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Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie - Women's Review

A ridiculously breathable, lightweight shirt with uniquely horizontal thumbholes and a handy ponytail exit point in the hood
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Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie - Women's Review (Our lead tester ran a half marathon in the Echo on an 85+ degree morning, averaging 7:30 minutes happily in this...)
Our lead tester ran a half marathon in the Echo on an 85+ degree morning, averaging 7:30 minutes happily in this breathable top.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Price:  $75 List
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Manufacturer:   Outdoor Research
By Maggie Nichols ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 24, 2024
81
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 17
  • Comfort and Fit - 30% 8.0
  • Sun Protection - 25% 8.0
  • Breathability - 20% 9.5
  • Versatility - 15% 8.0
  • Durability - 10% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie is an impressively lightweight, breathable sun shirt. In fact, this hoodie received a nearly perfect score for breathability and remains our favorite option to wear during high-output activities. It is one of the few hoodies we tested that remained pleasant to wear even under a hot sun without pushing the sleeves up. This is doubly important as it has the lowest UPF value of any model we tested at just 15 (though it still blocks around 95% of UV rays). Despite this, we love the super handy features like the ponytail hole in the hood and the well-designed horizontal thumbholes. With a slim, athletic fit and more color options than ever, the Echo remains our go-to for many outdoor activities, from hiking and running to gardening and walking the dog. To see how it ranks next to the competition, see our full review of women's sun protection shirts.
REASONS TO BUY
Super lightweight
Extremely breathable
Hood doesn't pull
Easy-to-wear thumbholes
Flat seams
Ponytail slot in hood
REASONS TO AVOID
Low relative UPF
Limited hand protection
Light colors are see-through
Slim fit isn't for everyone
Editor's Note: This review was updated on January 24, 2024, with new information and comparisons from our most recent bout of testing.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best for High Output Activity
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Hooded Sun Shirt for Women
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Button-up Sun Shirt for Women
Best Buy Award
Best Value for a Hooded Sun Shirt
Best Buy Award
Best Value on a Tight Budget
Price $68.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers
$53.07 at Dick's Sporting Goods
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$70 List
$69.95 at REI
$50 List
$49.95 at REI
$25 List
$16.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line Incredibly breathable, lightweight, and easy activewear with helpful featuresA high-performing, versatile hoody that's hard to beatWe feel this shirt is well made for a wide variety of situations and activitiesA very relaxed shirt with excellent coverage that capitalizes on breezes while still keeping your hood in placeA decent shirt for casual wear that won't break the bank
Rating Categories Outdoor Research Ec... Mountain Hardwear C... REI Co-op Sahara Lo... REI Co-op Sahara Sh... Baleaf UPF 50 Crew...
Comfort and Fit (30%)
8.0
9.0
7.0
6.5
5.0
Sun Protection (25%)
8.0
9.0
6.0
8.0
4.5
Breathability (20%)
9.5
9.0
8.0
7.0
5.5
Versatility (15%)
8.0
7.5
9.0
6.0
6.5
Durability (10%)
6.0
6.5
8.0
7.0
4.5
Specs Outdoor Research Ec... Mountain Hardwear C... REI Co-op Sahara Lo... REI Co-op Sahara Sh... Baleaf UPF 50 Crew...
Sun Protection Level (UPF) 15 50+ 50 50+ 50+
Coverage Long sleeve, hood, thumb holes Long sleeve, hood, thumb holes Long sleeve, scooped cuff, collar Long sleeve, hood, thumb holes Long sleeve, crew neck
Features Ponytail hole in hood, flat-seams, reflective logo Extra large hood, draw string at waist, hip pocket (zippered) Chest pockets (Velcro), tab sleeves, back vent, sunglasses loop, seams removed from armpit Drawstring on hood, shaped hem Flat shoulder seams
Fit Slim fit Slim fit Classic fit Relaxed fit Relaxed fit
Material 100% recycled polyester (bluesign approved) 88% polyester, 12% elastane 94% nylon, 6% spandex (bluesign approved) 92% polyester, 8% spandex 100% polyester
Odor Control Yes No No No No
Available Sizes 2XS - 4XL XS - XL XS - 2XL XS - XL S - 2XL

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Echo Hoodie is a 100% recycled polyester sun shirt with anti-odor properties. Uniquely, it features horizontally aligned thumbholes and a slot in the hood for a ponytail to stick through. The UPF rating is lower than most, but it still blocks about 95% of UV rays and is lightweight and breathable enough to ensure you'll want to wear it even on the hottest days.

Performance Comparison


outdoor research echo hoodie for women - yard work on a hot day is easier in the ultra-breathable or echo.
Yard work on a hot day is easier in the ultra-breathable OR Echo.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Comfort and Fit


The Echo has a slim, straight, athletic fit and is made of soft, breathable, 100% recycled polyester. Our main tester, who has self-described “monkey arms,” found the sleeves to be plenty long enough to use the thumbholes and have her hands covered and comfortable during movement. Uniquely, the Echo has a hole in the back of the hood, positioned for a slightly lower-than-middle ponytail. This feature works pretty well and helps keep the hood up even while running or biking, but it also looks pretty goofy. Still, it's a nice feature, and if you don't like the look, it's easy to ignore.


Outdoor Research has continued to improve the sleeve and cuff design of the Echo over the years. While most thumbholes on other models tend to run vertically (or sometimes at an angle), these run horizontally. The fabric in front of your thumb is a thin strip, and the hole is nice and large, making this one of the most comfortable thumbholes to use among the many we've tested. Because the slit runs horizontally, you're also able to pull your sleeves up without leaving a gaping hole on your forearms exposed to the sun. They are also some of the longest sleeves we tested, keeping them comfortable in motion without being so loose that they fall over your hands when you're still.

The Echo still has long enough sleeves to keep you covered even when...
The Echo still has long enough sleeves to keep you covered even when not using the thumbholes. Pictured here on our lead tester with a well-above-average ape index.
The thumbholes of the Echo are very comfortable to wear in any...
The thumbholes of the Echo are very comfortable to wear in any situation and through any movement.
The Echo offers good hand coverage with the thumbholes in use - but...
The Echo offers good hand coverage with the thumbholes in use - but it's not quite as complete as some others we tested.
The long sleeves and horizontal thumbholes of the Echo are highly usable and provide just slightly less hand coverage than some others in our lineup.

Sun Protection


With a UPF of just 15, the Echo has the lowest protective rating of any sun shirt we tested. That said, understanding what UPF actually means in terms of sun protection is key. The number of a UPF rating is the fraction of UV transmission — that is, UPF 50 allows 1/50th of UV rays through, which is roughly 2%, and blocks the other 98%. The Echo's rating of UPF 15 translates into a UV transmission of just 6.7%, which means 93.3% of UV rays are blocked. While several other models we tested also have hoods to protect your neck and ears, the Echo is the only one with a ponytail holder in the hood. This makes it much easier to have your hair up and still be able to wear the hood, adding sun protection to the neck and ears. A taller section in front of the hood also helps protect your throat.


Shirts with thumbholes offer additional protection for your hands from harsh UV rays. Because the thumbholes are horizontal rather than vertical and located very close to the end of the sleeve, they're slightly less protective when you're stretching to reach that next rocky handhold or garden tool. The sleeves are plenty long to help mitigate this, but they still can't quite match the coverage of other models with more fabric after the thumbhole to cover the backs of your hands.

outdoor research echo hoodie for women - the high neck of the echo's hood adds protection and helps it stay...
The high neck of the Echo's hood adds protection and helps it stay put better.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Breathability


The Echo is one of the thinnest, lightest shirts we tested. This makes it great for traveling, as it can easily be stuffed into a tight corner of your suitcase or backpack. While it's highly breathable and thin, the lighter colors are a bit see-through with a dark bra or in bright lighting. This shirt could easily keep us warm enough through a crisp early morning run and cool enough while gardening in the hot summer sun. Our lead tester happily wore this shirt to place second in a half-marathon race on a hot weekend when most other competitors stripped down to their favorite sports bras. Truly, this is one of the only shirts we tested that we could comfortably wear to sweat in the blazing sun without feeling the need to push the sleeves up and expose our arms to harmful UV rays.


As one of our favorite shirts for running and being active, we were excited to read that the Echo has anti-odor properties. Being able to wear a shirt for several days and through multiple workouts is a huge plus in our book. Worn for everyday activities, the Echo does a decent job of fending off odors, though it can't quite combat the serious sweat we worked up on long runs. But this shirt performs admirably in a wide variety of conditions and activities. It easily remains one of our favorites to put on for just about anything, from peak bagging to errands.

outdoor research echo hoodie for women - the echo is one of the only shirts in our lineup that we're happy to...
The Echo is one of the only shirts in our lineup that we're happy to wear on hot midday trail runs in the high desert.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Versatility


We think you'll like the Echo if you're into the hooded look. It's a relaxed but fitted shirt with a slim, straight cut that works best on straight-bodied people. With less of a feminine cut to the torso, the Echo fits best on slim folks with fewer curves, though sizing up can add space for more voluptuous ladies. Its breathability makes it a solid choice for the hottest days and sweatiest activities.


If you're concerned about fashion, sticking your ponytail through the hole in the hood could draw some smirks. But it's certainly a functional and helpful feature. The Echo now comes in numerous colors, with something to please just about every sense of style or favorite wardrobe color.

outdoor research echo hoodie for women - though the ponytail hole isn't the most fashionable of features...
Though the ponytail hole isn't the most fashionable of features, it's extremely functional and much appreciated by our testing team.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Durability


This is the metric where the Echo is the least impressive. Made of thin 100% polyester, it's breathable but snags a little too easily.


The material appears as a fairly loose weave, which undoubtedly helps with its comfort, stretch, and breathability, but also catches on things easily. Several previous versions of this shirt developed small snags in the fabric simply from regular washing and wearing. The later versions haven't, though the material is extremely similar in feel and look.

The Echo has a slim fit and thin fabric, but very long sleeves and a...
The Echo has a slim fit and thin fabric, but very long sleeves and a tall neck for added coverage.
This color of the Echo is a bit see-through. Worn here over a medium...
This color of the Echo is a bit see-through. Worn here over a medium blue sports bra.
The thumbholes and long sleeves of the Echo add coverage even when...
The thumbholes and long sleeves of the Echo add coverage even when moving.
The Echo is one of the thinnest shirts we tested but held up well to plenty of abuse during our months of testing through long runs, hikes, paddle trips, and springtime yard work.

On the bright side, the Echo comes with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects (at the time of this writing), which is always a nice touch. It has flat, wide seams that add both durability and comfort, and the fabric is woven with ripstop squares to help prevent punctures from worsening. In fact, our lead tester had a bad fall on broken asphalt while running in this shirt with the thumb loops employed. Her palms suffered some serious skin loss and a few nasty cuts, but the Echo sustained only minor scrapes and hasn't frayed much more with several more months of subsequent wearing and washing.

outdoor research echo hoodie for women - after an epic fall while running, the tear in the cuff (circled in...
After an epic fall while running, the tear in the cuff (circled in yellow, on the right) of this previous version of the OR Echo hasn't gotten any larger, though we've continued to wear it. A testament to the seriousness of this accident can be seen in the eight-month-old scar, circled in red, on the left).
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Features


The Echo is unique among the models we tested in two aspects: the ponytail hole in the hood and the horizontal thumbholes (rather than vertical). However, it lacks any hidden pockets or ties.

outdoor research echo hoodie for women - the tall neck of the echo give extra sun protection while the...
The tall neck of the Echo give extra sun protection while the lightweight fabric ensures the hood isn't pulling on you while you exercise or recreate.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Should You Buy the Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie?


The OR Echo is a supremely breathable shirt that's a great choice for any high-output activities. It's exceptionally lightweight and comfortable, with a slim, sleek fit you may love. Although the lower UPF rating and average durability aren't wow factors, we like the comfortable, horizontal thumbholes and impressive breathability. We also applaud the excellent selection of color choices. If you have a hard time considering wearing a long-sleeved shirt on a hot summer day, the Echo is the solution.

outdoor research echo hoodie for women - happily trail running in the or echo with tom, the energizer bunny...
Happily trail running in the OR Echo with Tom, the Energizer Bunny of dogs.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

What Other Sun Shirts Should You Consider?


If you want a more forgiving fit in a similarly lightweight hoody, the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake is another exceptional contender. If you're seeking out extra hand coverage, the extra loops on the Patagonia Tropic Comfort may intrigue you.

Maggie Nichols