His-n-Hers Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket: Lightweight & Warm

The seasons are changing, and cold weather is settling in. As outdoor enthusiasts, Andy and I are always looking for improved ways to keep warm, especially while traveling in far-flung locations. We’re testing the Men’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket in size small and Women’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket in medium to see if they’re ideal standalones for chilly weather and solid mid-layers when the temps plummet. Here are our first impressions.

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Why wool?

Merino wool is no regular wool. It’s lightweight, temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking, and odor-resistant. These are traits important to active people, especially those who want warmth in fall or winter and coolness when temps rise when it comes to well-made jackets.

Merino wool is typically more expensive than other materials, but it traps heat in cold weather and also keeps wearers cooler in warm weather because it wicks moisture away from you. It’s also wrinkle resistant and relatively comfortable, as it’s far less scratchy than traditional wool. Merino wool is also lightweight and packs well.

Women’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket

The Women’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket has 80 grams of insulation and is made from the company’s proprietary 50% recycled wool. It’s a combination of Merino wool and a 4-way stretch fabric in strategic panels giving you exceptional unrestrictive movement. The main jacket has 47% recycled polyester, 38% Merino wool, and 15% Spandex Elastane. The overlay: 100% recycled nylon. Filling is 50% recycled wool and reprocessed wool, 38% wool, 12% polyester. Lining: 56% Merino Wool, 44% recycled polyester.

The Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket includes a non-PFC DWR finish that adds extra protection when the elements turn sour. It has two secure external pockets and one internal zippered pocket. It also has longer sleeves with thumb holes at the cuffs and a robust, high-quality front zipper, too.

Smartwool says this fully zippered jacket is a regular fit, though I’d say it’s fitted with a paneled-style pattern that complements a woman’s figure wonderfully. The medium fits me like a glove; the large size would’ve been too big.

Wearing my Smartloft Hybrid Jacket

The Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket is extremely well made, is easy to travel with, and packs down in a smaller footprint than comparable pieces. It doesn’t wrinkle much and if it does, it flattens out quickly.

My Nightfall Blue tester is stylish and flatters my figure, however, I wish it was a few inches longer in length at its base hem. I found wearing fitted or shorter shirts under it works best if you’d like to keep this jacket fully zipped. The bottom of said shirts mostly hangs down lower than this jacket. This jacket hugs my body, so loosely fitted base layer shirts create a rippled effect at the bottom, underneath the Smartloft Hybrid Jacket. Is it a gamechanger? No, but it’s not a very polished detail when the jacket is.

My Thoughts

The women’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket works well as an outer layer during crisp fall days and as a midlayer when temperatures drop. Note: I haven’t worn this jacket in below-freezing temps yet, so stay tuned for that part. I have, however, worn this jacket when hiking and traveling by car and it kept my body temp pretty constant and comfortable each time.

I have noticed a bit of scratchiness when wearing short sleeves underneath. That’s a characteristic some feel when wearing wool. But it’s not enough of a factor for me to toss this into the deep abyss of my closet.

The women’s version of this jacket also has a single thick horizontally sewn band across the back along the bra line. While it may not be a non-issue for some, it hits me in the wrong place, accentuating wrinkles across that area once fully zipped. I’d prefer a plain rear panel like the men’s version.

In short, the Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket is a keeper as a go-to for chilly days, even though it’s on the pricier side. It’s warm, thin, and looks great with a well-made tailored fit. Price: $210.00

Men’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket

The Men’s Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jacket has many of the same features as the women’s iteration. However, it has 60 grams of insulation (vs. 80 with the women’s). It has two exterior pockets but no zippered pocket on the inside (the women’s does). However, it has an exterior zippered chest pocket whereas the women’s doesn’t. The men’s version is also a looser, boxier fit vs. the shape-hugging women’s jacket.

“My first impression of the Men’s Smartloft Hybrid Jacket was that it felt quality and premium,” Andy said. “It fits snuggly but comfortably. I can’t stand most wool products, but the Merino Wool blend on the sleeves doesn’t bother me a bit. It also has thumb holes in the sleeves for additional warmth, and to keep them from bunching up under an outer layer.”

For Andy, it’s great having three pockets, he can even get his mobile phone in the chest pocket if he wanted to. “On a brief November hike in the Oregon woods, the jacket was surprisingly warm for its thickness. Later that week, I wore it under a down jacket to meet a friend for coffee. It looks good, feels premium, and is nice and warm.”

He said it’s definitely not an inexpensive piece, but it feels extremely well made. “I might even say it’s outdoor lux. It’s a very nice piece.” Price: $210.00

Photos of Andy by Mercedes Lilienthal. Photos of Mercedes by Andy Lilienthal.