Paka Hoodie Review
Highly sustainable, high performance athleisure wear made with alpaca fiber
September 13, 2023 – We nod to the Paka Hoodie for taking sustainable athleisure apparel to the next level without sacrificing comfort, aesthetics, or much in the way of performance. When it comes to natural insulation, breathability, quick dry, and bacteria/odor resistance, nothing beats alpaca fiber. This hoodie is perfect for the eco-conscious traveler who requires a warm and versatile garment for everyday adventure use. Shop now.
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- Price: $149
- Weight: 17.5 oz (Size L, our measurement)
- Fabric: 65% Royal Alpaca, 35% Recycled Nylon, Knit.
- Fit: Standard trending toward relaxed, with a long fluid drape
- Sizing: Unisex/men’s
- Pros: Sustainable. Compostable packaging. Soft. Warm. Comfy. Cozy. Hand-made. Versatile. Naturally bacteria/odor resistant. Great looking. Breathable.
- Cons: Heavy by backpacking standards. No hang loop or hood cinch. Stretches out. Expensive. Faintest whisper of wool scratchiness.
Compare to more options in our guide to lightweight fleece. You might also be interested in our Paka Everday Baselayer review.
Materials, Construction, Fit, Features
It’s worth reiterating that alpaca fiber yields high performance yarn that outperform even merino on a number of axes, including softness, strength, warmth retention, lower water absorption, and anti-bacterial/odor-resistance (perfect for multi-day wear). And the Paka Hoodie is made with not just any alpaca fiber, but Royal Alpaca. Royal is a designation for the finest strands of alpaca wool (18-19 microns in diameter). Finer strands equate to softer hand feel and are the most pleasant to wear. It’s comparable to high thread count sheets.
That being said, this is a still a natural garment and you might notice the faintest scratchy/itchy sensation, as you would with any sweater made from wool.
The Paka Hoodie is made with a yarn comprised of 65% royal alpaca, and 35% recycled nylon, deriving benefits from both materials. The nylon in particular ups the performance in terms of durability, quick dry, and stretch rebound, while still comprising a minority share of the fabric and not compromising on sustainability due to its recycled composition.
We would describe the fit of this unisex hoodie as standard/true to men’s sizing, trending toward relaxed and loose. It’s also reasonably stretchy (and breathable), due to the loose knit, but we note that after days of wear, it starts to stretch out without fully rebounding, expanding by up to 1/8 to 1/4 of a size. This is especially notable on the sleeves, which we are frequently rolling up while using our hands. If you are in between sizes, you might wish to size down on this one unless you prefer a loose fit. It also has a longer than average, fluid drape on the torso and sleeves, falling all of the way to the mid-butt and knuckles respectively.
The Hoodie has a number of very pleasing trim elements, including a V-shaped contrasting knit neck flourish, a knit Peruvian pattern patch on the hem, and a hand-written seamstress signature on the inside. Shout out to Ama C!
If there’s one feature we’re missing, it’s a hood drawstring or cinch, which helps seal keep the hood on when walking into the wind.
Testing & Recommended Use
For this Paka Hoodie review, I tested the garment while hiking, walking, day tripping, remote working, patio drinking, picnicking, chillaxing, gathering with friends, stretching, and other low-key-to-moderate outdoor and indoor adventure formats. In that regard, its performance has largely ranged from good to marvelous, keeping me warm and comfy, while drawing in multiple compliments on the aesthetic. Someone even said I look like a druid, and that really made my day! As an all-purpose hoodie, we recommend this very strongly.
However, as this is an ultralight backpacking-centric website, we must also evaluate apparel from a technical hiking/outdoor performance perspective. And in that sense, we note its mundane warmth-to-weight ratio. That is, instead of our 17.5 oz (measured size L) Paka Hoodie we could carry an eight ounce fleece that is equally as warm for less than half of the weight. Note, Paka’s website page for the Hoodie lists it as weighing less than 10 oz, which could only be true for a size XS. We hope that’s an honest mistake. True performance options also have a more technical hood, capable of cinching down to stay on in the wind.
As such, we don’t recommend the Paka Hoodie if you’re shopping for a dedicated hiking mid-layer. Again, this is a jack-of-all trades, not a specialist. What’s more, when evaluating at the intersection of performance and sustainability, this hoodie does start to rise to the top. If you’re building a max sustainability hiking kit, it is an appealing option.
Paka Hoodie Review Verdict
The Paka Hoodie is a truly versatile garment, exceptional in the areas of sustainability, comfort, fashion, and athleisure due to the many natural benefits and softness of alpaca fiber. We found its technical outdoor performance to be merely good-not-great when evaluated from a hiking and backpacking perspective. But when you add up the entire package, this hoodie is a hyper-appealing option that will accompany us many journeys for years to come.
