Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody - Women's Review

The Arc'teryx Kyanite is a midweight fleece made of extremely stretchy Power Stretch PRO fabric, a nylon jersey/polyester velour made of 53% polyester, 38% nylon, and 9% elastane. It has two zippered hand pockets, thoughtfully placed seams, and a moisture-wicking interior. Its long-fitted silhouette provides excellent coverage no matter how much mobility you require for your day's activities.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Kyanite Hoody is among the warmest fleeces we tested. Its midweight fabric is thick and toasty, while the interior fuzziness adds that instant-heat feeling, even on bare skin. A fitted hood adds even more warmth with its scuba-style shape and extra-high chin for burrowing in. The hood's snug fit will keep it close to your body for additional warmth, and a longer torso with a moderate drop hem protects your waist while you are on the move.

Though the Kyanite has no thumb holes or loops, its sleeves are long enough to keep our long-armed testers covered in most situations. The stretchiness of the fabric also allows for added warmth, as it's easy to pull the sleeves over our hands or the hem down over the tops of our butts when we want to trap body heat or forget our gloves during an approach or trail run. The fabric is remarkably wind-resistant (much more so than nearly any other fleece we tested), but we found the main zipper slightly deficient in this regard. Its teeth are wide, and no wind guard is incorporated behind them. As a result, the zipper length is vulnerable to winds, the one weak point we found in this otherwise highly protective jacket.

Almost none of the fleeces we tested offer long-time water resistance, and the Arc'teryx Kyanite is no exception. A light mist soaks right into the external fabric without beading up. Despite near-instant absorption by the face fabric, it took far longer for that water to actually soak all the way through to reach our bodies underneath. That delay is not enough for us to recommend it as an outer layer on a rainy day, but it does offer us some peace of mind if you are briefly caught without a shell. Although the Kyanite is more wind-resistant than most, the wide-toothed zipper, without any wind guard, proves a weak point for wind penetrating your core.

Comfort

All of our testers thoroughly appreciated the superb comfort of the Kyanite Hoody. The interior fabric has all the softness and plushness of a classic fleece jacket, giving us the feeling of donning a cozy blanket. While most fleeces in our lineup have some level of stretch to their fabric, the Kyanite blows them all away. This exceptional elasticity not only makes it easier to wear and move in but also makes this otherwise straight-cut jacket more accommodating for a wider variety of body shapes than most.

We appreciate the thoughtful placement of the seams on this fleece. The shoulder seams have been moved back, off the tops of the shoulders, to avoid conflicting with backpack straps. Instead of armpit seams, Arc'teryx employed a diagonal seam running back across the bottom of your biceps. Two zippered hand pockets are spacious enough for plenty of items and your hands. They extend below the bottom of their zippers but not quite to the bottom of the jacket — still too far to avoid interfering with a hip belt or harness. On the inside of the jacket, the hand pockets are not secured to the jacket at the bottom. While this means it doesn't offer internal slip pockets, it is a more comfortable arrangement for heavier items. When holding a large smartphone, these free-bottomed pockets tug less on the jacket than other fully attached pockets might.

Breathability

Considering its exceptional warmth, the Kyanite is more breathable than we might expect. The fabric strikes an excellent middle ground: not so breathable that it's a good choice for running but equally not so “unbreathable” that we sweat while just sitting around on a gradually warming morning in the woods. Its sleeves are cuffed by an equally soft stretch fabric that can be comfortably pushed up the arm without biting into the skin.

Unzipping the Kyanite is the obvious way to achieve maximum ventilation. This strategy is made easier by a well-balanced hood that doesn't overly drag the jacket back when partially (or fully) unzipped. Additional venting options are also cleverly hidden in the hand pockets.

The pockets are made of holey mesh material reminiscent of an old-school gym jersey, and they can be left open to allow airflow to your core without unzipping the entire jacket. This is a great solution for moderately intense activities on cold days, like hiking to a fall summit or snowshoeing on a spring day.

Layering Ability

The combination of its stretchy fabrics and streamlined jacket design allows for layering both over and under clothing without issue. Although the design is fitted and lays nicely against the body's curves, it still offers a little room for extra layers underneath. We wore it with a long-sleeved base layer and running shirts and never had a problem with the material bunching through the arms or the torso.

In addition, we tested it with another slim-fitting jacket, a wind shell, and a thicker jacket. Since the exterior surface of the Kyanite is smooth and sleek, all three of these coats and shells slide over it easily. Our conclusion? This is a great fleece to consider if you need a versatile option that will layer easily.

Weight

The small-sized Kyanite we tested weighs 13.4 ounces, which is about average among our test suite. Considering it is a midweight fleece, this is a more than reasonable weight. We also tested it by stuffing it into our climbing packs as an emergency layer and found that it was sufficient when going light and fast wasn't required.

Although this jacket's thick, fluffy fabric doesn't easily compress into a small bag or carry-on luggage, we would still choose to bring the Kyanite with us for many reasons. We would just prefer to wear it in transit rather than try to pack it along for the ride.

Should You Buy the Arc'teryx Kyanite?

As one of the most expensive fleeces in our lineup, there are better choices than the Kyanite depending on your budget and needs. It lacks the thumbholes or additional pockets that some technical users might crave for wearing with a hip belt or keeping wrists protected while climbing. However, for general comfort and use, we adore wearing the Kyanite. It's been our chosen jacket to take while traveling for extended periods, given its myriad of applications. Its protection, warmth, and stretchable comfort also made it a favorite of our testing team for many activities, from sport climbing to bouldering, hikes and trail runs, camping, and even sleeping on airplanes during a long travel day.

What Other Fleece Jackets Should You Consider?

The Arc'teryx Kyanite is a superbly comfortable, stretchy, and warm midweight fleece. If you're interested in the coziest zippered sweatshirt we've found that still protects and performs like a technical layer, the Kyanite Hoody is our testing team's overall favorite. Consider the Outdoor Research Vigor Grid Quarter Zip if you want thumbholes. Or if you want something a little lighter and more packable that's still warm and comfy, the Patagonia R1 Air might be the jacket you crave. If you're seeking performance on a budget, check out the REI Co-op Flash Hyperstretch that is available for a fraction of the cost even if it does sacrifice some luxury, versatility, comfort, and wind protection in the process.