Outdoor Research

Vigor Grid Fleece Pullover Hoodie - Men's

Guide pro

Excellent for my job bringing guests to glaciers on the lake.

My new favorite hoodie

This hoodie quickly became my favorite article of clothing; it’s tied with a couple other things for my favorite. It is exceptionally well made, and ludicrously comfortable. The grid fleece design means it will keep you surprisingly warm, while still being breathable, so you won’t overheat. The built in balaclava is nice. While I probably won’t use the full face mask very often, the overall design works very well. With the hood down, the extra material from the balaclava gives it a sort of neck gaiter effect, and it works well at keeping your neck warm. I wish more clothing was designed to fit the way this hoodie does. Outdoor Research calls this a “trim” fit. It’s a snug/athletic fit(some companies would call this “fitted”), which is perfect for me, and my favorite cut. It fits closely enough that it can be worn under a mid layer, while not so close that you can’t wear it as a regular hoodie if you’d like. I’m usually not a fan of loose fitting clothing, even with hoodies, so the way this fits is perfect for me. I purchased one in yellow a few years ago, and have been wanting more of them for backups ever since. When it comes to my favorite articles of clothing, I like having backups, for when they inevitably wear out or if they suffer damage of some sort. I’ve been holding off, waiting and hoping they would release a colorway that I really like. When I saw this color, “Rainforest”, I jumped on it; I ended up buying five more in the “Rainforest” color, for a current total of six hoodies. I’ll definitely buy more of these if they release a particularly striking colorway, especially if they ever release this hoodie in orange. I would be thrilled if Outdoor Research releases this in a “Sunset” orange. I can’t recomend this hoodie enough; buy yourself one, or six, and you won’t regret it.

Good baselayer with balaclava

I love this baselayer, very convenient for skiing, as you don't need to wear additional balaclava. The balaclava on this hoodie provides decent warmth, but you might want a thicker balaclava for -20 weather. Overall, a very good product for skiing. I wish all baselayer had this option.

Great fit

This is the perfect underlayer for skiing. This basically removes the need for a ski buff with an easy neck piece that slides above your lower face.

Good, but not as warm as I thought

I’m fairly impressed with this hoodie, but it’s not as warm as I thought it would be and it’s awkward if you want the hood up, but not the balaclava; there’s really no comfortable way to wear the hood without the face mask portion up as well. I figured it would be very well insulated having an attached balaclava. It is quite thin and doesn’t insulate very well in the wind, but it’s pretty warm in 50-60 degree weather with no wind. I’ve used this several times skiing, snowmobiling and just when running around. It’s my new go to hoodie and acts as a decent base layer or even mid-layer as well when worn under a shell. I would recommend this hoodie in cool to slightly cold weather, but nothing under 45-50 degrees by itself with no wind. It’s a good overall hoodie and a good daily layer.

Buying Again For Friends & Family

I love this perfect fitting fleece pullover...it's my go to hiking shirt/first layer. It's ideal for fall hiking in the Cascades...and I chose the bright orange color for great pictures. This is super warm too. I was so impressed with this hoodie, I will be buying for friends and family for Christmas.

Vigor grid fleece

Depending on weather works good alone or under a wind shirt. Under a puffy as a mid layer in colder weather. Fits me well.

Runs really small

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

L

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

180

I ordered a size Large (my usual size for tops), and it was a very tight fit around my arms and upper chest. I have an LL Bean waffle fleece hoodie that fits more comfortably and it's a size Medium. It's a nice hoodie, but definitely buy at least one size up.

Best mid layer in the world

I love this hoodie so much that I bought 2 more

Exactly what I wanted

I liked this hoodie so much I bought 2 more in different colors. Fits great and keeps you warm!