Arborwear Double-Thick Cotton Sweatshirt - Full Zip (For Men)
By Polaris from Amherst, MA on 11/29/2011
Pros:
Breathable, Comfortable, High Quality, Versatile, Warm
Best Uses:
Casual Wear, Everyday
Describe Yourself:
Classic, Comfort-oriented, Practical
Chest Size:
Feels true to size
Length:
Feels true to length
Sleeve Length:
Feels true to length
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
This hoodie is the ne plus ultra of cold weather gear. Its build is superb and it'll keep you warm through the coldest of nights/days. Its roomy but not baggy and all its components just work from the high quality YKK zipper to the hand warmers (and hand warmers they are, not just mere "hand pockets"). It fits perfectly and runs true to size so order the size you generally wear.
The hood is the best part of the hoodie for me. It's large, comfortable and does not inhibit your head at all. When I pull down the hood as far as it will go, it covers everything from my forehead down to my nose, almost like a monks cowl. Very neat, very warm.
Now, the web page does say 2nds and, in my case, I can see some slight superficial flaws with the product. They are as follows:
1. Loose threads. There are some ungainly pieces of thread popping up in certain areas, such as the gusseted armpit area and in the interior of the jacket. I worried that this would result in a fragile jacket but everything is holding steady.
2. There's a very small stain on the interior of the jacket where the sleeve connects with the body of the hoodie. The stain's light orange but isn't a big deal at all.
3. There's a narrow strip on the inside of the hoodie, going down the back, that seems to be missing some of its cotton fuzz in relation to the rest of the jacket. Extremely superficial and doesn't have any bearing at all on the warmth of the jacket.
And that's it. "Barely perceptible blemishes" is right and at this price, I'd be willing to put up with even greater blemishes. Arborwear is a great company and their standards are very high and it's most likely for this reason that these hoodies are classified as "2nds".
My hoodie is perfectly fine and exceeds my expectations. Order this if you want a very warm, durable, and well-fitting hoodie for cheap.