Product Review: Under Armour Men’s ColdGear Hood
Being outside in weather that demands you wear a hood like this, or a facial mask of some sort, is not for everyone. When it’s that cold, anything you wear that is below standard is apt to cause injury or damage, not directly of course, but through the slow(ish) work of low temperatures on toes, fingers, skin and blood.
When you venture your into cold weather, there’s something in your gear that’s easy to forget or neglect – head wear. Hats, caps, hoods or whatever else you choose to wear up there, it needs to be present and accounted for when you go out into that blizzard, snow flurry or blisteringly cold, clear winter day. Adding a face mask to the ensemble makes you look that much more tough, and can be
vital in the fight for outdoor survival and/or efficiency.
Under Armour has become a leading brand when it comes to duty gear, t-shirts, socks and whatever else you choose to wear under your shirt, jacket and pants. In general, their gear is comfortable, high quality and very durable, just like they claim it to be, and their prices aren’t in the scary class. All that doesn’t mean that their gear is suitable for everyone, and in all conditions. Their ColdGear products, for example, have serious deficiencies that we have pointed out in other reviews as well.
The main problem that also applies to the ColdGear hood is the fabric. When it comes to surviving the cold, there are a few things that need to be present in the fabrics you clothe yourself with. Those things are insulation, moisture transportation and comfort. There’s only one fabric that meets all those requirements, and it’s a fabric that human technology has yet to replicate: Wool. Pure wool insulates even when it’s wet, something that is unique (i.e. no other fabric does that. No other.), and keeps its comfort and flexibility in the very extremes of temperature ranges.
To be a little more clear about one thing; we’re not talking 25 degrees F here. This hood is more than good enough for those temperatures just above or around freezing. However, temperatures can easily drop into the 0 degrees levels, and that’s where this fails. For those temperatures, you need wool, or a high wool percentage blend (we’re talking 70% + of wool).
Conclusion:
The Under Armour hood is lightweight, flexible, breathing and comfortable. It doesn’t hinder breathing (unless you plan on running a winter marathon) and it doesn’t get wet from breath condensing on the inside. It can be used in (at least) 4 different ways, and is perfect for people who manage to avoid temperatures under 15-20 degrees F. If you go below that, however, this hood is no longer enough – you need something like this.
Good hood, looks tough (ninja style, baby), and feels good.
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