Superior Fleece Hoodie Review
For this Superior Fleece hoodie review, I’ll review the Poplar Hoodie. Recently, I was trying to figure out how to get a Melanzana hoodie. They are nearly impossible to get. You have to apply to a lottery in order to get a chance to buy one. When I mentioned that I was trying to get that hoodie, someone said I should look at Superior Fleece. Superior Fleece was selling on Etsy at the time, and I ordered a hoodie.
I bought the hoodie four months ago. After wearing it nearly nonstop for months, I feel like I’m willing to give it a review. The short of it: my wife says I never take it off. You should probably get one.
About Superior Fleece
Superior Fleece is a small company in Duluth, Minnesota that makes fleece products from Polartec® materials. If you have been around the outdoor industry long enough, you know that Polartec was the pioneer in developing high-quality fleece for the outdoors. They have continued to innovate. You may not know that Duluth is home to many outdoor brands that make their products in the USA. I’m always willing to give a company a go if they make a product in the USA that is similar to what I’m looking for. That’s especially true of products made in Minnesota. It’s especially true of products made just down the shore in Duluth.
Power Grid
Before I bought the Poplar fleece I set out to look for a product, such as the Patagonia R1 or the Melanzana hoodie, made from a Power Grid or similar fleece product. Superior Fleece makes the Poplar Hoodie from the same stuff. If you haven’t seen Power Grid before imagine a smooth durable outer face over a fleece inside cut up into a grid pattern. The grid provides extra air space that traps warmed air and helps with the evaporation of sweat. Power Grid is also light for the warmth. If there’s a fleece fabric that hits the sweet spot of warmth to weight and durability, it’s Power Grid.
Review of the Fit and Quality of the Superior Fleece Hoodie
I’ll state right up front that I don’t know the terminology for seams, but when you look at the sewing, it looks like quality sewing. Everything is well done and has been plenty durable over the last four months of nearly constant wear. For example, it has been the shirt that I’ve worn (without washing) for the last 10 days. The seams on the inside aren’t flat like I’ve seen in other fleece products, but those flat seams also give a bulkier outside appearance than these do. If you ever seen a Patagonia Better Sweater, the seams are similar and seem to be similar quality. Superior Fleece makes a quality product.
The fit is a bit baggy but not too baggy. You’d be hard pressed to call it an athletic cut. To me, it feels like a Minnesotan cut if there’s such a thing. It’s a little baggy like a fleece that you’d expect to see on a lumberjack or a fat biker riding the Arrowhead 135. The sleeves are nice and long so when you raise your hands over your head they don’t pull away from your wrists. They are also loose enough to make it easy to push up the sleeves to your elbows when needed. The hood is big enough to fit over a bike helmet (I tried. It isn’t ideal. You’d probably want to wear it under the helmet), but that also makes the hood a bit loose. The length of the shirt is long. In the back, it extends below the length of my Patagonia Nano Puff. Personally, I like the fit for the most part, except for the hood.
I ordered a Large, which is the size I am in everything I wear. If you like a tighter fit, a medium might be the way to go. Mine weighs 12.8 ounces.
Room for Improvement?
I think there are two ways that this hoodie could be improved. I’d love to have thumb holes. I have a Mountain Hardware wool hoodie base layer, synthetic hoodie base layer and a summer-weight Patagonia surf hoodie. They all have thumb holes, and surprisingly I use those holes all the time. I never thought I’d like to have thumb holes, but they make a garment more versatile.
The hood could also be improved. I’ve found that it’s just a little too loose, especially when windy. There’s not an easy way to keep the hood on when facing into the wind. In strong wind, it catches and blows off. I’m going to add a snap to make it fit tighter when needed and then call it good.
Overall Review
Overall, I like the Superior Fleece hoodie. It’s made from Power Grid. It has a nice cut. The price is right. It is made in Minnesota. It also seems like a lot of people like these hoodies because they are in demand. They take a limited number of orders and close ordering when that total reaches what they can fulfill in a week. They open ordering on Mondays. This week I checked on Wednesday and ordering was closed. After the month of April, you’ll only be able to buy them in person at the Great Lakes Gear Exchange in Duluth. If you want one — and I think you do — jump on it first thing Monday.
Other Superior Fleece Hoodie Models
Superior Fleece currently makes four different hoodies. The Poplar, which is what I have, is made from Power Grid. The Cascade is made from a Micro fleece. It is light, warm and fast drying. The Brule is made from Alpha Direct fleece. Alpha Direct is super light and warm when under a shell and extremely breathable. It’s so breathable that the wind blows right through it, so for warmth it has to be worn under a shell that breaks the wind. But, it is extremely light. A large Brule weighs 7.8 ounces. The Amity is made from Polartec® Thermal Pro® fleece. It’s thick, warm and the heaviest.
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