The most notable behavioral warming clothing of this season, "Rab Evolute Hoody," brings active insulation to the next stage [Practical Review]

Popular active insulation, but which one is really "usable" right now?

Active Insulation, a warm clothing for use for your activities, has been established rapidly over the past few years, with the characteristic of keeping you warm when you are stationary and making it easier to release heat and stuffiness when you are moving. Nowadays, not only global major outdoor brands, but also local cottage brands are releasing new items using materials such as OCTA and Polartec Alpha as their main autumn/winter clothing clothing, not just tops and bottoms.

However, although such a large amount of active insulation may look different in appearance, to be honest, there are many that are almost similar in terms of functionality. To be honest, there are many that are more simply designed to look good than functions. We don't take care of it if the appearance is good or bad and it makes it easier to climb the mountain, but Outdoor Gearzine consistently believes that the most important thing is functionality, and that design based on functionality is justice.

In that sense, among the active insulation products that have been flooding over the past few years, one of the items that I've seen as "undoubtedly amazing" Rab Evolute Hoody a newly developed action-retaining clothing this season by Rab . To put it simply, this is a truly "new classic" mid-layer that makes the most of the properties of active insulation, while also covering its weaknesses, bringing functionality and practicality to an even higher level.

I immediately tried wearing it on my mountain climb this fall as soon as it was released, so I'll start a review.

Key Features of Rab Evolute Hoody

Rab Evolute Hoody is an active insulation jacket that functions to adjust the temperature inside the clothing to an appropriate level depending on the amount of momentum, in a low temperature environment, mainly in autumn and winter. PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE located on the lining, combines excellent insulation (bulkiness) and breathability, preventing cold during activities while preventing overheating, keeping your body comfortable. Motiv™ Aero mapped to the outer material has excellent sweat-absorbing and quick-drying properties, allowing moisture absorbed by the lining to be even more quickly released to the outside, keeping the body surface dry at all times. The three-dimensional cutting that fits firmly into the body lines, including the hood, and the lean silhouette that is easy to layer and the excellent ease of movement due to its high stretchability, preventing your clothes from slipping even when the upper body is vigorously moving. This is the key to a comfortable layering system in a variety of activities in harsh autumn and winter conditions.

Favorite points

• "PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE" lightweight active insulation that combines high insulation and breathability
• "Motiv™ Aero" outer material with excellent sweat absorption and quick drying properties, soft and comfortable to wear
• Three-dimensional cutting and stretchability that fits the body lines while minimizing stress during exercise
• Balaclava-shaped hood for a comfortable fit and prevents cold air from entering
• Two mesh hand pockets that can also be used as ventilation
• A special attention to detail such as the flap on the back of the front zipper

Points that interest me

• It's the best with a chest pocket
• The fabric is slightly delicate and requires careful durability.

Main Specifications and ratings

Detailed review

It's warm, yet breathable and doesn't get stuffy, and is also excellent at how excellent the PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE works even when worn directly on your bare skin.

PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE which is used for the lining of Evolute Hoody , has a unique padding structure that creates a natural height and low inside the loft by entwining brushed fabric with different lengths and thicknesses. Many readers may know this, but this is basically the same fabric as Active Insulation, which has been released by various names, such as PRIMALOFT's Next and Active for a few years. " PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE " is the latest version of this series.

Inspired by animal fur, this brushed structure features coarse, thick fibers trap air and increase insulation and elasticity, while high density, fine fibers increase heat retention, moisture wicking, protection, feel and feel to the touch, and storage. Furthermore, by adding a difference in length (height and low) it allows air to flow smoothly, reducing bulk and minimizing heat and moisture buildup.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the fabric itself is sweat-absorbent and quick-drying, allowing it to be worn directly on the scalp and also serves as a "base layer." With its dexterity (verticality) that covers the functions that have previously been shared by multiple layers to some extent with just one piece, it allows you to combine a variety of layerings depending on the season, such as wearing them directly over a mesh under or a tank top for warm autumn hikes.

The high performance thanks to the lining, which was calculated down to the smallest detail, was clearly visible even when I actually wore it. Despite its quite lightweight and compact size, the finely brushed finish is very comfortable on the skin, and the warmth that feels gentle on the scalp is more than I could imagine. The fluffy comfort and warmth you get when you wear it is hard to believe it is 100% synthetic fiber.

And when I started walking and my body temperature started to rise (in the test, an Evolute Hoody ), the warmth never reached the level of "smoothing" and on the other hand, it was so breathable that it didn't get chilly and cooled by the wind, so it always kept my skin at the right balance, and I was amazed at how high it was temperature-regulating.

An exquisite combination with Motiv™ Aero, which further boosts excellent sweat absorption and quick drying properties, while preventing direct cold air and maintaining comfort

What really helps keep this "just right balance" the Motiv™ Aero . This combination with the outer material is one of the biggest reasons why I want to evaluate Evolute Hoody

Tops made from so-called active insulation materials include many jackets and cut-and-sew jackets that look like fleece, made with shell fabric exposed without placing the outer material, and although many of them are selling well-lightweight and heat insulation and breathability, I personally find that the moment you stop moving, the coolness of the moment you stop moving (too cool) makes you feel cold, and end up wearing the shell, so I feel like I would actually choose a situation where you would actually choose something that you can use.

However, wearing a windshell or something on top of it is bulky and troublesome, and more than anything, models with shell fabric placed on the outer material and integrated with the outer material inevitably prevent sweating from escaping, and (although it's just right in the harsh winter) are becoming more and more likely to become uncomfortable with the heat until the cold begins to get fully underway.

This exquisite combination of PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE + Motiv™ Aero solves this problem in one go

This thin, delicate single jersey knit fabric is responsible for absorbing moisture absorbed from PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE In other words PRIMALOFT®EVOLVE had, which seems to lead to the "high ability to prevent overheating during sweating, the ability to regulate body temperature" felt during actions.

Furthermore, unlike the so-called bare active insulation, this thin fabric is sandwiched between the surface, which keeps it breathable and blocks wind and cold air moderately, allowing you to use it as an outerwear until it gets quite cold. This also solves the problem of "too-smooth wind" which was a weakness in exposed types. It is no exaggeration to say that it has pushed active insulation to the next stage in that it does not allow too much air to pass through, nor does it interfere with sweat-absorbing and quick-drying properties with the shell fabric (in fact it has improved), meaning that it has completely overcome its previous weaknesses.

Three-dimensional cutting and high stretchability considering ease of layering and ease of movement

The silhouette has a slim fit that reduces unnecessary slackness and fluttering, and the three-dimensional cutting that is still skillfully tailored to fit the lines of your body perfectly. It is also fully stretchy, allowing you to follow the movements of your upper body without any resistance. This exquisite fit and flexibility (as I have written about it many times) is unique to Rab, who aims to achieve 100% performance in any situation.

Furthermore, the seams have been carefully considered to minimize discomfort when taking action, such as flatlock seams that avoid pressure-intensive areas such as backpacks and reduce grounding.

A comfortable elastic fit and a hood that prevents cold air from entering

The collar has a high design that prevents cold air from entering, but the soft fabric and chin guard keep the zipper all the way up, so it won't feel suffocated or cold. The hood is also balaclava-shaped to fit the shape of your head, and the surrounding stretch material provides good protection from cold air.

Two mesh hand pockets that can also be used as ventilation

The left and right hand warmer pockets have mesh lining, so by keeping them open, you can further encourage ventilation inside the clothing.

Cuffs and hem for fit and comfort

Elastic bindings are applied to the cuffs and hem to provide a comfortable fit.

The attention to detail is applied to inconspicuous details, such as mapping the padding to the flap behind the front zipper.　

For example, a flap on the back of the front zipper. Evolute Hoody is usually rarely applied to this extent to enhance insulation, but the padding is spread over the back of the front zipper.

Summary: A versatile mid-layer that makes the active insulation even more functional and more comfortable

Active insulation, which appeared as a "fleece replacement," had the appeal of being lighter and warmer than fleece, and being more breathable and quicker than fleece, but it could be said that it was lost in terms of the "good balance" that fleece has, which allows it to adapt to a wide range of environments. The Evolute Hoody retains the appeal of active insulation, which combines the opposite functions of insulation and breathability, but by gently connecting these functions to maintain comfort in a wider range of situations, it offers an unprecedented range of use. In this respect, as a mid-layer to wear for high-tempo activities under low temperatures, this is an active insulation that anyone can pick up more than ever before.

Not only this winter, but throughout the year, we hope you will try out Rab's new classic active insulation, which has achieved even more functionality and practicality than ever before, from trekking to ski touring, snowy mountain traverses, and variations of routes.

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