Testing gear is always fun, but it’s awesome when the right piece comes your way at just the right time and becomes an instant favorite. 7mesh hit the nail on the head, setting me up with their new Spruce Hoody just as late fall/early winter conditions hit British Columbia.
The Spruce Hoody is an ideal outer or mid-layer for cool rides, offering excellent heat and moisture regulation. It’s impressively warm while remaining thin and lightweight, the fit worked very well for me and its lean hood can fit over a helmet for extra weather protection. This hoody is a priceless piece of kit for cool, dry rides!
7mesh Spruce Hoody – Construction and Features:
The Spruce Hoody is made from a new WTV 200 fabric, a lighter version of 7mesh’s WTV 300 (featured on the Chilco Anorak I reviewed a few years ago). WTV 200 is a thin but lofty waffle-constructed fabric. The WTV 200 offers better venting of heat and moisture versus WTV 300, keeping you from overheating when you’re pushing the pedals hard. One thing this fabric does not offer is waterproofing – no level of water resistance is claimed for the Spruce Hoody.
The Spruce Hoody features a full front zipper with a fleece chin guard. The waist hem and cuffs use slim elastic binding to keep them fitting snugly in a lightweight manner. For storage, the hoody includes two zippered hand pockets. String pulls on the main zipper and pockets ensure easy operation with gloved hands.
Although it’s not bulky and doesn’t look big, the Spruce hoody’s hood does fit over a helmet. 7mesh did not include their Stash System stuff pocket/attachment hooks on the Spruce Hoody. The hoody isn’t super packable, but should easily fit into almost any hydration pack.
Ride Impressions: Fit
At 5’10” with a slim build, the size medium Spruce Hoody fit me very well. The arms are long enough and the body is an ideal length for me, reaching below my waist in the front and to the bottom of my butt.
The overall fit is not tight but not too baggy anywhere. I found no issues with any restriction of mobility in this hoody. The elastic at the waist is great: It’s just enough to keep the hoody close to your body without feeling tight or restrictive at all.
I really like the Spruce Hoody’s collar, as it is tall and roomy enough to hide behind in cooler weather. When it’s zipped down, it falls off to the sides and out of the way.
I did try climbing with the hood pulled over my Oakley DRT5 helmet, and it worked very well. There is enough room in the hood that unless I looked directly upwards my head wasn’t tugging the whole hoody up. If you reach the limits of the hoody’s cut, the WTV 200 fabric is stretchy enough to allow a bit of added mobility. Visibility was very good with the hood up, the sides don’t block any of your view and the hood turns pretty well with your head. Also, even without any cinches the hood never slipped off my helmet. It seems 7mesh nailed the size of the hood, and its stretchy fabric held it in place.
While this was usually not an issue, on one ride I noticed the cuffs slid up and off my gloves several times. Even so, they remained snug enough behind the gloves to not let the wind blow up my sleeves. I suspect my camera backpack was tugging the hoody’s arms upwards a bit during this ride, as I typically did not experience this problem. The cuff elastics aren’t particularly tight, but they held their place 95% of the time. 7mesh also says the cuffs are designed to stay in place when pushed up your arm. I did try this during one ride and they stayed put for me.
Temperature Regulation:
Undoubtedly the Spruce Hoody’s best asset is its excellent temperature and moisture regulation. I wore this hoody on every one of my rides throughout October and November, and it was the perfect piece of kit.
With short or long-sleeved jerseys underneath, I rode the Spruce Hoody in temperatures ranging from about 6-12° Celsius. The hoody performed great, and I was surprised at how warm it kept me considering how thin it is. However, it never allowed me to get too sweaty inside. Riding from windy open areas to shady trails, the hoody kept me consistently comfortable throughout changing temperatures.
After some continuous climbing, I would start to sweat in the Spruce hoody, but it’s clear this fabric breathes very well. Even after warming up, I could just keep pedaling without overheating. When you’re really cranking away, the full front zipper is an effective option for dumping lots of heat. Yes, the WTV 200 fabric is already an awesome regulator, but it’s nice to be able to completely open the hoody when you’re working hard. On cooler rides, I didn’t touch the zipper as the fabric worked well enough itself, but the full zipper was useful in warmer temperatures.
In cooler temps of roughly 4-6° Celsius, I tried two jackets over top of the Spruce Hoody (with short-sleeved jerseys underneath). First I tried adding a very thin Specialized windbreaker to ensure a warm start to my ride. I stayed warm and cozy to the trailhead and had to pull off the windbreaker as soon as I started climbing. The Spruce Hoody’s impressive warmth took over from there, keeping me comfortable and dry throughout the ride.
On a rainy day in similar temperatures, I rode the waterproof Patagonia Dirt Roamer Storm jacket over the Spruce Hoody. I got pretty warm for the last few minutes of this climb, but again the hoody did a fine job of not letting me feel clammy or damp inside.
On these cool rides, I noticed when I stopped for a rest the Spruce Hoody would lose excess heat quickly, but only to a point. My core would drop from ‘hot’ to ‘comfortably warm’ within minutes, but then stay right there (even while I hung around shooting photos).
Layering and Wind Resistance:
I should definitely note how well the Spruce Hoody layers up. Its hood and collar are thin enough that they don’t feel bulky under an outer layer, and the overall fit is trim enough to fit inside a jacket without bunching up anywhere. Finally, this hoody’s last trick is how it vents heat so well, yet still provides good wind resistance. The WTV 200 fabric keeps the wind at bay while you’re hanging out on the trailside, and resists it enough that cold wind won’t cut through you while you’re sending it downhill.
I’ve only had the Spruce Hoody for two months, but so far there is no damage, excess wear and tear, or functional issues with it. Last but not least it’s always nice to get double duty from your gear, and I would happily wear this cozy hoody as a casual piece any day of the week.
MSRP for the Spruce Hoody is $180. Men’s color options are Black, Raisin, or Bamboo (as tested). Women’s models are available in Black or Bamboo. Men’s and women’s sizes range from XS-XXL.
