The Houda Trail 120 Polartec Alpha Hoody is a simple hooded pullover with an adjustable hood. It’s made with 120 g / m2 Polartec Alpha Direct, an ultralight fleece material that is exceedingly breathable and very warm by weight but provides very little wind resistance. That said, it makes an excellent mid-layer in cool or cold weather layered under a windbreaker or hardshell or as added insulation under a quilt or inside a sleeping bag.

• Fabric: 120 g / m2 Polartec Alpha Direct
• Features: drawstring hood adjustment, stretch wrist cuffs, stretch hem
• Size: Large
• Weight: 7.3 oz / 207 grams
• Pros: Great warmth by weight, highly breathable, lots of compliments on baby blue color
• Cons: Poor durability – sheds fibers in the wash, easily snagged on vegetation.

Houda Trail is a tiny gear manufacturer that makes off-the-shelf and custom and stock Polartec Alpha Direct hoodies, sun shirts, and sleeping bag liners in a wide variety of colors and color combinations. Their prices are very reasonable, and I’ve been impressed with the quality of the Polartec Alpha Direct Hoody I’ve received.

I already own several lighter-weight 90 g /m2 Polartec Alpha Direct Hoodies, and while I enjoy wearing them, they’re just not warm enough for me to wear under a shell in winter and early spring. I’d never tried a 120 g / m2 Polartec Alpha Direct fleece hoody before, so I ordered one to see how it would perform. Man, was I impressed!

I can take my Houda Trail hoody down to 25F with just a wind shell while hiking with a pack and still stay comfortably warm and dry since the fleece is so breathable. The difference between it and my lighter weight 90 g /m2 Polartec Alpha Direct Hoodies is night and day.

The Houda Trail Hoody I tested is really quite simple. It only has a drawstring adjustment for the hood, stretch wrist cuffs that I can pull up to shed warmth, and a stretch hem. There aren’t any thumb loops, pockets, zippers, or other features, although Houda Trail offers a customization service if you want to add them.

So, if you’re looking for a 120g Polartec Alpha Direct Hoody, give the folks at Houda Trail a shout. They make a quality product, and they have a great assortment of colors to choose from.

Disclosure: Houda Trail donated a hoody for review.

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