Rab Evolute Hoody review: A hiking midlayer that’s made for moving

Active insulation sounds great as a concept. It’s designed to deliver a healthy dose of both warmth and breathability to regulate your temperature when you’re on the move. It’s the sort of thing that you expect from the best fleece jackets, but does the Rab Evolute Hoody manage to fit the bill?

If you want the short answer, then yes, this is a damn good fleece jacket. Now, let’s move onto the long answer…

The Evolute Hoody very much reminds me of a past Rab jacket I’ve had for years, the Alpha Flux. That too was red and used a similar type of insulation on the interior, though that came in the form of Polartec’s Alpha Direct technology.

The Alpha Flux has been a reliable workhorse of mine for years, offering reliable ‘hybrid’ insulation without sacrificing breathability.

To use a popular saying, the Evolute Hoody seems to be cut from the same cloth. Not the very same cloth, though, as while the Evolute’s insulation looks very similar, it’s actually PrimaLoft’s Evolve Active Insulation that’s in play here.

Other similarities include a hood and multiple zip pockets, though I’d note that the Evolute is lighter and the outer fabric allows more wind to pass through. Comparisons made, here’s my full review, written after several months of testing on the trails through winter and spring.

Performance

Rab says this midlayer “expertly manages your output, even when you’re adding and removing layers”. It’s designed to be a breathable, high wicking layer that delivers warmth on the go.

In testing, this very much proved to be the case. This wouldn’t be the first fleece I’d reach for if I’m going to be loitering around a lot in cold weather, as the total amount of warmth on offer (and the wind protection) isn’t quite comparable to more traditional options.

Where the Evolute Hoody really excels though, is warmth when on the move.

It’s very easy to overheat in a lot of fleeces when hiking uphill or moving quickly, but that’s less of an issue here thanks to the nature of the insulation.

The PrimaLoft Evolve lining uses fibres of varying lengths and thicknesses, offering a reasonable amount of warmth yet also allowing moisture to escape through the Motiv Aero outer fabric.

Breathability is impressive, while ventilation is easy enough by opening the mesh-lined zip pockets.

The result is that where you might normally need to remove a layer when moving uphill, it’s less of a necessity here because there’s such good ventilation and breathability. It’s a great piece for changeable weather and works well under a decent waterproof jacket.

Meanwhile, the outer fabric has also had an odour control treatment applied, which seems to work well as I’ve worn the Evolute Hoody for weeks on end without starting to stink.

A weight of 333g (size medium) is decent. Yes, there are lighter options on the market, but many of those are likely to be more expensive or not quite offer the same balance of warmth and breathability.

Pack size is about on par with the size of a standard microfleece, which is not too bad at all.

Comfort and fit

The insulated lining, which runs right the way through the garment, feels soft and cosy against the skin, while Rab has used flatlock seams throughout to avoid any hot spots of irritation.

Both the outer and inner fabric have plenty of stretch to them, which results in an unrestricted range of movement.

You’ll find elasticated hems both at the waist and on the cuffs. The waist hem sits nice and flush against your body, which helps keep the warm air locked in.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the cuffs, as they fit quite loosely and allow cold breezes to sneak inside. This isn’t a deal breaker, as this does help keep you cool when you’re working hard (and it’s easy to pull the sleeves up), but I’d still prefer a slightly closer fit here.

The Alpha Flux, which I mentioned in my introduction, also had thumb loops, which you don’t get here. Again, not a big deal, but a nice thing to have.

I’ll add that fit felt true to size and, as someone that’s 186cm tall and has long limbs, there’s a good length to both the torso and arms, too.

Features

As I've mentioned, you get a zipped hand pocket on either side of the main zip. The mesh lining aids ventilation yet, vitally, it still feels durable enough that it’s not going to be full of holes in a few months.

That being said, as a matter of best practice I would still avoid putting loose keys in there, as that would be a sure-fire way to damage the mesh.

You also get a hood that fits closely around the head and will fit underneath a helmet. It’s lined with the same fabric as the rest of the jacket and doesn’t obscure your view when you’re looking around.

The neck collar sits just below the chin, which is fine, though I tend to prefer it come up a little higher so it’s easier to nestle into it if a cold wind is blowing through.

Meanwhile, the front zip comes from YKK and is easy to use thanks to a reasonably-sized zip pull, even if you’re wearing a pair of gloves.

Price and competition

An RRP of £125 certainly doesn’t put the Rab Evolute Hoody into budget territory. In fact, it’s more expensive than many alternatives that use a single fleecey material.

Of course, it’d be harsh to make direct comparisons on value with those, as what you’ve got here is a different type of insulation.

Comparable fleeces from competitors are admittedly similarly priced. For example, the Montane Protium XT Hooded Fleece Jacket comes in at £130.

The Mountain Equipment Switch Pro Hooded Jacket is also designed to be a fast-and-light insulating layer and comes in at £200.

Sustainability

Rab is very transparent on its sustainability and posts a table of ‘Material Facts’ on every product page on its website.

In this case, it pointed out that 58% of the total content of the garment came from recycled fibres, while there are no fluorocarbons (PFAS) – those harmful forever chemicals – intentionally added during manufacturing.

The Evolute Hoody was made in a factory in Bangladesh, with 0% of the energy going into making it coming from renewable sources.

Still work to do on the sustainability front, then, but I applaud Rab’s transparency and its use of recycled materials.

Verdict

If I was rating the Rab Evolute Hoody on the insulation alone, I’d be giving it top marks, but there are a couple of small details that hold it back from a full five stars.

To add a bit more weather protection, but maintain breathability, see our list of the best softshell jackets.