The Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid Jacket
The Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid jacket marries Merino infused fleece with zoned windproof layers making for a fantastic shoulder season hybrid windbreaker and insulation jacket. Does it insulate? yes! Does it block the wind? A little bit. Is it a great jacket? You bet.
The Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid Jacket at a glance:
- Material : Tec-Stretch and Merino Fleece Light Grid
- Weight: 273 grams
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
What’s a Ladiz?
Ortovox almost always names their jackets after somewhere close to their hearts, and this time, it is an alpine pasture not far from Mittenwald in the Karwendel range of Tyrol, Autria. There is a privately run hut from June to the end of September. You can get more info about the Ladizalm, albeit in German, at Bergwelten. Having done a bunch of my IML training in that neck of the woods, I’m a bit embarrassed to say I had not even heard of it.
What are Tec-Stretch and Merino Fleece Light Grid?
The Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid jacket is made of a mix of three different materials. The main material, or in this case the lining, is Merino Fleece Light Grid. This handles the insulating duties of the jacket. This is a grid or sometimes called waffle patterned fleece similar to Patagonia’s R1 but made with 72% polyester and 28% virgin merino wool. To my knowledge there is no one else using merino in their grid fleece.
The grid allows for airflow and flexibility and has a very soft hand feel. Think of it as a stretchy lightweight fleece that resists odors far longer than most competitors fleece jackets.
The shoulders, chest and hood are covered with Tec-Stretch. This is a mix of 72% polyester, 22% merino wool and 6% polyamide. This material is designed to block wind and add abrasion resistance to the jacket.
Fit and Features
Like most Ortovox pieces, the Ladiz has an athletic (snug) fit for an XL in North America. If you like your gear a little loose you will want to size up with Ortovox. That said it does not encumber movement in part to its stretchy nature.
I’m 6’1” and the arm length is perfect for me when I am on a Klettersteig reaching for a hold or on scrambles. On the end of those amply long arms are elasticated cuffs. They are snug, but not noticeably so. Don’t try and fit a glove under them though, they are designed to keep the warmth in, not gloves.
The body length is just right for a jacket designed for dynamic movement, think fastpacking, Klettersteig or scrambling. Thanks to the jacket’s thin nature it fits under a harness or backpack waist strap without ever being noticed. This is also aided by Ortovox athletic fit and therefore lack of excess material.
The scuba hood is elasticated on both sides. This keeps the hood snug around the brim of a cap or neatly underneath a helmet. It will not fit over a helmet unless you really really want to test the stretch however it fits nicely underneath one.
On the left side of the chest is a single chest pocket, the only pocket on this jacket. Can the jacket fit inside the pocket?
Function
The fleece is stretchy and very comfortable. I’ve gotten more than a handful of wears in this jacket and the merino has done its job in keeping the funk down. I wouldn’t push it past a week though, purely from a cleanliness perspective. Initially there was some pilling but it has held study and showed no further pilling after what must be at least 50 more wears.
This is not a thick fleece and so is not a stand alone layer for mid-winter. It is however a great lightweight warmth boost that can be carried everyday with minimal weight penalty. I bring it along on all of my hikes where the temps are going to drop to the mid-teens and below. I also bring it on spring ski tours. It makes for a nice addition to layering where I may need a fraction more warmth not a full down jacket experience.
The scuba hood can act as a toque if you find yourself in need of an ear warmer as well. Since it is entirely covered in Tec-Stretch it keeps wind out as well and doesn’t hamper hearing very much.
On genuinely windy days you will need a full wind blocking layer. Even though your chest and shoulders are protected by Tec-Stretch, it merely does an okay job of stopping wind as the back, arms, and below waist are not covered. In windy climes you will eventually need a windbreaker. For that, check out the Ortovox Windbreaker review we just published. These two jackets pair quite nicely.
Fashion
Like the windbreaker, the Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid Jacket sticks with the tried and true block pattern Ortovox favors, and excels at. This is a sharp looking jacket that blends three different greens despite being called the Arctic Grey color. The white zipper pops nicely and the zip has a small nylon pull tab that is easily pulled. The chest pocket is a neon zipper with a small plastic pull tab that can be a little finicky to find when worn with gloves. It’s definitely a zipper designed to be pulled sans gloves. It would be great if the jacket could be stuffed into this pocket.
The lighter colored Tec-Stretch shows stains easily, though constant spot washing has taken care of this for over a year. I still haven’t learned to eat less like a hungry animal so perhaps I’ll have top look into a backcountry bib.
Closing Thoughts?
So, what do I think of the Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid Jacket? I absolutely love it. I’ve worn it hiking in the Alps, ski touring on the coast range and am now wearing it as I type this review waiting for a flight into Mount Logan. It is just the right amount of insulation on cool morning hikes or when the temps drop in a hut that doesn’t have any heating. Thanks to the Merino Protect it can withstand a few days of high output wear and sweat without becoming a funky layer.
I did find that since the jacket is not entirely covered in Tec-Stretch it lets in some wind. This isn’t entirely a negative, though. It allows the jacket to breathe in high output activities and doubles up as an abrasion resistant layer if you are in rougher terrain. The fleece is now showing some pilling after a full season of wear but nothing out of the ordinary.
Overall I have been quite pleased with this jacket and will bring it along with me for another summer of guiding in the Alps.
Who is the Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid Jacket for?
The Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid jacket is for the spring ski tourer or cool weather hiker looking for a light fleece jacket with a touch of windproofing all in one.
Looking to pick up an Ortovox Ladiz? Head on over to Ortovox and pick one up. Looking for more Ortovox related reviews? hit the Search button.
Disclaimer
Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a sample of the Windbreaker for testing. This in no way affected our opinion and review.
