Reviews You Can Rely On

Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody - Women's Review

This hoody is a comfortable and lightweight jacket with a plush interior that provides excellent warmth, mobility, and breathability
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Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody - Women's Review
Credit: Outdoor Research
Price:  $249 List
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Manufacturer:   Outdoor Research
By Penney Garrett ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Dec 26, 2017
79
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Weather Protection - 30% 8.0
  • Breathability - 30% 8.0
  • Mobility - 20% 8.0
  • Weight - 10% 9.0
  • Features - 5% 5.0
  • Style - 5% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody is a unique model in our review. Its fuzzy interior provides the luscious warmth of a lightweight puffy yet somehow still manages to breathe as a high quality softshell should. It resists the wind, wicks away water, and allows movement without restriction. We always felt protected and cozy in this fun hybrid jacket, and that's why we graced it with a Top Pick for Warmth award. A few aspects of this layer are not as technical as we like to see, namely a lack of zippers on the hand pockets and a less adjustable hood, but the main complaint we have is the lack of durability in the outer fabric. For that reason, we can't recommend the Ascendant for activities like rock or ice climbing where your body will very likely come in contact with sharp or rough objects. While this is a serious issue, we still loved this hoody and, for the right undertakings, feel it is a fabulous piece.
REASONS TO BUY
Excellent in cold and wind
Lightweight
Plush interior
Good breathability
REASONS TO AVOID
Durability issues
Hand pockets do not zip
Thumb loops aren't well executed
If you want something more technical and durable, we recommend reading about one of our Editors' Choices. The Arc'teryx Gamma MX Hoody is warm, durable, and well-featured and the Arc'teryx Psiphon FL Hoody is our favorite for undertakings that require staying light and fitted.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The OR Ascendant Hoody struggles with some durability issues, but we love everything else about this fun and functional layer. It's snuggly warm due to its plush interior but still breathes surprisingly well. It only weighs 11.5 ounces but manages to have impressive weather protection. Some aspects are not as technical as you'll see in a high performing softshell, but overall we enjoyed this jacket and feel it is an asset to almost anyone's closet.

Performance Comparison


outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - the ascendant hoody is quite warm for how little it weighs. we were...
The Ascendant Hoody is quite warm for how little it weighs. We were impressed.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Weather Protection


When we first laid eyes on this jacket, it was easy to underestimate. It's so lightweight and fragile looking that we honestly didn't expect it to measure up to most of our test group. But measure up it did, holding its own in a stiff competition.


We wore the Ascendant Hoody biking on a below-freezing day, hiking through knock-you-off-your-feet wind in the alpine, belaying on chilly climbing days, and even into the shower to test water resistance. Time after time we found ourselves impressed. One thing we consistently noticed when putting on this jacket is that we always felt an instant layer of warmth surround us, the same way you do when pulling on a puffy. Many softshells feel a little chilly when they first get put on before the body was a chance to heat up the material. But not the Ascendant — this gem was like getting wrapped up in a cozy blanket.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - despite intense wind and blowing snow, our tester mary was able to...
Despite intense wind and blowing snow, our tester Mary was able to stay cozy warm in the Ascendant Hoody.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Cold and wind aside, we didn't think this layer would handle water very well. Once again we were wrong. The Ascendant kept water out everywhere except at the waist because — since the pockets don't zip — water was able to get in there. The interesting thing was that the water, for the most part, pooled inside the pockets instead of just running through them and we had to dump it out physically, once again showing the fantastic barrier this jacket can provide.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - water just sat on the surface of the ascendant hoody, unable to...
Water just sat on the surface of the Ascendant Hoody, unable to penetrate except through the open, non-zippered pockets. In the left photo, we wiped the water off half the jacket and were impressed with how easily the water was removed and that none had penetrated the exterior.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Breathability


The interior of the Ascendant Hoody has Polartec Alpha Direct Insulation, a fuzzy and cozy layer that feels really nice on the skin and provides impressive warmth and weather protection. We thought this insulative layer would for sure impede breathability but, like everything else we initially assumed about this contender, we were wrong.


Somehow this plush layer was able to wick moisture away and breathe while still providing an impressive barrier against the elements. We found this combo to be pretty magical, though the tradeoff may be a lack of durability, discussed in more detail under the “Features” section below.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - our bodies could still breathe during warmer temperatures and...
Our bodies could still breathe during warmer temperatures and aerobic activities in spite of the lush interior of the Ascendant. Pretty impressive.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Mobility


Another rating metric, another stellar performance by the Ascendant. It stretched and moved along with us like a champ.


This layer fits well and doesn't ride up or feel uncomfortable in any way, though the hemline is shorter than other more technical models in this review. It's like a cozy plush sweatshirt that's a joy to put on and that you never want to take off. We ended up enjoying it for every adventure we took it on, our only concern being the easily-damaged thin outer material.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - hiking, biking, climbing, skinning, running - whatever your pleasure...
Hiking, biking, climbing, skinning, running - whatever your pleasure this jacket felt great and allowed full range of motion.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Weight


Currently, this layer is the fourth lightest in our test suite, weighing in at 11.5 ounces.


Our other Outdoor Research contender, the Ferrosi Hooded, weighs just 0.1 ounces less than the Ascendant — which honestly is close enough to have been a fluke of our scale. The lightest contenders in this review if you need to shed weight are the Arc'teryx Psiphon FL Hoody at 10.6 ounces and the Rab Borealis at a featherweight 8.3 ounces.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - weighing only 11.5 ounces but providing excellent warmth and...
Weighing only 11.5 ounces but providing excellent warmth and mobility, the Ascendant is a cozy layer we loved having around.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Features


The lightweight yet warm material on the Ascendant is the main and most impressive feature of this jacket. Outside of that, it lacks many of the basic features of other models in our review.


The Ascendant Hoody is constructed with a stretchy Pertex Microlight 20D ripstop stretch woven shell with a fuzzy Polartec Alpha Direct Insulation on the interior. This combination provides incredible warmth while still allowing breathability and mobility. Beyond that, it has internal thumb loops, a key clip in one of the two non-zippered hand pockets, a narrow zippered chest pocket, adjustable drawstring hem, and a one-way adjustable helmet-compatible hood.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - the ascendant has thumb loops hidden inside the cuffs - they were a...
The Ascendant has thumb loops hidden inside the cuffs - they were a fun feature, but not the most comfortable.
Credit: Penney Garrett

While we feel we had everything we needed and loved the fit of the hood on the Ascendant, we had to deduct some points because of how it stacked up overall against other jackets in our review. The cuffs are not adjustable, and the internal thumb loops aren't executed as well as we feel they could have been — they chaffed and felt a bit constricting. The chest pocket is narrower than our hand which made it irritating to get in and out of, especially when wearing gloves.

The hand pockets don't have zippers, so forget using them to store anything. But far and away our biggest concern was the durability of the otherwise fabulous fabric on this jacket. We had a feeling this would be an issue, so we tested a small area by rubbing it on a rock. Within seconds we had a hole in the material. We also noticed some discoloration on the front that we weren't able to remove, resulting from, we think, either chalk or chalk combined with water.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - we loved so many things about this jacket, but the quality of the...
We loved so many things about this jacket, but the quality of the outer material was not one of them. Here you can see a tear from a very minimal interaction with a rock face as well as discoloration on the front from chalk and water that we were unable to remove.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Style


We appreciate the casual and simple style of this layer, though it isn't as flattering overall as some of our other contenders. It's fun and casual though, and sometimes that's all you need or want.


outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - while we loved the feel of the ascendants simple fit, it wasn't as...
While we loved the feel of the Ascendants simple fit, it wasn't as attractive as some of our more tailored items.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Best Application


If it weren't for the durability issue with the Ascendant Hoody we would recommend it for almost anything and everything. As it stands, we still think it's fantastic for most chilly and aerobic activities from hiking and biking to climbing, skinning, and running; just be aware that on sharp rock or ice, you could tear a hole in the exterior fabric pretty easily. If you're okay with being a bit careful with the Ascendant, we think this do-it-all layer will be a favorite whether you have it under a hardshell, over a base layer, or even right next to your skin.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - cinching down the stretchy hood and getting ready for a cold bike...
Cinching down the stretchy hood and getting ready for a cold bike ride in the Ascendant Hoody, our Top Pick for Warmth.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Value


$250 is a pretty solid investment but, despite the durability issues we had with the Ascendant Hoody, we think it's worth the price. It was our Top Pick for Warmth for a reason - this jacket is light, compact, insulating, and just downright impressive in almost all respects. Should you buy it if all you do is rock climb and you love tight chimney squeezes? No. But if you plan to go out for varied activity and you treat this jacket with the same respect and care you would a down puffy, we think it can last a good long while. You may need to also invest in a role of Tenacious Tape to fix the inevitable tear that life will bestow at some point, but you'll probably be so cozy while doing it that you won't mind too much.

Conclusion


The Ascendant Hoody was superb in almost every respect, so much so that it almost unseated our reigning Editor's Choice champ, the Arc'teryx Gamma MX Hoody. This cozy puffy-like layer, our clear Top Pick for Warmth, only weighed 11.5 ounces yet provided some of the best weather protection, breathability, and mobility in our entire test suite. The outer material is fragile and overall this shell didn't provide some of the basic features like adjustable cuffs and zippered hand pockets that many of our other contenders did, but we loved the protective feel so much that even these shortcomings didn't much bother us. If you're looking for a comfortable and warm jacket that can easily fit in your pack, layer under a hardshell, breathe while you hike, and keep you cozy while in wind and light snow, look no further - this is a great choice.

outdoor research ascendant hoody for women - even our picky pro-tester guava loved the plush ascendant hoody.
Even our picky pro-tester Guava loved the plush Ascendant Hoody.
Credit: Penney Garrett

Penney Garrett