DISCLAIMER: As a participant in Outdoor Research’s #ORInsightLab, I am offered the opportunity to test seasonal gear in exchange for my honest review. This post is not sponsored but I did receive the gear for free.
This hoody, you guys. This hoody!
I have worn this Outdoor Research Women’s Deviator Hoody for nearly every run since I received it earlier this fall. I’ve worn it under my coat skiing. I’ve worn it running to/from OrangeTheory classes. I’ve worn it around my apartment when it’s chilly, thanks to old and poorly insulated windows. If I didn’t have to take it off to clean it or myself, I wouldn’t. In love.
Knowing I’d be training throughout the winter for my half marathon, when Outdoor Research reached out about testing fall/winter gear, I opted for the Deviator Hoody as the internet, Backpacker and Runner’s World have given it rave reviews.
It’s this weird and amazing hybrid jacket that’s part insulation in the torso, part base layer in the arms. But it’s completely genius and incredibly comfortable.
So, the details: this jacket features Polartec Alpha insulation in the front keeps the core warm – especially when running into Pittsburgh headwind. The Polartec Power Grid material in the arms and back wick moisture to keep me dry and warm. It’s super lightweight but seriously warm; I wear just a synthetic t-shirt or tank underneath and head out the door to run. Sometimes, if it’s extra windy (hi, Pittsburgh), I’ll throw a really thin windbreaker on top but in general, the tshirt/jacket combo has worked really well.
A few highlights outside of technical performance for me are the wrist cuffs and deep pockets.
Of course, thumb holes are always awesome on a cuff but what I really love about these cuffs are how they are reinforced. You can see the dark purple lining in the photo above; the reinforcing gives the cuff a sturdy structure so the sleeve stays put. I hadn’t noticed that other jacket sleeves jostle around until this one decidedly did *not*. Using the thumb holes or not, the cuff stays put and I’m down with that.
Okay, onto the pockets. The pockets on this jacket are very deep and wide; it was a pleasant surprise that not only does my phone (Samsung Galaxy 4) fit in the pocket but it can lay down horizontally and NOT BOUNCE AROUND DURING A RUN. Seriously. This jacket stays flush against my body with a cell phone in my pocket. WUT!? I don’t know how the magicians at OR made this work but I really appreciate that they did.
So through the rest of half marathon training, you can find me running around Pittsburgh in this jacket. Once the weather warms back up, this jacket will be perfect for snuggling up to sleep in a sleeping bag on cool spring evening or trekking into a crag for early morning summer climbing.
PRODUCT DETAILS
Outdoor Research Deviator Hoody, $185 MSRP