Review: Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody

Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody

Looking good Billy Ray. Feeling Good, Lewis.“… That’s how I feel wearing the Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody. A comfortable, warm, and extremely good-looking hoody designed for the hills but best worn about town. 

Overview

  • Material: 71% Polyester, 24% Wool, 5% Spandex
  • Density: 8.0 oz./sq. yd. | 272 GSM
  • Country of Origin for Material: Italy
  • Country of Manufacture: El Salvador 

What is the Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody?

The Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody is a limited edition Merino blend hoody. It’s designed to be used as an insulating mid-layer on colder days or an outer layer in milder conditions. We found it to be a very fashionable hoody that was great to be worn around town on cooler days and out to dinner thanks to its stylish looks. It was the piece my wife requested I wear the most while going out, and that alone warranted wearing it often last year. 

What is Dynawool Powerflex?

Dynawool Powerflex is an Italian-made Merino blend intended to have 4-way stretch, and provide temperature regulation while being wind resistant and breathable. I can confirm it meets three of those. 

It is extremely soft to wear. The pile on the inside is tight and incredibly soft. It’s warm but not overly so while being lightly wind resistant and breathable. Unfortunately, it is not very stretchable. 5% spandex is not a lot and as a result, I find the Kühl Dynawool Skuba to be a little stiff. I am sure this is also due to having a size a little smaller than I’d like.  

The Fit

Kühl suggests that the Dynawool Skuba hoody has an athletic fit that is slimmer than their regular fit. I totally agree and wish I had gone for an XXL. I am 6’1” and 200 lbs and their XL usually fits a little loose. The Dynawool Skuba Hoody fits a little tight. Admittedly, I did not see that Kühl recommends sizing up if you’re between sizes or prefer extra room. I am not between sizes and am normally smack in the mid of the XL range for most North American brands. I still wish I had sized up. 

The length of the hoody is sits just below the waist of mid-height pants. It does not cover your backside but also does not leave you with a plumber’s worst friend. At the end of each sleeve is a thumb hole to keep the sleeves down to cover your hands when you forget your gloves. 

Durability

The Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody is built to last. At 272 GSM (what is GSM?) the Dynawool Skuba Hoody is pushing the higher side of mid-weight. It has a heavyweight feel in hand and has minimal piling in the armpit from repeated wear., The rest of the hoody looks brand new.

With its flatlock seams, there is no way you’re ruining this hoody.  They are unlikely to catch on to anything you can throw at them and should stand up to repeated pack use. The zippers on the Dynawool Skuba hoody, on the front and both hand pockets, are waterproof ones, They are a little stiff and feel as though they are over-engineered for a hoody. The Dynawool Powerflex is not waterproof so the zippers do not need to be either. An easier gliding zipper would be appreciated in the next iteration of this hoody. 

The waistband on the Skuba hoody is made from Dynawool Powerflex, unlike other hoodys which normally have some form of different stretch material that eventually stretches out. That shouldn’t happen with the Skuba Hoody.  

Overview

I’ve worn the Dynawool Skuba hoody every chance I could get, but seldom on the mountain due to it;’s snug fit. This means most of my testing has been around town. I work in the Alps where a lot of the places I stay are at 1600m and quite cool at night. This means I need something warm, and sporty but nice to wear out, and the Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody fits this bill perfectly. 

I want to be able to move freely and the tight fit and limited amount of stretch in the Dynawool has kept me from wearing the Skuba hoody on the mountain more than a handful of times. I don’t feel bad about this at all as it has been such a staple of my cooler clothing collection in the evenings. 

Who is the Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody for?

The Dynawool Skluba Hoody is for someone looking for a modern take on merino in a casual yet classy-looking hoody to wear wherever they want, especially around town

Who is the Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody not for?  

High-output users that want the lightest, stretchiest merino possible. 

If you are interested in picking up a Dynawool Skuba hoody, head on over to Kühl and pick one up. Looking for more Kühl reviews. Smash the search button!

Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a free sample of the Kühl Dynawool Skuba Hoody. This in no way affected our opinion and review.