Outdoor Research Helium Wind Hoodie Review

The Outdoor Research Helium Wind Hoodie is a really light-weight nylon jacket that’s designed to maintain the wind from robbing your physique warmth. It has an adjustable hood with a small brim, a zippered chest pocket, stretch cuffs, and an elastic hem adjustment. There are additionally perforations beneath the underarms so you may vent some heat with out having to unzip the middle zipper. While it’s not waterproof, it’s an excellent garment to make use of year-round for climbing or working if you end up producing plenty of physique warmth and simply want a thermal envelope over your base or mid-layer to remain heat.

Specs at a look

• Material: 30D Nylon
• Weight: 5.1 oz (males’s giant)
• Sizing: Runs barely small when worn over a mid-layer
• Waterproof: No

Feature-wise, the OR Helium Wind Hoodie is finest categorized as a windbreaker that’s extra akin to the REI Flash Jacket or the Arcteryx Squamish Hoodie than a a lot lighter weight and extra minimal wind shirt just like the Montbell Tachyon Parka or the Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt. There’s room for each kinds of clothes. You simply want to determine which you favor.

Made with 30d uncoated nylon, the Helium Wind Hoodie isn’t practically as breathable in comparison with clothes made with thinner materials (though breathability is a really elusive factor to measure in a normal means) and is way hotter as a result of it traps extra physique warmth. While it does have laser-cut holes beneath the armpits, they’re actually not very efficient at shedding warmth in case you’re carrying the jacket over a mid-layer garment like a fleece.

The hood nonetheless may be very good with a rear quantity adjustment and elastic sides so it snugs the pinnacle nicely with out being claustrophobic. If you’re going to be in actual wind, particularly above treeline, you don’t need a hood that flaps wildly towards the perimeters of your head within the breeze as a result of the noise will drive you bonkers. The Helium hood additionally has a slight invoice of thickened material that stands out over the eyes and is helpful to forestall glare from blinding you.

The jacket has a zippered chest pocket with a softshell material backer which is an efficient place to stuff a lightweight hat or a snack bar. It may match a Smartphone, like an iPhone 14, and has sufficient physique that the pocket doesn’t sag or deform the match as you see in a jacket made with thinner material or an unlined pocket.

The wrist cuffs are elasticated and enormous sufficient you can pull them up your forearms to bleed warmth off out of your wrists the place the blood flows near the pores and skin. There’s additionally an elastic hem adjustment to forestall the wind from chilling you from under.

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Recommendation

If you’re questioning once you’d ever use a wind jacket like OR Helium Wind Hoodie, particularly because it’s not waterproof just like the OR Helium Rain Jacket, the reply is “much more frequently than you’d use your rain jacket.” For instance, I put on a wind shirt all winter lengthy as an outer layer over a base layer and mid-layer as a result of it acts as a thermal envelope that stops chilly wind from chilling me whereas trapping the physique warmth I generate. A wind shirt can be indispensable in spring to maintain chilly wind from chilling you, particularly earlier than the timber develop their leaves. In comparability, a rain jacket is normally a lot too heat for this and can trigger you to perspire, which is counterproductive when it comes to consolation and vitality effectivity.

The OR Helium Wind Hoodie is a reasonably heat windbreaker and finest utilized by individuals who run slightly chilly. Personally. I run fairly sizzling when climbing and like a a lot thinner and extra minimalist wind shirt just like the Enlightened Equipment Copperfield or the Montbell Tachyon as a result of they lure much less physique warmth and make me perspire much less.

Disclosure: OR donated a jacket for evaluate.

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