this thing (yet?), I am 100% sold on the functionality. The hood disappears when it’s not in use (it doesn’t feel bulky beneath mid layers and outer layers), and so far, it has worked great when I need it.

Odor Fighting

Yep. So far, I’d have to say that the Merino Air has worked as well as any of the 100% merino base layers I own. I’m not quite sure how or why this is true given that the piece is nearly 50% polyester, but it is, in fact, true.

Durability

This will be interesting. I’ve worn the Merino Air Hoody for about 30 days, with about 10 of those days including lift-accessed skiing or ski touring. I definitely don’t advise you to go bushwhacking in this thing—that stretchy, knit fabric feels like it will be easier to snag than a polyester or wool base layer with a smoother face fabric. But so far, zero issues.

Bottom Line

After multiple days of touring in it, sleeping in it, working in it, and sitting on cold lift chair rides being hammered by the wind, I’ve become a pretty big fan of the Patagonia Merino Air Hoody. And once the temperatures drop below freezing, I can easily see this becoming my go-to base layer for colder ski tours. It would also work really well as a base layer for resort skiing from temperatures in the 50s (F) or lower.

In short, I think Patagonia’s claims about the Merino Air Hoody are accurate, and the piece is impressive. There are a number of good base layers out there, but if you’re attracted to its distinctive, alpine-sweater look, I can vouch for the Merino Air’s warmth-to-weight-to-breathability chops, as well as the functionality of its hood.

And if you don’t think you’ll use the hood, check out the crew version of the Merino Air and you’ll have a base layer that we’ve found you can comfortably wear for days on end without stinking.