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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie Review |
If Batman shopped off the peg he would buy Vollebak.
After a year of kevlar and ceramic coated outdoor gear Vollebak have sat down and created a hoodie that’s designed ‘for any environment on Earth’ and for me the perfect hoodie for running and being outdoors during the colder parts of the year. If you think all hoodies are the same read on.
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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie vent holes |
The hoodie comes with a hood..no surprise there! but it also comes with a built in pull up mask/collar section too. This gives you 4 different configurations and the mask/ collar has little vents in it so your sunglasses don’t steam up on cold days. These same vents run down the back of the hoodie too to help with sweat. Its great having some options to keep cold wind off, and actually the extra material collar is rather nice anyway as it acts like a buff and scarf at the same time.
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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie |
I’m a ‘sweaty’ runner. One of those properly soaked when I go running type of people you see. Its essential I have gear I run in that’s super wicking and this usually means opting for a synthetic fabrics. Outdoor gear often has the Wool versus Synthetic debate. Wool has better thermal qualities in the hot and cold, but takes longer to dry and I find has poor wicking characteristics so hold on to big dam,p patches of sweat leaving me feeling clammy and wet.
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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie Review |
What this hoodie manages to do is combine both fabrics in a way I don’t think I’ve seen before. Rather than a ‘wool synthetic blend’ this hoodie has the merino wool on the outside for the thermal characteristics and the synthetic fleece on the inside for comfort and efficient wicking. It’s more of a double layer than mix. As a result I found it was the perfect combo for my sweaty running. The merino wool is also coated to be reasonably water repellent on the outside and ethically sourced from Australia. Its also very stretchy and comfortable to wear when doing exercise.
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| Thumb loops – Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie Review |
The hoodie has some sturdy thumb loops on the sleeves to help keep your hands warm by turning the ends of the arms into mitts and it also comes with a very large diagonal pocket down on the right hip for your phone and keys. I moan endlessly about the lack of decent zipped pockets for running gear so this is a welcome addition. The phone sits nice and low too in an area of your body that doesn’t move around so your phone doesn’t bounce around in the pocket.
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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie Review |
The Hoodie also has an extended area at the back that covers your bum. I actually like this because I often sit down and take pictures (or take in the view) when I’m outside so it’s another layer to stop my bum getting wet when I do.
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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie Review |
So is the Planet Earth Hoodie worth the price tag? I’ve grappled with this question before on other garments of theirs and I always find I come back to the same conclusion. These garments are as a good when I use them outdoors for running as they are to wear as a decent piece of clothing for day to day. I get double the opportunity to wear it because of this. On one hand its a striking hoodie that’s eyecatching for some of its unusual features, but its also practical and ‘best in its field’ as a technical fabric for outdoor adventures. Its a win win. The fabric they have used has meant it avoids starting to smell like my regularly used running gear, and after a few washes the hoodie still looks brand new with no bobbling or sign of wear.
Would I change anything ? A second zip pocket on the other side would be great, or a small internal pouch so my keys don’t scratch and bounce against my phone. Its good to see some Vollebak gear in colours other than grey or black too, and by using natural fabrics instead of space age ones they get a chance to have some flair with colour and the ‘nightshade’ purple is a welcome addition to my mainly black wardrobe.
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| Vollebak Planet Earth Hoodie Review |
The Hoodie is part of a modular Planet Earth Merino line that includes this hoodie, a baselayer and t shirt. I’ll be reviewing all three separately, but its great to see the slight size change on medium for all three so that when I wear all three together they don’t feel awkward on top of each other.
To find out more click here
I’ve also got a short video review here
Great review – I decided to go for the merino base-layer instead, but that’s also a fantastic bit of kit, along with the earth-shirt, and the 100yr hoodie (half-zip version) – oddly that always feels ‘damp’ from the drawer, but not whilst wearing….and perfect for, well, everything really! I wish I had discovered Vb before wasting money on inferior brands. I’m currently contemplating the cocoon, but that’s one heck of a price-tag……..any thoughts??