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Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody

Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody
Expedition weight merino blend baselayer hoody

The Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody is billed as a warm base layer for outdoor activities. Compared to the Nomad FZ Hoody, the Woolies 3 Hoody is warmer and with a tighter weave that is more effective at blocking wind.

While Ibex does not bill the Woolies 3 Hoody for cycling, its tightly woven fabric turns out to be ideal for cold weather cycling: wind blocking is so effective that there is a little reason to utilize a windproof vest. And yet, breathability is excellent.

For moderately high exertion where a lot of body heat is being produced, the Woolies 3 Hoody is best used at 48°F and colder (for cycling at least, where wind is a major factor).

Ibex on the Woolies 3 Hoody:

Don't plan on going inside once you've donned the impenetrable Woolies 3 Hoody. Made of a combination of breathable Merino and synthetic fibers, this is Ibex's warmest base layer to date. Upcoming blizzard threatening to thwart your plans? Grab this hoody, we promise you'll stay toasty even in "unseasonable" conditions.

Woolies 3 is our warmest / heaviest baselayer. Clocking in at 270 g/m2 and bearing a poly-faced exterior that moves freely under a shell, Woolies 3 are brushed on the interior for a fleece-like feel. Choose the Woolies 3 when unrivaled warmth is the goal.

The Woolies 3 Hoody is 38% wool, the rest being polyester. This gives it some nice wear and stretch properties. The brushed interior is very soft on the skin, although I used it over a cycling jersey.

A built-in hood protects the head, sides of the face and neck from sun wind and cold. This it can do far better than any hat, and with greater convenience: just flip it off the head when not needed, and it goes along for the ride—no issue finding a place to stuff or lose it (as with a hat). Should the wind and/or sun and/or temperature take a turn for the worse, the hood is there ready to go, no matter the activity, including cycling. See the photo and discussion

For mountains in particular, a hood is far more convenient and comfortable and protective than a separate hat under conditions of sun/wind/cold. For this reason, your author uses hoodies almost exclusively for hiking in the mountains, in all seasons.

Cycling with the Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody

Clothing made at least partly of wool and of modern weave and design works great for cold weather cycling due to excellent breathability. Add a wind vest or jacket for when it’s raining hard, or extremely windy. Interpose another layer if conditions are even colder. The Ibex 'Shak' jerseys work well for cycling in cool weather but when it turns colder (about 48°F on down), the wind cuts through the fabric a bit too much, wind of course being the speed of the bike, even if there is no actual weather wind.

Enter the Woolies 3 Hoody, by Ibex Outdoor Clothing. While Ibex does not bill the Woolies 3 Hoody as a cycling specific garment, its tightly woven wool/poly fabric blend is ideal for cycling, so I put it to the test for cycling in Northern California, in a temperature range of 39°F to 48°F over various mid-winter days.

The proof was in the riding off the pudding: the Woolies 3 Hoody offers an ideal blend of wind-blocking, warmth and breathability, at speeds to 30+ mph.

I layered the Woolies 3 Hoody over a summer jersey one rainy day with temperatures in the 42°F - 50°F range. Another cold but dry day the Woolies 3 Hoody went over a summer short-sleeve plus summer long-sleeve jersey at 39°F - 46°F. With speeds up to 34 mph, the Woolies 3 Hoody has an ideal combination of substantially blocking wind yet being highly breathable. Even though the hoody I wore was a bit large for me, the fabric makes does not flap in the wind, and is silent. The Woolies 3 Hoody layered over a summer jersey was good to about 44°F for excellent comfort, with a bit of “bite” from the cold starting at 42°F on down. This was a bit surprising, but perhaps not: the tightly woven wood/poly blend breathes extremely well, yet blocks the wind substantially. In fact I’d say that the Woolies 3 Hoody offers the best breathability/warm/wind blocking combination I’ve yet come across. It would be excellent for skiing or other sports too. While it’s not a full zipper, the zipper cuts deeply down the front, so excellent ventilation is possible.

The Ibex hoodies have a highly desirable property of fitting well under a bike helmet, such as the Lazer Genesis. Shown below is your author wearing the Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody (iPhone selfie while riding). Observe how the hood provides outstanding wind protection for the ears, neck and top of the head (think baldness or thinning hair) as well as eliminating drafts. The hood also absorbs sweat, which keeps things feeling warm and dry. The zipper locks in place below the chin, and unlike many zippered tops which become unpleasantly snug when fully zipped, this zipper worked great and went unnoticed—entirely comfortable. The total result is no drafts along with wicking of perspiration from head and neck.

Continues below.

Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody for cycling: fits under helmet, protects neck, head, forehead from drafts

The Ibex guarantee

Good value starts with a good product and a no-nonsense warranty:

We’re committed to uncompromising craftsmanship and to your satisfaction. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, return your purchase within 60 days with proof of purchase to receive an exchange, repair, or refund.

WARRANTY

We believe in our products, our process and our mission: to create the best clothing on earth. On the rare occasion that one of our products has a problem, we want to know about it. We provide a complete warranty against manufacturing and material defects for their lifetime. (And our garments tend to have long lives.) If you have received an item of ours that simply has a defect, please let us know and we will do our best to assist. All warranty returns should be laundered prior to sending back to Ibex.

Please know that wear & tear, mishandling, and negligence do not fall under warranty.

I (Lloyd) can attest that Ibex stands behind this, even years later.

Ibex Woolies 3 Hoody
Expedition weight merino blend baselayer hoody
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