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 snug and enjoyable solar shirt that received CleverHiker’s Greatest Total Solar Shirt designation in our full information to solar shirts. 

Let’s get the unhealthy out of the way in which; the ladies’s prime has a shorter torso than we anticipated. We solely discover it when elevating our palms or in an outstretched place, like driving a motorbike. Nonetheless, its brief size is nearly our solely “orange flag.”

Its physique is free and suits effectively. 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 nice match and material assist airflow, even when layered over a fleece. 

This shirt’s sun-protective options are wonderful. It has a UPF 50+ ranking, thumbholes and sleeves that absolutely cowl the palms, and a scuba hood with material masking 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 acquire careworn 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 material doesn’t have the ultra-soft, silky really feel that different solar shirts we examined have, however it’s certainly not uncomfortable on the pores and skin. 

The shirt has a boxy match by way of 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 best locations.

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

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

Solar Safety

The Cotopaxi Sombra has among the best solar safety provided 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 fastened by sporting a hat beneath. One of the 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 palms fully to the knuckles. The thumbholes typically really feel tight, particularly if extending arms to tie a shoe or drive a automotive. In any other case, we don’t discover any discomfort whereas mountain climbing.

Breathability & Wicking Energy

The Cotopaxi’s material is so gentle and porous that it breathes very well and dries shortly. We don’t really feel overly sweaty or stuffy throughout strenuous hill climbs. Total, this shirt does a fantastic job of conserving us feeling snug 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 effectively and began to pool up. The nice good thing about that is that the shirt didn’t get moist, and my pores and skin dried shortly. That is particularly useful for regulating your physique temperature throughout temperature fluctuations within the wild. 

This shirt additionally felt very snug layered beneath a fleece. Throughout hikes the place temps shortly 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, but it surely by no means felt suffocating, stuffy, or overheated.

Versatility

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

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

This shirt seems to be playful and fashionable and works effectively 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 sporting it on the town with out forcing individuals out of the brewery with our stench. 

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

Ought to You Purchase the Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Shirt?

The Cotopaxi Sombra Solar Hoodie is a implausible product that works effectively in quite a lot of settings and actions, making it a fantastic bang for the buck. Day hikers and backpackers can take pleasure in its options, like its safety pocket, nice breathability, fast dry material, implausible solar safety, and all-day consolation. 

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

This may not work for ladies searching 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 received’t remorse going for it. Nonetheless, you may need to try the opposite top-rated shirts in our information to the most effective solar shirts. Listed here are a couple of 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 giant sufficient to suit an iPhone 14+ and the flexibility of a button-up shirt. 

Arc’teryx Taema 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 material doesn’t have the softest contact or best consolation however works effectively to maintain you cool and dry and layers effectively 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 material naturally helps regulate physique temperature, breathes, wicks, resists odors, and will get softer with every wash.