Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hoody - Women's Review

Across all metrics, the Ferrosi offers solid performance for a very accessible price. It is highly breathable with excellent mobility, making it a natural choice for sweaty, high-exertion activities. It boasts an abrasion resistant fabric for premium durability, and is reasonably feature rich, especially for the price. It is a great option for climbing, cycling, hiking, and all manner of mountain activities.

Performance Comparison

With premium breathability, you won't sweat the Ferrosi whether climbing, hiking, or running.

Credit: Scott Sinor

Weather Protection

While the Ferrosi provides good wind protection and features UPF 50+ sun protection, its lightweight material isn't ideal for inclement weather.

In our water tests, this layer soaked through pretty quickly — it was leaking and had noticeable drips of moisture inside the jacket within less than 10 seconds. At the one-minute mark, it reached total failure, becoming wet around the shoulders (and that was with the hood up!). The Ferrosi does have a decent amount of resistance for light sprinkles and spray, especially on the Cordura-reinforced shoulders and forearms. It also dries very quickly, which is something we like to see. As long as you're keeping your heart rate up, you will have little problem staying warm in cooler weather, as long as you aren't depending on this jacket to keep a rainstorm at bay.

As far as wind, the Ferrosi handles decently well, though it is not the most wind-resistant and is also not the warmest of the bunch. That being said, the hood is generous, and the overlapping thumb loops keep gusts out even when not in use, a nice attention to detail.

This layer wetted out quickly in our shower test, though it does well in the wind.

Credit: Mary Witlacil

Breathability

This is an excellent layer for breathability. The material is thin, and the pockets are mesh-lined for added ventilation. It isn't as comfortable next-to-skin as some other models, but we never felt stifled or sticky. All in all, this layer is a great choice for high-exertion activities where you need a bit of protection. Running, hiking, biking, climbing, and anything else that works the cardiovascular system are natural activity-fits for this jacket.

When hiking on a sunny spring day in the desert you need that perfect balance of protection and breathability. The Ferrosi does just that.

Credit: Penney Garrett

Mobility

Mobility is another category where the Ferrosi shows its value and fetches a competitive score. With stretchy fabric and a generous fit, this is a great layer for getting your move on. The hood can be a little restrictive with a helmet on, but not bad. Traditionally, the fit of the Ferrosi has been somewhat looser, which is great if you like a little extra room for layering underneath. Given the four-way stretch of the fabric, the Ferrosi never impeded movement or kept our reviewers down.

Moving in the Ferrosi is easy, you can almost forget you have it on.

Credit: Scott Sinor

Weight

This thin and light jacket earns another respectable score in the weight metric. The Ferrosi weighs 11.5 ounces for a small, which is on the lighter side of jackets in our review.

Light and stretchy, this is a great layer for all things adventure.

Credit: Scott Sinor

Versatility

This is a feature-rich softshell, especially for the price! The Ferrosi has a list of great features that make it very well-suited to outdoor adventuring. It is stretchy, breathable, quick-drying, lightweight, decently weather-protective, helmet-compatible, and offers UPF 50+ sun protection. The shoulders and forearms are reinforced with abrasion-resistant Cordur, making it impressively durable, especially against rock and brambles. The thumb loops don't chafe, and they overlap to keep cold air out. The hem is drawcord-adjustable, there's a key clip, and — our favorite — a pocket that doubles as a stuff sack ready to be clipped onto a harness. That being said, the stow-away pocket commands some serious real-estate when clipped to your harness, and the clip loop is among the least robust of the jackets that have this feature. Style-wise the Ferrosi is fairly boxy and baggy and has an overall sportier look, but it is durable and comes in fun colors.

Value

This jacket is a great value for what you get, best for anyone who wants a rugged layer they can thrash without spending a fortune. If you need something simple, lightweight, breathable, stretchy, and well-featured, then look no further. The Ferrosi handles equally great in granite off-widths and as a wind-layer on warm days while skinning up to backcountry ski.

The lightweight and packable nature of the Ferrosi make it a great value for travel and adventure alike. Seen here in an older colorway - we've been testing this jacket in all its iterations for years!

Credit: Penney Garrett

Conclusion

Solid, consistent performance meets an outstanding price point with the Ferrosi Hooded. This is a fun jacket with good features that provides protection from the sun, wind, and sprinkles while breathing and moving with ease. It is lightweight and packs down small and has great versatility for what it is — all at a very fair price.

Fun and functional, the Ferrosi is a solid contender for your swing-season wardrobe.

Credit: Scott Sinor