Backside Line
The REI Sahara Shade (males’s / ladies’s) has held a spot on our information to the perfect solar shirts of the yr for a very long time. We’ve had many CH gear analysts cowl 1000’s of miles trashing this prime, and the jury is in: it’s a purchase.
Not solely has it been awarded Finest Price range Purchase two years in a row, however it is usually a easy, comfy, and flattering prime. Having mentioned that, this isn’t a technical shirt and gained’t dry, breathe, or wick like different shirts inside the assessment. Whereas it could work as a base layer throughout colder months, it isn’t very best for this.
This shirt is a superb worth for informal, bluebird day hikers who prefer to hike a mean of 6 miles per journey and return to the automotive earlier than the solar units. It additionally can be an important worth for individuals who would put on this round city as nicely.
In full disclosure, gear analyst Helena purchased this shirt two years in the past and wore it for her 2022 John Muir Path thru-hike. Notes from her expertise there are included all through this assessment.
How We Examined
To check this yr’s model of the Sahara Shade, our gear analysts took this shirt on numerous adventures, together with street biking, lengthy walks, and simple hikes underneath 10 miles. These assessments have been accomplished throughout various temperatures and climate.
Fast Specs
REI Sahara Shade Hoodie
Finest Price range Solar Shirt
CleverHiker Score:
4.4/5.0
Worth:
$50
Weight:
8.8 oz. / 6.4 oz.males’s / ladies’s
UPF Score:
50+
Cloth:
92% polyester, 8% spandex
Professionals
- Worth
- Smooth & comfortable cloth
- Flattering
- Nice solar safety
- Inclusive sizing
Cons
- Some dislike the hem on ladies’s model
- Takes longer to dry than different solar shirts
Consolation
The REI Sahara Shade charges very extremely for consolation. Its knit physique has wonderful stretch, good match, and a gentle handfeel.
What stands out probably the most about this prime is the flattering match. The form of the physique is accentuated by the exaggerated shirttail hem, although not all reviewers have been followers of this.
The material is comfy and gentle, crafted from a polyester and spandex mix that ensures stretch and sturdiness. The material can be bluesign accredited, which signifies that REI adhered to or ensured strict security and environmental necessities have been adopted throughout manufacturing. That is one other prime that you simply simply form of neglect you’re sporting as a result of it’s so straightforward and comfy.
Although this shirt washes nicely and with none fussy settings, it does have a tendency to carry residual odor after strenuous exercise.
Solar Safety
The REI Sahara Shade additionally outperforms plenty of different shirts within the solar safety class. This shirt affords nice solar safety via an UPF 50+ ranking, a hood with a excessive neck, and thumbholes.
50+ is the very best UPF ranking of solar safety a garment could be awarded. In response to the Pores and skin Most cancers Basis, which means that your pores and skin is protected against 98% of the solar’s rays. The muse says this UPF ranking is “wonderful.”
The hood was good and match very well. We discovered that it didn’t fall on our faces or fall off whereas mountain climbing. A drawstring on the hood opening aids in adjusting the dimensions to suit the wants of every hiker. When the hood is up, it additionally pulls up cloth to cowl the neck. This protection is nice, and the material doesn’t pull or press on the neck in any respect.
When fingers are put via the thumbholes, the sleeves pull as much as utterly cowl the fingers.
Breathability & Wicking Energy
Breathability, wicking, and drying time are usually not the place the REI Sahara Shade shines. You’re getting what you pay for right here.
Throughout an 8 mile stroll on an excellent windy, chilly day, we layered a fleece and puffy over it, however then overheated. Taking off the layers didn’t resolve the temperature regulation points as a result of then the shirt feels additional chilly when it’s moist with sweat.
Whereas mountain climbing the JMT in an older model of the Sahara Shade, we’d soak this prime with sweat. The outcome wasn’t very best; we’d be soaked on the summits the place wind would quickly cool the moist shirt. The way in which down would really feel barely chilly. Then it could take some time to dry.
On hotter outings, we discover that we’re continually taking off thumbholes and pushing our sleeves as much as free ourselves from the warmth and sweat trapped inside this shirt. As a result of it isn’t the perfect at respiratory or wicking, this isn’t the shirt we attain for if we all know we’re going to break a sweat.
Versatility
Although this fronts as a no-frills, straight-forward solar shirt, the REI Sahara Shade has a phenomenal fashion that appears simply as beautiful paired with denims to put on round city because it does coated in sweat on the summit.
If we haven’t made it abundantly clear, this solar shirt wins main versatility factors for its townie transferability. Nevertheless, it isn’t the perfect selection for year-round put on. For one thing that layers nicely and feels comfy, search for one thing with a extra breathable and wicking cloth.
Ought to You Purchase the REI Sahara Shade Solar Shirt?
The REI Sahara Shade is a superb choose for these searching for an informal mountain climbing shirt that has wonderful solar safety and comfy match. Although it doesn’t breathe, wick, or dry shortly, this prime remains to be completely comfy for the hiker. Additionally it is an important worth as the most cost effective on our solar shirt information but in addition could be squeezed for all of its worth. It transitions simply from path to city and withstands a brutal period of time on path.
This shirt might be not the perfect match for these trying to deal with bigger adventures as its lack of breathability and wicking may cause some discomfort throughout strenuous exercise.
What Different Solar Shirts Ought to You Take into account?
Beneath are extra extremely rated solar shirts from our annual information to the perfect solar shirts:
Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Hoodie Assessment: That is one which feels cute and appears good and offers nice solar safety and can take you farther on the path is Cotopaxi. This isn’t a knit, nonetheless, so it gained’t have the identical handfeel that the REI delivers.
Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Lengthy Sleeve Hoody Assessment: This knit is lighter and dries faster than the REI Sahara Shade, however retains wonderful solar safety and silky gentle cloth. The match of the Mountain {Hardware} isn’t as favored because the REI, however its nice stretch makes up for that.
Minus 33 Micro Weight 1/4 Zip Solar Hoodie Woolverino Assessment: In the event you just like the gentle and stretchy feeling of a knit cloth however need extra technical options, the Minus 33 is a superb possibility. Pure wool delivers an extremely light-weight cloth that breathes, wicks, and helps regulate physique temperature. This feature doesn’t have the relaxed match of the REI, nonetheless.
