Thanks for tuning in today, this is The Sweet
Cyclists and we will be looking at the Men's
Convict Merino Wool Hoodie from Ridge
Merino. First we want to thank Ridge
Merino for sending this out to us to
review. For those of you don't know about
Ridge Merino they're a local
company based in Mammoth Lakes
California. Founded by a husband wife duo
who are passionate about outdoors,
they make sustainably sourced Merino
wool apparel and donate a percentage of
every sale to environmental nonprofits.
So here's the Convict Hoodie out of the
packaging, by the way it comes in a
recycle poly mailer that can be recycled
again. Looking at the specs this is a
lightweight men's hoodie retailing at
$149.95, it's a mid layer pullover with
fabric made from Polartec power ball at
170 grams per meter.
It has a half zip with a chest pocket,
featuring a low profile form-fitting
hood. We'll take a closer look in the
next segment. Here we have a medium sized
thyme color men's Convict Merino wool
hoodie, it also comes in a magnet or a
gray color with size offerings from
S to XXL. For a
pullover hoodie is surprisingly
lightweight, it's a knit fabric so it
stretches but still retains its shape. The
fabric is a blend of 54%
polyester, 38% Merino wool and 8%
spandex. The Merino layer is on the
inside against your skin with the
polyester on the outside, the half zipper
in an orange accent color that complements
well with the green body. If you look
down the sleeves you'll see thumb holes
in the end which keeps the sleeve in
place or makes it easy for layering.
You'll also see a minimal logo in the
same accent color at the end of the
right sleeve. The collar is very high
compared to a regular hoodie, so your neck is
nicely protected from the cold. Also the
hood looks very form-fitting so it won't
look bulky under a
hat or a helmet. This is a convenient
chest pocket large enough for your
cellphone or more with a cord pass through so if
you want to plug in your earphones. Now
let's take a look at the inside the
bumpy or the ripple texture on the
inside is because the fabric is knit
into a grid of air pockets, kind of like
a bubble wrap. The fabric over the fibers
inside the bubbles trap air and retains
body heat when you're not moving much
and it breaths when you're doing high
intensity activities. You will also notice
that there are no underarm seams, instead
you find these gussets that prevent
chafing and provide better range of
motion. This is a very unique design that
we've come across so far, the shoulder
also doesn't have seams reducing
abrasion. The fabric instructions
are on the inside,
typically wash these on a cold cycle
and line dry them. This
is how the medium sized pullover fits on
a 6'1" 160 pound male over a base layer.
As you can see the hoodie has a relaxed
fit, the orange half slipper complements
the green very nicely constructionwise.
The minimal seams result in a very
clean look with no shoulder or underarm
seams. The arms as well as the bottom hem
are long enough to allow for layering.
One of the features we really like about
the hoodie is the chest pocket, it's
large and allows for convenient access
to your cellphone or valuables.
There's a subtle rich merino logo on the
right sleeve in the same orange accent
color.
The signature thumb holes are discreet
and have a multi panel design, we found
these to be very comfortable to use unlike
our other clothing that
pulls against your skin. The hood portion
of the convict hoodie is low profile
with a high collar, it's extremely
comfortable and soft against your skin.
The collar comes up to your mouth and
keeps the neck protected from the cold.
The hood is well designed for use with
the helmet without the typical bunching
you would see in a traditional hoodie.
With a bike helmet we found the hoodie
did a great job in keeping our ears
covered on colder days. The lack of
shoulder seams also made wearing a
backpack with the Convict hoodie very comfortable.
There wasn't any other typical chafing
or discomfort with the backpack straps.
As you can see the underarm has the
gusset panel and set up the traditional
center seam which prevents chafing.
Despite being a thin hoodie the Convict
is surprisingly warm due to the air
pockets on the inside of the hoodie. It's
very breathable and warm even on cold
chilly days. Time for that final score,
we will grade based on the design, size,
warmth and value. Design is an A+,
aesthetically the convict has an
understated sleek design with
well-thought-out details in particular.
The high neck, gusseted underarms and
form-fitting hood provide a lot of
functionality. Sizing gets an A-, it's
true to size and has a relaxed fit. The
sleeves and hem were longer than
traditional hoodies to accommodate thumb
holes to allow tucking it in. With the
gusseted design we did notice that the
chest area was bigger than we expected.
Warmth is an A, despite how thin and
compact it is when folded up the Convict
hoodie kept us warm. It's an
excellent mid layer in colder weather
that could work as an outer layer on
brisk hikes in the mid 40 Fahrenheit.
Lastly in terms of value this is an A-,
overall we were impressed with the
design construction and comfort of the
Convict hoodie. It has the comfort and
warmth that makes you want to wear it
all day, whether you're outside or just
lounging around the house. Although we'll
prefer a higher Merino wool content for
the price, the compactness and the
comfort of the Convict make it one of
our favorite hoodies. Thanks for watching
if you like the content don't forget to
like and subscribe. Visit us on Instagram
at @thesweetcyclists and our website at
thesweetcyclists.com for more content.
This is a Sweet Cyclists reminding you to
enjoy the ride!
[Music]