Rab Pulse Hoody - Review

1st...thanks to ULOG... I called in at the showroom after checking my desired sizes were available. Excellent service as usual (even if there's no drink machine or coffee offered for long distance travellers )
The hoody... Wow
Very comfortable and an excellent relaxed fit.
I bought it for its weight, sun protection and its ability to dry fast.

I've used it for back packing, Fastpacking and trail running.

PROS ..
WEIGHT. Very light 127g for a Large.

FIT. Very comfortable next to skin. Relaxed yet makes you look more athletic than you maybe?

Hood is generous and let's air in to help keep you cool. It also does a good job of keeping sweat from your eyes. If you've a shaved head or a days growth... It will stick fast on your head top and this works great if the wind is blowing or your running.
If you wear it down and it blows onto your shoulder... You don't notice it.. It's that soft and light.

Thumb loops are good and best yet, the sleeves can be pushed up for venting or preventing soiling when cooking or pitching shelter.

Neck is also comfortable

FUNCTION. Very breathable yet oddly insulating depending on tempreture and activity.
Works well on its own, keeps the worst of the sun off.

Dries very quick if damp from sweat. Strange magic is... It breathes that well, and dries that quick.. I've yet to get damp.. I've had small damp spots on my downy athletic belly... But that's it.

Add a thin fleece layer over or under and its a great combination when the tempreture gets below 8c.

I use my Macpac Nitro alpha layer.
Colours.. Good strong colours ULOG was the only place I could find my beloved Orange

How does it wash? Great! Comes out of the machine after a gentle spin almost bone dry.

Ideal for multi day treks where you need to launder as you go.

CONS...
KEEP IT AWAY FROM VELCRO. It will destroy its look and performance. The material is similar to the older Rab Interval shirts.

Sithee
IMG_20190602_063143 by Bearded Bimbler, on Flickr

Usage update...
I wore this on Saturday whilst trail running for 13 miles. Good combination of drizzle to silin down.
In the worst, I wore a water resistant jacket above it and wore a Brynje compression layer beneath...
It performed admirably. When I got home, I weighed it to see how much rain/sweat it held... Less than 100g.... That's good going considering the exposure and suffaction it had under the jacket....
It really is proving to be more than just a one trick pony.

I like it's "its fast dying ability" …….. built in obsolesence - good business model there

The only killer is the velcro adversity... The wife has the interval zip tee, and it looks like she's been living both sides of a bramble patch and never walks round..... She wasn't happy

I have similar, and they all seem to get the rub bobbles. aside from a session with a Remington fuzz away, you just have to like the worn in look.

Is this the same material as the OR echo?

FYI @island

I've heard that said elsewhere. I can't comment but I belive that it's very similar as I toyed with the idea of buying one, but there's no weight saving to be had and I figure the neck pulls would be a pain.
Plus the Rab can be found cheaper and had Orange lol. The 2nd one I've bought is blue though as I may wear this as a summer work top.

Can't find a smiley for lost me there

You hadn't done a spelling check and I was being pedantic. It went right over your head …...

on my face... Looked three times... Then spotted the dying.... Arrrrgh.
I don't have spell check... I do have tired eyes... I will endiva to be more careful. Cheers

Nice
If it's similar fabric to my Echo hoody it's a great material, great recommendation from William

It's not exactly the same as the interval or echo. It feels a little more sheer and stretchy, a little less pronounced grid. Still very similar in terms of performance though ime.

I thought about getting the hoody one size up for sleeping in but I still have an oversized OR echo as or a ls zip interval. Very good tops though, all three of them.

OR Echo or Rab Interval are my to go baselayers in anything deep sub zero. Their ability to move perspiration is the key to stay warm under a shell/windshirt and fast drying they are the best. Was looking at Echo hoody but lacking the long front zip as on LS Echo I think the hoody is not that versatile....same with Pulse above.

Nice! Ta.

The Rab Interval used to be Motiv G and they had other items made of Motiv H. I emailed Rab about the Pulse and they replied that Motivs G and H we're so similar that they decided to combine them. So pretty much the same but perhaps not exactly? I haven't seen a Pulse but have both Interval and Echo; if they're not the same material, I certainly can't tell the difference.

I'll edit it to remove my opinion. Cheers

I went for an Elevation run this morning, wore it with a wind jacket, then removed the jacket.... It performed like expected... Excellent.
My blue one should be here today

Looks good. What is the sizing like? According to the ULOG size guide I fall between L and XL.

I'm a 40 chest, 5'11 broad shouldered. Large fits me fine, loose where it needs to be. I can fit my macpac Nitro underneath or over.

Bugger! No VAT and free delivery. I don't even need it but I reckon this one is the same as Pata LW (100 gms senza hood) but with a hood which I want, that canary one is calling.

I wore this on Saturday whilst trail running for 13 miles. Good combination of drizzle to silin down.
In the worst, I wore a water resistant jacket above it and wore a Brynje compression layer beneath...
It performed admirably. When I got home, I weighed it to see how much rain/sweat it held... Less than 100g.... That's good going considering the exposure and suffaction it had under the jacket....
It really is proving to be more than just a one trick pony.

I am still interested in picking this up -looks excellent and from my reading is the same stuff as Patagonia Capilene LW stuff which works very well for me, but I am thinking dual use-to try some summer sun use with a peak as well as working at other times as a baselayer- the Pulse is said to be 30SPF but I can't find anything confirming that. Rab site makes no mention of SPF. OR officially states SPF15 for their Hoody.
I have a strange feeling it may be 15SPF as well given the similarity of fabric? 15SPF won't work for me-just want to know for certain before purchase.
Chiseller or anyone happen know?

I took it as that, I'd rate it at that or less? but I've no real experience with SPF

I can't comment on the SPF, bit we've just finished 5 days in southern Turkey, the majority of it over 2,800m in altitude with no shade. I was wearing an OR Hoody. I burn easily but have no sign of burning (except my nose - in spite of sunscreen).
And many more experiences like that over the past couple of years.

Thanks for that William. By the way you might need Zinc Oxide on the nose? Have you tried it? You can get clear stuff now I believe. As you probably know sunscreen slows burning not stops.

Thanks Chiseller, I reckon 15 is right (?) -great that it's working for you. Extreme UV an isue for me. Montbell version is also 15 SPF. I will still get a Pulse I reckon. Looks great and I reckon lack of zip would not be an issue for me either.