Arcteryx Squamish Hoody Review

Likes
We love the look of this jacket. The articulated arms and hood design make this seem like a really lightweight hard shell where some other jackets look like thin stuff sacks with arms. The material also holds up better to constant packing and unpacking. It doesn't crinkle as quickly as other jackets in the review.

This is one of the lighter jackets we tested but it still manages to include some bonus features that other jackets did not. It has Velcro on the cuffs to seal out the cold when skiing, bike riding, or in generally windy conditions (no other sub 5 oz. jacket we tested had this feature). This is one of the reasons why we felt comfortable taking this jacket in the Lake Tahoe back country in winter. It has a real bill on the hood for keeping rain and snow off your face.

While it does not compress as small as the Houdini, it does stuff into its chest pocket as a relatively small package. This makes it very convenient to throw in your pack or suitcase for any occasion.

The Houdini pocket barely accommodated an iPhone. But with the Squamish we easily fit an iPhone and more; scrolling through our NPR podcasts was a breeze.

We like the colors this comes in. Black for those for whom style is most important. Yellow for the uber bike safety conscious. Plus our personal favorite, the bright orange. We especially like this orange since Patagonia discontinued theirs and few other companies offer it. What is this love of orange? It is a great color for having cars see you without being one of the thousands of bikers in a bright yellow top.

Dislikes
The same generous chest pocket also means that this jacket does not compress as small as do some of the others. It's by no means bulky, it's just not as compact as the Patagonia Houdini.

While overall we like the Velcro cuffs, they do add weight and are a little annoying if you never use them. We use them and so we love them. Some people may find them unnecessary, especially for an ultra ultra light jacket.

This is the most expensive jacket in the review. We never thought there would be a jacket that made the Patagonia Houdini seem affordable! But you get what you pay for.

Sizing
The sizing of all the wind shirts really threw us off. The Cirrus Small was way too small. The Patagonia Houdini Small was just right. The Arcteryx Squamish Medium was way too big to be worn over a base layer and thin fleece. It did layer well over a puffy jacket. But our main tester (5' 10" 155 lb.) would go with a Small next time around.