Everyone has an opinion about the best fabric for hot weather—but do different materials actually keep you cooler?
In this episode of Field Proof, our outdoors editor, Kai, tests six sun hoodies made from six different materials to find out whether one fabric really performs better than the rest. From natural fibers to high-performance synthetics, each hoodie is put through the same series of tests to discover what actually makes a material feel cooler.
We test each hoodie for:
Moisture wicking
Drying speed
Airflow
Heat retention
Real-world cooling feel after a one-mile run
By the end, we’ll answer whether some materials genuinely keep you cooler, why certain fabrics perform better than others, and which one we’d actually recommend for hiking, running, and hot summer days.
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0:00 – Intro
0:52 – What makes clothing cooling? Outdoor Research interview
1:44 – Moisture wicking test
2:12 – Drying speed test
2:26 – Breathability / airflow test
2:49 – Heat retention test
3:04 – Verdict after indoor testing
3:49 – One mile hike test
7:31 – Final verdict
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When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
Free Fly Shade Hoodie: https://rei.pxf.io/c/1442537/1448521/17195?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F234336%2Ffree-fly-shade-hoodie-mens&subId1=072926coolingfabricsyoutube
Men’s ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie: https://www.outdoorresearch.com/collections/mens-sun-shirts/products/mens-activeice-spectrum-sun-hoodie-322376
Men’s 150 MerinoFine™ Ace Long Sleeve Hoodie UPF: https://go.skimresources.com/?id=87732X1565017&url=https%3A%2F%2Fna.icebreaker.com%2Fen-us%2Fproducts%2Fmen-150-merinofine-ace-ls-hoodie-upf-ib0a577f001%3Fvariant%3D51797881225515&xcust=072926coolingfabricsyoutube
Sun Henley with Hideaway Hood™: https://go.skimresources.com/?id=87732X1565017&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.terlinguathreads.com%2Fcollections%2Fmens%2Fproducts%2Fmens-whitesands-long-sleeve-hooded-sun-henley&xcust=072926coolingfabricsyoutube
KUHL Engineered Hoody: https://rei.pxf.io/c/1442537/1448521/17195?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F228175%2Fkuhl-engineered-hoody-mens&subId1=072926coolingfabricsyoutube
Kovery™ Hoody: https://khl.sjv.io/c/1442537/2026864/25233?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kuhl.com%2Fkuhl%2Fmens%2Flong-sleeve%2Fkovert-hoody%2F&subId1=072926coolingfabricsyoutube
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Check out more of our outdoor reviews:
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/fashion/best-cooling-clothes
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/royal-robbins-sun-hoodie
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/arctic-cool-womens-cooling-sundress
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/how-to-stay-cool
Check out our other reviews:
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored
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