Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Shirt Overview

Backside Line

An approachable intro into the world of technical materials, the Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Hoodie (males’s / ladies’s) is a cushty and enjoyable solar shirt that gained CleverHiker’s Greatest General Solar Shirt designation in our full information to solar shirts. 

Let’s get the dangerous out of the way in which; the ladies’s high has a shorter torso than we anticipated. We solely discover it when elevating our arms or in an outstretched place, like using a motorcycle. Nonetheless, its quick size is nearly our solely “orange flag.”

Its physique is unfastened and suits properly. The material is breathable, wicking, and light-weight. It stored up throughout intense ascents and climbs—we didn’t discover any oversaturated components of the material, stuffiness, or discomfort. The good match and cloth assist airflow, even when layered over a fleece. 

This shirt’s sun-protective options are glorious. It has a UPF 50+ ranking, thumbholes and sleeves that totally cowl the arms, and a scuba hood with cloth protecting the neck.

How We Examined

This solar shirt was examined over a number of miles and adventures. Excursions like an 8-mile hike with over 2,500 toes of elevation achieve burdened the material’s breathability and wicking properties. We additionally examined the way it wears whereas backpacking with a loaded in a single day pack. Lastly, we lab-tested how lengthy it took to dry after a 20-minute stationary bike experience. 

Consolation

The Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Hoodie has that on a regular basis consolation. The woven cloth doesn’t have the ultra-soft, silky really feel that different solar shirts we examined have, however it’s under no circumstances uncomfortable on the pores and skin. 

The shirt has a boxy match by the physique, permitting for loads of room. The sleeves don’t hug the arms, both. The highest has loads of stretch to flex in all the proper locations.

The one piece of the match which may not really feel comfy for everybody is the shorter torso. This size didn’t really feel comfy whereas biking until paired with high-waisted leggings. Apart from biking, the shorter size didn’t trouble our gear analysts whereas carrying a loaded in a single day backpack or when layered underneath a fleece. 

The material could be very gentle, including to the highest’s airiness and nice motion. It’s supreme for preserving cool on hotter days.

Solar Safety

The Cotopaxi Sombra has probably the greatest solar safety supplied by any light-weight shirt that we examined this yr. It has a UPF 50+ ranking, thumbholes, and hood with a neck gaiter. 

When mountain climbing, the hood stored falling into the highest of our sun shades. It by no means flew off –– the hood’s hem helps weigh this down. Whereas obnoxious on the time, that is simply mounted by carrying a hat beneath. The very best a part of the hood is its scuba design, which covers the neck.

The thumbholes pull the sleeves sufficient to cowl the again of the arms utterly to the knuckles. The thumbholes generally really feel tight, particularly if extending arms to tie a shoe or drive a automobile. In any other case, we don’t discover any discomfort whereas mountain climbing.

Breathability & Wicking Energy

The Cotopaxi’s cloth is so gentle and porous that it breathes very well and dries rapidly. We don’t really feel overly sweaty or stuffy throughout strenuous hill climbs. General, this shirt does an ideal job of preserving us feeling comfy and funky.

Nonetheless, when testing on a stationary bike in a nonetheless room heated to 64 levels, it felt like sweat wasn’t wicking as properly and began to pool up. The good advantage of that is that the shirt didn’t get moist, and my pores and skin dried rapidly. That is particularly useful for regulating your physique temperature throughout temperature fluctuations within the wild. 

This shirt additionally felt very comfy layered underneath a fleece. Throughout hikes the place temps rapidly drop round nightfall, this shirt wasn’t overly cooling us as some artificial fibers can do.

We had been additionally impressed with the way it remained breathable when mountain climbing uphill with a completely loaded in a single day pack on. Like on the stationary bike, it did start to really feel like sweat was pooling on the pores and skin, however it by no means felt suffocating, stuffy, or overheated.

Versatility

Initially, we weren’t certain that this shirt would stand as much as actions past day mountain climbing and touring round city. Due to its quick size on ladies’s variations, we feared it wouldn’t put on properly with a backpack on or beneath layers (males’s variations appear to have a extra conventional size). 

Nonetheless, once we took this out on an extended hike carrying an in a single day backpack, we discovered it completely positive. The one place it may not work properly is for biking until paired with high-waisted pants or an detached perspective. 

This shirt appears to be like playful and fashionable and works properly on the town. It’s rated in the midst of the pack for odor resistance and is handled with a Polygiene anti-odor end. We really feel assured hopping off the path and carrying it on the town with out forcing folks out of the brewery with our stench. 

Better of all, this shirt has a zippered pocket on the facet. This pocket isn’t as massive as different choices on our solar shirt gear information, however it can nonetheless match keys, ID, or small snacks

Ought to You Purchase the Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Shirt?

The Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Hoodie is a incredible product that works properly in a wide range of settings and actions, making it an ideal bang for the buck. Day hikers and backpackers can take pleasure in its options, like its safety pocket, nice breathability, fast dry cloth, incredible solar safety, and all-day consolation. 

This shirt feels approachable and easygoing. It may be worn day-after-day on the path or on the town and simply withstands fall and spring temperature modifications.  

This may not work for girls on the lookout for a solar shirt for mountain biking or bike packing. The shorter size tends to experience up the again whereas cruising round.

What Different Solar Shirts Ought to You Contemplate?

We expect the Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Hoodie is sort of a dawn hike, you gained’t remorse going for it. Nonetheless, you may wish to try the opposite top-rated shirts in our information to the most effective solar shirts. Listed here are just a few that give the Sombra a run for its cash:

Jolly Gear Triple Crown Button Down Overview: Technical, light-weight, breathable, wicking, and enjoyable, the Jolly Gear is a superb different for backpacking. This shirt has a tremendous chest pocket massive sufficient to suit an iPhone 14+ and the flexibility of a button-up shirt. 

Arc’teryx Taema / Cormac Hoody Overview: This technical solar shirt can go the gap. In contrast to the Cotopaxi, it’s lengthy sufficient to cowl previous the hips. Its breathable cloth doesn’t have the softest contact or biggest consolation however works properly to maintain you cool and dry and layers properly throughout winter. 

Minus 33 Micro Weight 1/4 Zip Solar Hoodie Woolverino Overview: The Minus 33 is one other shirt that bridges the hole between a technical woven shirt and comfort-forward knit shirt. The wool cloth naturally helps regulate physique temperature, breathes, wicks, resists odors, and will get softer with every wash.