Coolibar Andros Fishing Hoodie Review

The built-in hood, gaiter/mask, and extra-long sleeves of the Andros Fishing Hoodie allow you to cover up most every part of your upper body. Even with this coverage, you can still move freely and know that the fabric will stay in place, no matter how high the seas are that day. Obstinately functional rather than superfluously fashionable, you may not land on the cover of Vogue wearing this shirt, but rarely is that the goal during a fishing trip with your best buds.

Performance Comparison

Comfort and Fit

The Andros Fishing Hoodie has a slightly more regular fit than we usually anticipate from a hooded sun shirt, which frequently fit a little looser. A loose fit helps keep air flowing through in and out of the shirt to regulate body temperature, something this shirt struggles with.

A more regular fit in this shirt may clue you in that this isn't one you'll want to wear out on very strenuous activities. That said, the fabric's four-way stretch polyester is indeed soft and helps keep things comfortable, so don't be afraid that you'll ever have trouble bending, stretching, or moving.

Sun Protection

Unrivaled is not a term to throw around casually, but if you need more sun protection than what the Andros provides, it may be best to simply stay indoors. For those exceptionally heliophobic, this is an absolutely excellent choice. You may look more like a pastel Saturday morning cartoon ninja than a fisherman waiting for your guide at the dock in the morning, but you can be sure to end the day without even a first-degree sunburn in this layer.

The stout, four-way stretch UPF 50+ fabric will block over 98% of the sun's harmful rays. The extra-long, 27.75" (men's large) center back length will keep your lower back covered, whether you're reaching up to untangle a fishing pole or crouching down into the cooler to grab a cold one.

Like many of the best sun shirts we've tested, the Andros sports a hood to provide coverage to your head. But this is taken several steps farther, with a built-in gaiter/mask to cover the majority of your face, including your mouth and nose. A small opening with a malleable nose piece allows you to breathe more or less normally. In the back is a small opening for a ponytail — an interesting detail. And of course, you can use the hood/mask in a variety of different modes: the gaiter/mask can simply be worn just below the mouth, with or without the hood on.

The sleeves are also extra-long, featuring not a thumb loop but a middle finger loop, which facilitates even more protective sun coverage for your hands than the standard thumb loop, leaving the end of the sleeve resting over your knuckles.

Versatility

The Andros takes its job as a tool to help protect you from sun exposure very seriously, naturally taking on a more technical look with all the sun-blocking features. But, if you're on a fishing trip off the coast of Florida for days on end, thru-hiking across the Mojave Desert, or just naturally extra fair-skinned, it probably (or shouldn't) matter much to you what the shirt looks like.

Outside of the scenarios outlined above, this shirt may look out of place and most likely isn't the one you'll be wearing to work or out for a meal. It's unapologetically a fishing hoodie, and we accept it for what it is completely.

The thicker four-way stretch fabric is nice and soft but isn't the most breathable, and sweat may accumulate. The shade of the shirt changes when wet, so these sweatier spots will be noticeable.

Breathability

Because of the thick fabric, how much of your skin is covered, and the less-than-loose fit, the Andros Fishing Hoodie suffers in terms of overall breathability.

This would not be the shirt you would wear if you wanted to race an ultramarathon from Furnace Creek to Whitney Portal — you'll quickly overheat. Consider this shirt for more sedentary activities, where an unrelenting sun is beating down on you for hours on end. The word 'fishing' is in the name for a reason.

Durability

The soft, four-way stretch polyester fabric that Coolibar calls "Aqua Juno" is up for the task of surviving even the harshest of environments. Despite our tough tests, it aced through our challenges as one of the best, showing only a little wear and tear. In real-world use, we found no issues with either the fabric or stitching ripping, tearing, or coming loose.

We were also surprised and delighted to see double-reinforced flat stitches on almost every seam on the Andros — even the ponytail opening! In fact, the only place this isn't the case is the lining around the hood and gaiter/mask. We feel confident that this shirt will make it through many seasons of use.

Features

Top to bottom, the Andros is loaded with features. The hood itself sports a unique ponytail hole in both men's and women's versions. And the hood works in harmony with the attached gaiter/face mask. Used together, you can cover up almost your entire face, with room only for the eyes. The mask itself has a nose hole to breathe out of and a malleable nose wire piece that sits on the bridge of the nose to aid in comfort. A small zippered pocket is found on the front left-hand side to store valuables. There's no front zipper — this shirt is a pullover.

The fabric itself is a tough but soft, four-way stretch polyester that Coolibar calls "Aqua Juno." We found it tougher than other sun shirt fabrics we've tested, but perhaps a little thicker and not as breathable. Some lighter fabric panels run from the bottom of the arms, across the armpits and down into the side of the waist to help a bit with breathability.

This shirt isn't an ultra-lightweight piece, coming in at 299 grams (just over 8 ounces) for a men's large. This is partly from the heavier fabric, the additional neck gaiter/face mask, and the longer than usual center back length.

Value

Considering how important proper skin care and protection are to those looking for this type of coverage, we believe this sun hoodie is a great value. Even the cost of adding your own gaiter to any other comparable hooded sun shirt would have you spend more than just this shirt alone. With all the built-in features, you're absolutely getting your money's worth.

Conclusion

The Coolibar Andros Fishing Hoodie is targeted at fisherpeople who are recreating all day in very hot, sunny environments. It packs a laundry list of useful sun covering features, more than any other option in our review. If ultimate sun coverage and protection are what you're looking for above all else, make this hoody your next purchase.