Rab Ascendor Mild Hoody Fleece Overview

Backside Line

The Rab Ascendor Mild Hoody (males’s / ladies’s) is among the lightest and most packable fleece jackets in our information to one of the best fleeces for women and men. We examined the Rab Ascendor on chilly morning hikes in Northern California to find out its match and luxury(with and and not using a backpack), versatility, packability, and ease of cleansing.

Designed for mountaineering, peak scrambling, mountaineering, and mountain climbing, this fleece balances breathability with heat to supply final consolation in your strenuous mountain adventures. Whereas its slim-fitting design might not be one of the best match for all physique varieties, it does match simply below a harness, backpack, or an additional layer. 

The snugly-fitting hood additionally matches simply over a hat or below a helmet for additional insulation and wind safety. Our gear analyst appreciates how stretchy the material is for ease of motion, in addition to its resistance to mess attempting to hitch a trip in your again. 

Our solely want is that the jacket got here with hand pockets, however we perceive Rab’s give attention to this being a technical layer, and never a hand hotter or a Chapstick/cellphone service. To check the Rab Ascendor to different fleece jackets in our lineup, try our totally up to date gear information to see our favorites for each women and men.

Heat

The Rab Ascendor isn’t attempting to be the warmest fleece, however it nonetheless supplies sufficient insulation to take the nip out of a cool breeze, or alpine nip. It additionally provides heat to your total layering system when worn beneath an outer shell. The added hood supplies additional heat across the head and stays in place when turning your neck up, down and side-to-side.

Even with its thinner cloth, we have been impressed by how the Ascendor nonetheless successfully minimize the coolness and trapped our physique warmth throughout our chilly morning hikes in Northern California. The Thermic ™ S artificial cloth is fast drying, moisture-wicking, and insulating, making it a go-to choose for strenuous mountain adventures together with mountaineering, mountain climbing, and mountaineering. The alternating ridges of excessive and low lofted fleece on the within of the jacket present higher breathability and heat with out sacrificing weight.

Consolation

 The Rab Ascendor is a skinny, adaptable, and moisture-wicking layer that’s created with Thermic ™ S, to supply top-notch insulation and breathability year-round. Its stretchy, slim-fitting design matches simply below a harness, additional layer or backpack, whereas the comfortable hood may be pulled over a hat or worn below a helmet for cover from the wind or chilly creeping in. Our gear analyst discovered the fleece gentle to the contact and appreciates its movement-friendly and non-bulky design. 

Nevertheless, she did discover that the shoulders, chest, and higher arms have been a bit snugger than desired when lifting and reaching. Though the material is stretchy sufficient to stop any motion restrictions, this fleece is greatest fitted to smaller-framed people as a result of its tighter match. Or measurement up. 

When sitting or squatting, the fleece can bunch up a bit across the entrance zipper as a result of longer torso design. Whereas not inherently uncomfortable, it isn’t essentially the most flattering look. Apart from that, the fleece stays put and the material doesn’t bunch up uncomfortably. General, we’re happy with the consolation of the Rab Ascendor.

Sturdiness

We’re massive followers of Rab gear, and this layer matches proper in. The Rab Ascendor feels high-quality and really sturdy, even for a light-weight layer. Although like all fleeces, it gained’t be as hardy as an outer shell. Since it’s not as fuzzy and fluffy as extra leisure-focused, high-pile, high-cozy issue fleeces, it’s extra resistant to mess cling and simpler to scrub when it does get soiled. This fleece additionally matches comfortable to the physique, making it much less prone to snag on bushes, branches, and rocks when mountaineering. 

With the Ascendor’s fast drying, breathable, and moisture-wicking properties, it handles water higher than the thicker fleeces in our lineup. Because of the nature of the material, this fleece requires particular care when washing. We propose both hand-washing or utilizing a delicate cycle and turning the Ascendor inside out in case you are utilizing the washer.

Weight

At simply 8.5 ounces (males’s medium), the Rab Ascendor is among the lightest fleeces that we examined. With its slim-fitting silhouette and non-bulky design, the Ascendor can also be some of the packable jackets we examined. 

When shedding a layer throughout your journey, this jacket packs down small and takes up minimal house in your daypack. As a result of its excessive rankings in packability and weight, we extremely advocate this fleece for alpine adventuring and backcountry journeys.

Options

The Ascendor is designed to maintain you transferring when situations and routes consistently create various temperatures and exertion ranges. For that purpose, it’s not essentially the most feature-filled fleece in our lineup. Nonetheless, the Rab Ascendor boasts many glorious qualities to amplify its supposed objective. Its flatlocked seams enhance consolation, a dropped hem down the decrease again provides additional protection, and elasticized binding on the cuffs and across the hood. 

The under-helmet hood is comfortable and comfortable when pulled tight across the head or worn over a hat. 

Whereas the fleece does have one zippered chest pocket, we will’t assist however want that it got here with hand pockets for additional storage and heat for the fingers. 

The fleece options thumb holes contained in the sleeves to assist safe the jacket when worn below an outer shell. Nevertheless, we might have additionally favored to have exterior thumb loops to supply some additional heat across the arms when in movement.

Ought to You Purchase The Rab Ascendor Mild Hoody?

The Rab Ascendor is designed for the mountain adventurer with its slim-fitting under-harness construct and distinctive insulating materials that can also be moisture-wicking and breathable. With its light-weight design and aggressive packability, the Ascendor is an ideal layer for backcountry expeditions. The principle function this fleece lacks is hand pockets. However, in case you are busy climbing up a mountain, you probably gained’t want them!

If you’re in want of a fleece with wider shoulders and extra space within the higher arms and chest, the Ascendor might not be one of the best match for you with its narrower, body-hugging silhouette. For hikers on the lookout for a thicker and plusher fleece jacket for final heat, the Ascendor wouldn’t be your go-to – this fleece prioritizes balancing heat with breathability for intense bodily pursuits.

What Different Fleeces Ought to You Contemplate?

To check the Rab Ascendor Mild Hoody to different top-performing fleece jackets for the 12 months, check out some related options beneath or try our totally up to date gear information for extra thorough opinions.

Arc’teryx Kyanite Hoodie Overview: Equally, a snug, heat and slim-fitting hooded fleece, the Kyanite can also be quick-drying and breathable with two zippered hand pockets.

Outside Analysis Vigor Overview: The Vigor is a light-weight, quick-drying, and breathable hooded fleece that comes at the same value level because the Rab; the Vigor might not be as heat, however it additionally boasts two zippered hand pockets. 

REI Trailmade Fleece Overview: For a budget-friendly hoodless fleece that additionally provides a slimmer match, try the REI Trailmade. This can be a nice light-weight various to contemplate if affordability is your most important precedence.