REI Co-op  Flash Insulated Hybrid Hoodie - Men's

Warmth of a mid-weight fleece in a tiny lightweight wrapper. This thing packs small, weighs nothing, fits (me) like a latex glove, and is super versatile. I'm 6'-1", 175 lbs, slim and straight... size medium is perfect. Can fit a lightweight fleece under it, and rain shell over it without too much bulk. Worn it on a few hikes, a few bike commutes, doing chores.... no complaints. If you're shopping other lightweight synthetic puffies... this is basically the same jacket as the Arctyrex Atom LT hoody. Same weight insulation, similar fit, near-identical features, recycled content, etc. The main difference is that the materials of the Atom LT feel nicer. For instance, the outer shell fabric of the REI jacket is a shinier, "swishier" material. The Atom LT outer shell fabric has a matte finish/texture, doesn't swish loudly, and just looks fancier (but also costs near double.) If you don't care about fancy materials, this jacket is what you want.

This hoodie could have been great, but it's ultimately let down by poor design decisions. First I want to communicate that I'm 6'1" and weigh between 180-185 lbs. To other reviewers, if you're discussing fit, your review is worthless if you don't communicate your size and the size of the garment(s) being reviewed. With that out of the way... I tried both size medium and large. The medium fit well except for the sleeves which were too short. There wasn't much room to layer aside from a fleece, but that was expected. I then tried the large, hoping the sleeves were longer. The fit was loose and boxy with more room to layer, but inexplicably the sleeves were roughly the same length as the medium. If you don't need the thumbholes, you can make it work, but they need to add an inch or two to the sleeves so that everyone can use the thumbhole as a feature. At a minimum, using a fabric that has stretch might minimize the problem, but there is zero stretch in this jacket aside from the fleece side panels which I assume will stretch to fit someone's gut if they're overweight. The length is also a bit short, and raising your arms causes the hem to rise up significantly. This is made worse by the short sleeve length. Beyond the sleeves, the scuba-like hood fit well. I also liked the colors too, but that's a matter of taste. The zipper was annoying and regularly snagged on the wind flap. Didn't test the wind blocking or water resistance, so no comment there, but the outer material seems typical of a windbreaker and the fleece side panels should allow for some breathability. Here's to hoping REI will figure out the sleeve sizing challenges with the next version. As it is now, the thumbholes only work for someone with T-Rex arms or a person who is shorter and thicker. Beyond this, adding more length to the torso and having a snagless zipper could elevate this hoodie to five stars.