REI Co-op  Sahara Shade Hoodie - Women's Plus Sizes

I absolutely LOVE this little hoodie - I wore it all over Seattle and Olympic National Park last week (end of April 2023) and it was the perfect layering piece that looked great with jeans, leggings, and hiking pants regardless of what activity we were doing that day. Definitely planning to buy more in other colors.

I have always been really pleased with all my previous clothing purchases from REI. This one, not so much. Its a nice top, made well of nice soft material, and the color was really pretty. (Blue Heather) Here's the caveat; It has the strangest sizing!! The shoulders are a little big, the arms (upper arm) are tight, and the sleeve length was for someone with abnormally long arms! The sleeves went a full 2 -3 inches past the tip of my finger. I hope that this is a one off, and not their normal sizing, but it's unfortunately going back.

Wore this in the desert for 36 hours. Was a bit too hot for hiking and not as wicking as I would have liked. I love the design and the fit, although it runs smaller than the sizes suggest. However after 36 hours I felt baked. It was clear the sun had gotten through in some places on my arms, and while I wasn't burned it did suggest that it's not as sun resistant as it claimes. I had a $20 shirt from amazon that wasn't as cute, but it kept me dry and completely sun free for 48 hours. The hood on this is weirdly long but you can't adjust it in anyway. it hung down over my eyes when the hood was pulled up I had to kind of line it up with my hair line and put my hat on over it to hold it down, which was bizarre. The seams are uncomfortable too they're huge and dig into your arms. I do like the elongated sleeves with the thumb holes though. All in all, if it were cheaper I'd probably have no complaints, but considering the cost I would have expected more protection, more wicking, and a less awkward hood.

I purchased this primarily for hiking. The fit is perfect for me... long arms and tall... looks cute. On the trail it was way too hot. If I had a shirt under, I definitely would have taken it off and it was only in the 70s. I like the style, but I'm going to use it as a cool weather shirt instead.

I love this top! It's a relaxed fit, not too warm or bulky, thumb holes are always a bonus, and the spf is awesome! I've worn it many times already, it's washed and dried very well, and this will be a companion on many hiking trips. The fabric is not bulky so that layering over it is easy.

I wear this about once a week and have incorporated it into my regular outfits (besides trail outfits) because I just rock with it that much. In the summer it protects me (without fail) during hot hot summer days outside, and in the winter acts as an excellent sweat-wicking base layer. I usually wear a 2x in most tops, but found that the 3x fit better. It looks and feels so much nicer when I went the size up!

This shade shirt is awesome, I went back and bought it in the other color too. Length is great, I find that plus sizes can be a little short in length but this is much better.

Fits well without being clingy. It is too warm and better suited for cooler temperatures. The upper arms run narrow and this is never an issue for me, so I am assuming this is a design feature. It’s a good length for me (5’ 3”).

OMG, this "sun shirt" is insanely hot and not in a good way! I was sweating to death in 65F weather, so I can only imagine how suffocating it would be in actual hot weather. I bought three of these because of the great reviews, thinking that I'd wear them all the time, but these will definitely have to be reserved for cool weather, which is disappointing because I really need them in summer. Thankfully, I have something I can use from another company, but I was so hopeful about this top. Additionally, it seems to me that the REI brand has gotten smaller in their sizing. I used to easily fit into an XL and had to buy the 1X, which was still a bit more snug (esp through the arms) than I would care for. The colors are all nice, relatively neutral, and the sleeves are nice and long so they'll cover my hands well. Overall though, I'm just upset that I can't use these when I really need them.

There’s a seam that hits across the inner upper arm that is truly diabolical. I tried wearing the shirt around my house to see if I’d get used to it but it rubbed my skin so much it was unbearable. Without that seam I think I’d love this shirt. Paid a bunch more fir a similar shirt from Patagonia.