Best Sun Hoodies For Hiking:
Hiking For Her Reviews 3 Of Them

By Diane Spicer

"Can you tell me the best sun hoodies for hiking?", asks an email from a Hiking For Her visitor.

It just so happens that I can, because I use sun hoodies a lot, a more recent addition to my hiking clothing rotation if truth be told (and it always is at HFH).

I wrote this review to share the answer to that question with you, using 3 popular brands of sun hoodies to demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of wearing a sun hoodie on a hike.

Table of Contents 

Find what you need fast in this review of the best sun hoodies for hiking:

• Disclaimers in this review
• Which sun hoodies are being reviewed?
• How does a hiker use a sun hoodie?
• When not to use a sun hoodie on a hike
• Technical specifications of the hoodies in this review
• How to choose the best sun hoodies for hiking
• Best sun hoodie in challenging conditions
• Best sun hoodie in temperate conditions
• Best sun hoodie for good performance and good looks
• Conclusions

Disclaimers in this Best Sun Hoodie For Hiking review

I received the three sun hoodies in this review in exchange for unpaid, fair and honest reviews.

I combined my field results from actual hikes from spring through fall into this one review, so you can have all the information you need all on one page.

Every review written by Hiking For Her has only one purpose: to put great hiking gear and trail tips in your hands so you can enjoy the best of the best while you hike.

So expect fair, unbiased and factual gear reviews here!

These are HFH opinions, mileage may vary! And all words and photos are original, not AI generated slop.

Best Sun Hoodies For Hiking:
What's being reviewed?

Here are the 3 hoodies (also spelled hoody, so it can be confusing online sometimes).

In no particular order:

• REI Co-op Free Fly
• Kuhl Eclipser
• Outdoor Vitals Altitude

I am an affiliate for REI Co-op and Outdoor Vitals, and have used their gear in addition to Kuhl gear for dayhikes, backpacking and backcountry trips.

The REI and OV links are affiliate links, provided for your convenience to find all the details you need.

If you purchase through these links you pay nothing extra, but HFH may receive a small commission. This website is ad free, AI free, and contains no sponsored content. Your support is appreciated to keep it that way!

How can you use a sun hoodie on a hike?

The concept of a dedicated sun hoodie may be new to you. It's a lightweight long sleeve shirt with hood attached, nothing too novel about the design.

I ignored the trend for awhile, until this opportunity to review them came up.

Then I wondered why I had waited so long to put a sun hoodie into my hiking layering system.

• What's a hiking layering system?

Now I use a sun hoodie as part of my layering system, based on the weather conditions, temperature and my mood.

How about some examples?

On a hot, sunny day, use the long sleeves and generous hood for arm, face, neck and shoulder protection against the UV rays that damage skin.

If you are trying to stay as cool as possible, a sun hoodie helps disperse body heat and soaks up sweat (more on that later).

On a windy day, the hood blocks annoying and sometimes dangerous gusts and keeps neck and ears protected.

On cool days, a hoodie can be layered underneath a trucker hat or beanie style hat for additional head protection and heat retention.

When hiking through bug territory, the sleeves and hood are a good defense and eliminate the need for toxic chemicals applied to skin.

And sometimes, after a long hike when it's still warm, a hoodie is just the right thing to pull on and stroll down to the alpine lake after dinner.

What a sun hoodie is not good for on a hike

The fabric chosen for a sun hoodie is thin on purpose.

• Not too thin to block UV rays, but definitely too thin to block environmental assaults or wind, moisture or cold.

So don't use it by itself as wind or cool breeze protection.

A sun hoodie is not designed to stand up to moisture, as implied by the name, right?

And a sun hoodie is not going to be the most durable piece of clothing in your hiking layering system, again because it's built to be fast drying, breathable and very lightweight.

So don't wear it on abrasion off trail scrambles and expect it to emerge unscathed.

Technical specifications for the 3 hoodies
included in this review

At a glance, let's size up these 3 hoodies.

How to choose the best sun hoodies for hiking

A sun hoodie is meant to hug your body.

So look for a woman specific fit that you can consider a base layer: something to be worn under your other layers including a fleece pull over, rain jacket, or button up shirt.

You may want to use a short sleeve or sleeveless top underneath the sun shirt, personal choice.

The hood on a sun hoodie should be contoured to fit over a hat without leaving gaps around your ears or neck. Snug, but not stifling, unless you want a more relaxed fit.

The sleeves should be long enough to cover most of the back of your hands, with or without thumb holes. This is a great way to gain sun protection without putting on sunscreen. 

A sun hoodie is also a great bug defense when you're in biting insect territory, so make good use of the sleeves and hood even if the sun isn't shining. If you are moving your arms a lot (scrambling off trail, for example), look for thumb holes to anchor the sleeves in place.

Best sun hoodie for hiking in challenging conditions

If you're headed into alpine terrain with no hope of shade or protection from the elements, Outdoor Vitals has the hoodie for you.

It's the most technical of the 3 hoodies, with a 80 GSM (grams per square meter) 100% polyester fabric meant to be breathable, fast drying and odor resistant.

One note: This hoodie snagged on my sternum buckle the very first time I wore it. The fabric is quite thin, so I wasn't surprised to see this.

The snagging did not deter from the performance, which was top notch in challenging conditions.

Best sun hoodie for day hiking in temperate conditions

Sometimes you just want a shirt that fits and keeps the sun off your skin.

You're not doing a super hard hike, you're not a thruhiker burning up the miles, you're just out for a nice day hike and know you'll be on exposed terrain for at least part of the day.

Reach for the REI Co-op Shade Hoodie. It gets the job done!

My experience: This was the roomiest of the 3 hoodies, and had a soft and stretchy feel to it.

It didn't pull or snag.

Best sun hoodie for hiking when you want good performance combined with good looks

When you are doing a more demanding day hike (double digit mileage, lots of elevation changes with sun exposure), the Kuhl Eclipser hoodie is the one you want.

It's got strategically placed mesh to keep you as cool as possible.

My experience: This hoodie is durable because it stands up to abrasion from a backpack, is breathable and quick drying, fits well, and is a pleasure to pull on. 

The fabric is 148 GSM, compared with Outdoor Vitals 80 GSM (a comparison of density and thickness). This could explain why the durability is better.

The graphene embedded in the fabric rapidly absorbs your body heat and dissipates it into the environment, so don't wear anything over the hoodie while you're working hard.

And the longer sleeves do the trick to cover you up when mosquitoes appear.

It's not as fitted as the OV hoodie, but not as roomy as the REI hoodie. A nice compromise!

Convinced yet?

Hiking For Her only recommends the best of the best hiking gear and clothing, because why waste your time and money, right?

The best sun hoodies for hiking are the ones that fit your body and also fit your hiking style(s). 

After seeing these three hoodies, best suited for specific hiking conditions, maybe you're ready to make room on your gear list for one.

I've got more than one on my list, and now you know why ;)

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Best Sun Hoodies For Hiking