Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie

Review by Erin Trail

The Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie is meant for both comfort and high performance, offering fuzzy warmth that’s good for staying warm on cold days.

Details

• Made from a traceable ZQ merino/recycled polyester/polyamide blend.
• Hood with a crossover design at the neck for added coverage and style.
• Hood lined in microfleece made from 100% recycled polyester.
• High-loft exterior that traps lots of air pockets.
• Raglan sleeves and open kangaroo pocket.
• Outer fleece fabric: 61% wool (traceable), 26% polyamide (recycled), 13% polyester (recycled)
• Relaxed fit

Review

First, I’m a sucker for a hoodie.  I love them. Second, I am also a sucker for soft, fuzzy things. The Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie ticks both of those boxes and added in some surprise performance elements as well.

I went to the In Search of the Arctic Fox documentary movie premier at the Fjällräven Denver store at the end of January.  It’s always nice as a gear reviewer to go into the store to do some window shopping. I felt that I was pretty set with the items I had received for gear testing for this winter season and wasn’t looking for anything in particular.  Then, like a beacon across the store, the Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie called me to come over and check it out.  On the website, the hoodie seems fairly basic and unassuming. In person is a whole different story.  This hoodie has a fleecy wooly outer that’s different from most hoodies out there.  It gives super fuzzy wool sweater vibes – thick pile that’s super soft to the touch.  When I put the hoodie on, I was instantly in love.  The relaxed fit is spacious, but not to the point where you feel like you’re drowning in fabric.  The inner knit of the hoodie, while being the same 61% wool as the fuzzy exterior, is smooth and soft. The lining of the hood is also a nice touch, as it’s made from velvety soft recycled polyester.

So the Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie has all the cozy vibes that one would want in warm, comfortable loungewear.  But this hoodie is capable of WAY more than couch surfing.

I like to alpine ski and this season, I’ve been sent shell jackets for gear testing.  I usually wear insulated jackets and still need 2-3 base and mid layers under the jacket.  I had two pretty chilly days on the slopes, with temps in the mid teens and low twenties and found that I was just barely staying warm with one base layer and two active insulation jackets on beneath the shell.

The Fjällräven website states that the Kaitum Hoodie is an ideal midlayer under a ski shell, and so that’s what I went out and tested.  Temperatures were warmer than my prior days, in the mid to upper 20s.  I started out with two baselayers, the Kaitum Hoodie, and a shell jacket and quickly realized that I was WAY too warm, even when standing still for a “ski with a ranger” tour or on the chairlift.  I rearranged my layers – removing the heavier baselayer – and went on my merry way at lunch. I was PLENTY warm. Warm enough where, until the storm blew in in the afternoon, I had to open up the vents in the jacket. I generally don’t like opening the vents because I almost always end up cold on the lift, but that was not the case with the Kaitum Hoodie. I was the perfect amount of warm, even when skiing more challenging terrain, and didn’t have the usual freeze on the chairlift feeling in between runs.

Because the fit of the Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie is relaxed, there’s plenty of room for it to go over layers, even over ski bibs.  As the interior knit is smooth and soft, if you want to wear the hoodie as your only layer, that also works really well.

As a bonus, since the Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie is made from wool, this garment is naturally odor resistant.

The fuzzy, wooly exterior knit handles rougher wear nicely.  I did have a minor pull from a cat’s claw, but with the high loft, it was easy enough to pull the snag back into the knit, making it appear like the snag was never there to begin with.

Sizing Notes

The Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie is a relaxed cut, which means that the fit is intentionally oversized. I like the relaxed fit because it will accommodate ski bibs or other layers nicely. The hood is also pretty oversized, giving psuedo-Emperor vibes.  The hood does not work well with a ski helmet, but it is lovely for pulling down over your eyes for a mid-afternoon nap in a bright room.  If you want a more slim fit, sizing down is recommended.

Closing Thoughts

The Fjällräven Kaitum Hoodie is available for women in three colorways (dark navy, dark grey, chalk white). Sizes range from XXS to XL.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race