Background

I posted an initial review of my Phasic Sun Hoodie from Arc’teryx. This review was based on use in the fall, winter and spring.

I’ve been wearing the hoody for a couple years now and have a few more thoughts on how it performs.

I also have a Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody that I bought for everyday wear that I can compare against.

Hot Weather Performance

In hot weather the hoodie can get a bit warm as it is less ventilated than my sun shirt. When the air is hot, but slow moving, the Phasic can be warmer than my button up sun shirt as it’s quite challenging to get air flow. With my button up sun shirt I can just unbutton the sleeves or front and my arms and torso remain mostly covered by the sun, but are more exposed to the air and can stay cool. The Phasic needs a bit more of a breeze to keep me cool.

However since the Phasic is a single layer vs the two layers I wear with a sun shirt and does feel the breeze a little more on my core when there is one.

I haven’t gotten a sun burn or too much sun exposure yet with this system, so it seems effective at protecting me from the sun along with with my running hat.

Wet Weather Performance

The main body of the hoodie dries quickly when wet and if I get caught in the occasional sprinkle it’s quick to dry.

If I wear the hoodie under a rain jacket with a hood that doesn’t have as large of a brim or a low collar, such as my semi-retired MEC Outathere jacket, the hood area of the Phasic gets wet in heavy rain and does not dry very quickly. Since it is wet around the neck and head, this tends to cool me down very fast and make my cold and uncomfortable.

I have since bought a Arc’teryx Alpha SL Anorak rain jacket, and the hood and collar is a lot more similar and compatible with the Phasic. I have not gotten my Phasic hood or collar wet when wearing my new rain jacket.

Cold Weather Performance

The Phasic collar is deep, which works perfectly with a buff worn loosely around my neck. This is very effective at keeping the heat from escaping out of the collar and is very comfortable.

As mentioned earlier, the Phasic can let a breeze in, but the fabric is still surprisingly warm if you are dry. I have worn the Phasic on a number of warm winter and cool spring days while snowshoeing or hiking with microspikes with a buff around my neck and have been comfortable. It holds up reasonably well to windy mountain passes, especially if wearing a buff to keep the heat in the core.

Conclusion

The Phasic Sun Hoodie has become a fundamental part of my gear list. I have shifted my button up sun shirt to casual wear and travel, and even that is being slowly replaced by my Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody.

The key, I think is knowing how to wear the Phasic with a buff. In the heat, keep the buff off and the Phasic does a reasonable job of keeping you cool and an excellent job of keeping you out of the sun. When cool or even cold outside, loosely wear a buff around your neck with the hood up and the Phasic turns into a warm layer and keeps the heat in.