Särmä Merino Wool Hoodie

Finally, a proper hoodie - in this case, the price doesn't come from a big name, but rather from the material, which is thickish Merino wool, which is probably the best fabric ever. Oh, and we haven't forgotten to design the cut properly too. Whether you like to move on foot or two wheels, for the love of God buy this!

Not aroused by zippers? We also made a buttoned version. Check it out!

• Our best top: superb cut, handy pockets
• Merino wool - the best material for most uses
• Works as a top layer or under a shell jacket

While thin Merino wool is best used for undergarments, thicker works superbly for something used as the mid or even top layer, depending on the weather. Such is our hoodie here - works well under a shell jacket but hardy enough to be worn on its own during the intense movement, for example.

Moreover, our hoodie looks good enough to be worn anywhere, which is certainly a nice benefit - no flashy colors or ridiculously skin-tight cut here; you can certainly wear this in the pub too, even after a sweaty bike ride! Sure, when lazying it out on the comforts of home, a standard cotton hoodie does the job, but for someone who enjoys exercise, this is just so ridiculously much better in just about any situation.

Form and cut

Slim hourglass fit with a long hem. Quality zipper on the front, with a flap on the backside to prevent it from making contact with the skin if you're not wearing anything under this. The collar is so high when zipped up that you really don't need a scarf or a neck tube. The hood has drawcord tightening and is suitably roomy, but not overly so - it works as an underlayer when worn with a helmet during cold weather. Thumbholes on the sleeve cuffs, of course. Reinforced against wear and can be rolled up if not needed.

Model Update 2022

The back of the zipper is modified, the top has a protective cover and the cuffs are now reinforced. The retiring versions are clearly marked in the selection menu and the new versions are phased in size by size.

Pockets

Sort of five pockets, all are roomy. Two handwarmer pockets (volume about one wine bottle each) and a kangaroo pocket on the back can be accessed from either side, a good place for storing gloves, hats, and other accessories. On the left sleeve, you'll find a zippered pocket, roomy enough for any smartphone (iPhone 6 Plus, Oneplus One or Samsung Note 2/3/4, etc.). Hell, you could probably fit a standard set of groceries in the pockets. The pocket lining is slightly elastic polyester fabric.

As is customary these days, the sleeve pocket is covered with velcro. This means you can slap on a patch of your choice (smart people put a reflector tab on it!).

The fabric

• Fabric weight: 350 g/m² / 10 oz/yd²
• Material: interlock weave blend of 78% mulesing-free Merino wool, 19% viscose and 3% elastane
• Reinforcements: 52% polyamide, 48% Merino Wool, 245 g/m²
• 19.5 micron.

The percentage of elastane makes the fabric - you guessed it - just a tad elastic, allowing for free movement.

Now, as the material is mostly Merino wool, it has a plethora of nice qualities: warm even when wet, doesn't really soak in water either, doesn't absorb nasty smells easily (i.e., you don't have to wash it that often) and doesn't feel itchy. Probably the only real downside is the high cost, but we wager you'll be much happier using a well-made quality garment than a cheap one. Actually, this doesn't even cost that much compared to similar things offered elsewhere.

Abrasion resistance

When it comes to abrasion resistance, this hoodie does quite well for a wool garment, but has its limitations - especially the sleeve cuff & thumbhole area is vulnerable to wear and tear in continuous use. This is especially true in desk jobs where the sleeve sweeps all the time against the mouse mat. This seems to be a common complaint as people wear these every day everywhere! The sleeve cuffs can be repaired by cutting off the whole thing just before the thumbholes and sewing the cut edge shut.

If you really have to wash this, do it gently in about 30 degrees Celsius, preferably by hand but machine wash is probably OK too. The rinsing water should be about the same temperature as the washing water - this is important! For a complete, thorough washing process we have some pretty nice solutions for wool, like these two:

• Sonett olive laundry liquid for wool and silk1 l
• Sonett wool care 300 ml

Size info

The sizes include recommended user measurements: height and chest circumference. These are based on the body of a young, athletic man. The hem and thumbhole sleeves are very long, so it's suitable for much taller people than usual. If you are tall and don't use thumbholes, the Regular length is suitable even up to 190 cm / 6' 3" folks.

A hoodie chosen according to the recommendation is form-fitting with some clearance, definitely not a loose sack. The material is stretchy.

If you have a different body type, check out the size charts below. These are garment measurements, not body measurements! The widths are measured laid flat e.g. the chest width is from armpit to armpit. The front and back lengths are measured from the bottom of the hood, the sleeve length is measured from the shoulder seam.

Metric Size Chart

Size	Chest Width	Waist Width	Hem Width	Sleeve Length	Back Length	Front Length
X-Small Regular	44.5 cm	36.5 cm	46.5 cm	70.0 cm	72.0 cm	60.0 cm
Small Regular	48.5 cm	41.5 cm	50.0 cm	71.0 cm	73.0 cm	61.0 cm
Medium Regular	52.5 cm	46.5 cm	53.5 cm	72.0 cm	74.0 cm	62.0 cm
Large Regular	56.5 cm	51.5 cm	57.0 cm	73.0 cm	75.0 cm	63.0 cm
X-Large Regular	60.5 cm	56.5 cm	60.5 cm	74.0 cm	76.0 cm	64.0 cm
2X-Large Regular	65.5 cm	62.8 cm	65.0 cm	75.0 cm	77.0 cm	65.0 cm
3X-Large Regular	71.5 cm	70.3 cm	71.0 cm	76.0 cm	78.0 cm	66.0 cm
Medium Long	52.5 cm	46.5 cm	53.5 cm	76.0 cm	78.0 cm	66.0 cm
Large Long	56.5 cm	51.5 cm	57.0 cm	77.0 cm	79.0 cm	67.0 cm
X-Large Long	60.5 cm	56.5 cm	60.5 cm	78.0 cm	80.0 cm	68.0 cm
2X-Large Long	65.5 cm	62.8 cm	65.0 cm	79.0 cm	81.0 cm	69.0 cm

Tolerances for front/back lengths +/- 1.5 cm, other measurements +/- 1.0 cm.

Freedom Unit Size Chart

Size	Chest Width	Waist Width	Hem Width	Sleeve Length	Back Length	Front Length
X-Small Regular	17.5"	14.4"	18.3"	27.6"	28.4"	23.6"
Small Regular	19.1"	16.3"	19.7"	28.0"	28.7"	24.0"
Medium Regular	20.7"	18.3"	21.1"	28.4"	29.1"	24.4"
Large Regular	22.2"	20.3"	22.4"	28.7"	29.5"	24.8"
X-Large Regular	23.8"	22.2"	23.8"	29.1"	29.9"	25.2"
2X-Large Regular	25.8"	24.7"	25.6"	29.5"	30.3"	25.6"
3X-Large Regular	28.2"	27.7"	28.0"	29.9"	30.7"	26.0"
Medium Long	20.7"	18.3"	21.1"	29.9"	30.7"	26.0"
Large Long	22.2"	20.3"	22.4"	30.3"	31.1"	26.4"
X-Large Long	23.8"	22.2"	23.8"	30.7"	31.5"	26.8"
2X-Large Long	25.8"	24.7"	25.6"	31.1"	31.9"	27.2"

Manufactured to metric measurements, the inches are rounded to the nearest 0.1". Tolerances for front/back lengths +/- 1.5 cm, other measurements +/- 1.0 cm.

Made in EU (Lithuania).

Carbon Footprint

The estimated amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the production of one single item is 40.21 kg CO₂e. The estimation includes the entire production of the item, from the raw materials up until the finalized product exiting the factory. Read more about the calculation method.

Varusteleka Särmä

Särmä is our own brand of clothing and equipment. When you buy Särmä, you get purpose-built stuff at a decent price. They will serve their purpose well in outdoor and everyday use and won't cost you an arm and a leg! For further reading, check out the Varusteleka's Särmä page.

Särmä products are covered by a 12-month warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. For further information, please read our detailed warranty guide.