REASONS TO BUY
Great athletic fit
Decent wind resistance
Easy to layer
REASONS TO AVOID
Slightly less breathable
Expensive
Rab Ascendor Summit Hoody Review
A fantastic, technical layer for year-round mountain adventures. This is the fleece you can rely on in inclement weather
Credit: Zach Lovell
RELATED: Best Fleece Jackets for Men of 2024
Our Verdict
The Rab Ascendor Summit Full-Zip Hoody is one of our favorite technical fleece jackets. With a nearly perfect fit, this fleece contours to your body's movements, whether climbing, skiing, or enjoying a relaxing hike. Thanks to Rab's body-mapped fabrics, this layer also offers extra protection from the elements with a softshell type outer layer, Pertex Quantum Air, on the chest and upper arms, keeping the jacket thinner in other areas to aid in breathability and weight. While many of the fleece jackets we tested didn't stand up to much wind, this option kept us comfortable when it was our outermost layer, as long as it wasn't a robust storm. On max-effort outings, we did get a bit sweaty, but most of the time, we enjoyed the breathability of this layer. See our men's fleece jacket article to learn how the Ascendor ranked next to its rivals.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Rab Ascendor Summit Hoody | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Technical Layer |  Best Overall Fleece Jacket |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best Lightweight Fleece | Best on a Tight Budget |
| Price | $199.95 at Evo Compare at 3 sellers | $159.00 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $71.97 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $159.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $26 List $25.72 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A year-round layer for any of your technical mountain pursuits, even in stormy conditions | A stylish and comfortable fleece that is lightweight yet warm | This lightweight and breathable fleece with excellent performance at a price that's hard to beat | A featherweight fleece that doesn’t compromise warmth for weight. This is a layer you'll always keep with you | A breathable fleece that’s several times cheaper than the competition |
| Rating Categories | Rab Ascendor Summit... | Patagonia R1 Air Fu... | Outdoor Research Vi... | The North Face Summ... | Wrangler Authentics... |
| Warmth (25%) | |||||
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Breathability (20%) | |||||
| Layering Ability (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Rab Ascendor Summit... | Patagonia R1 Air Fu... | Outdoor Research Vi... | The North Face Summ... | Wrangler Authentics... |
| Measured Weight | 11.6 oz | 12.8 oz | 13.2 oz | 7.9 oz | 12.5 oz |
| Type | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Midweight |
| Main Material | Body: 20D Pertex Quantum Air, Thermic G fleece, polyester knit | Body: 100% polyester | Body: 94% polyester, 6% spandex | Body: 55% polyester, 45% recycled polyester | Body: 100% polyester |
| Hood Option? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| # of Pockets | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Features | Body mapped fabric positioning, flatlocked seams, wind resistant zipper, under helmet hood, thumb loops | Slim-fit hood, quick drying | Thumb holes, UPF 30, 3-panel hood with binding | Pre-tensioned elastic hood, seamless shoulders, stretch underarm gussets, thumb loops | Quarter-length zipper, double fleece layering on back |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Rab Ascendor Summit Full-Zip Hoody is a great option for those seeking a more technical layer for various outdoor sports. With unique fabrics body-mapped in the chest and upper arms areas, this layer is almost a hybrid between a fleece and softshell, allowing one to wear it as an outer layer depending on the weather.
Performance Comparison
We tested this fleece over several weeks rock climbing, skiing, ice climbing, and hanging around town.
Credit: Syd Knadler
Warmth
Warmth is one of the primary focuses of a fleece. To test warmth, we put boiling water into a bottle and placed it inside each jacket. With an infrared thermometer, we measured the time it took for the water to drop to 150°F. Next, we put every fleece in front of the same fan on the same settings to size up wind resistance. We also kept notes on the warmth of the Ascendor while field testing across several weeks. This layer scored very well in our fleece line-up.
The Ascendor Summit Hoody offered some of the best numbers in our thermometer test, keeping the water bottle above 150°F for 1 hour and 26 minutes. This option also scored high for the wind test, given its additional fabric around the chest and upper arms. In field testing, we wore this layer ice climbing and skiing for several days and consistently felt protected from the cold. The soft shell esc fabric kept us from throwing a hardshell jacket on for brief periods of precipitation, allowing us to keep moving to the top of the next ski line or climb.
The Ascendor offers great heat retention, as was revealed in our thermometer water bottle test.
Credit: Zach Lovell
The hood can be worn over or underneath a climbing helmet, with Pertex Quantum Air fabric overlays on the ears and chin, offering extra protection. In field testing, we could quickly and easily employ the hood to repel arctic temps or snow, and the grid-backed polyester aided in breathability.
Our testers greatly appreciated the hood of the Ascendor.
Credit: Keith Mody
Comfort
If a layer isn't comfy, how likely are you to wear it? We weighted this metric at 25% of the total. We tested this metric by assessing each fleece jacket's bunching around the chest, arms, stomach, and waist. We also looked at the coverage of the jacket as we moved our arms around various positions. Lastly, we investigated the actual feel of the jacket's interior against our skin. The Ascendor topped the charts in the comfort metric and sets the bar for fit and freedom of movement.
We couldn't be more impressed with the Ascendor Summit Hoody in this metric, with minimal bunching and excellent coverage in even the most contorted positions. While rock climbing, our gymnastic movements were unencumbered, and the jacket never unearthed our upper bodies, which can commonly happen with hands overhead. The feel of this jacket was soft and inviting, keeping us in the Ascendor all day long without complaints, with a brushed polyester knit and brushed fleece happily hugging our skin. While wearing a harness or backpack hip belt, the elastic binding on the waist and arms fit like a glove around our bodies, keeping the jacket where we wanted it at all times.
The fit of this jacket is one of its best attributes.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Breathability
In wintry environments, it's common to exert oneself, so we gave breathability 20% of the total score. We tested this metric by wearing every fleece in the review line-up on the same outdoor trips for the same duration and output. The Ascendor did well, but we had a number of other options that scored slightly higher.
On colder days, we had no qualms with the Ascendor Summit Hoody's breathability, never getting sweaty or overheating. On warmer days, this model offered decent breathability until we had higher output, such as fast uphill hikes, where we'd start to get slightly sweaty. As we got better acquainted with the Ascendor, we were more proactive about layering systems and taking off any over-layers when the output increased. Ultimately, this option offers decent breathability, it just simply doesn't come in first place in this metric. With a softshell fabric on the outside of the chest and biceps, we advise using this as the outermost layer until temperatures drop enough for you to get chilly.
From extended hikes to anaerobic rock climbs, the Ascendor generally keeps the sweating to a minimum.
Credit: Syd Knadler
Layering Ability
Layering ability is weighted at 15% of the total score. We tested this metric by assessing each fleece's ability to handle layers worn either over it or underneath. This model came in at the front of the pack, easily working with other jackets.
As with any fleece, some are better as an underlayer and some as an outer layer. The Ascendor does very well being worn close to the base layer and easily handles jackets being worn over it. We could sneak a thicker base layer or a vest underneath this fleece, but its slimmer fit won't work with much else.
This slim-fitting layer was easy to fit underneath any outer layers used in testing.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Weight
Weight is worth 15% of the total score for fleeces. We scored this metric by putting each option on the same scale and recording the results. This fleece came in above average in this metric.
At 11.61 ounces, this piece offers decent weight and is easily carried on most days in the mountains. We also appreciated its packability, easily stuffing it in our packs when not in use.
The strap weighs .05 ounces, putting the actual weight of the Ascendor at 11.61 ounces.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Should You Buy the Rab Ascendor Full-Zip Summit Hoody?
This fleece is worth your consideration if you're seeking a technical year-round hoody that can keep up with any mountain sport. This option generally scores well in all metrics, but we'd steer you elsewhere if breathability is the absolute priority. Even if you're not a climber or mountain sports enthusiast, this hoody's comfort and fit is likely something you'll love for more relaxed adventures, as long as it's in the budget.
This layer is a great option for any outdoors enthusiast, but especially those demanding a perfect fit and great coverage from their fleece.
Credit: Zach Lovell
What Other Fleece Jackets Should You Consider?
If you're looking for another technical option that prioritizes performance and weight, take a look at The North Face Summit Series FutureFleece Full-Zip Hoodie, which is lighter but the quality of the fit will depend on your body shape and size. If you're looking for another breathable option, we'd highly recommend the Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoody, which offers a phenomenal fit more akin to the Ascendor.
—
Zach Lovell
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