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Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody

The Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody 

The Fleece Rib Hoody continues Ortovox’s innovative use of Merino blends in its tried and true outdoor gear. The Fleece Rib Hoody combines Merino-based fleece and softshell materials to create a jacket that stands up to abuse in high-wear areas while keeping the wearer warm in almost all conditions. I carried this jacket with me for more than 75% of the summer guiding season, and it became the only warm layer I carried daily. 

The Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoodie at a glance:

  • Main Material: Merino Fleece Rib: 66% polyester (recycled) + 21% wool + 8% elastane + 5% polyamide
  • Secondary Material: Merino Shield Tec: 74% polyamide + 15% wool (OWP MERINO) + 11% elastane 
  • Features: Protective hood, High-cut collar, two front pockets, 2-way front zipper
  • Country of Origin: Vietnam

Much like the Ortovox Ladiz Hybrid Jacket (review here), the Fleece Rib Hoodie combines two materials to create a jack-of-all-trades jacket. Merino Fleece Rib to keep the wearer warm and Merino Shield Tec, a softshell-like material, to provide flexibility and resistance to areas of a traditional fleece jacket that would show wear quickly. 

What is Merino Fleece Rib?

Merino Fleece Rib is Ortovox’s alternative to the ubiquitous grid fleece. This warmer alternative is made of a combination of 21% merino and 66% recycled polyester. Horizontally stacked “ribs” of thicker and thinner fleece material create columns. The thicker portions provide warmth, while the thinner ribs allow for more airflow.  

The warmer nature of the Fleece Rib didn’t stop me from carrying this jacket with me every day this summer.  I didn’t need to wear it every day, but I brought it anyway. I wore it on a good portion of those days as well. Especially as autumn hit, I began to not only wear the Ortovox Merino Fleece Rib Hoody daily but all day long. 

As the ribs are inside the jacket, they are not immediately visible on the outside. The jacket folds over itself with movement, though, and makes the ribs slightly more pronounced and creates an accordion-like look. This doesn’t affect performance at all but does create a very individual look for the jacket.  

The added benefit of the merino also meant I did not have to wash this jacket as often as I would have had with a regular fleece jacket. I could get a solid week of ] wearing this jacket in the heat before it showed any sign of smell, which is far more than I would traditionally get from a full poly fleece jacket. Spring in the Alps was cool, so in fact, the first time I washed it was after a solid month of summer guiding. 

Merino Shield Tec

Merino Shield Tec is found on the underside of the forearms from the wrist to just above the elbows, covering the pockets on the front of the jacket and around the back where a pack would sit with the waist belt tightened. 

It has a very durable hand feel with a small amount of 4-way stretch. Where it shines is its durability. I have worn the jacket, whether hiking or around town, almost every day this summer. The Merino Shield Tec shows next to no wear or pilling whatsoever. 

Ortovox rates their Merino Shield Tec to 50.000 abrasion cycles in the Martindale test. The Martindale test, according to Wikipedia, is “a unit for quantifying the abrasion resistance of textiles, especially when used for upholstery.” This is significantly more than the requirement for soft padding materials used in public transport (30,000), so this jacket should last most wearers a very long time. In my use case, there is still no pilling or signs of wear after three months.  

For more info on Ortovox’s materials, check their fabric guide.

Fit and Features

The Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody has what Ortovox deems a regular fit, which, to me, is slightly loose. Just where I like it. The body fits a little below the belt line, and the sleeves just reach to my wrist with my arms extended. 

The Fleece Rib Hoody has a protective hood with a high-cut collar and elasticated trim. It fits somewhat like a loose scuba-style hood meant to be worn under a helmet. The hood is made of Merino Fleece Rib, which does a very good job of keeping ears warm.  I wear a cap every day in the summer regardless of the weather, and when the mercury has dropped low, or the wind has picked up, it has been more than good enough to put the hood up to keep my ears warm without needing a beanie or headband. 

The high-cut collar makes it very nice to tuck your chin in to keep warm, but the zipper is a bulky affair. When fully zipped up without the hood, the collar tends to fall forward. You’ll have to poke your chin out a little to keep the collar upright. This creates a somewhat unusual look and hopefully something that can be fixed with next year’s model. 

On the front of the jacket are two zippered hand pockets. They are very tall pockets that work well while hiking, but you’ll need to make sure they are closed before putting on a harness to keep the zipper accessible. The bottom of the pocket sits quite low. 

The main zipper is a 2-way affair designed to be used while wearing a harness. The jacket can thus be worn over a harness and unzipped from below for quick access for belaying.  

Fashion and Function

When the zipper is up, the chin is down.

Ortovox likes their blocky patterns, and the Fleece Rib Hoody is no exception, though the Fleece Rib Hoody is subtler than previous offerings. The tall hand pockets are made with Merino Shield Tec, and despite the left pocket’s material standing taller than the left, the pockets are the same size. It is a subtle difference, but for those with OCD for symmetry, this may be a put-off. I like the blocky pattern that Ortovox keeps improving upon from season to season. The left pocket has a black zipper, and the right pocket has a white zipper, which matches the front white zipper. 

I wear the Fleece Rib Hoody on the mountain and around town. Its styling is subtle enough, even with the Halloween-themed orange and black colours, to be worn everywhere.  

Who is the Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody for?

The Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody is for the climber or hiker looking for a midweight jacket that is built to take some abrasion. Climbers and less-than-gentle wearers will appreciate the protection that the Merino Shield Tec offers and the warmth and smell resistance that the Merino Rib Fleece offers. 

I’ve worn this jacket all summer and will continue to wear it throughout the winter. It has just the right amount of warmth to work under a touring jacket, abrasion resistance when working with ropes and breathes well enough to tour in.  

Looking to pick up an Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody? Head on over to Ortovox and pick one up. Looking for more Ortovox-related reviews? Hit the Search button.

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BlackSheep Adventure Sports was provided with a free sample of the Ortovox Fleece Rib Hoody. This in no way affected our opinion and review.