u/TaisonPunch2

Hi all. About a month ago, I had asked for recs on wool hoodies that I intend to use in preparation for winter travel. I kind of went nuts and got multiple ones with different specs, so I wanted to do a mini review on them.

Just as an aside, I soaked all of them in tepid water with Eucalan wool detergent (unscented) for about 30 minutes each and then had laid them on a drying rack afterwards. Also, I cannot test out the warmth of any of them right now because it's 98 degrees where I am.

1. Ridge Merino Traveler Hoodie
   MSRP at $150, but they always have this first time customer discount, so it ended up being around $130. It took like a week and a half to ship from Utah to California for some reason. This one was the thinnest of the bunch (195gsm). The sizing might not be that accurate because it felt a bit too snug for my tastes. But this was remedied by how stretchy the fabric was. Supposedly, the inner layer is 100% Merino wool while the exterior is a 88% blend. As a mid-layer, this is probably a very strong contender due to how easily it'll fit under any jacket. One thing I didn't like was that my fingers easily snag into the thumbhole on the end of the sleeve. It had metal YKK zippers, and I think this is more of a preference in terms of longevity and potential warping. Coupled with how thin the fabric is, I foresee that this might even cause tears in the future if I'm being careless putting it on. Overall, 6.5/10

2. Dilling Terry Hoodie
   MSRP at $287. But with a sale + first time customer discount, it ended up being like $190. It took exactly two days to ship from Denmark to California. Plus, there were no tariff shenanigans since they shipped via DDP. Fabric supposedly at 245 gsm, and it has plastic YKK zippers. It's noticeably thicker than the Ridge, but it's still more than manageable to be used as a versatile mid-layer. It's extremely soft to the touch and has zero scratchiness despite being 100% Merino wool. As of this moment, it's my favorite of the bunch. Overall, 8/10

3. Petros Gear Untreated Wool Hoodie
   MSRP at $250 but a bundle deal made it $125. It took roughly a week to ship from Ukraine to California. Shipped via DDP also. Fabric rating is unknown, but it feels subjectively like 3 times as thick as the Dilling. Fabric is scratchy on skin. I have relatively sensitive skin, but it didn't get to the point of itchiness. It uses plastic unbranded zippers. There is the option to get metal zippers, but the bundle discount wouldn't apply then. This is not very versatile due to the sheer weight of the fabric. This would function almost exclusively as an outer layer, and although untested as of yet, I think it would be fine even in the negative temperatures. As an aside, when I was soaking it in Eucalan, despite how it was a beige/off-white color, it still bled out a brown color during the soak. Also, it gave off a pretty animalic smell while it was drying. It's supposed to be washing machine safe on low setting, so I'll try that to see if it'll be reduced at all the next time it needs to be cleaned. Overall, 7/10

I intend to keep all of them since they'll all be useful in different temperatures. However, they will be sitting inside an airtight suitcase until this fall/winter. Thanks again to all of the people who gave recommendations previously.

I'm trying to look for a merino wool hoodie and would like to hear if anyone would recommend any particular model or brand for this.

I intend to wear it underneath a denim jacket or on its own. The temperature range would likely be for 0C ~ 10C which would be the most common for the times I'm wearing it in.

I'm kind of gravitating towards Minus33's, but if there are any better ones, I'm all ears.

Edit: Thanks to all for the numerous suggestions. I'll have to do a lot more research on this.

I know I've seen a couple posts about complaints on Gustin on their business practices, and I'd like to join in on the bandwagon on my growing hatred for them.

I wasn't into their own crowdfunding thing, so I only went through their available stock. I first got a pair of their heavy denim, and I'm actually quite satisfied with this one.

I then got one of their wool CPO jackets, and this is when the problems started. It arrived with a missing button. Yes, an entire missing button. I would have hoped that this would have been caught during QC or something. I contacted customer service on the same day asking about this. The timeline went something like this:

Day 2 - Gustin asked me if I want to fix it myself, and they'd send extra buttons. I responded promptly saying that I'd like to have the buttons, but I had questions about who would shoulder the cost of the repair since it's a defective product.

Day 3 - Gustin said there's flexibility, but they can reimburse up to $15. I responded asking again to send the buttons.

Day 7 - I asked Gustin what the situation was on the buttons.

Day 8 - Gustin responds saying that their warehouse guy is going to be out until next week.

Their products are good if they arrive fine, but it gets real frustrating to fix an issue if there is something wrong with your order. I can't imagine someone joining the crowdsourcing, waiting half a year, and then get the same defective product.

Anyways, just venting.

TLDR: Gustin customer service, while courteous, seems to drag their feet to provide any help if there's something wrong with your order.

My Brannock length is at 10.5, but widths have always been a issue for me. I've tried out Redwing Moctoes in 11E at the store, and they still felt cramped and painful to me. The boot that actually fit me well among the PNW brands is a Nicks with a munson last at 10FF.

With that in mind, it's still a bit hard to tell whether to go for a 10E or 10.5E in LJ boots for the Munson/Fight boots.

Any advice would be appreciated.