Bottom Line
The Ridge Merino Solstice Pro Lightweight Wool Hoodie (men’s / women’s) is a great option for hikers looking for a natural alternative to the polyester shirts that dominate the market. Soft to the touch, well fitting, and highly odor-resistant, this shirt stood out on demanding outdoor adventures. However, it does lack some benefits of its synthetic counterparts: It’s not the most durable over the long term, doesn’t have a ton of stretch, and takes a while to dry.
In our eyes, a merino wool shirt like the Ridge Merino Solstice Pro Lightweight is a great middle ground in terms of comfort and performance. It’s soft but still offers several of the technical benefits you get with synthetics. In other words, it’s great for the intermediate hiker who gets out regularly but doesn’t demand the utmost in performance from their sun shirt. For more technical options, check out our sun shirts gear guide.
How We Tested
Where didn’t we take this shirt? During the cooler months, we wore it as a base layer for two short (one-mile-ish) ski tours and days at the resort, plus a number of three- to five-mile hikes in variable weather with and without additional layers overtop.
Quick Specs
Ridge Merino Solstice Pro Lightweight Wool Hoodie
Best Natural Fiber Sun Hoody
CleverHiker Rating: 4.4/5.0
Price: $100
UPF Rating: 35
Weight: 8.4 oz. / 7 oz.men’s / women’s
Fabric Weight: 150 GSM
Fabric: 87% merino wool, 13% nylon (shell); 100% nylon (pocket)
Pros
- Made with natural fabrics
- Odor-resistant
- Effective at regulating temperature
- Gets softer over time
- Breathes well
Cons
- UPF rating doesn’t meet The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation
- Moderate drying time
Comfort
We had no complaints about the Solstice Pro’s fit or hand feel. There were some design features that we would tweak, but it’s overall a very easygoing and approachable design.
The fabric (made of 87% merino wool and 13% nylon) is very soft, almost like cotton. We experienced no itchiness whatsoever, even when the shirt was pressed tightly against our skin by jackets and sweaters layered overtop. The fabric does feel heavier and more substantial than other lightweight wool shirts we’ve reviewed, but that’s a positive to us.
Our only complaints with the design have to do with the quarter-zip collar and chest pocket. Both are quite stiff and have an awkward feel as a result. The quarter zip’s rigidity caused the zipper to buckle when we moved our chin up and down, which made the shirt undesirable as a base layer. The chest pocket was similarly problematic and didn’t prove all that useful, either.
Sun Protection
The Skin Cancer Foundation recently upped its requirements for a garment to earn its “Seal of Recommendation,” and the Solstice Pro does not quality with a UPF rating of 35+. The foundation does specify that shirts in this range offer “very good protection,” but only UPF 50+ is considered excellent.
We love the other features of this shirt that help protect from the sun, including the hood with adjustable cinches and thumbholes to secure the sleeves over the hands. And though the zipper at the neck causes some irritation, it also provides protection, keeping the neck covered even when the hood is down.
Breathability & Wicking Power
We found the Solstice Pro to be a good breather, even under layers. We tested this short for a week straight on adventures from ski touring to hiking, wearing it under puffy jackets and fleece mid-layers. By the end, we concluded it’s comfortable both as a base layer and as a standalone piece.
While other sun shirts became too hot underneath layers but too cold on their own, the Solstice Pro was able to adapt to varying temperatures and layering combinations. This is largely thanks to wool’s impressive temperature regulation abilities – it’s known to trap heat when you need it and dump it when you don’t.
That said, as a natural fiber, wool is pretty absorbent. This shirt took on a lot of sweat while traveling uphill. Not only is this embarrassing at times (like when you’re trying to show off your physical prowess to new friends), but it can lead to discomfort or even hypothermia in certain conditions.
We found this shirt to have a moderate drying time – somewhere between the ultralight, fast-drying technical fabrics and denser knits in our sun hoody guide. However, we will note that wool maintains a lot of its comfort and insulating abilities even when wet, allowing us to sit at the summit and transition on skis more easily than in other shirts we reviewed.
Versatility
The Ridge Merino Solstice Pro Lightweight is best for warm to cool shoulder-season outings and winter temperatures – essentially, everything except the heart of summer. The fabric feels substantial and sturdy, landing about mid-pack in our lineup in terms of thickness (150 GSM).
Though the fabric feels robust, some stitching along the seams has already come undone, and a couple areas are starting to pill. Ridge attempted to hedge their bets by incorporating their (m)Force Technology, wrapping merino wool around a continuous nylon filament for added strength and tear resistance. Though the rest of the shirt is holding up well, it seems there’s no way to fully escape the pitfalls of merino wool.
Should You Buy The Ridge Merino Solstice Pro Lightweight Wool Hoodie?
This is a solid choice for anyone looking for a dependable, natural sun shirt. It works well for adventurers who demand technical performance but don’t want to sacrifice comfort and easy wearability. If you enjoy skiing in wool base layers, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy hiking in a wool sun shirt like the Solstice Pro.
If class-leading sun protection or long-term durability are at the top of your priority list, it’s worth looking elsewhere. Though solid, the Solstice Pro’s UPF 35+ rating is at the lower end of our lineup, and the mostly merino construction will likely break down faster than a comparable synthetic shirt. The shirt is also pretty absorbent and slower to dry, which limit its summer appeal.
What Other Sun Shirts Should You Consider?
Below are more highly rated options from our guide to the best sun shirts:
Arc’teryx Sunna Hoody Review: A more technical option than the Solstice Pro, the men’s Cormac / women’s Sunna has excellent stretch, wicks well, dries fast, and resists odor to an impressive degree. Its polyester fabric is very durable and resistant to pilling but lacks the Solstice Pro’s old-cotton-T-shirt comfort and softness.
Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoody Review: The Crater Lake is a lightweight knit design that breathes well and is noticeably softer than the Solstice Pro. The synthetic fabric has more stretch, dries quicker, and offers better sun protection, as well (UPF 50+). However, it lacks the Solstice Pro’s year-round wearability (it’s best in summer temperatures) and impressive temperature regulation.
Patagonia Tropic Comfort Natural Hoody Review: The Tropic Comfort Natural combines excellent comfort, stretch, and odor resistance in a good-looking package. Made from mostly modal, which is derived from beechwood, it’s another natural alternative to the polyester designs that dominate the market. It has a very soft feel and a slightly higher UPF rating (40+) than the Solstice Pro, but it’s definitely more of a casual piece that’s more at home around town than on a summit.
