Weight / Warmth
The Mid Hoodie, at 260g/m2, is a great, versatile weight. I’ve worn it as a solid, warm midlayer while skiing; on warmer resort days (~35° and higher), I wore the Mid Hoodie with just a baselayer and shell quite comfortably. For activities that required more exertion, such as skinning, biking, or hiking, I could wear just a baselayer and the Mid Hoodie without sweating up to about 50°, due to the fabric’s good breathability.
(JE: Yeah, on the warmth spectrum, I wouldn’t break out the Mid Hoodie as a midlayer on really cold days, but in the 35-50 degree F range, it was perfect. And as an outlerlayer, I can comfortably wear the Mid Hoodie in the low 70’s.)
I’ve worn the Mid Hoodie in everyday situations just as often—if not more often—than I wore it during physical activities. It’s causal, longer fit sets it apart from most other Merino options, and I constantly receive compliments on it.
(JE: Same here.)
Maintenance
The Mid Hoodie has held up incredibly well over time, although I really don’t have to wash it that often. It just doesn’t stink.
(JE: Yep.)
I usually let the Mid Hoodie air dry (which Mons Royale instructs), but I have also thrown it in the dryer. The layer emerged unscathed and the same size. Although Mons Royale does not recommend putting their products in a dryer, I appreciate having that option in case I need to dry it quickly, although I will most likely continue to air-dry my hoodie for longevity.
(JE: In the past, I’ve refused to ever consider any wool product that won’t allow you to throw it in a dryer. Because I’m lazy. But it says something about how much I like all of my Mons Royale pieces that I wouldn’t dream of putting any of them in the dryer, out of fear that I’d ruin them. That might be the single greatest compliment that I can give to Mons Royale: they’ve made me change my staunch laundering principles because I like their stuff so much. So while Julia’s findings are interesting, there’s no way I’m throwing this hoodie in a dryer, because if I ruined it, I’d hate myself.)
I’ve noticed with several other of my Merino wool layers that the material tends to pill in certain areas, particularly on the three Icebreaker pieces I own. Right after I started wearing the Mid Hoodie, I noticed the material getting fuzzy and I thought it was going to pill. To my surprise, the fabric smoothed out once I washed it and it still has yet to pill.
(JE: I haven’t experienced much pilling on mine. But I guess if this started to happen, I might try Julia’s dryer trick, if I can work up the nerve.)
Price (and Comparisons)
The listed price for the Mid Hoodie on the Mons Royale website is $260 New Zealand dollars, which comes to about $220 USD. However, other distributors in the US list the Mid Hoodie for around $195, which falls somewhere in the middle of competitors’ prices. Smartwool has a similar midlayer, the HiFi Full Zip Hoody, which goes for $220; however, it is a Merino/Nylon blend. Icebreaker has a similar full zip hoodie that is the same weight, but has 2% Lycra. This costs $220 also. Ibex’s Shak Lite Hoody is less expensive, retailing at $160, and actually is a little heavier weight.
So, even at full price, the Mons Royale Mid Hoodie isn’t more expensive than most other full Merino zip-ups, and you can most likely find it for less than other brands’. Regardless, Merino is expensive. With Mons Royale, at least you can trust you’re getting high-quality Merino, and (at least in our humble opinion) their stuff just looks better than many of the other options out there.
Bottom Line
If you plan to invest in a high-quality, Merino midlayer that has style, you should absolutely check out the Mons Royale Mid Hoodie. Its softness can’t be beat, it looks great, and you’ll likely end up wearing it as much as Jonathan does, maybe even as much as I do.