A Guide’s Review of the Kühl Airkühl Hoody
Sun Hoodies are an essential part of my summer gear. Their lightweight full upper body coverage means I rarely have to use sunscreen and typically don’t get hot thanks to their thin material. Kühl has taken a new approach to the sun hoody with Airkühl by using a more robust material with perforated ribs to allow for better airflow while maintaining a sun protection factor of 50.
Overview
- Material: 85% Ultra-soft premium Polyester 15% Spandex | 147 GSM
- Sizes Available: S-XXL
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
What is the Kühl Airkühl Hoody?
The Kühle Airkühl hoody is a long-sleeved, hooded sun shirt. Its most important feature, at least to me, is its sun protection of 50+ SPF. With a full season of summer guiding behind me I can confidently say I did not have any harmful effects from the sun while wearing this hoody.
It has “odor resistant properties,” though I do not know exactly what those properties are. I can say that I can get about three days of wear out of the Kühl Airkühl Hoody before any smell made it unwearable. It dries quickly so after a quick wash in the sink it is good to go by the next morning.
The Nitt-Gritty on the Kühl Airkühl Hoody
The Kühl Airkühl hoody is super soft to the touch. Despite its soft nature and a full season of hard use, mine still looks new. It has taken the wear and abrasion of having a backpack stuck to it for hundreds of kilometers very well.
This belies the open-air construction of the material. I find perforated materials, like those in the Airkühl hoody, to be a little too fragile for extensive use. That is not the case with the Airkühl hoody. For want of a better explanation, the Airkühl material looks ribbed with one part thick and unperforated, and the other perforated. This is how the Airkühl helps the wearer cool despite the relatively thick material.
It has a GSM (grams per square inch) of 147, so this means it is slightly on the lighter side of medium weight. Medium-weight materials are typically between 150 to 350 GSM and lightweight from 30-150 GSM.
How Does the Kühl Airkühl Hoody Fit?
The Kühl Airkühl hoody fits quite loosely. Slightly more so than other brands XL shirts I have worn with the one exception being the Arcteryx Cormac. It is not overly baggy but does have a little extra room to allow for more airflow or snacks on the trail.
The five-panel hood lays flat against the head and isn’t bulky when not being worn. It fits snugly around the head while wearing a hat as well. The hoody is elasticated all the way around to its overlapping V-shaped opening. Fans of button closures will need to look elsewhere.
The arms are plenty long for me and have elasticated thumb loops and elasticated wrist closures that keep the sleeves where they need to be and not bunching up or moving around too much. That said, the elastic used is a little thick and may be a little too much for some. I did not find any issue at all. In fact, I often slide my sleeves mid-forearm which will stretch out lesser shirts. Not so with the Airkühl Hoody.
Overview
The Kühl Airkühl Hoody surprised me. Fresh off the rack it felt a little heavy, almost as if it is going to be a hot shirt. When looking down the barrel of the sunniest summer the Alps have ever seen I was a little nervous. I thought I was going to cook in this shirt. That was definitely not the case. I wore this shirt on days that were pushing high 30s and never regretted it. It kept me safe from the sun and was cool enough to wear all summer long.
Admittedly, it would be great if there were a lighter-weight version purely for packing and for being lighter on the body.
Pros: 50 SPF!!! Durable materials, comfortable hood, and thumb loops.
Cons: A little on the heavier side
Tap this link If you are interested in checking out the Kühl Airkühl Hoody for yourself.
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Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a free sample of the Kühl Airkühl Hoody. This in no way affected our opinion and review.
