Arc'teryx  Rho Lightweight Wool Beanie

When I received the beanie the first thing I noticed was the delightful soft feel of the fabric. I don't usually like the feel of wool but this was supple and luxurious. I love that I can roll this lightweight beanie up and stick it in my pocket on those questionable cold days (do I need a hat or not?) The beanie (small/med) offered a snug fit that covered my ears completely. Mine is a lovely neutral color that will go with any jacket colors I'm wearing for the day. It would be fun to own several of these is an array of vibrant colors for those days I'm wanting a pop of color. I wore my beanie on a hike through our local forest preserve on a chilly 37º fall morning. It was so warm and cozy and my fellow walkers all commented on how nice it looked.

Worn this hat about 20 times from trail running to dog walking. 28-50f degrees. Like: lightweight, smooth, a little stretchy. Sized down (S/M) to fit under cap and so it would not slide around when wearing headlamp for running. So it’s snug. For just wearing around I would have gone my normal hat size L. Also like how packable it is. It’s been warm for my uses. Not as ‘hot’ as other thick wool hats. May be good to use under a helmet for cold day skiing. Surprised how much I like it and expect to use it all winter long.

(I received this product for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review.) So far, I've used this beanie walking around the neighborhood and walking along the water of the Puget Sound on a 40 degree, fairly sunny morning. There was a good amount of going between the sun and the shade of the trees. WARMTH: This is a nice lightweight beanie that fits the bill when you're active, but it's cold out. It's light, thin, and keeps the ears warm without overheating your head. It's also a very soft and comfortable fabric. Even after several hours of wearing it, it was still very comfortable on my head. SIZE: I got the S/P-M/M. This beanie runs large. I am 5'0" and on the smaller size, and without tugging, this beanie would sit on head and come down to cover my glasses and nose. My 5'6" and 5'9" friends also tried this on for size and it was also a bit long for them. STYLE/COLOR: Out of the box, it is a nice, neutral color, but it didn't look quite right on. The feedback I received from friends were awkwardly muted responses and comments like "it looks a little phallic" and "you should take a picture standing next to a bald guy". Bottom Line... functionally, this product does its job of a lightweight, comfortable beanie, but choose your size and color wisely.

There's not much to this beanie, but it does the job. It's very thin, yet warm. I wore it on walks, working outside, in our trailer, and even inside the house to stay warm when our fireplace wasn't working. I had the small size and it fit just fine. I washed this item in a mesh laundry bag and hung it up to dry. It came out just fine and held it's shape (although there's not a lot of shape to hold). The stitching is good, and I think this beanie will be around for a long time. I like the beanie, but the color isn't my favorite. In fact, my spouse absolutely hates the color, and tells me I'm not allowed to wear the beanie "in public!" We got a good chuckle out of that. If you're looking for a lightweight, simple yet warm beanie, give this one a try. But maybe buy a different color.

What's remarkable about the Arc'teryx Rho Lightweight Beanie is its weight to warmth ratio. This is not a hat you are going to wear during the coldest months of the year, but it's absolutely perfect for shoulder season or those "just in case" situations. Its weight and volume are more comparable to a bandanna than a wool-knit beanie, but it is significantly warmer. It won't take up any valuable space in your pack, and the weight is barely noticeable - it could easily fit in your back pocket. This wouldn't be my choice if I planned on being outdoors for prolonged periods in sub-freezing conditions, but it's a no-brainer for an ultra-light backpacker, or anyone who simply wants to avoid the volume of a traditional wool-beanie, for those chilly, but not freezing, outdoor excursions.

The hat is very comfortable but on colder days it isn’t enough. Maybe it is because I have a bald head but I still feel the chill compared to their other toques like the Grotto. It is also started to pill after only a week of wearing it.

I bought this item about 2 weeks ago and have been using it almost daily. I have long hair so keep my hair out of my face throughout the day is essential. The toque does just that.

I have owned a half dozen RHO merino wool beanies over the last decade. I’m bald and therefore require a light comfortable head covering from October-March. By far the best quality product out there. I’m a 6 ft dude and the small- medium is form fitting and comfortable and the large-X-Large is form fitting but slightly less tight. Great for most conditions especially exercise as the merino breaths and wicks never feeling wet or cold. This is ultra light so a hood supplements nicely but a heavy toque is still required if the mercury drops. I have several Kuiu Merino beanies which are equal quality however I reach for the RHO daily and prefer Arc’teryx

I originally bought this in a black S/M but despite being in the size range (22 -1/2") it was far too tight so I returned it and got a L/XL in relic. That fit was much more comfortable so I'd recommend going the L/XL unless you have a very small head. This is a thin hat but I knew that going in. It will not stop the wind, it will not keep you warm in less that 0 C weather. But, it will fit under a helmet, you can sleep in it, you can wear it on a cool spring/fall day or summer night, you can wear it comfortably car hopping or shopping in the winter, and if your hair is a mess and you don't want to wear a baseball cap this works great. So as long as you know what it can and can't do, it's a great soft beanie that is warm in the right conditions.

[Employee of arcteryx] I have a small face/head so it's been challenging finding a toque that doesn't dwarf or give the bobblehead effect. Specifically I wanted something thin just to take the chill off and can smoothly fit under helmets. This isn't it if you're looking for a traditional thick wool toque. For my use case this was perfectly light and comfortable and so very soft. There is some excess at the top (again small head) but the extra bit folds over and stays in place.