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, two interior drop-in pockets, thoughtfully placed seams, and a moisture-wicking interior. Its longer, fitted silhouette offers excellent coverage when you need more mobility.

Warmth

The Kyanite Hoody is among the warmest fleeces we tested. Although the latest iteration appears to be slightly thinner than its predecessor, the midweight fabric is thick and toasty, while the interior fuzziness adds that instant-heat feeling, especially 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.

The Kyanite's sleeves are long enough to keep our long-armed testers covered. There are no thumb loops, but the material is stretchy enough to pull the sleeves down over your hands if you forget your gloves. The fabric is remarkably wind-resistant (much more so than your average fleece), 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 is vulnerable to winds, the one weak point we found in this otherwise highly protective jacket.

The fabric can bead water away from the exterior at first, but it eventually soaks into the outer fabric. 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. Fleeces aren't meant to be waterproof, but this delay in saturation offers some peace of mind if you are briefly caught without a rain shell.

Comfort

All of our testers thoroughly appreciated the superb comfort of the Kyanite Hoody. The latest iteration features an interior fabric that is even softer than before, giving us the feeling of donning a cozy blanket rather than a technical jacket. The Kyanite's exceptional elasticity, combined with articulated patterning, encourages freedom of movement and also makes this otherwise straight-cut jacket more accommodating for a wider variety of body shapes.

We appreciate the thoughtful placement of the seams, which have been moved 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 constructed from perforated fabric are spacious enough for plenty of items as well as 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. The latest iteration of the jacket includes drop-in pockets on the interior of the zippered pocket, which are now secured to the bottom of the jacket, should you require even more storage on the go. Overall, the Kyanite provides performance and comfort next to skin.

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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 break out in a sweat while hanging around camp on a cool morning. 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. We like that the hood is balanced and doesn't overly drag the jacket back when partially (or fully) unzipped. Leaving the hand pockets unzipped will also provide some venting, since the pockets are made of perforated mesh material reminiscent of an old-school gym jersey. 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. We found synthetic layers slid against the Kyanite's material better than wool.

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 easily over top. 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 12.5 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 down super small, 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 stuff it in our packs.

Should You Buy the Arc'teryx Kyanite?

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. For general comfort and use, we adore wearing this fleece, and it's our go-to jacket to take while traveling for extended periods, given its myriad applications. Its protection, warmth, and stretchable comfort also made it a favorite of our testing team for many activities, from rock climbing, hikes, trail runs, camping, and even sleeping on airplanes during a long travel day. However, it's one of the priciest fleeces we tested, and there may be better choices depending on your budget and needs.

What Other Fleece Jackets Should You Consider?

The Arc'teryx Kyanite is a superbly comfortable, stretchy, and warm midweight fleece, but if it's not quite what you're looking for, we tested plenty of great fleeces. Consider the Outdoor Research Vigor Grid Quarter Zip if you want thumbholes. For a lightweight fleece that's packable yet still warm and comfy, the Patagonia R1 Air is worth a look. 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.